Opera Glasses - Where to Buy in NYC? Worth It?

[dshnookie]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:38pm

I'm thinking of purchasing opera glasses for taking in Broadway shows from the rear mezz. or balconies. Anyone have any experience with these? best place to buy in person in NYC?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:46pm

I know they sell them in the gift shop at The Metropolitan Opera.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:48pm

Buy those new binoculars with the stealth camera built right in. They're going to be the new generation of bootlegging.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:49pm

I want those then. Because honestly I can't figure out how people do it. I saw recording of Phantom made on the night of its broadway opening and I thought "How big was the effing hat this person had to have to fit the huge camera?"

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:53pm

^Total thread jack, but I don't even understand how people do it now with small cameras without getting caught.

[dshnookie]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:54pm

I know! back to me! lol

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:55pm

When I see from the balcony here in Phoenix, I will take opera glasses on occassion. Honestly, though, I have never found a use for them when seeing stuff in New York, and I usually sit pretty high.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 2:55pm

Sorry. Maybe look for opera glasses with a built in camera?

[Jon]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 3:12pm

You can get small binoculars for around $25 at any of the many camera/electronics stores.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 3:36pm

Small binoculars are better than opera glasses or heavy binoculars. I use them at the opera all the time, and at large Broadway houses. I also use them at the ballet (even though it seems a little pervy). When I get home, I can check on the specs of the ones I bought last year.

Opera glasses are really for enlarging your view of the entire stage, but they're not very good for seeing faces.

Bird-watching binoculars will allow you to focus on a face, but you need a very steady hand to watch a close-up of a face for, say, an entire musical number. Each time your hand jiggles, the face goes out of view.

So look for something small and light that will give you a half stage or full-body close-up rather than a super-tight face close-up.

Updated On: 8/29/12 at 03:36 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 5:07pm

Olympus 10x21 Roamer DPC I Binocular

I got them for $39 at B&H Photo.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 5:14pm

The opera glasses sold at the Met's gift shop are pretty pricey. Ebay has a really good selection--some even have folding handles. Just check the s&h charges before you commit to buy. Sometimes that is more expensive than the item itself.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 5:14pm

I just use a small pair of binoculars. They may not be as pretty to look at as my grandma's old opera glasses, but they work better and they are similar in size.

[tnicewarne]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 6:03pm

Hi ~

I don't know about where to get them in person but, several months ago I ordered these really cheap (around $13) from Amazon and they were fine. I used them for both "Porgy and Bess" and "Newsies" and they were perfectly acceptable from mid-to-rear mezz.

~ Tim
Bushnell 8x21mm Compact Binnocculars

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 10:51pm

That's swell, tnicewarne, but will those same, cheap glasses work at other shows? You said they worked at PORGY AND BESS and NEWSIES but I'm going to be seeing ONCE and don't want to buy opera glasses that won't work at that show.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/29/12 at 11:21pm

Tnicewarne--those 8x21 are probably all you need.

The ones I have are 10x21, so they give more of a magnification of faces.

The conventional opera glasses they sell at the Met gift shop and other places are only 3x25. The 25 doesn't help you very much more than the 21 does, but 8 or 10 is vastly better for shows and concerts than the measly 3.

Updated On: 8/30/12 at 11:21 PM

[dshnookie]

Posted: 8/30/12 at 12:14am

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and tips, greatly appreciated :)