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Offline jpsmith1

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Beginner Binos?
« on: November 13, 2006, 02:17:02 PM »
Does anyone make low powered binoulars anymore?  I was in K-mart looking for a little pair for my 3 and 5 year old boys and couldn't find anything less powerful than 10x except for a 7x-16x zoom pair for about $60 which is more than I want to spend for a kid's first pair.  I seem to remember 7x35s being good enough back in the day.  My 10x50s seem puny anymore when you can get 12x and 16x binos at Kmart.

I do understand that my Nikons will usually beat a cheaper pair of binos in optical quality and image clarity, but, as I said, I'm looking for something for my boys.  Heck, a 4x pair would work if I could find them.
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Offline EsoxLucius

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Re: Beginner Binos?
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2006, 04:21:59 AM »
A cheap pair of 7x35mm is about it I think.  Low-power binoculars are really a specialty niche so you're gonna pay about $300 minimum for them.  You might want to consider the Bushnell PermaFocus 7x35mm binoculars for a kid.  $50 and they don't have to play with them a lot to focus them.  However, they don't focus below 50 feet.  Otherwise, Nikon Action 7x35mm binoculars are $60.

Four power? Cheap? http://www.opticsplanet.net/konus-binoculars-living-2075.html
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Offline Dand

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Re: Beginner Binos?
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2006, 11:24:35 PM »
At Walmart I found some Tasco or similar brand mini binocs for about $11 each - for my boys 4 and 8.  I would not buy $300 binoculars for my rambunctious boys. As they get older and learn to take care of stuff I might find some $100 level optics but my boys are happy with the bargain basement binocs I gave them.  For important viewing opportunities I let them look through my binocs (Nikon Travelites - soon to upgrade to Leupold Katmai).
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Offline Questor

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Re: Beginner Binos?
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2006, 08:39:55 AM »
We've used cheap Tasco 8x compacts from Wal-mart. They are junk, but they are better than nothing. They're such a hassle to keep adjusted.
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Offline jpsmith1

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Re: Beginner Binos?
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2006, 01:51:11 PM »
Thats kind of what I ended up with.  A 'sports afield' pair of 8x21 compacts.  I actually bought 3 pair.  One for each boy and one for dad.  Makes more sense to keep a $10 pair in the truck getting beat up than a $150 pair.  Not as good as my Nikons, but good enough most of the time.

Of course, after I bought them, I found 4x25s or so at toys-r-us of all places.  I think they were Tasco, but I'm not sure.
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