Binocular suggestions

[450 Dakota]

I do a lot of glassing here in Arizona and use 15x 56 Swarovski on a tri-pod. I wanted some smaller glasses for archery Elk to use in the woods which would be similar to your use. I settled on the Zeiss 10X 42. The Swarovski were $500-600 more and the difference wasn't worth the money to my eyes. You can get a stud and adapter from The Outdoorsman here in Arizona for the Zeiss to put them on a tri-pod for those times you want to glass at longer distance. Have used the Zeiss the last 2 seasons and I would buy them again if I had to.

 

[CBH Australia]

Thanks for all the responses, I’m currently scouring my usual retailers and looking at different models. I tend to be in the same camp of buy once cry once. I remember my younger years, going for cheaper options and that never worked out in my favor long term. I’m looking at eurooptic as well, they always have good deals going on. I’m still torn between the 8x and 10x. Decisions decisions.....

I read a lot on bino magnification a few years ago and general consensus was 8x for the reasons Ridgewalker said.
Vortex are getting good reviews in their mid price gear.
I tried the PH Lieca impressive ive looked through a couple of Swarovski and saw the higher end model seemed much clearer these were bird watchers and we didnt discuss prices but dhe made it known his were much dearer.
Steiner start as Bino specialists and are owned by Bushnell i think. People used to say by a Mercury outboard as all they do is boat motors if that means anything to you.
Kahles Binos are made in China and presumably still good optics. Swarovski own Kahles i dont think they will compromise on quality when outsourcing.
Try get to try a few and when you settle on them dont beat yourself up if you see something better later.
I own Steiner compact and Vortex 8x42 the one above the entry level. Ive used better but these still work.

 

[JimP]

A member on another forum decided that he wanted a new spotting scope, so he headed down to his local Cabela's and bought three of them. A Swarovski, a Vortex, and the Cabela's house one. He then borrowed a couple extra tripods and headed home. He set up all three spotters and viewed a very distant object with all three and took notes as far as clarity and being able to see the distinct outlines of the object. He did this throughout the weekend from early mornings to dark.

He decided on what spotter he considered the best for him and took the other two back for full refunds, he used a cc so he wasn't out any money.

I don't know why the same method wouldn't work for binoculars

 

[Travis2282]

A member on another forum decided that he wanted a new spotting scope, so he headed down to his local Cabela's and bought three of them. A Swarovski, a Vortex, and the Cabela's house one. He then borrowed a couple extra tripods and headed home. He set up all three spotters and viewed a very distant object with all three and took notes as far as clarity and being able to see the distinct outlines of the object. He did this throughout the weekend from early mornings to dark.

He decided on what spotter he considered the best for him and took the other two back for full refunds, he used a cc so he wasn't out any money.

I don't know why the same method wouldn't work for binoculars

Which did he choose? You told the whole story with no ending! Haha

 

[JimP]

To tell the truth I don't remember but I seem to remember that he went with the Cabela's but I'm not 100% sure of that

 

[CBH Australia]

To tell the truth I don't remember but I seem to remember that he went with the Cabela's but I'm not 100% sure of that

its the logic that matters .
you would hope to see a definite improvement in the high price bracket but i guess its up to the individual and what we really see and what we percieve we see.
I believe Swarovski is good and im already convinced of that in my limited experience. if a Swarovski product is 4 times dearer than an entry level Leupold product (or other) with the same magnification and objective specification will it be 4 times clearer or 4 times better? probably not but if you can afford it and it is noticeably better you wont be happy unless you have what you want.

i read some stuff on Swarovski Z3 and Z5 , apparently the glass is the same, wow. the difference is an extra erector spring or something in the windage and elevation making those more reliable. Also the zoom ratio. 3x or 5x
My mate has a Z6 and is very happy , i used a Z6 on a hire rifle and was pretty impressed with the scope and the fact i was hired a nice rifle and scope at a cheap rate.
another mate has

 

[Milan]

its the logic that matters .
you would hope to see a definite improvement in the high price bracket but i guess its up to the individual and what we really see and what we percieve we see.
I believe Swarovski is good and im already convinced of that in my limited experience. if a Swarovski product is 4 times dearer than an entry level Leupold product (or other) with the same magnification and objective specification will it be 4 times clearer or 4 times better? probably not but if you can afford it and it is noticeably better you wont be happy unless you have what you want.

i read some stuff on Swarovski Z3 and Z5 , apparently the glass is the same, wow. the difference is an extra erector spring or something in the windage and elevation making those more reliable. Also the zoom ratio. 3x or 5x
My mate has a Z6 and is very happy , i used a Z6 on a hire rifle and was pretty impressed with the scope and the fact i was hired a nice rifle and scope at a cheap rate.
another mate has

