Compact & Travel

Finding the right Compact & Travel binoculars to enhance your outdoor experience can be confusing. We’ve chosen our favorite Compact & Travel binoculars to make it easier to choose the perfect pair.

When on the go, we recommend lightweight, compact binoculars that are easy to carry as you’re sight seeing.

Walking long distances would be a drag if your bag is bulky and your tools are heavy. Compact binoculars satisfy both, allowing you to focus on the mission at hand- be it recreational or research.

Waterproof models ease your fears when encountering the unexpected water splash or rain shower. General nature watching while hiking or camping call for a magnification of 8x or 10x. If you’re after sweeping views of the landscape or architecture, an 8x will suit your needs.

Binocular Terms: What You Need to Know

Magnification and Objective  All binoculars are identified by a set of numbers, such as 10×42 and 8×25, which refer to their magnification and objective lens diameter, respectively. Using 10×42 as an example, the 10x means that the binoculars have 10x magnification power, making the view through them appear 10 times closer than it appears to the naked eye. For most situations, users should look for binoculars from 7x to 10x power. Sports fans will be happy with a 7x model; while big-game hunters would need 10x or higher for long-range observations.

Magnification to Distance: Magnification indicates how large an object appears when viewed through the binoculars.

For example, a magnification of 4x means that an object viewed at a distance of 100 m through the binoculars appears at the same size you would view the object at a distance of 25 m with the naked eye.

(This means viewing with the actual distance scaled down to 1/4). Essentially the higher the magnification, the larger the object appears, but as the magnification increases the field of view decreases.

Or say, with a 10x Magnification Binocular, an object viewed at a distance of 100 m through the binoculars appears at the same size you would view the object at a distance of 10 m with the naked eye.

8x Magnification

10x Magnification

Simply stated, binoculars use a series of lenses, elements, and prisms to produce a magnified view of distant people, places, or things.

Using two parallel optical tubes allows you to observe with both eyes open, which is more comfortable and natural than using a spotting scope or telescope—which requires you to keep one eye closed.

Additionally, having both eyes open maintains your depth of field and provides you with a rich and immersive experience where the scene takes on a more lifelike, 3-D appearance.

While we have a large range available here at Coast Photo, it is best to get in touch and we can let you know if the model you are keen on is in stock! And if not, – we can arrange this pretty quickly if we do not happen to have it on hand, our stock changes often to keep things interesting. 🙂

While we have a large range available here at Coast Photo, it is best to get in touch and we can let you know if the model you are keen on is in stock! And if not, – we can arrange this pretty quickly if we do not happen to have it on hand, our stock changes often to keep things interesting 🙂

About us

Coast Photo has a long history, Est. September 1985, we started as a basic photo lab.

We are your imaging specialists. Offering an expansive range of products and services.

Located in the beautiful holiday destination of Ōrewa, which lies on the Hibiscus Coast; We have been providing the highest quality printing and customer service for many years. We are committed to providing personal attention and a wide range of products. We pride ourselves on our quality.

Call in to Coast Photo, and join the many who depend on us for outstanding quality, excellent value and exceptional customer service. We have the enthusiasm, knowledge, expertise and experience to guide you in-store, over the phone or via email.

Our equipment has constantly upgraded over the years, keeping us at the forefront of professional quality standards.

Come and see us for all your orders from printing to scanning, photo restoration, copying and anything photographic related.