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Barska "Deep Sea" Dig. Compass Ranging Binocs

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Optics GrassHopper
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Joined: November/21/2014
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    Posted: December/16/2014 at 13:04
OK, This is going to be a much shorter short post because I initially wrote a very long review and ended up getting logged out of Opticstalk and losing the whole thing.  If you have questions or comments I'll gladly elaborate.

Long story short, I was looking for an inexpensive set of Binoculars with lots of features.  The Barska "Deep Sea" with Compass and ranging reticle seemed like everything I could ever ask for at a price point of $135.99 (from B&H).  These binoculars looked EXACTLY like several other no-name brands on eBay and elsewhere on the web being advertised as "military" binoculars, so I assumed that they all roll off of the same assembly line in China somewhere.  I went with the "Barska" branded variant because they are somewhat reputable and come with a warranty.

Out of the box - Man, these things are heavy and bulky.  I would never sacrifice the weight and space in my backpack to take these binoculars camping or hiking. If they're going to be for true marine applications, they're staying in the boat.

Glass - the quality of the optics is OK for 7x50 Binoculars. I'd give them a grade of "C" on an A-F report card scale.

Extras: Here's the deal... all of the cool features are pretty much unusable. The compass is in the Left tube and the Ranging Reticle is in the right.  They weren't designed to be used together, so you can't use these binoculars as intended (with both eyes open) because the Reticle overlaps the compass. (manufacturer images show the Reticle on top of the compass display... it doesn't work this way).
What's more, they are offset at an angle to the horizon unless you have the binoculars pulled all the way apart.  There is no way to maintain fusion of the stereo image and have the compass and reticle focused and in your field of view. It just doesn't work.  I've attached an image of what looking through these binoculars actually looks like vs. what all of the manufacturers show you.  I now understand why "high end" binoculars like Steiner Commanders cost so much... they actually work.

I returned them to B&H without any issues, but was a little upset that they never printed my review. I usually love working with B&H as a retailer, but I think it's a bit disingenuous to ask customers for reviews and then NOT post any negative ones. Here's my mock-up of what looking through the Barska "Deep Sea" is actually like...




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2014 at 19:21
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Robertson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/18/2014 at 18:15
Once, I actually bought a pair of Barska compact binoculars when a local store had them on sale. Best $6 bins I ever owned.
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