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The Binoculars Advisor

by Michael and Diane Porter

Michael PorterDiane PorterAnswers to questions from real people with real questions about how to choose a binocular. The questions are listed at right.


Situation: What is an inexpensive binocular I can get for a child?

Eagle Optics TriumphAdvice: Here are two.

1) If child doesn't wear glasses, you might start with one of the Eagle Optics Energy binoculars. These are very small, 8x21 binoculars. They come in silver, blue, green, and yellow. $49.95.

However, the Energy binoculars are not recommended for a person who wears glasses for walking around, as the eye relief is not quite long enough to accommodate the glasses. (Read more about eye relief.)

2) RaptorFor a better quality binocular for a child who is mature enough to treat a binocular with respect, we suggest the Vortex Raptor.

This is a Porro Prism binocular that is lightweight and has good optics. Unlike most full-sized binoculars, it squeezes down to a pretty narrow distance between the eyes — a minimum distance of 50mm — which will let most kids see through both eyes at the same time.

We recommend the 6.5x32 for a child who wears glasses. For a child who does not wear glasses, you could get the 8.5x32.


Copyright 2012 by Michael and Diane Porter.

 

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