@medz - Well, I’m no mathematician, nor did I stay in a Motel-6 any time recently, but I am an experienced “bird” watcher, and these would be fine for that, as well as for normal “bird-watching”.
@medz - I suspect the problem you’re having with the 16X monocular, is holding it steady enough to enjoy seeing what you’re looking at. Even 16X binoculars are not really hand-holdable for any more than a few seconds for a quick look. That said, these are mass-market budget binoculars, don’t expect the same performance as a pair of $500+ birding binocular, but they should be fine to keep in the glove-box, etc.
@medz You don’t want binoculars much larger than these since there is a chance that if the “bird’s” mate catches you these Barskas will be inserted inside your body.
I’m tempted, Meh. For the first time maybe ever, you’re offering something that I could actually use, that has a decent price, and might even be fun to play with! Hmmmm…
FYI, these are not great for night time sky viewing, but better-suited for wide-field daytime use. A 30mm objective (the front lens) is too small for astronomical use (a 50mm objective at minimum, or larger). Before purchasing binoculars, do a little research beforehand to make sure you’re buying binoculars that closely match what you’ll be using them for. How to Choose the Right Binoculars
FYI to all; these are 8x30: the first number is magnification factor, and the second number is the size of the objective lens in millimeter. Although Barska makes a decent binocular, these are most useful in full daylight due to the small objective lens and probably best used for watching sporting events or hunting. Additionally those orange lens coatings also cut back on the amount of light that reaches your eyes.
Personally I use a pair of 15x60 for star/planet/night viewing, which is a magnification and objective size that works best for me and my eyes. I also own a pair of 20x70 binoculars, but they’re so rediculously huge and need a sturdy tripod to be practical. So you can actually have binoculars that are too big to be useful!
Correction: On second look of the photos of these binos, they don’t seem to have the orange lens coatings that they seemed to have in the first pic, and what many inexpensive sporting binos use. My mistake.
Let me know when you have the x-ray vision see-through version like they used to offer in the back of comic books, before they got all “monetized” and rebranded as “graphic novels” for the bougies. The ones that would let you see nekkid people (boobies!) and bones in your hand like the ad.
@medz Me neither, and this ad has been around for something like 60 years or possibly longer.I wonder how many Baby Boomers today have childhood stories of trying to return them for refund once they realized it was only a feather in-between cardboard? (I’d heard that this is what they actually were. The feather put close to your eyes was supposed to look like “bones” if you were looking at someone. Can anyone verify this?) What a scam!
@freidkin consider taking a pair of those Motorola-style (unfortunately no longer actually made by/for Motorola - simply another brand shill deal) FRS radios like they sell at Costco.
When away from cellular coverage, we were surprised at how well they worked, even thru several decks of steel ship. At least in our case, when we asked about using them the boat folks said they used different frequencies anyway, so no prob.
With a young kid who required naps, those radios would be a live-saver for the parent locked in the cabin.
Of course more recently, if a ship has wifi you could use an app like Skype or Whatsapp to talk.
I guess I am the only one tweaking over the typo in this paragraph:
Gallant looks through his pair and Goofus’s pair and decides he can’t really tell the difference, but he’s impressed that Gallant spent so much of his free time learning about the intricacies of consumer optics.
I’m pretty sure he (Gallant) is impressed that GOOFUS spent so much of his free time learning about the intricacies of consumer optics.
Specs
What’s in the Box?
1x Binoculars
1x Set of lens covers
1x Carrying case
1x Neck strap
1x Lens cloth
Pictures
Binoculars
Strap
Back
Top
Bottom
Label
Included
Price Comparison
$59.99 at Amazon
Warranty
1 Year Barska
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
Didn’t see that coming . . .
@Pavlov someone did, from ~1000 yards away.
@Pavlov Buy these binoculars and it’ll never happen again. (Unless Meh comes at you from behind.)
@Pavlov I see what you did there…
Didn’t need binoculars for that one either.
Meh
This explains how Irk got those circles around his eyes…
8x at 30mm should give you a 3.75mm exit pupil not 4.28mm. How did they do that math?
@cengland0 It’s three parts math to one part mediocrity.
@cengland0 They used 7x magnification (well, in reality they probably just copied something wrong).
@awk That’s a big mistake either way.
@cengland0 Common Core?
@Mescolito I just want you to know that at least one person appreciated that.
I still have a pair of waterproof binoculars I bought 15 years ago. They’re fun to have around.
/image leering animated gif
That’s a leer? He’s not a very good actor.
So I could take these swimming? I could be a creeper under water? This is tempting… I’ll check back after my nap.
If we were doing the sensible thing and putting our money into low-fee index funds instead of spending it on deal-a-day sites, would we even be here?
@lljk What if Sparticus had a Piper Cub?
These are nice but not tacticool.
@cranky1950 Needs a rail mount for laser sight and flashlight.
@medz and woodland or desert camo
@cranky1950 winter is coming. Ice digital camo.
I’d like to be able to observe a large “bird” through a window Google maps says if 161 feet away from my window. Will these work very well?
@medz Why don’t you just open the blinds?
@medz - How big of a “bird” we talkin’, size-2 or 3XL? The 3XL probably won’t entirely fit in the field of view
@Achromatter probably around 1XL at most. Would the typical window fill the field of view at that range?
I’m I don’t the math right? 161 feet away with 8x would make it seem like I was 20 feet away?
I have a 16 x 52 monocular that isn’t good enough. So this is probably crap.
@medz - Well, I’m no mathematician, nor did I stay in a Motel-6 any time recently, but I am an experienced “bird” watcher, and these would be fine for that, as well as for normal “bird-watching”.
