OpticsPlanet.com Blog

If you're looking for a great Christmas gift for golfers, check out the awesome selection of rangefinders at OpticsPlanet! With a golf rangefinder, a golfer can accurately measure the distance to the pin from up to 1000 yards away! Two of the best golf rangefinders are recent brilliance award winners - the Bushnell Tour V2 and the Bushnell 7x26 Pro 1600 Tournament Edition Pinseeker. Check out the amazing features on these golf range finders from Bushnell! Also be sure to look through all the other great golf gifts available from OpticsPlanet. And don't forget, OpticsPlanet also has a large selection of hunting rangefinders and other hunting gifts. What it comes down to is this - when you need a gift for the sportsman or woman in your life, turn to OpticsPlanet for a great selection of cool gifts at amazing prices!

You probably know someone who hunts, who is a birder, who hikes or camps, or who travels. If you're like the average person, you probably have no idea what to get them this holiday season. Don't worry, that's natural. So let me toss a suggestion out to you:

The Steiner 8x30 Safari Pro Compact Binoculars.

At under $200, these Steiner Binoculars are incredibly affordable while still bearing the incredible quality that all Steiner Optiks products have. If you are looking for Birding Binoculars, the glare and UV blocking coating will come in handy, along with the wrap-around eyecups for blocking any light from coming in the peripheral. If you are looking for Hunting Binoculars or Hiking Binoculars, these Steiner 8x30 Safari Pro Binoculars are compact, and weigh only 18 ounces (no need to add too much weight to your kit!)

Steiner Optics has built these binoculars with the convenient Steiner Sports Auto-Focus so once you set the focus for your eyes, these binoculars will automatically focus in on your subject from 20 yards to infinity. It is not surprising how handy that is when you are scanning across a horizon, taking in all that you can view. And the fixed 8x magnification is just enough to have the power you want to see far into the distance, without the limiting field of view that higher power magnification typically carries. At 1000 yards the Steiner 8x30 Safari Pro Compact Binoculars has a field of view (f.o.v.) of 360 feet (that's 120 yards!) Can't argue with that!

I think it's clear. The Steiner Safari Pro 8x30mm Compact Binos make an excellent gift this holiday season for that birder, hunter, hiker, camper, traveler, or just really awesome person on your list. For a gift under $200, it's a can't-beat deal on such an excellent pair of Steiner Safari Pro Binoculars. With that said - be sure to check out our Unique Christmas Gift Guide! And stop by Optics Planet for all the deals and offers every day this holiday season, and give out the best gifts this year!

When it comes to Tactical Pants, few brands can keep up with BLACKHAWK! Tactical which is why the Blackhawk Lightweight Tactical Pant took home this year's Brilliance Award for Best Tactical Pant. Priced at under $50, you will be pleasantly surprised by the punch packed by these state of the art tactical pantaloons. Made from 65% polyester and 35% cotton ripstop fabric with durable water resistant Teflon, you will be hard pressed to find a tactical pant with superior fabric proportions. These Tactical Pants from Blackhawk are not only some of the most rugged and long-lasting but also signficantly lighter than their counterparts: the original Blackhawk Tactical Pant.

These Blackhawk Tactical pants offer added protection at every turn, in every nook, and essentially every cranny. Double-layered seat and knees help protect the areas of your body most likely to come into contact with concrete or obstacles. Reinforced hems on the leg cuffs and hand pockets prevent the Blackhawk Lightweight Tactical Pant from showing wear and tear and the inside contain rubber grip strips in the waistband to keep your shirt tucked in.

So they look nice, but what exactly is so tactical about these tactical pants? Easy-access, top-opening magazine pouches offer fast operational reloading options when you need them most. When fire arms are not available, the "angle-cut" hand pockets have a flat edge for clip-on knife attachment. And, a 550 cord loop allows for ultimate versatility for the attachment of caribiners and other potentially critical items. Finally, segmented webbing in the cargo pockets allows for the secure transport of flashlights, knives, magazines, and other weapon accessories. As always, Blackhawk provides the gear necessary to reach the zenith of tacticality.

