OpticsPlanet.com Blog

Hey Everyone!

I just want to do a quick reminder that our main blog is now GearExpert.com!  We launched the blog a little over a year ago and it's been a huge success!  If you're curious about the latest happenings here at OpticsPlanet, want to learn more about our best products and hear about new contests and awards, that's the place to check!

Also, be sure to head over to our Facebook Page, as we regularly update with both fun and informative posts!

Thanks for reading and we hope to see more of you!

Our newest blog is GearExpert.com, which we put together because we covered SHOT Show 2012!

We got to send a lot of people to SHOT Show this year, and we took photos, did interviews, and recorded hours of footage so that you could see all the great new items coming out later this year! I'm going to embed one of the videos below, but we have put up quite a few so far, with more coming, so if you want to see the latest gear by EOTech, Bushnell, Burris, Leupold and more, be sure to head over to GearExpert.com RIGHT NOW!

The SHOT Show Video below covered our interview with Pelican, who has a great new line of hard cases for electronics gear like laptops, ereaders and tablets. The Pelican HardBack Case not only has the great durability of other Pelican Cases, with waterproof and tough construction, but they also have innovative features to help you get the most out of your electronics.

This is easier to see in the video, but if you have a tablet you're definitely going to want a HardBack case. It'll protect your valuable tablet computer while also allowing you to carry a bluetooth keyboard, charger and other accessories, and you can stand your tablet upright and type with a keyboard, essentially turning your tablet into a laptop! Very cool, and you need to see it in action, so check out the video below!

Labels: gear expert, gearexpert, pelican, shot show

Winter is coming. Will you be prepared?

Most of us, when we consider sunglasses, think of the summer and days on the beach. The summer months are certainly a great time to break out some cool shades and look fabulous, but you shouldn't forget just how important good eyewear is in the winter.

I thought about this today because it is unseasonably warm here in Chicago. Today the temperature was up over 50 degrees! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to not have to deal with the cold and snow, but I've lived around here my whole life, and I know to not get ahead of myself and start thinking that the whole winter will be as pleasant as today. We've had a couple very slight flurries, with essentially no accumulation yet, but you can feel it coming.

While tomorrow is supposed to be another warm day, a cold front is coming in, and with it some snow. It isn't supposed to be a massive snowfall, but one may be just around the corner.

Having lived with the snow my whole life, and learning to drive (my birthday is in February) during winter months, I can attest to the fact it is really difficult to drive on a bright, sunny day after heavy snowfall. Much like spending the day on a boat where glare from the water can be blinding, bright snow can likewise severely limit your ability to see, so having a quality pair of sunglasses is essential when you're driving in the winter.

Timberland has some fantastic new sunglasses available right now at OpticsPlanet. As Timberland is an outdoor-conscious company, all of their sunglasses are rugged and perfect for driving, playing sports and more. If you're running around a lot your sunglasses are most likely going to take some punishment. The Timberland TB7078 Sport Sunglasses are a great choice. They're made of a tough plastic material that's equally suited to bad weather, sports and driving. The temple arms were designed for a comfortable fit that still holds them securely to your head.

Style-wise, I'm also a big fan of the Timberland TB7053 Sunglasses. They look great, and like all Timberland Sunglasses, you'll have a bit tough pair of sunglasses that give you a better view during the winter.

Since I'm talking about winter eyewear, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention snowboarding and ski goggles. I know a lot of you love to hit the slopes, and you need to protect your eyes. If you're talking snowboarding and skiing, it's natural to mention Bolle, who make some of the recognizable snowboarding goggles, and for good reason. Their goggles are both cool-looking and good for protecting your eyes from the cold and snow. Personally, the Bolle Gravity Goggles are one of my favorites. Take a look at the photo. Clearly, they look good, and they come in a number of different color options, so you can pick the one that best suits your personal aesthetic. Additionally, they're super comfortable and have extra large lenses to give you a wide field-of-view. You won't miss a thing as you shred some fresh powder with the Bolle Gravity Goggles!

