Questions & Answers (click + for answers)

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• Q: About binoculars: Is Nikon 8x40 Action Extreme ATB good for whale watching on land and on the boat?
  This is my first time to purchase a binocular. I can't afford those high end ones at $1,000 & up, but under $200 is ok. I read through a few websites on how to choose a binocular for whale watching. It seems like 8 x 40 is ideal. On the Amazon.com, this Nikon binocular recieved all 5 stars and costs only around $120. Do you all agree? I want to start to do whale watching (living by Pacific Coast) on land and maby on the boat in the future, but also plan to use my first binocular to do hiking, bird watching, black bear & grizzly bear watching as well. I know I sound a bit too greedy but I'm only a student... If this Nikon binocular would do a good job for whale watching mainly and other activities, I probably will go for it. To muncie birder: I read your answer to a question about binocular. You seem to be very knoweldgable about binoculars. Do you have any experience with the binocular for whale watching? What would you recomand?

  A:These are excellent binoculars. One thing to be aware of. They are probably not water proof even though they say they are, so if you take them on a boat be just a little careful. Don't worry too much though. I took a pair of non-waterproof binoculars out on Monterrey Bay. They worked just fine. These have a super wide field of view which makes them great for bird watching. And 8x40 are great for just about everything. I would not advise holding them under the focet to wash off the sea salt. It might work but as I said be just a little careful. One thing that might be of interest. A rule of thumb is that you get about 10% better performance for every doubling of price. So you see, these are going to be excellent binoculars. Here is where you can buy them for $120 including postage. I have bought 2 pair from these folks. A pair for my son and a pair for me. And I recommend them. Ask them if you can hold these under the focet to wash off sea salt. They will know more about them than I do. I had a pair of Nikon binoculars that unfortunately were stolen in Ecuador. They were great. http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=3882
• Q: SHould I get a Pentax pair of binoculars or a Nikon pair?
  I was looking for binoculars, and I found two pairs in my budget range (around $125), the Nikon Binoculars Action Extreme 8x40 for $121, and the Pentax Binoculars PCF WP II 8X40 for $149, so which one is better?

  A:The Nikon has a wider field of view than the Pentax, but the Pentax has a longer eye relief. If you wear glasses, the Pentax will do better for you. Otherwise the Nikon would seem to be the winner because of the price. My concern is that neither of these have Fully Multi Coated lenses. The Nikon is only Multi Coated, the Pentax has no info on coating type. Fully Multi Coated (FMC) lenses will give you the brightest images.