OpticsPlanet.com Blog

I am not a psychic, but I can tell you right now that the Nikon 8x42 Monarch ATB Binoculars are exactly what you are looking for. You are looking for birding binoculars that won't break the bank. Or you're looking for hunting binoculars that are as rugged as you are (nice beard, by the way!) These handy 8x42 binoculars from Nikon will meet your needs and then some. With high reflection mirror-coated prisms reflecting every drop of light out there, and 8x magnification giving you the details you are looking for without needing a tripod or a statuesque ability to hold completely still, the 8x42 Monarch ATB Nikon Binoculars pack some serious punch for binoculars costing under $300.

Nikon may be more widely known for cameras, but product experts will tell you Nikon optics are incredibly powerful. The Nikon Monarch ATB series of products is a great selection of mid-class binoculars that offer great performance and great prices. Fully multi-coated lenses make images brighter, clearer, and give you the vision you need no matter what majestic view you are focusing on. Turn and slide rubber eyecups make using these Nikon Binoculars comfortable and simple for any person. These binoculars also come with a Nikon rubber traveling case, an adjustable binocular strap, and lens covers as part of the package. Not bad for such an affordable pair of binoculars!

These all-purpose binoculars are lightweight. They are compact. They have a smooth adjustment focus wheel. They come with all the needed accessories. They are fog proof. Waterproof. Durable. In short, they are everything you need and more! So what are you waiting for? Get them today!

When you are looking for Nikon 8x42 Monarch ATB Binoculars at a great price and with FREE UPS Shipping for many orders, there is no better place to shop than Optics Planet. We've got a wide selection, low prices, and a huge team here willing to help you in anyway they can.

The 5.11 Tactical Bailout Bag is the carrying bag to beat this holiday season. Here is why.

Under the veneer of civility, we pretend that survival of the fittest is an adage long tucked away in the annals of our evolutionary past. The truth is that this layer, gilded upon us by society is paper thin. Beneath it lays our animalistic nature and only you and the contents of your 5.11 Tactical Bail Out Bag can prevent the total breakdown of society. 5.11 Tactical, the undisputed expert in all things tactically oriented has pushed the limits and betrothed you with the opportunity to purchase one of the finest, and most inexpensive tactical gear bags on the market.

This gear bag is your go to bag no matter the circumstance. Perfect for the gun range, the battlefield, or the blocks of your nearest inner city locale, 5.11 Carrying Bags are a necessity for the seasoned cop on the beat or a soldier deploying out of a humvee. This is one bail out Obama didn’t plan for.

The Bailout Out Carrying Bag from 5.11 Tactical can hold up to 6 AR magazines…in the front mag pockets! With more compartments than you’ll know what to do with, you’ll be doing just that, wondering how much and which component of tactical perfection is best suited for which compartment. If you’re worried about durability, go back to carrying your equipment in grocery bags. The 5.11 Bail Out Carrying Bag is constructed from 1050 Nylon, some of the most durable material we’ve offered. The shoulder strap is adjustable with quick-release and a removal shoulder pad. It’s no wonder the 5.11 Bailout Range Bag has received a 4.9/5.0 rating from our users.

You can get this fantastic carrying bag and other products of tactical proportions at www.opticsplanet.com, the industry leader in tactical gear.

Meade, nominated in the 2010 Brilliance Awards as Telescope Brand of the Year, has extended their Big Bang Blowout through November 30, 2010. With free accessories for some of the most popular Meade Telescopes on the market, there has never been a better time to purchase your Meade Telescope than right now!

• Get a free Coronado 40mm-400mm Solar Telescope with the purchase of:
• Meade 10" LX200ACF UHTC
• Meade 12" LX200ACF UHTC
• Meade 14" LX200ACF UHTC
• Meade 16" LX200ACF UHTC
• Get a free Meade Series 4000 Eyepiece and Filter Kit with the purchase of:
• Meade LT 6 inch SC (f/10) Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
• Meade LT 6 inch ACF (f/10) Advanced Coma-Free Telescope
• Meade LXD75 AR6-AT Telescope
• Meade LXD75 AR5-AT Telescope
• Meade LXD75 N-6EC Telescope
• Meade LXD75 N-6AT Telescope UHTC
• Meade LXD75 SC-8AT Telescope UHTC
• Meade LXD75 SN-8AT Telescope UHTC
• Meade LXD75 SN-10AT Telescope UHTC
• Meade LX90ACF 8" Telescope
• Meade LX90ACF 10" Telescope
• Meade LX90ACF 12" Telescope
• Get a free Meade LS 3.5" Color LCD Monitor with the purchase of:
• Meade LS 6 inch Advanced Coma-Free Telescope
• Meade LS 6 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
• Meade LS 8 inch Advanced Coma-Free Telescope
• Meade LS 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope

For details on all these promotions, be sure to check out our Meade Promotions and Rebates section! Make a great choice this holiday season, and make sure to do all your shopping at OpticsPlanet!