I did my own test, like the one suggested above your post done on spotting scopes, on 10x42 and my conclusion was Leica high end best, Swarowski/Zeiss/Steiner/Meopta Meostar next and all comparable as the next level, everything else after that (not much testing there). I would say once you start getting into the high end stuff the differences are tiny but can be seen and none of them are anywhere near the proportion of money you may have to shell out to get the better. In other words, I feel my Meopta is about 98% of the 3x more expensive Leica. Leica was able to let me distinguish cow poop from dirt in hay field at dusk/near dark. Meopta would see both but I could not tell the difference. Leica is definitely better but not 3x better. I also found Meopta so close to Swarovski and Zeiss that I could not see the difference in detail resolution or contrast, especially for 2.2-2.5x the money. Swarowski and Steiner may be a hair brighter but no more detail was obtained plus the Steiner was a 7x50mm so not a fair comparison for light gathering and besides I have one of those and while it is most excellent, it is bulky and heavy. Both Zeiss and Swarowski felt just as heavy as the Meopta, so again definitely not 2.2-2.5 times better. So it was a no contest for me. But do keep in mind it was 3 old farts who need glasses most of the time comparing these. Each person sees differently. Young, better eyes (or for that matter optical measuring equipment) might see more differences but old yes are the ones that actually need them and if I can't see the difference I don't need it. In the end for me it became getting 98% of what I want/need at 30% of the price in the Meopta. Then if I want better I will not skimp and get .1% better in Swaro/Zeiss/Steiner but will jump for the best (only 2% better) which for me is Leica and I will have to swallow the price difference between it and the rest. And yes these numbers are meaningless as they are just my opinion and may not even be true representation of the differences observed, but I'm putting them here to show what my perception of these was at the time. Also note that each manufacturer now has several lines. Here I was comparing their top models in plain binos (i.e. no RF) of similar shape and size (i.e roof prism binos, Steiner poroprism being the exception).

P.S. In daylight the differences are even less or completely indiscernible and not worth fretting about.

 

[Tanks]

That is a decent deal on the Swaro 10x32 EL’s that was pointed out. I’ve kind of had my heart set on the 10x40’s. Does anyone have experience with the 10x32 EL’s? I’m wondering how they are in low light.

There is an "open box" sale at Cameraland for a 10x42 ELs. $440 discount. I bought one of them and it is basically NIB.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/swaro...2414-0138-88a6-00163ecd2826?variation=2109228

 

[Bruce]

Try looking at the various bino/rangefinder models out as well.. There are some awesome combos out there.. Only ONE carry for TWO items!!

 

[Tanks]

Try looking at the various bino/rangefinder models out as well.. There are some awesome combos out there.. Only ONE carry for TWO items!!

My issue with that is electronics are warrantied for five years usually but the binoculars by themselves have a lifetime warranty (e.g. Leica). I use binoculars a lot more than the range finders as I take them horse races etc. whereas range finders are delegated to shooting and hunting.

So, a five year warranty on a range finder is fine as it is not going to get heck of a lot of use. But I want the binoculars to be covered lifetime.

 

[Travis2282]

I have found some 10x 32 EL you can get for $2069.00. If your interested.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

First off... I am not advocating for skimping. Not everyone has the budget for a Swaro though, irrespective of whatever hot deal you can find on them.

My primary for a lot of years has been a pair of Zeiss that belonged to my grandpa; they have stellar glass and I love using them.

For those on a budget, two I've found that have worked well for me are the Leupold Yosemite and Sig Sauer Zulus. I would mention that all of my hunting happens across rural Alaska, spring/fall/winter. I've found both of those to work very well for the money invested.

No issues with the suggestions of others... just a different perspective for those that might want one.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Name brands dont mean much to me, I could care less. What I look for in bino's (and scopes): a lifetime warranty, glass clarity, construction quality, focusing, max-min range expectations of use, are the bino's convenient to wear/ carry or bulky while using a harness strap and while moving about hunting, lastly is price.

 

[buck wild]

A pair of used Leica's just hit the classified section- talk about luck !

 

[autofire]

8x42 seem most practical for Africa as 10x42 can end up with too much blur from slight movements. Nikon lifetime warranty seems good entry level price. If out west and long views for extended period probably best to step up to better glass.

 

[Philip Glass]

If I was in your shoes I’d be looking at some used Swarovski or Leicas on EBay to get in your price range. Better to buy quality used than compromise on an important piece of equipment. The difference is that you may need the 8X at home but 10X most other places. Your call there.
Philip

 

[COSA]

Just got a pair of the Kowa BD II’s in 6.5x32 and am impressed for the price ($370 if you shop around). They also come in 8 and 10 power (got these for hunting in timber). I also have swaros in 10x, so I’m used to good Bono’s.

 

[MarkB]

I have abused my 8x32 Zeiss conquests for many years, they have been around the world many times, never let me down, bright for these old eyes, reasonably priced, nice and light around the neck and found a ton of game. I highly recommend.

MB

 

[BeeMaa]

I made a bad mistake with binos, a few of them actually.
My first was looking through a set of Leica Geovid-R 10x42.
Bought those and was then spoiled for anything else.
Mistake #2, giving them to my PH as part of his tip.
Compared the Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, Vortex, Sig and Leupold RF binos.
Pretty big drop off in optical quality from Swaro, Zeiss and Leica to anything else.
Just received my Leica Geovid HD-B 3000 10x42's a couple of weeks ago.
I prefer the Leica, but any of the big three are really good.

 

[2400]

Like some of you I've made some expensive mistakes with both rifle scopes and binoculars over the years.

I have a couple of pairs of Bruntons that are ok and now spend time in my Willys and truck, a really nice set of Leupold Gold Ring 10X42's that are about 10 years old and work well and some Swarovski 10X42 SLC's that I use a lot.

Unlink mist of the guys I hunt with I'm not a fan of the rangefinder/binocular combos, I'd rather just use my binos and a separate rangefinder. I agree with one of the posts on here about warranty differences between electronics and glass too.

I agree with the guys that say buy once cry once, buy the very best you can afford even if you have to wait a little longer for them.