The Binoculars Some Of The Experts Use

Gil Brandt, chief scout for the Dallas Cowboys: "Right now I'm using a pair of Bushnell 7x35s. I've owned them for four years, which is a record for me because I usually wind up leaving my binoculars in an airport or in the trunk of a rented car. I'd advise a football fan to select a pair priced reasonably and not too heavy, something not too cumbersome to have with you when you're watching a game."

Jim Whittaker, mountain climber and first American to reach the top of Mount Everest: "My personal choice is the Leitz 8x32. They are extremely light binoculars and are only 4� inches in length, but they magnify with remarkable clarity and, what is important to me since often I cannot protect my equipment, the prism is shock-, dust- and waterproof. Of course, they're terribly expensive."

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, head of the New York Racing Association: "I use big ones, Zeiss 15x60s. However, I'm 58 years old now, and in the process of aging maybe I'll have to change. Let me just see if they feel good for another season. Yes, it looks that way."

Mary Hemingway, widow of the author: "All of Ernest's were left in Cuba. There must have been six or seven pairs that we had between us. I know he had some giant ones that looked as though they were a foot long and weighed maybe five pounds."