Don't neglect your eyewear needs in the winter. It's just as important to reduce glare when driving your car after a snowfall as it is when you're out boating in July. If you have some snow coming, make sure OpticsPlanet is your first stop for winter sunglasses and goggles.

Labels: goggles, skiing, snowboarding, sunglasses

It is official: the Martian invasion has begun! But I don't mean little green men coming to your backyard. We're landing probes and rovers all over the planet.

Various governments and agencies are pushing to learn more about the Red Planet, primarily with satellites and probes for both Mars and some of its moons.

First up we have a report about a failed Russian probe. The Phobos-Grunt probe was to land on Phobos, the larger of Mars' moons, collect some rocks and bring them back to Earth for study. Piggybacking on the probe was China's first Mars satellite, which would use powerful telescopes to take detailed photos of Mars.

Unfortunately, the launch of the Phobos-Grunt damaged some of the communications technology on board, which prevented the Russians from firing the engine that would take it to Mars. As it falls back to Earth, Roscosmos has said that most of the toxic fuel on board will burn up in reentry. Astronomers around the world are modeling the fall to see where it will land, but most likely it'll land safely in the ocean.

Another probe was sent out in November, this time from NASA, and so far everything is going well. The NASA probe will land on Mars and deploy Curiosity, the "world's most advanced scientific laboratory". The rover is about the size of a car, and it can do a lot more than collect samples. There are a whole host of measuring instruments on Curiosity to allow NASA to collect a lot of data without retrieving the probe.

Probably the most advanced tool on the rover is the ChemCam, which will determine the chemical composition of various samples using lasers to breakdown the rocks and see what exactly Mars is made up of. This technique is called Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, or LIBS.

Spectroscopy uses radiated energy to interact with various substances. Based on the reaction we can see what material the substance is made of. We actually have Spectrophotometers that use this very principle, albeit in a non-Martian setting.

Curiosity will start generating data next August, which should prove very exciting for those interested in Mars.

I know a lot of you are fascinated by studies of Mars. The history, possibility of current or one-time Martian life and more make the Red Planet intellectually alluring. Curiosity may answer certain questions, such as if Mars was really once similar to Earth, with an atmosphere like ours, and if so, if there had been life.

As it is relatively close to Earth, Mars is a favorite object for Astronomers to view. Using even a small telescope you should be able to get a good view of the Red Planet. The Bushnell ARES 5 Inch Dobsonian Telescope is a fantastic choice if you're looking to save a little money, want a portable telescope and still demand quality. It comes with two eyepieces, a 10mm SPL10 and a 25mm SPL25, so you'll have some options for how much light and detail you want to see.

I do suggest picking up a few telescope lens filters, as they'll allow you to see greater detail as you view Mars. Orange and red filters are best for seeing detail in the dark surfaces, while green and blue will give you a better look at the poles and clouds. On a clear night you'll want to have a few different filters to get a more complete picture of the planet.

This month Mars will become visible around midnight, although it should become clearer toward dawn. The North Pole will be visible, as will Syrtis Major, which is a dark spot on Mars. This dark spot is a low-relief volcano, so be sure to take a look at it with an orange filter on your telescope.

In March you should be able to get an even better view, as Mars will be at Opposition, its closest point and fully lit by the sun.

Mars is one of the more fun celestial objects to view, and the ease of finding it makes it a favorite for amateur astronomers the world over. Keep an eye out for news come August, and take a look for yourself with a great telescope from OpticsPlanet!

Labels: astronomy, dobsonian telescopes, mars, telescopes

I write quite a bit about all the awesome hunting and tactical optics you can use to enhance your shooting. Our riflescope selection has so many options that you can customize your firearm for essentially any shooting style, and we have flashlight models that will shine a lot of light on any situation, but no matter how powerful your scope or bright your light, if your eyes aren't healthy and safe it won't matter. That's where Revision Eyewear comes in handy.