The Brilliance Award winning tactical pants are available at Optics Planet, your source for the latest and greatest tactical apparel this side of the Rubicon.

The ATN 3x50mm Night Spirit Gen 2 Night Vision Monocular is an outstanding and affordable night vision monoculars from ATN. Generation 2 night vision devices are a big jump from Gen 1 devices in performance, much larger than the jump in cost. A night vision monocular is an extremely affordable option as compared to night vision goggles or night vision binoculars by only offering one tube - but you still get a great image.

ATN Night Vision is extremely popular for hunting and home security, but we're seeing more and more interest in night vision goggles for other uses too. Outdoor activities, such as boating, camping, and even paint-balling (playing paint-ball at night is getting really popular, and night vision is quickly becoming standard equipment!) and other purposes like neighborhood watches have seen night vision explode in popularity.

So long as your expectations are right, you'll really love your night vision. No, you will not be able to see a thumbtack 1,000 yards away with Gen 2 night vision. But you will be able to tell the difference between a dog and a cat at 150 yards (unless it's one of those dogs that is basically a canine cat, that can be tough.) The more ambient light you have (moonlight) the farther and clearer you will see. Night Vision works by intensifying available light, so the more light you have, the better the image. In the absence of any light, the ATN 3x50mm Night Spirit Night Vision Monocular does have a powerful IR emitter that will provide infrared light that your night-vision monocular can pick up, but doesn't alert animals or other people.

One of the best characteristics of the ATN Night Spirit Gen 2+ Night-Vision Monocular is the size of the unit. At about three-quarters of a pound and only being around 6.5" by 2" by 4", it doesn't take a lot of space, nor does it add a lot of weight to your kit. It is waterproof, rugged, durable, and has a limited lifetime warranty from ATN. For under $1,000, you won't find a better buy in Gen 2+ Night Vision.

For ATN, night vision and of course, the ATN 3x50mm Night Spirit Gen 2+ Night Vision Monocular there's no better place to do your shopping then at Optics Planet!

The Streamlight Buckmasters Camouflage Trident LED/Xenon Flashlight/Headlamp is an affordable, highly functional Streamlight Buckmasters Flashlight designed specifically for hunters, with their specific needs in a flashlight. Many successful hunting trips see the most action in low-light situations (dusk and dawn) and if you aren't going to be using night vision then you'll need some source of light (like a Streamlight Flashlight!) Never mind spotting game, sometimes you need a little more light just to make sure it's safe to take that next step!

The Streamlight Buckmasters Headlamp is incredibly useful due to its 3-way lighting settings. First off you could use the night vision compatible green LED flashlight setting. Very useful since you can use it to enhance the capabilities of your night vision, but also useful even without night vision because green light does NOT spook game. While white light can spook a deer you have in your sights, green light will not do so. The second setting is a two-LED white light setting for medium distances. This light is still somewhat soft, so as to minimize the chance of you scaring your prey off, but is still powerful enough to provide you with better vision of your surroundings. The final setting is a bright white xenon light for distance lighting packing 18 lumens of power. That kind of light will brighten up your surroundings quickly and will alert other hunters to your presence but is still soft enough to not be alarming.

The best part? This Streamlight flashlight is a headlamp - which obviously means hands-free operation! When you've got your rifle, binoculars, range finder, spotting scope, and all your other tools demanding time in your hands, it's really nice to be able to know you can have a light source without having to juggle another piece of hunting gear. This head lamp is comfortable and reliable, being corrosion and water resistant so you know its rugged. What more could you ask for in a flash light headlamp?

For all Streamlight gear and other great flashlights, weapon lights, and headlamps, you've got to get your gear at Optics Planet. Otherwise everyone will think you are a fool for not taking advantage of our low prices, free shipping, and top notch customer service!

