Want to buy Safari Binos

[Katy Darren]

Guys you if you are looking at Swaro give me a shout as we are Swaro direct. We are not Leica direct but I do have connections for them and I can try to beat the online prices maybe.

Just throwing this out there for those looking.

Wouldn’t have made a move without checking in with you first!

 

[WAB]

Guys you if you are looking at Swaro give me a shout as we are Swaro direct. We are not Leica direct but I do have connections for them and I can try to beat the online prices maybe.

Just throwing this out there for those looking.

Gotta jump in here and give Mark a shout out. I have bought a number of bino’s and scopes from Mark. He is fantastic to deal with and treats us really well on pricing.

 

[Travis2282]

Guys you if you are looking at Swaro give me a shout as we are Swaro direct. We are not Leica direct but I do have connections for them and I can try to beat the online prices maybe.

Just throwing this out there for those looking.

Will have to give you a call about some NL pures.

 

[ActionBob]

I'm not sure if this was covered. How many of those saying the 10x42 binos cover it all have hunted buffalo and/elephant? You really don't need ranging if you are under 100 yards as even with most big bores. You are still shooting point blank. And it is very rare you would shoot over 50 yards. So you also don't need high magnification. You need a wide field of view. And the greater the magnification, the more any shaking or movement by the operator is magnified. Tough to make out details while out of breath shaking and looking at elephant ivory through brush at 20 yards through 10x.

You need an extremely good quality ranging 10x42 bino for most hunting. Then a good 8x30 (or 7x) or so for elephant or buffalo. And a 10x25 for mountain hunting is a nice luxury.

Of course you can get by with one set of anything you choose However to admit my own shortcomings, in my older age it has been easier to lose weight by buying lighter weight gear than by dieting. Not that I don't need to do that too.....

The other consideration, especially for someone from the North, the less weight you carry in gear, the more water you can carry. And that was right up there with good boots on my elephant hunt.

 

[Major Bonkers]

'The Sporting Lodge' is an online shop which offers end of line goods.

It is currently offering a range of Leica and Steiner binoculars here. (Including the Geovid rangefinder model.)

For customers in the EU, they are offering to pay duties and taxes. Unfortunately for Americans, the recent bank failures have had the effect of decreasing the value of the $, so it might not be worthwhile to you.

In honour of the king's coronation they are offering 20% off everything: the code to input at the check out section is: BANKHOL20

The shop is worth having a look around; they stock some of the rather weird and overpriced clothing ranges from Westley Richards, Purdey, Barbour, and so on.

 

[Major Bonkers]

PS - also Kevin Peacock's favourite Westley Richards shirts.

 

[VertigoBE]

Can anyone point out the differences between the Leica Trinovid and Ultravid 8x32’s? They have pretty much the same pricing in @Major Bonkers thread.

 

[Major Bonkers]

As I understand matters, the 'best' Leica models are, in decreasing order of excellence:

(1) Noctivid
(2) Ultravid
(3) Trinovid. This model itself has three marks:
- HD
- BN
- BA

The rangefinder model is the Geovid.

(For Swarovski, the range goes: NL Pure ('best') → SLC → EL, and the rangefinder model is the EL.)

I mean to write a boring post at some stage on modern binoculars. My take on them is that at the end of the '80s modern computer-controlled milling led to a step increase in the quality (and quality control) of lenses. Therefore, anything from the end of the '80s/ early '90s, from the big 3, should be perfectly acceptable in terms of magnification and quality even today. Because they are sealed units, modern binoculars do not suffer the fogging and prism or lens displacement issues of older binoculars.

The two major advancements since then have been in reducing the weight of binoculars and integrating rangefinders into the units. However, improvements in the lenses (and their coatings) have been iterative, and minor at best. Quite how much a hunter will appreciate the practical difference between a Trinovid BN over a BA is a moot point. Both of these marks are still highly regarded.