Whether you're out hunting, at the shooting range or on the battlefield, having proper shooting glasses will keep your eyes safe and your vision clear.

One issue that shooters run into when wearing goggles or shooting glasses is a limited field of view. The frames of some glasses can cut off some of your peripheral vision, and in certain situations, especially on the battlefield, this could mean the difference between life and death.

Revision Goggles have been designed to offer protection and improve your performance. My personal favorite of their goggles is the Revision Desert Locust Ballistic Goggle Kit. There are a ton of great features here, so I'll try to break them down in order.

First, since these are Ballistic Goggles, you need protection. Though anyone can buy the Desert Locust Goggles, they were designed with military use in mind, so they're tough as nails. The US Military has pretty rigorous ballistic requirements, and the Desert Locust Ballistic Goggles exceed them. They're certified to ANSI Z87.1 requirements, so no worries about their protective abilities.

But I already mentioned that quality protective eyewear is about more than just protecting your eyes. You need to be able to see clearly to make sure you're aware of other potential hazards. The field of view you get from the Revision Desert Locust is wider than traditional goggles. And that field of view is not only on the sides, but also on top and bottom. The smart design of the frames and huge lens will help keep your situational awareness at a maximum, and that will keep more than just your eyes safe.

The field of view is about more than the size of the lens though. With such large lenses you would normally experience distortion or astigmatism, but these lenses are optically correct at every angle, so what you see is exactly where it appears. This keeps your hard-earned shooting accuracy intact.

If you go with the Revision Essential Kit, you'll get two different lenses as well, each with specific conditions in mind for maximum performance. The clear lens will transmit the most light, so if lower light situations you'll see as much detail as possible. The solar lens is better for the middle of the day, when the sun is beating down. They'll protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, and reduce glare so you don't have to squint.

As fogging and scratching can also distort your view, the lenses have the patented OcuMax lens coating, which further keep you view clear.

That's a lot of great performance from a single pair of goggles. To top it all off, the Revision Desert Locust Ballistic Goggles are super comfortable, so you'll hardly notice you're wearing them, even after long periods of use.

Don't risk the safety of your eyes. Even at the shooting range you should make sure projectiles, dust or other airborne particles are kept away from your eyes. Your safety, and the safety of those around you when you're holding a firearm, are at stake.

Labels: eyewear, revision, shooting glasses

Vortex has placed all their focus on you. They want to give you a riflescope with all the features of more expensive brands without charging you their prices. The Vortex Viper PST series is a perfect example of this high quality and great prices. All of the Viper PST Riflescopes cost less than $1000, and they have fantastic lenses and construction so you don't have to sacrifice performance just to save a few dollars.

As an example, take a look at the Vortex Viper PST 1-4X24 Riflescope. This incredible Vortex Rifle Scope is filled with Argon gas and O-Ring sealed to make it waterproof, and the lenses are made of extra low dispersion glass for truer colors and a truly crisp image. The tube is 30mm in diameter, so there's plenty of room to make adjustments, and the sturdy construction and materials make it resistant to shock from recoil or being dropped.

A really cool feature in the Viper PST Scope is the CRS Zero Stop, which prevents you from losing your zero when dialing in large amounts of elevation corrections. Vortex has put a great deal of thought into every one of their scopes, adding features that prove useful for hunters around the world.

But Vortex isn't just about manufacturing great rifle scopes. They also provide a number of great tools to help you make the most of every shot. On Vortex's website there is a Long Range Ballistics Calculator through which you can generate ballistic drop charts with a wide variety of different conditions to help you when you're hunting or shooting in a competition. You can input the altitude, temperature, station pressure, humidity, scope height, zero range and more to give you the perfect chance to make every shot count. It's a really cool shooting tool from Vortex that I suggest you check out.

It's just a few days from Christmas and I keep finding more things that Vortex is giving us. You have the wonderful chance to pick up not only a fantastic Vortex Viper PST Riflescope, and you can use Vortex's Long Range Ballistics Calculator to make sure you're always on target, no matter how far you're shooting.

