Hi
I am not sure if anyone else has this problem but I am a very short sighted specs wearer (hence the subject line!) and I find it very difficult to see through binoculars if I hold them up to the lens of my specs as they wobble about a bit and it feels very unnatural. If I try to look through them without my glasses I cant really see anything at all! I am not very keen on contact lenses so that wouldnt be a solution, does anyone have any suggestions?
I share your problem of extreme short-sightedness and the probem of using binoculars while wearing glasses. The best solution I have was given to me by my father when I was a child. During the Second World War he worked as a lens grinder producing field glasses, and this was standard practice for using the field glasses then. When you hold the binos to your eyes, leave both thumbs and forefingers free. These you place against your cheekbones and temples on each side of your face, steadying the binos beautifully, whether you are wearing glasses or not.
Smiles, Jan.
That sounds like a great method to try, I will give it a go when I am out and about on Sunday and I will let you know how I get on. Thanks very much for your advice and have a great day!
Hello Two for Joy,
Binoculars and glasses work much better together when sitting down and resting your elbows on something for stability - a brilliant excuse for more leisurely wildlife watching!
My husband and I have two different models of binocular, both RSPB brand, which have twist-down eyecups so you can use them with or without your specs. They are fantastic. Very good quality for the money and SO MUCH better than the fiddly rubber fold-down eyecups you often get.
Most of the RSPB shops have demo days where you can try out all the different models. You can try them at any other time but you know you sometimes feel you only want to try something out if you're serious about buying it? On the demo days you feel you can just have a go with them all even if you're not going to be spending.
Hope that helps.
L
Hiya LuckyBustard,
Love the name! Thanks very much for your advice, I really do appreciate it. Im quite new to all this so it is great to be able to ask other people what they have learnt! I am planning a trip to Old Moor this weekend so I will ask in the shop about their demo days as I would like some new binoculars anyway as the ones I have got have been inherited and are very old!
Thanks again :)
Hi LuckyBustad,
I had the same problem and the answer was to spend 2 hours at our local In Focus shop. I tried loads of different bins and eventualy settled on a pair of 8 x 42 Opticrons which had quite wide eye pieces compared to the others.
You need to find what works for you, something might be getting rave reviews but it means nothing you can't see though them.
I think the demo day at Old Moor will be your best option, then you can try as many as you like in a place where you'll be using them.
Paul.
Hello Two for Joy
We have RSPB binoculars (Viking) and they are ideal for people who wear glasses (or not). The yearly Bird Fair at Rutland will give you lots of opportunity to try before you buy so to speak. When you buy the product at the Bird Fair, you will find the goods cheaper than the same product in the shops. So it is worth taking the opportunity if it comes your way. Of course it depends on your budget too, as they do not come cheap at all and the market is changing all of the time.
Dave and I suffer from both short, and long sightness and we have binoculars to accommodiate just that problem. - the twisty lenses. We have a pair of 8 x 40's and 10 x 50's. One set cover the close up's and the other distance shots. We alternate between the two pairs depending on the situation. RSPB binoculars are a wise buy, and ours have lasted a long time so far - no regrets at all.
The cups on the lenses are ideal for people who wear glasses (and prevents the lenses from being scratched no matter if they are plastic or glass). Mind you wearing contact lenses are another way of avoiding the glasses trap too. Good for using binoculars any day.
As lucky Bustard has said, try to source out where you can get a demonstration of the binoculars on the market and see what suits you and your budget. It just means shopping around a bit first, and seeing what you feel comfortable with. i am sure that most local RSPB visitor centres will have open days for demonstrations
Hope this has helped you
Regards
Kathy and Dave
LuckyBustard said: Hello Two for Joy, Binoculars and glasses work much better together when sitting down and resting your elbows on something for stability - a brilliant excuse for more leisurely wildlife watching! My husband and I have two different models of binocular, both RSPB brand, which have twist-down eyecups so you can use them with or without your specs. They are fantastic. Very good quality for the money and SO MUCH better than the fiddly rubber fold-down eyecups you often get. Most of the RSPB shops have demo days where you can try out all the different models. You can try them at any other time but you know you sometimes feel you only want to try something out if you're serious about buying it? On the demo days you feel you can just have a go with them all even if you're not going to be spending. Hope that helps. L