Monoculars vs. Binoculars
The lowdown on binoculars and monoculars.
Every time I hear the word monoculars, I can’t help but think of weird spy films and monocles. Actually, monoculars are a kind of telescope, like the kind of scope you see on a rifle. But you can hold it in your hand, and carry it around. A monocular also kind of reminds me of mononucleosis, which is a kind of sickness that gets you really tired. I remember of my old classmates in high school caught “mono”, and was like in and out of class for the entire school year. What a bummer.
Anyway, this article is about binoculars and monoculars on China Gadget Land. Here’s a list of the first five listed on the website, with recommendations for all you readers out there.
Compact Spotscope Monocular with Green Casing (8×30)
This monocular looks pretty sturdy. I’d take it snowboarding on one of those super helicopter trips where the pilot drops you off on a mountain top in the Himalayas, the Alps or the Rockie Mountains – one of those ski trips where you need to choose your path down the mountain, so you might need a clear zoomed in view of the mountain below or else you’ll end up like James Bond flying off a massive peak or something. Its even got two waterproof lens-protecting caps, which should keep it dry and safe from melting snow.
Spotscope Monocular (7x ~ 21x x 25mm)
This spotscope monocular has a cool telescopic zoom. I’ve tried it, and it has a nice grip when zooming. I’d recommend this one to birdwatchers.
Spotscope Monocular (15~50×21)
15~50X zoom is basically the standard you need in a spotscope monocular. This would be a brilliant addition to any pack to take to a Manchester United match at Old Trafford to watch Sir Alex and the boys take on Chelsea. (That is, if you’re in Manchester…)
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12X Magnification Binoculars (12×21)
This set of binoculars is pretty cool – it looks like one of those binocular sets you can find on observation decks around famous tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and probably on the Great Wall of China. Except, its a lot smaller and fits in your backpack for a trip to the park or Sunday match. I’d definitely ask to borrow these binoculars if you were sitting next to me at a Rush concert.
What can I say about these awesome binoculars? Classic. And forget Rush — I’m taking a set of these to Lollapalooza. These days, I’m probably going to be hanging out more in the beer tent at back next to the t-shirt stand. These anti-UV binoculars would definitely come in handy every 10 minutes when I come out to check out Perry Ferrell’s appearance on stage with the Jane’s Addiction comeback band. Nah, forget that. I would definitely lose them in my tent, or even worse in the mosh pit.
Instead, how about imagining all the birds you could see with a set of these: bluebirds, ravens, bluejays, swallows – even a flock of wild geese. Awesome.
