M24 Binoculars ??
 

Anyone has an opinion of on these?

Size, weight, water proof, eye relief??

They are labeled: Northrop Grumman, nsn: 1240-01-499-3547, Fuji may also make them?

I am looking for a light weight compact set for hunting, boating, & vacations.

:munchin

MOO, Did not care for them in the course, not clear, and seemed to have some optical aberrations. Field of view sucked, and the eye relief was critical due to the small objective lens.

When hunting on the ground, I carry a pair of Nikon 7X25 Travelite binos. Light weight, reasonably clear and they fit in my shirt pocket. When glassing, I have 10X50 Leica Ultra VIds. Expensive but very clear. I bought these instead of the Swarovski's bcecause a guide that I use, uses them. He told me that the Swaros would go out of focus if jarred while the Leica's held focus.

Agree, use Leica minis as they hold focus and are very clear. While the objective lens is small, I don't seem to have the trouble with staying centered on the binos as I did with the 24s.

Steiner Merlin 10x42
 

I have a set of Steiner Merlin 10x42. Really like the small size and the clarity.

Thanks for the replies..

From your comments, I see why these are flooding the market..

I have carried a set of Minolta 10x40 Mariners for 20+ yrs. They work well if you have a steady rest, but with a small exit pupil of 4mm, they are not so good in low light,, PLUS they weight around 30oz.

I want a set that I can throw in my day bag while traveling. I think something in the 8x25-30 range, under 10 oz, shirt pocket size..

The Nikon Travelite or similar..

I'll keep looking.. tx :D

Make sure you try a few dozen at local stores before you purchase. My.02. ;)

I had Steiners, and ditched them for a set of the MILSPEC Leupolds. Very nice glass for the price.

If I had a boat, was a birder, or spent a lot of money on hunts, safaris, etc., I would look at the Leicas, Swarovskis, or Zeiss.

Best of luck!

TR

Vortex Optics has a line of binos also; believe their Vanquish series might approach that weight criteria. (I have a couple of their scopes; pretty nice glass.) 10oz is pretty light; if that was a discriminator for me I'd just toss a quality monocular in the pocket. Tough for long glassing but a handy option.

http://www.vortexoptics.com/category...ish_binoculars
http://www.vortexoptics.com/category/monoculars

Have you considered a set with optical stabilization? Several companies make them in small versions. Canon comes to mind as I have used theirs. Very nice but not as small as shirt pocket size.

The only time I have needed Stabilized binos is on a boat. Unless you are glassing from a moving vehicle, a boat or an aircraft, I can't think of a reason to use them...

Depending on power and distance they can make all the difference in the world. In many instances you can't "brace" the binos and the stabilized set will work as if you had. For rapid glassing they can't be beat. The price will tear you a new one though. :eek:

They are heavier, also.