Labels: riflescopes, vortex

We're rapidly approaching the Winter Solstice, which is the longest night of the year. Considering how dark it's going to be, you're going to want to make sure you have a great Streamlight Flashlight handy to keep the shadows at bay.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs when the axial tilt of the polar hemisphere is farthest away from the sun. In layman's terms, the North Pole is aimed away from the sun. For the last six months the days have grown longer and longer, but after the Winter Solstice we can look forward to the days brightening. As the pole is only at its farthest from the sun for a moment, this year the Winter Solstice will occur at exactly 5:30 AM on December 22. The entire night is often called the Winter Solstice, although that name is technically only appropriate for the moment the North Pole is furthest from the sun. The night this occurs on is also sometimes known as the longest night, midwinter and the first day of winter. As our calendar shifts, some years the Winter Solstice is as early as December 21, and sometimes as late at December 23.

This day has been long seen a day of rebirth, with many religious festivals occurring on or near the Winter Solstice. Julius Caesar named December 25 as the Winter Solstice in the year 46 BC, but it has gone through a number of changes since then, as it has been celebrated as early as December 10. Today the Winter Solstice is based purely on science.

So with this dark day coming, you're going to want to have plenty of light. Streamlight is an outstanding manufacturer of flashlights. They design models specifically for a wide range of applications, from the Fire Vulcan for firemen to the Stylus, which is perfect for workers who need to shine some light in cramped spaces.

But what about for your everyday Joe? The Fire Vulcan is a great flashlight, but when the power is out or you just want to get to the bathroom at night without waking up your wife it might be overkill. For these times I suggest Streamlight ProPolymer Flashlights. These handheld Streamlight Flashlights are lightweight, tough as nails, and bright enough to help you navigate even the darkest corners of your home.

As their name suggests, ProPolymer flashlights are made of a polymer resin that is nearly indestructible. The body comes in either black or yellow. I suggest the yellow body if you want it to be a little more visible at night. The lens is also made of the same polymer resin as the body, so ever part is strong enough to handle the shocks your everyday use will throw at it.

There are a few different models of the Streamlight ProPolymer light, but my favorite is the Propolymer 3C Luxeon Division 1 Flashlight. It has a super bright LED light, but not your normal high intensity LED. The ProPolymer LED Flashlight has a Luxeon LED light that uses less power and is 10 times brighter than a high intensity version! At peak intensity you'll get 44 lumens, and because it's so energy efficient you'll be able to get those 44 lumens for about 4 hours of straight use! You can also turn down the intensity to get greater battery life.

And don't worry about special batteries for the Streamlight ProPolymer. It runs on 3 C batteries that you can find in pretty much any store that sells batteries.

You might need a bit of extra light to get through the darkest night of the year, so be sure to pick up a Streamlight ProPolymer 3C Luxeon Division 1 Flashlight from OpticsPlanet today!

Labels: flashlights, streamlight

One of the tougher challenges most shooters face is trying to shoot both close and far with equal accuracy and speed. Picking up a moving target in low light that's 200 yards away can be a real struggle when you have one eye closed. Even if you know the general area your target is located, it can take too many precious seconds before it is centered in your scope's image and you miss your opportunity.

Soldiers have to deal with this more than most, as those seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

One new technology that has come along in recent years to deal with slow target acquisition and poor peripheral vision is the red dot sight, and there are a number of great options of Trijicon Red Dot Sights that will give you incredible target acquisition speeds, but these sights are designed to be used for close range shots. Higher degrees of accuracy at longer distances with a red dot sight are only possible by adding a magnifier, which will slightly slow your speed.

With this in mind, Trijicon developed the Bindon Aiming Concept. The BAC was named for Trijicon founder Glyn Bindon, and it allows a shooter to use a magnified riflescope while keeping both of their eyes open.

It's actually a really interesting idea. The way your brain processes images from each eye is used to allow you to transition from one eye to the other naturally.