In the heat of battle you cannot afford to equip yourself with gear capable of performing just one task. In the time it takes to switch from a binocular to a rangefinder, you can become Taliban toast. Steiner 10x50 Military Laser Rangefinding Binoculars offer the solution necessary to counter this potentially deadly scenario. Created under the careful watch of German optics aficionados from Steiner Optics, the Steiner 10x50 LRF Military Binoculars offer the resolute dependability of the porro-prism optical system initially perfected by Karl Steiner himself. If you think that porro-prism technology has outgrown its usefulness, let us pose this question to you: why are porro-prism binoculars the go-to military binoculars for today's most well-equipped fighting forces around the world? Suffice it to say, porro-prism technology has been updated and revolutionized over the years to offer the latest and greatest in optical performance. Many companies have tried, some have dropped the ball. One company that didn't: Steiner Optics.

All Steiner binoculars are designed with sophisticated clarity maximizing functions in mind to give you superior brightness and FOV. This of course, is a given and their excellence is most omnipresent in the Steiner 10x50 Military Binoculars with the 398 Rangefinder. Simplicity is a virtue on the battlefield and no one understands this more than Steiner whose visionaries incorporated a powerful 2-button interface to allow you to estimate distances up to 1600 yards. Like something straight out of a Sci-Fi thriller set in the year 2259, the Steiner rangefinder reading is superimposed directly on the image you see allowing for instant distance identification and target neutralization. Press down on the button for 3 seconds and these 10x50 Steiner Rangefinder Binoculars go into scan mode displaying the distance to what’s present in your binocular sights in real time. Do you think moving targets stand a chance? Think again. These Steiner Binoculars will identify the range as it changes when observing a moving target to 1/2 of 1%.

If ruggedness is what you are worried about, take your concern, put it in a box and label it "ex-wife's stuff," seal it, and send it to Abu Dhabi. Steiner binoculars are as rugged as they are potent, with dry nitrogen pressurized fill that makes them waterproof up to 16 feet. The chassis is made from Makrolon, a material that can survive even the most inhumane abuse that a soldier can offer. The metal components are armed with anodized alloy. The binoculars themselves are encased in military-grade Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) which render the Steiner 10x50 Military LRF Binoculars nearly indestructible while maintaining its light-weight reputation. The Steiner 10x50 Military LRF Binocular is available this holiday season at OpticsPlanet.com.

The ATN MK350 Guardian Night Vision Riflescope is one of the top bang-for-your-buck night vision riflescopes that you'll find on the market. With a price tag under $400 and ATN night vision technology providing for performance beyond what you'd expect from a Gen 1 night vision rifle scope, the ATN MK350 Guardian Rifle Scope is the excellent choice for any hunter looking to get into night-time hunting.

If you haven't ever been hunting at night, you are missing out. Never mind the fact that many of the exciting predators you can hunt at night are rare or just won't be about during the day, but the challenge is dramatically increased. Vision is limited obviously, but that is amplified by the fact that your target most likely does not have the deficit in vision you possess. At the same time, there is typically less pressure and less wind at night- always good for hunting. With the ATN MK350 Guardian Scope from ATN you can make up a bit for your limited vision with its red-on-green reticle, designed to make the image pop and clearer than it normally would be.

Even in nights of complete darkness, the 450mw infrared illuminator is extremely strong for a weapon sight in this price range and it'll keep those predators in your sights. With easy operation and weighing under 2 pounds, this scope is great for any gun in your arsenal. And I know what you are wondering- is it rugged? Heck yeah it's rugged and durable!

Winding and elevation adjustments are 1/8 inch at 100 yards- that just shows you that this night vision weapon sight was made and designed for accuracy above all else. At night you really only get one shot, because you may never be able to find your mark again. Make that shot count with the American Technologies 350 Night Vision Weapon Sight.

For all your night vision needs, there's only one place to shop: Optics Planet- an Authorized Dealer of ATN Night Vision Devices and ATN Riflescopes.

The Bushnell ProSport 450 Laser Range Finder is one excellent tool that every hunter should have in his arsenal. This range finder is accurate within +/- 1 yard and works on a simple one-button configuration. The Bushnell Pro Sport 450 Rangefinder has a crystal clear screen and easy to read reticle giving you the accuracy but also the simplicity you would expect from a Bushnell Rangefinder.

With just a 5 yard minimum distance, and reliable performance from 300-500 yards (always depends on what you are trying to range, and the conditions you are using your rangefinder in) or even more, the Bushnell 450 Laser Range Finder is a perfect choice as a deer hunting range finder. You can also use the unit as a golf rangefinder, helping you pinpoint exactly how far from the pin you are. You can then make a smarter choice in club and swing by knowing exactly how far out you are with the Bushnell ProSport 450 RangeFinder. You can even measure how far to the trap, to keep yourself off the beach.

