Binoculars

NiciS72

My mother informed me last night she would like a good pair of these for Christmas. She's going to Alaska and would like them for her trip. I'm looking at Consumer Reports and OMG the really good ones are pricey! I thought I'd reach out to you fine folks and ask if you have a pair that you've bought for an Alaskan trip or something similar, what brand/model do you have, about how much for them and what you like/dislike about them. Thanks for your help!

Football_N_Guns

Anything Bushnell. Try www.cabelas.com. They have prices from $14 all the way up.

HerbT51

If your mother is serious about optics I would recommend against giving her a pair as a gift. A gift card or check is a much better idea. One person's opinion of "the best" is not necessarily another person's choice. Personal sight, hand & head size, eyeglasses or not, & endurance carrying the weight all play a part in the final decision. It is best to visit a store or birding event, where one can try several / many different models, before making a choice.
I use Swarovski 8.5 X 42 EL but my better half thinks they are far too heavy. She uses Swarovski 8 X 30. I paid about $1300 for mine a number of years ago, whereas hers were about half that price. When I bought mine I went with the idea I was buying a pair like hers. After trying both of these side-by-side, as well as several other models, both more & less expensive, these were the best view for me. A good pair of binoculars can be a lifetime investment. Buying cheap now & trading up later is usually a waste of money. The resale value is low, so you are throwing away the initial investment.
Don't be fooled into thinking higher power is better! The first number is the magnification. Usually 7 or 8 power is ideal. Anything higher becomes dificult to hold steady. Jitter is annoying & tiring. A lower power does not provide enough magnification. Far more important is the second number! That is the size of the front lens in millimeters. The bigger the opening the more light you gather & the brighter the image you see. The trade-off here is that big lenses are heavy. That brings us back to "try them out before buying".
The web site "A Better View Desired" <http://www.betterviewdesired.com/&gt; provides a lot of information about selecting binoculars & reviews of many models. The web site "Eagle Optics" <http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars&gt; is a reliable, though not the only, mail order source for optics.

gazerofthestars

Nikon's are usually good but a little on the expensive side. Try sizes 8x40 or 10x50. They double well as stargazing binos at night