Whaddya need binoculars for? Denali in late Augustyou’ll be seeing…rain, and lots of it.
10×25 Premier LX L
Just kidding, sort of. It is apt to be wet then. But you’ll have some gaps between the clouds, and binocs will be handy. The Nikon Premiers you’re eyeing are certainly a high-end pair of glassesand at $430, they’d better be. They’re fully waterproof and fog-proof, have a magnesium body, and come with super high-quality glass that Nikon says is made without lead or arsenic. So they’re a lifetime investment.
The 10×25 ProStaff Waterproof ATB glasses are, on the other hand, much cheaper ($140; www.nikonsportoptics.com). They have a plastic body, but are waterproof, and while the optics are the same in terms of basic dimensions, the glass and coatings aren’t as good. So the image you see won’t be quite as sharp or clear. Will you be able to notice? Well, maybe. You’d need to look through each of them, side by side, and see what you think.
One thing I’d suggest you consider is a binocular in the 8×30-35 range. A little less pullthe “8” refers to magnificationbut also easier to hold. And they have a bigger tube (the “35”) so more light gets to your eyes, meaning they’re a bit brighter. Steiner’s 8×30 Predators ($250; www.steiner-binoculars.com) are an excellent choice, with sharp lenses, waterproof construction, armored coating. And they’re still very compact. You might also look at the Nikon Monarch ATB 8×42 ($417), a compact, waterproof binocular that has a nice balance of pulling power and brightness.
And keep in mind, grizzlies seen through these binoculars may be closer than they appear…
Check out the binocs winner in ϳԹ‘s , plus ogle a slew of other great swag, from tents to MP3 players.