Thread: Ultra compact binos - what's good?

Any recommendations on ultra compact binos? Something that'll fit into a chest pocket and are easy to have with you when you aren't out deliberately hunting.

I've got a some Leupold 10.5x45 binos for when I'm serious, but they're big and bulky, and I find I'm really liking having a small pair of binos that fit in my chest pocket. Issue with the tiny pair I have is that they're cheap and lose focus every time you fold them up, so I'm thinking it would be nice to get a proper pair.

The Pentax A Series AD 8 x 25 WP's fold up tiny and have decently nice image, but wondering what else people use that is similar?

For context I'm talking about this kind of thing:

I have a pair of 10x25 Leica's, call them my fishing or my pocket bino's. Excellent glass, lightweight and easy to fit in to your pocket. Seen plenty of animals with them.

I have a pair of Swarovski's 9x25. I would prefer x8 due to the limitations of the tiny objectives. They are ultra clear but not easy to use. An alternative is the 7x26 Bushnell Elites which are amazingly clear and easier to use in the small binos area. But in reality, 8x30 is the smallest I can tolerate for any significant glassing. It is a balance between convenience and ease of use. Some of the 8x30s are physically quite small.

I have a set of 12x30 Cabela's brand
They are made in Japan and I suspect by Nikon.
Great little glasses for when you don't want to carry big binos.
When I bought them twenty years ago, 12 was a bit to much. But now my eyes are fading 12 power is pretty good.
They fit in a chest pocket, or hang around my neck under a shirt and I actually forget they are there.
They were about a thousand dollars cheaper than a set of Leica 10x25 when I bought them, but there's not a thousand dollars worth of difference.
I'm not discrediting the Leica's though. They are awesome little glasses too.

I use 15 year old pair of canon 8x25 when not carrying my loopies

Originally Posted by Husky1600#2

I have a pair of 10x25 Leica's, call them my fishing or my pocket bino's. Excellent glass, lightweight and easy to fit in to your pocket. Seen plenty of animals with them.

That's my thought - I find I tend to bring my little pocket set where I wouldn't bring the big set, and even though my current pair is really junk, they don't bother me much.

Originally Posted by rupert

I have a pair of Swarovski's 9x25. I would prefer x8 due to the limitations of the tiny objectives. They are ultra clear but not easy to use. An alternative is the 7x26 Bushnell Elites which are amazingly clear and easier to use in the small binos area. But in reality, 8x30 is the smallest I can tolerate for any significant glassing. It is a balance between convenience and ease of use. Some of the 8x30s are physically quite small.

That's my thought - too much magnification on too small an objective and it's just too dark. 8x seems like a good sweet spot.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I have a set of 12x30 Cabela's brand
They are made in Japan and I suspect by Nikon.
Great little glasses for when you don't want to carry big binos.
When I bought them twenty years ago, 12 was a bit to much. But now my eyes are fading 12 power is pretty good.
They fit in a chest pocket, or hang around my neck under a shirt and I actually forget they are there.
They were about a thousand dollars cheaper than a set of Leica 10x25 when I bought them, but there's not a thousand dollars worth of difference.
I'm not discrediting the Leica's though. They are awesome little glasses too. Attachment 232960

Yeah - would be lovely to have high end binos, but I don't get out nearly enough to spend that kind of money.... yet

@canross Highly recommend Swaro CL pocket 8x25 if you can stretch the budget...
I've been running these now coming up 2 years, having switched from a set of midrange 42mm binos.
Buy once, cry once! You won't be disappointed looking through a set of these imo.

https://www.jacobsdigital.co.nz/prod...8aAvl3EALw_wcB

Originally Posted by Pav

@canross Highly recommend Swaro CL pocket 8x25 if you can stretch the budget...
I've been running these now coming up 2 years, having switched from a set of midrange 42mm binos.
Buy once, cry once! You won't be disappointed looking through a set of these imo.

https://www.jacobsdigital.co.nz/prod...8aAvl3EALw_wcB

That's definitely a budget stretch Will see if I can find a pair locally to look through.

Originally Posted by Pav

@canross Highly recommend Swaro CL pocket 8x25 if you can stretch the budget...
I've been running these now coming up 2 years, having switched from a set of midrange 42mm binos.
Buy once, cry once! You won't be disappointed looking through a set of these imo.

https://www.jacobsdigital.co.nz/prod...8aAvl3EALw_wcB

I have a pair of those, they are fantastic. Everyone says about getting the larger ocular for "low light". But i think most people haven't compared binos in low light conditions. They are better than my 10x42 Steiner's but at twice the cost.
The only time its not is the last 2-5mins of light that i would actually call "next to no light". when its already so dark you can hardly see anything with your naked eye anyway.
Compared it to some EL 10x42s about 7pm in a late summers evening around town into bush 2-400m and i couldn't see the difference.

I'm thinking i should 3d print a sleeve just so they are more comfortable to glass with. But ideally for my use i would get the CL30s or EL32s just for ergonomics, for glassing a lot longer.
But for putting in your pocket or everyday carrying i doubt there will be much that is better.

I think that as thermal spotters become more mainstream/accepted, and better, these smaller binos will become more practical and popular.