Binoculars

TexA

We are traveling on the Tanzania: A Grand Family Safari this month. Haven't seen any posts about bringing binoculars...is one decent pair (Nikon Prostaff 8x42) enough for two people or should we invest in a second pair? Any suggestions on what size/type most travel with on the game drives?

Thanks!

AlanS

TexA wrote:

We are traveling on the Tanzania: A Grand Family Safari this month. Haven't seen any posts about bringing binoculars...is one decent pair (Nikon Prostaff 8x42) enough for two people or should we invest in a second pair? Any suggestions on what size/type most travel with on the game drives?

Thanks!

One decent pair is enough, especially if one or both of you also have a camera. Most of the time, animals were close enough that binoculars were not needed. When they were needed, you didn't get much of a view of the animal anyway. The drivers often had a pair that you could borrow briefly for a quick look. Also, binoculars are worthless when the vehicle is moving. Some people forego binoculars altogether.

British

We found our binoculars a great asset on all our 4 Tauck safari tours. For example, on our last tour, everyone was saying how they would hate to be without binoculars. Ours are not large, my husband's pair are more powerful. At the airport coming home, my backpack kept being put through security over and over, the security guard said, did I know what they were looking at? No!! Another officer came over, looked annoyed with the other guard and immediately pulled out my binoculars and pointed to the center metal rod. The other guard was clearly inexperienced. I always hand carry all my electronics and things like binoculars becausethose are things in African airports I feel are vulnerable to stealing from checked luggage.

TexA

British wrote:

Ours are not large, my husband's pair are more powerful.

Would you mind sharing what type or magnification yours and your husband's are? Trying to get a sense if we have the right kind or if we should be going in another direction.

Thanks

British

TexA wrote:

Would you mind sharing what type or magnification yours and your husband's are? Trying to get a sense if we have the right kind or if we should be going in another direction.

Thanks

About 8x30 I believe

DEMSIR

While I expect you have already made your binocular decision, we just recently returned from 10 days in Tanzania and found our binoculars to be a great asset. Took Pentax 16x50 which are a but large, but worked great. Even learned to take close up pictures of the leopards and lions under foliage by aiming our iPhone camera thru the binocular lens. We do not have camera with telephoto lenses. Normally do not travel with theses binoculars due to their size, but we are glade with did this trip.