This unit has all the quality and extras you would expect from a Bushnell product. Coming complete with a carrying case and strap, this compact unit is easy to bring on any trip or outing. And its textured grip makes it easy to hold and carry, and a little more rugged which always helps whenever you bring fine optics outdoors. You can't argue with those type of features when they come at such an affordable price- even if you have another range finder there's no reason not to pick up a Bushnell ProSport 450 to keep in your bag, truck, or garage just in case you need it!

Whether you are looking for a hunting range finder or a golf rangefinder there's no better place to start your search than at Optics Planet! And be sure to check out our sister store RangeFinders.com for all the deals on rangefinders you could ever imagine!

On October 12, 2000 the place you love and know, Optics Planet, started up with three categories of products: spotting scopes, telescopes, and microscopes. Fast forward to 2010 and we now carry hundreds of categories from over 1500 different brands, across many different websites- such as Tactical Store, Eyewear Planet, Lab Planet and many, many more. When you are looking for Bushnell or Nikon, Rifle Scopes or Binoculars, or just about anything else you can imagine, Optics Planet has been the premiere destination across the internet.

We owe our thanks to you, our customers and our loyal supporters. We've always listened to our customers to try and do better every day, and that will not change. We're constantly adding new brands, new categories, new products, and new deals to try and serve you better, and we are happy to have some of the best customers any company could wish for. To celebrate, we're running a sweepstakes through the end of the month- we're going to give away ten $100 gift certificates to get what you want at Optics Planet. Entering couldn't be easier- just look for the banner that says "Celebrating 10 Years of Brilliance" by the search box on just about any Optics Planet page. Click the banner to open the entry form, enter your information correctly and enter. Hopefully you'll be a winner!

Thank you so much for your support over the past ten years, and we look forward to serving you now and into the future!

Weather Stations make a great gift for the outdoor enthusiast, and with the holidays coming up, you will definitely want to remember the weather station selection available at OpticsPlanet. We have some very specialized weather stations from Bushnell, including a hunting weather station with sunrise and sunset times, wind speed and direction, and moon phase. Bushnell also makes a golf weather station and a skiing weather station with specialized weather information. With great prices and FREE shipping on Honeywell Weather Stations, Bushnell weather stations, Celestron Weather Stations, and other top weather instrument brands, OpticsPlanet is your vendor of choice.

The Streamlight Professional Tactical 2L Flashlight packs some serious light for such a small package. One of our top selling flashlights, the Streamlight PT 2L Flash Light is lauded by customers for the amazing performance you get from such a small light. At under 5 inches long, this flash light packs 180 lumens of darkness slicing power on its high setting. Think of it this way- that's over 30 lumens per inch! If they put this kind of power in your traditional 10 inch flashlight you'd be talking about a 300 lumen flashlight!

This Streamlight Flashlight uses CR123A lithium batteries for performance and longevity. At peak operation/high setting, you will get 2.5 hours of run time out of this light. On strobe (did I mention it has a strobe function? It has a strobe function!) this flashlight can give you 6 hours of runtime. And on its low setting, still packing a useful 18 lumens? 33 hours of run time on two batteries. Now that's economical!

The real beauty of this flashlight is not just the performance, not just the longevity and reliability, not just the size, but all of those characteristics being combined into one fantastic flash light. It is small enough to fit into your wife's purse, but strong enough to use in a pitch black forest. As you'd come to expect from Streamlight, this unit is waterproof up to 1 meter. It's designed to be rugged and resistant- as any true tactical flashlight would. It has a removable pocket clip which you can use to clip the flashlight inside your pocket, or even to some belts. It comes with a nylon holster, to keep it safe and protected at all times. What else would you expect from Streamlight- makers of the highly regarded and best-selling Streamlight TLR Weapon Light series?

When you need a flashlight, or one of your loved ones does, consider the Streamlight Pro Tactical 2L Flashlight one of your top choices. And be sure to visit Optics Planet for all your flashlight needs!

Labels: best of the best, flashlights, streamlight

Undoubtedly you have seen promotions for the new ABC show No Ordinary Family, and maybe you've even watched the show. If so, your savvy eye may have noticed that the radar gun used to clock Stephanie Powell's (mom, wife, and Usain Bolt's chief rival) record breaking speed was none other than the Bushnell Velocity Radar Gun!

Bushnell Radar Guns are quite popular in television and movies. The HBO comedy Eastbound & Down also featured a baseball radar gun in its promo- I believe in that case it was the Bushnell Speedster II to clock a fastball.

Bushnell's line of radar guns is an affordable yet high performance line, excellent for softball, baseball, tennis, hockey, and other sports. You can actually clock your speed running too, it just takes a friend a steady hand and some decent speed. But out of all their speed guns, the Bushnell Speedster III Radar Gun takes the cake. Improvements across the board in performance and accuracy, a constant reading mode which makes it easier than ever to clock speeds in rapid succession, and RF technology which is compatible with the Bushnell Speed Screen radar gun speed display (expected to be release in November 2010.)

When you are looking for no ordinary radar gun, the choice is clear- check out Bushnell and definitely check out the Speedster 3.