The Cuddeback Cuddeview X2 Trail Camera Accessory is the one piece of gear that any Cuddeback Trail Camera owner absolutely needs. The X2 Viewer allows you to quickly gather the myriad amount of intelligence that you've been gathering with your Trail Cameras. In fact, any trail camera using an SD Memory Card is compatible with the Cuddeback X2 Viewer.

There's no question that trail cameras are an extremely important tool in ensuring hunting success each year. By identifying active trails and areas, you will be able to use your time more efficiently when you head out on a hunt. With a trail camera, you won't waste time in low-traffic or no-traffic areas - you can make sure you are exactly where your prey is naturally. But the biggest problem with trail cameras is that you set them up, they take photos, and then you have to go out, grab the memory cards, bring them home, and check out the photos. Or some of the more expensive units will have a viewing screen on them, but they can be small/low resolution. With the Cuddeview X2 Trail Camera Accessory that problem is solved. Cuddeback thought it through, and launched the X2 SD Card Viewer to solve this problem. You can move from camera to camera, loading up your trail camera photos with your X2, finding out what you need to know and then moving on to the next one. If you need more information, you can just pop that memory card back in and move on to your next camera.

If you want to view your photos at home, no problem! The Cuddeback Cuddeview X2 comes with TV Cables, so you can hook your viewer right up to your TV to flip right through them. Whether you want to share your photos with friends or just want to see everything on a bigger screen, the X2 Viewer has got you covered. Now what if you want to keep your trail camera memory cards in the trail cameras, but still want to bring home the photos too? Cuddeback's got you covered! 2 SD card slots allow you to copy from your trail camera's card to another card which you can take home. You can then copy them to your PC/Computer, and then you've got room for more photos! At its current price, the X2 is an absolute steal. My recommendation: buy now. Don't wait.

You can find the Cuddeback Cuddeview X2 3150 and tons of other great hunting gear at Optics Planet.

The 5.11 Tactical Side Trip Briefcase, out of all the bags I've reviewed while here at Optics Planet, has probably seen the most unique and unexpected uses by the customers who have purchased it. No question - 5.11 Tactical makes gear for hunting and sports shooting. But more importantly, 5.11 Tactical Bags are durable, high quality, versatile, ergonomic, uniquely designed, and more. Because of this, you've got the customer who uses it as an overnight travel bag for his business trips. You've got the customer who uses it to pack all his binoculars and spotting scopes when he heads outdoors. Then you've got the customer who uses it a tactical diaper bag. Arguably there's no rougher situation than when your kid needs a change, and the 5.11 Side-Trip Briefcase has tons of storage room and is durable and comfortable. I guess being prepared for any situation really holds true in this case!

This medium sized duffel bag is geared for everyday use, but also has so many expandable compartments you can easily use it as a travel bag or all-purpose bag. The front pocket is bag enough to fit a laptop, the side pockets are MOLLE/ALICE compatible, and there's a large hidden pocket inside the bag (perfect for a holster!) Side pockets unzip to expand with mesh, so you can fit even more into this bag. A comfortable shoulder strap and carrying straps make this bag easy to carry no matter how you prefer to carry it. There's a name tape panel on the front for easy identification. No chance of you mixing up your bag with someone else's! You just can't beat such an amazing carrying bag!

For anything 511 Tactical, you know where to go. We've got bags, apparel and so much more. Visit Optics Planet for all the goodies!

Nikon Microscopes are great microscopes, no question about it. Every year Nikon Microscopy hosts a contest called Nikon Small World where scientists and researchers can submit their microscopy photography and can win Nikon credit to spend on Nikon products. Sweet deal, huh?

Well, this years winners are out, and they are some pretty amazing pictures. I don't think I'll ever see Zebrafish the same again. Be sure to head to Nikon Small World 2010 Gallery to see all the winners!