Worth the money!

A friend of mine pulled a pair of these out last weekend when we were on his sailboat, and I was inquiring about an island we were headed to. About two miles out, he passed me these huge binoculars to try, and I was AMAZED at the clarity of them.

First of all, the focus was perfect--I never touched it once. And the eyepieces were designed in such a way that you didn't have to keep opening and closing the width to get them to fit your eyes perfectly. There's a built-in gauge on the glass to help you estimate distance to the object you are looking at, as well.

Being that we were out on a large body of water, with high heat, I immediately expected to have to deal with condensation on the lens. No such problem with the Nikon I was holding. It never even hinted at perspiration, and I could look as long as I wanted through the tinted glass with no problems.

Being on a large lake, it's easy to lose your sense of direction. With the built-in compass, it's easy to figure out not only where you're heading, but which direction you are looking. When there's no sight of shore, these are great for anyone in a boat. Or, it would be great for hunters who like to sight-in game, then track the animal over hilly terrain; the compass will keep you right on course all along. However, the compass may be a little annoying on the top of the lenses, and if it's someone's first time using them, they may mistake the compass for a focus-ring; so make sure they don't keep trying to turn it.

As for cons with the binoculars, there aren't many. They are a little heavy, but that's only because of the excellent design and precision put into them. And if you don't need as high of quality, you probably won't want to spend as much money on this pair as that of a less-expensive pair.

Another great part is the attached lens covers. If you've ever owned lens covers that weren't attached, you'll know how annoying it is to misplace them, or have to go back and find them. With the attached covers, as soon as you're done with the glasses, you can put the covers back on.

For anyone from a sports fanatic to a serious bird watcher, these are the glasses for you. You'll get great vision, and a high-quality pair of glasses for those times when you need clarity. Best of luck with whatever event you're using them for!