Bushwalk Australia

Anyone got this little number?
ROXANT 7×18 Ultralight Monocular at about $38

75mm x 27.5mm and 40 gms (add 13gms for the case).
Reviews are quite good especially from Joanne everywoman and Joe everyman. Archers and birdwatchers harder to please obviously.

I'm not a birdwatcher so don't link me to Swarovski (or more binoculars) but like to look around a bit when I sit and a bit tired of not carrying my binoculars when I am going small and light.
Happy to hear of other proven items this small and (near) this light for a few squid more.

Ever wondered why we talk about a pair of binoculars rather than a binocular or a pair of monoculars?

I've had the Brunton version (7x18, 66g but with a rubber armour) for many years and have found the useful for watching wild life and route finding in steep rocky alpine terrain on the occasions I have taken them out. I also have an 8 x 32 which lives in the car. You really notice the benefits of the larger objective lens. I recently picked up a Gumtree bargain - Nikon Monarch 7 8 x 42 binocs for $90. With their wide field of view etc they are a massive leap in performance when bird watching.

I have one that's 6x18. Super compact, lightweight, can be used for closeup magnification as well (25cm). But I never use it, opting for either compact binoculars or nothing. I guess it depends on the application. I bought one originally to help spot key bolts on rock climbing routes from the ground before committing to climbing the route. I lost that monocular somewhere and bought this one as a replacement but I don't think I've used it even once. For general "looking around" I find monoculars kind of annoying in their limitations, at least the cheap ones that I've owned.

I also have an ultra-lightweight plastic telescoping monocular that came in a box of Cracker Jacks many years ago, back when the toys weren't just some paper thing. Despite the fact that it's only a toy it's surprisingly useful, as well as amusing.

One thing I've wondered is if those little clip-on telephoto lenses for phones work well enough for distance viewing. That would be nice because then it'd be easier to take a picture as opposed to trying to mate phone with monocular (I've done that). I suspect those lenses are junk but I don't have any experience with them.

Mark F wrote:Ever wondered why we talk about a pair of binoculars rather than a binocular or a pair of monoculars?

I've had the Brunton version (7x18, 66g but with a rubber armour) for many years and have found the useful for watching wild life and route finding in steep rocky alpine terrain on the occasions I have taken them out. I also have an 8 x 32 which lives in the car. You really notice the benefits of the larger objective lens. I recently picked up a Gumtree bargain - Nikon Monarch 7 8 x 42 binocs for $90. With their wide field of view etc they are a massive leap in performance when bird watching.

Ta Mark. Nice pick-up on the binocs!
That Brunton was the one that got me thinking. Saw it on Massdrop and read the reviews, sounds a bit hit and miss. You must have got a good one. I get the feeling that the one I linked might be the new cheapy on the block? Might just take a punt.

"Ever wondered why we talk about a pair of binoculars rather than a binocular or a pair of monoculars?'
I have posted something like that several times in the past but somehow most don't get the point.
Yes mono means one as the suffix bi means two (bilingual,biped,bifocal, bisexual...) but people still insist they use a pair.
Back to the optical part, I strogly suggest looking through just one ocular on a bino or better still trying a monocular first because not everyone find it all that easy to use.
For example I have a hard time locating a bird looking throgh a monocular but can point to it no problem at all with a bino.

Oddly don't have the problem with a long lens on a camera.
BTW, most retail brands, including Brunton and Nikon, don't make their own monoculars and binoculars so the quality can vary a lot from one model to the other even when having the same specs.
(can be made in a different factory using different glass/coatings and so on)

That Roxant monocular can be bought under many brands or even non branded.
With binoculars there is always a high risk of beign out of collimation (giving double vision) but that does not affect the mono types , so one less possible difference between one brand and the other.
(the better known brands exercise a higher level of quality control)
One of the many versions of the Roxant is this :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pro-Mini-7x1 ... 2256837759