@medz - I suspect the problem you’re having with the 16X monocular, is holding it steady enough to enjoy seeing what you’re looking at. Even 16X binoculars are not really hand-holdable for any more than a few seconds for a quick look. That said, these are mass-market budget binoculars, don’t expect the same performance as a pair of $500+ birding binocular, but they should be fine to keep in the glove-box, etc.
@medz - Window? Did you mean widow?
@medz You don’t want binoculars much larger than these since there is a chance that if the “bird’s” mate catches you these Barskas will be inserted inside your body.
No protection against prions. Meh.
@platojello In this case it might be Moo.
How good are these at seeing through the little spaces between mini-blinds?
@phatmass my partner and i call this ‘kravitzing.’
I’m tempted, Meh. For the first time maybe ever, you’re offering something that I could actually use, that has a decent price, and might even be fun to play with! Hmmmm…
Why didn’t you offer these several weeks ago, to get here in time for the eclipse?
I could have let my brother-in-law use them for that.
@phendrick Not a fan of your brother-in-law?
@phendrick Ha, then he’d end up moving into your basement eventually.
@jqubed Did I imply that…?
too expensive!
FYI, these are not great for night time sky viewing, but better-suited for wide-field daytime use. A 30mm objective (the front lens) is too small for astronomical use (a 50mm objective at minimum, or larger). Before purchasing binoculars, do a little research beforehand to make sure you’re buying binoculars that closely match what you’ll be using them for.
How to Choose the Right Binoculars
@Kerig3 Same rule applies to dusk or dawn terrestrial viewing. 30mm obj lens doesn’t gather much light. Consider these strictly bright daylight binos.
@ruouttaurmind Agreed!
FYI to all; these are 8x30: the first number is magnification factor, and the second number is the size of the objective lens in millimeter. Although Barska makes a decent binocular, these are most useful in full daylight due to the small objective lens and probably best used for watching sporting events or hunting. Additionally those orange lens coatings also cut back on the amount of light that reaches your eyes.
Personally I use a pair of 15x60 for star/planet/night viewing, which is a magnification and objective size that works best for me and my eyes. I also own a pair of 20x70 binoculars, but they’re so rediculously huge and need a sturdy tripod to be practical. So you can actually have binoculars that are too big to be useful!
Correction: On second look of the photos of these binos, they don’t seem to have the orange lens coatings that they seemed to have in the first pic, and what many inexpensive sporting binos use. My mistake.
Get back to me when you sell a 12x50 pair.
Can u see me now?
Even though the binocular movie scene isn’t legit, Moonrise Kingdom is my favorite Wes Anderson flick.
The Life Aquatic gets MY vote.
I’d rather be friends with Goofus, though.
what no candy corn…
/giphy candycorn
I thought it said $30 and I was like yeah then I read $38 and I was like awww. The brain is weird thing.
@Jetlag also why you gotta dunk on the wirecutter
i have some legit eclipse binoculars i could let go of for a reasonable price
my photos
:
Let me know when you have the x-ray vision see-through version like they used to offer in the back of comic books, before they got all “monetized” and rebranded as “graphic novels” for the bougies. The ones that would let you see nekkid people (boobies!) and bones in your hand like the ad.
@mike808 Yes! Right there along side the Sea Monkeys, “Build your own hovercraft” plans and the Olympic Sales Club “earn prizes or cash” ads.
@mike808
@mike808 money bank guarantee…
Never noticed that before
@medz Me neither, and this ad has been around for something like 60 years or possibly longer.I wonder how many Baby Boomers today have childhood stories of trying to return them for refund once they realized it was only a feather in-between cardboard? (I’d heard that this is what they actually were. The feather put close to your eyes was supposed to look like “bones” if you were looking at someone.
Can anyone verify this?) What a scam!
@Kerig3 according to Wikipedia, that’s close: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Ray_Specs_(novelty)
@djslack Thanks! After I posted I thought of looking it up in Wikipedia, but it was late…and I was lazy.
Hi
@leturner howdy
@leturner Buh-bye!!
@leturner
/giphy hello there
@leturner
/giphy HAI
I considered buying some but my neighbors are all ugly
No internal compass display, no internal rangsfinder, no candy corn, no deal.
Shouldn’t that last paragraph say “but he’s impressed that Goofus spent so much of his free time learning about the intricacies of consumer optics.”?
have too many of these cheap binocs, could use something better than Barska.
something ‘military’ grade that can take abuse
Sweet, these’ll be ace for our Alaska cruise coming up. In for 2.
@freidkin consider taking a pair of those Motorola-style (unfortunately no longer actually made by/for Motorola - simply another brand shill deal) FRS radios like they sell at Costco.
When away from cellular coverage, we were surprised at how well they worked, even thru several decks of steel ship. At least in our case, when we asked about using them the boat folks said they used different frequencies anyway, so no prob.
With a young kid who required naps, those radios would be a live-saver for the parent locked in the cabin.
Of course more recently, if a ship has wifi you could use an app like Skype or Whatsapp to talk.
been half-heartedly hoping to find entry level specs. first time buyer here. fingers x’d…
I guess I am the only one tweaking over the typo in this paragraph:
Gallant looks through his pair and Goofus’s pair and decides he can’t really tell the difference, but he’s impressed that Gallant spent so much of his free time learning about the intricacies of consumer optics.
I’m pretty sure he (Gallant) is impressed that GOOFUS spent so much of his free time learning about the intricacies of consumer optics.
you great goofus!