You set up your scope so that you have a good cheek weld, and one eye is looking through the scope. Your other eye is open and free of the magnified image. This allows you to get a much better look at the field. A bright reticle, which Trijicon illuminates with fiber optics so it has the perfect level of brightness in every situation, is superimposed by your brain and it appears as if you're seeing it with both eyes.

As you move your rifle around the magnified image will be distorted, and your brain will naturally pick the non magnified image from the other eye. When you slow down, the image from the scope comes into view, and your eyes will automatically adjust to that image.

This way you can find your target with both eyes, and when you stop moving quickly the image from the scope will come into focus, allowing your brain to reinterpret the image to the magnified one, at which point you'll make a more accurate shot.

It's important to have a really easy to see reticle for this to work though. Take the Trijicon 2X20 Compact ACOG Day & Night Gunsight TA47. This Trijicon ACOG Scope uses fiber optics to illuminate the reticle. Fiber optics are powered by ambient light, so there's no battery to be changed. Of course, sometimes there's still not enough light in the area, so Trijicon also incorporated tritium power, which will glow for years at the perfect brightness. So no matter how dark your situation is, you'll have a nice, bright reticle that is super easy to see with both eyes open.

The 2X20 Compact ACOG Sight is made of military grade aluminum, and the lack of a battery or a number of moving parts makes it extremely tough.

This is a perfect riflescope for hunting or the battlefield, and you'll be sure to get a lot of use out of the Trijicon Compact ACOG Day & Night Scope.

Eyes open! You'll see more and shoot faster than ever before!

Labels: acog, Trijicon

One of the odd problems hunters face today is overly powerful optics. Bigger is better, as they say. However, this is often not the case, and many hunters are lured in with promises of extraordinary power. But when you buy a new riflescope, you need the right amount of magnification, not the highest amount. Swarovski knows that magnification is important, so they developed a new scope, the Swarovski Z5 BT 4W - 5-25x52mm, to give hunters an incredibly versatile optic that satisfies their need for 'bigger and better,' while also giving them a hunting scope that is really useful for a wide variety of situations.

As the name of the Z5 5-25X52mm Riflescope implies, the magnification range is 5X to 25X. In a lot of hunting situations, 25X magnification is going to be too much. For a full rundown of riflescope magnification needs, check out our How to Choose a Riflescope Guide. Our main product specialist, Steve Ledin, will give you a lot of great info to help you figure out what you need for your particular type of hunting.

A brief summary is that, at 25X magnification, you won't be able to shoot a whitetail deer that is relatively close to you. Your field of view will be limited, and at best you'll see a bit of brown hair. Fortunately, the Z5 Scope is a variable scope with a low enough minimum magnification for you to be able to use it for a majority of hunting sitiuations. The generous field of view on the Z5 Riflescope at 5X magnification will give you a good overview of the field, and when game presents itself you can quickly and easily increase your magnification for a perfect shot.

This makes the Swarovski Z5 perfect for hunting a wide variety of different animals, and if you want to partake in some long distance target shooting you'll have the power you need for that also. That's a lot of versatile uses for a single scope!

As the magnification gets pretty high, it's important to consider parallax, which can throw off your shot. More and more high power riflescopes are incorporating a parallax adjusment, and the Z5 Rifle Scope not only has one, but it has a lateral parallax turret, which is super easy to adjust, even when you're in shooting position. Without this adjustable turret, you would struggle with accuracy when changing your magnification from 5 to 25X.

As the Z5 is great for a variety of hunting styles, with different guns and distances possible with the same scope, this Swarovski rifle scope has an included ballistic turret so that you can easily sight in at 4 different distances. With this you can take a perfect shot quickly at various ranges.

I've written a lot about distance, parallax and getting a great image from the Swarovski Z5 Scope, but since you'll be using it for so many different hunts you'll also be glad to know it's tough. I know you're going to beat it up, so durability is no doubt toward the top of your list of must-have features.

