Binoculars?

[ddrueding]

With the view of the fjord and working docks from my living room, I'm thinking a good set of binoculars would help see all the things out there.

My first instinct is the Canon 12x36 IS III. For sure I want image stabilization, and I think that is the right amount of magnification. The boat races are about 1km away, and the dockyard operations are a bit closer.

I have next to zero experience with binoculars; perhaps I've looked through some twice in my life. I'd love general feedback as well as product recommendations.

Thanks!

 

[Mercutio]

Just a thought, but a camera lens that zooms to 600 or 800mm + a teleconverter would give you similar levels of zoom and the ability to capture what you're seeing. LM probably has stronger opinions about long zooms than I do though.

 

[LunarMist]

The Canon IS binocs aren't the best optically, but for many people the IS more than makes up for it when hand held. Assuming you can open the windows a spotting scope on a small tripod is probably better. At 1km, the air quality will be usually be limiting so nothing will look so great.

 

[LunarMist]

Just a thought, but a camera lens that zooms to 600 or 800mm + a teleconverter would give you similar levels of zoom and the ability to capture what you're seeing. LM probably has stronger opinions about long zooms than I do though.

At 600 or 800mm, you are looking at very expensive prime lenses that are not worth it at far distances over water. There are some inexpensive zooms that get to 600mm, but not 800. See my post above.

 

[ddrueding]

I was thinking of long lenses. Once my stuff gets here from California the 100-400 with a 2x converter will no doubt outperform binoculars. I was even considering the Ubiquiti PTZ camera on the balcony. But the purpose of this isn't to capture stuff; it is to be sitting on the coffee table when out there chilling, or passed around to friends if socializing. Informal passive stuff that doesn't require documentation.

And the Mrs. banned tripods from the area as it would obstruct the view the rest of the time.

 

[LunarMist]

No, a 100-400 with 2x will not outperform good binoculars. It sounds like you are finally shipping stuff, so you can use some old gear.
Are you learning Finnish or do they speak enough English?

 

[Mercutio]

do they speak enough English?

Per my Prague-resident brother, if you're in an sort of major city, it's actually difficult to find a place without someone around who speaks decent English. Learning a "minor" European language like Finnish or Polish or Czech is actually very difficult because the natives go out of their way to practice their English under the assumption that there's no way you'll know anything else.

LM, the RF 600 and 800/11 lenses are affordable and work very well. They aren't great for bad light, but if dd is shooting pictures of ships moving cargo or the fjords that dead parrots pine for, it's not like keeping the shutter open for 1/4 second is THAT much of an issue.

 

[ddrueding]

Everyone here speaks entirely fluent English. In my 6 months of interacting with people I've encountered two who had to speak slowly, out of hundreds. Anyone under 20 years of age has no accent; you wouldn't know they weren't from California. The cultural domination of YouTube cartoons is fairly complete in affluent countries. They start teaching English in 2nd grade, and German in 5th. My daughters teachers main complaint is that all the kids speak English with her instead of Danish.

The only time language becomes a challenge is when I don't have a chance to ask for English; mainly voice recordings in phone systems or voicemails left on my phone. The voicemails are easy because I can just repeat them until I understand. But if I call a business and they have the Danish equivalent of "press 1 for...." then I'm lost.

Stuff has not shipped yet, but I haven't put that much effort into it.

 

[LunarMist]

For some reason I was thinking about the Finlands.

 

[ddrueding]

It was on the short list, but DK won.

 

[LunarMist]

Donna Karan, like New York. LOL
I used to like the Zeiss Victory series of binoculares. They don't give the reach of a spotting scope, but the brain combines the imges so you get some extra IQ from that and a good FOV.
I think that a MILS EVF display would be annoying and nauseous after a while.