Best casual tourist binoculars - Nikon 6x15 Special Anniversary Edition Silver Binoculars 7348

The Nikon 6x15 may be the best travel binocular for occasional use on trips because they are so compact and light and still somehows manage to provide high quality images. The binoculars measure about 3" width by 2" in height and depth. They fit literally in any jacket pocket. The optics are very good for daylight viewing of scenery and stationary subjects. They also work well in well lit museums for close up views of exhibits that are kept at a distance from visitors (or from the back of tour groups crowded around the display). The focus mechanism is smooth and tight and has a long enough travel that it works well in providing a relatively fine focus as does the diopter adjustment for the right eye. Overall construction is of strong metal (aluminium?) except for small soft rubber eye pieces. It is easy to lose the eyepiece cap covers- and no objective lens covers provided. The Nikons 6x15 are far superior to ordinary opera glasses in terms of clarity and power. I would suggest using a more user friendly neck strap than the string type provided and possibly a hard-sided case which are easily obtainable online or in camera or optics stores. Eye relief is sufficient to allow their use with eyeglasses but with some loss of width of field of view. I had a pair of the original Nikon 6x15 style phoro-style binoculars back in the 1960s that I believe were sold as low cost toy binoculars. The new versions with BAK 4 coated glass are far superior and are not toys. Someone said the best binoculars are the ones you have with you the most often. The new Nikon 6x15 can be put in a pocket or bag and carried all day without any noticable fatigue until needed and replaced which avoids the tourist look of traditional binoculars carried around the neck or over the shoulder in cases. If you can afford them, they provide a good view and appear to be well made such that they may last a lifetime of use with reasonable care. I do not believe the Nikon 6x15 are waterproof, so safari and cruise tourists may want to look for alternatives that are waterproof along with larger objective lenses for better low light and night viewing.