All of the outer aluminum parts are anondized to make them scratch resistant, so don't worry about the little bumps along the hunting trails. Your scope will still look as good as new.

The mechanics in the turrets feature the patented Swarovski 4 Coil Spring System, which makes them extra resistant to shock. Recoil won't throw off your shot. Even with high caliber bullets, the Z5 Scope will stay on target!

It seems too good to be true. A versatile riflescope from a trusted brand that's tough as nails. But that's what you get with the Swarovski Z5 Rifle Scope. Find yours at OpticsPlanet today!

Labels: riflescope, riflescopes, Swarovski

Vanguard is quickly becoming one of my favorite brands. I wrote a blog post on their Endeavor Binoculars a few weeks ago, which are great for hunting and birding, but today I got to take a closer look at their Endeavor Spotting Scope, and I have to say it really impressed me.

So what's great about this Vanguard Spotting Scope? Well, it was designed with a number of versatile uses in mind. I tend to focus on the hunting and shooting features, so I'll start there.

A lot of hunters know that having a quality spotting scope with you on a hunt is important. You get greater magnification and a larger objective lens than with a binocular, so you're going to see a sharper, brighter image. The Vanguard Endeavor Spotting Scope doesn't disappoint here. The objective lens on this spotting scope is 82mm in diameter, so you're going to collect plenty of light. This is especially important if you hunt in the morning or toward evening when there isn't as much light, as you don't have to worry about the brightness of your image with the Endeavor Spotting Scope.

If, on the other hand, you're hunting in the middle of the day and start having trouble with glare, you can extend out the Vanguard Endeavor's sunshade to give you a bit of cover. Having the perfect amount of light is crucial to seeing a great image from a spotting scope, and Vanguard has used their engineering expertise to make sure you see the best image through the eyepiece.

Shooters also benefit greatly from the Endeavor's neck lock lever, which allows the spotting scope, when mounted on a tripod, to turn to the side for a quicker and more natural transition from spotting scope to riflescope.

Imagine you're at the shooting range sighting in a new riflescope. You probably have your rifle on a shooting rest, like the Vanguard Porta-Aim Gun Rest. You'll need to take a few shots before your new scope is perfectly on target, and it's a hassle to get up and look through a spotting scope that requires the user to stand behind it. That's where the neck lock lever comes in handy. You simply place the Endeavor Spotting Scope on a short tripod, turn the scope so the eyepiece is directly in line with your eye, and you'll be able to easily switch from your riflescope's eyepiece to the spotting scope. No need to get up!

But one of the best things about using a spotting scope for hunting is that you can adjust the magnification. The Endeavor adjusts from 20-60X magnification, which is going to be plenty for any outdoor activity, and to get the clearest picture Vanguard has included a dual focus wheel system. The larger wheel allows you to quickly focus to a reasonably sharp image, while the smaller wheel gives you finer control for even greater clarity.

Since I just brought up the sharpness of the image, I should mention some of the birding features for the Endeavor Spotting Scope. Besides the fine adjustment from the dual focus wheel, which will let you take in all the details of the fowl you've been searching for, you can also easily attach a digital camera adaptor for digiscoping purposes. Why view the bird once when you can take a high resolution photo and enjoy the moment for years?

If you use your Endeavor for digiscoping, you'll love the quality of the lenses, which are fully multi-coated, and the BAK-4 prism gives you a beautifully magnified image without losing brightness.

Hunters and birders alike appreciate the waterproofing and fog proofing in the Endeavor Spotting Scope, and the sturdy construction with rubber armoring allows you to confidently bring the optic into the woods without fear of it being too delicate to handle the stresses of the wild.

As Christmas is right around the corner, if you have a hunter, shooter or birder in your life who needs a phenomenal present, look no further than the Vanguard Endeavor 20-60X82mm Spotting Scope. They're sure to be happy come Christmas morning when they find this amazing spotting scope under the tree.

Labels: spotting scopes, vanguard