Nikon7247 Action 16x50 EX Extreme All-Terrain Binocular

I use a binocular almost daily, looking out over the ocean for whales, birds, seals, etc..I have been using a Pentax Butterfly 8.5x21 which is awesome for looking at tide pools, and a Bushnell 10x50 for looking out over the ocean. I didn't realize how fantastic this Nikon 16x50 was until comparing it to my Bushnell 10x50.I purchased the Nikon EX ATB 16x50 and wow! I have read other reviews that are not impressed with this binocular, that is shocking as this Nikon 16x50 blows the other two away I have away. The ability to work in lower light conditions made the ocean views clearer than I have ever seen including spotting scopes. My Bushnell 10x50 does not seem to handle the ocean well. (I took both the Bushnell and this Nikon 16x50 out and with the Bushnell I didn't even notice that on the ocean/horizon line there were around 100 birds on the surface of the water diving for fish, but with the Nikon I had a clear view). The Nikon lens was definitely worth the price as I suspected.They are heavier which is what I expected as Nikon is known for its high quality camera lens. The front caps for the larger part of the lens comes off easily, however the cap for the back two lens fits very snugly, so I suspect one could break the entire eye cup off if they weren't careful by pulling more on the eye cup than the cover. These caps look like they will be very easy to lose.Focusing is typical for a binocular: Focus left lens first, then use the ring on the right lens to get the right lens in focus (This seemed challenging at first). Then ensure that the distance between your eyes is correct. Once I have it adjusted for myself I suspect if I handed it to someone else they would need to take some time to set it up. If the person uses a pair of binoculars every day its easy, but living next to a place where lots of people come when I hand them the binocular almost no one knows how to focus it, so I suspect people may not have read the owners guide.I wanted a pair of binoculars that were just at the edge of being able to hold them in my hand or not. These did come with a tripod adapter, strap, and owners guide. The carrying case looked like an afterthought to Nikon and is most suitable for the trash can, as the lid didn't close very well, and there is no strap for the case making it worthless. I tossed it.I really like these

I bought these primarily for hunting and while I have not yet used them for that I have used them around the house watching squirrels and birds and checking them out on distant objects. And I took them on one camping trip. I have been using a old pair of 10 X 50 and wanted a more powerful binocular. I was able to look through a less expensive pair of 16 X 50 Action instead of the Action Extreme in a sporting goods store and determined that I can hold them steady enough to use them. Before buying 16 power binoculars you should know if you can hold them steady or not. Some can, some can't. I'm 63 and have no problem with it but not everyone can. I've found these binoculars to be sharp, bright and clear all the way to the edge of the field of view. They are large and somewhat heavy. The 50 mm lens insures that but that's what it takes to get a bright picture for this much magnification. And they aren't any heavier or bigger than my 10 X 50's. They came with a nice wide strap and the rubber coating has enough friction to keep them from swinging. They sort of "stick" to the front of my shirt. I used them on a camping trip to look at the almost full moon. It was impressive. I could clearly see mountains projecting from the edge as well as the craters of course. They're well made, solid construction. I am very happy with them.1/26/12 An update since I have used them hunting. They are great for detailed viewing of the antlers for example when I need to decide if it's a legal buck in the Texas country where I hunt. They are clear and sharp and gather light well. Because of the power, it's takes longer to get on target sometimes though the more I used them the easier that got. I do lose depth perception through these very powerful binoculars. That's not a fault of the binoculars. It's just a function of optics, as magnification goes up, depth of field goes down - well known to photographers. But it is a factor in deciding whether to use binoculars this powerful or something less. I think that will depend on the hunting environment. Close in you may want something less. It's hard to tell how for away objects are because of the flattening and bushes for example can look flat like a seafan rather than generally round as they really are.