As regards the marketing of binoculars, Leica seems to have moved to a 'latest model' strategy, in the hope that customers will want the latest and most expensive models. However, if you are prepared to put up with a small increase in weight, it seems to me that there is no reason why you should not buy an older model.

Also: given that the machine tools used to mill the lenses are computer-controlled, there ought to be very little difference in quality between a mid-market brand and the high-end brand. As far as I can see, this is right: a Leica or Swarovski is a better pair of binoculars than - say - a Pentax; but whether the former is worth 5 or 6 times the latter is very dubious. My Swarovski ELs have lasted me, so far, some 30 years of heavy use and been repaired once for free, and I sincerely doubt that I would get that life out of a mid-market brand, with the exception of the Noblex BG/A series (I had a pair of these, which some bastard stole).

Good second tier manufacturers would be Noblex (ex Docter, ex Carl Zeiss Jena), Opticron - I have experience of these two - plus Meopta, and so on.

Finally, there are many perverts who like to look at birds and - if you have ever seen them - they buy themselves the most hugely expensive telescopes and binoculars. If you are prepared to wait a bit and lurk around eBay and auction sites you can often find older, well-treated, optics at a fraction of the new price.

 

[VertigoBE]

Can anyone point out the differences between the Leica Trinovid and Ultravid 8x32’s? They have pretty much the same pricing in @Major Bonkers thread.

my mistake, forgot to read the "1" in front of the "875"

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

As I understand matters, the 'best' Leica models are, in decreasing order of excellence:

(1) Noctivid
(2) Ultravid
(3) Trinovid. This model itself has three marks:
- HD
- BN
- BA

The rangefinder model is the Geovid.

(For Swarovski, the range goes: NL Pure ('best') → SLC → EL, and the rangefinder model is the EL.)

I mean to write a boring post at some stage on modern binoculars. My take on them is that at the end of the '80s modern computer-controlled milling led to a step increase in the quality (and quality control) of lenses. Therefore, anything from the end of the '80s/ early '90s, from the big 3, should be perfectly acceptable in terms of magnification and quality even today. Because they are sealed units, modern binoculars do not suffer the fogging and prism or lens displacement issues of older binoculars.

The two major advancements since then have been in reducing the weight of binoculars and integrating rangefinders into the units. However, improvements in the lenses (and their coatings) have been iterative, and minor at best. Quite how much a hunter will appreciate the practical difference between a Trinovid BN over a BA is a moot point. Both of these marks are still highly regarded.

As regards the marketing of binoculars, Leica seems to have moved to a 'latest model' strategy, in the hope that customers will want the latest and most expensive models. However, if you are prepared to put up with a small increase in weight, it seems to me that there is no reason why you should not buy an older model.

Also: given that the machine tools used to mill the lenses are computer-controlled, there ought to be very little difference in quality between a mid-market brand and the high-end brand. As far as I can see, this is right: a Leica or Swarovski is a better pair of binoculars than - say - a Pentax; but whether the former is worth 5 or 6 times the latter is very dubious. My Swarovski ELs have lasted me, so far, some 30 years of heavy use and been repaired once for free, and I sincerely doubt that I would get that life out of a mid-market brand, with the exception of the Noblex BG/A series (I had a pair of these, which some bastard stole).

Good second tier manufacturers would be Noblex (ex Docter, ex Carl Zeiss Jena), Opticron - I have experience of these two - plus Meopta, and so on.

Finally, there are many perverts who like to look at birds and - if you have ever seen them - they buy themselves the most hugely expensive telescopes and binoculars. If you are prepared to wait a bit and lurk around eBay and auction sites you can often find older, well-treated, optics at a fraction of the new price.

On the Swaros in decreasing order it’s
NL
EL
SLC
However the EL Range is SLC Glass with EL name and price tag because of the Range Finder. Aside from the 15’s the SLC’s are Disco, at least here in the states.

 

[Travis2282]

Just get Swarovski NL 8x32 and call it a day! Resale value will always be there with swaro also! The increased field of view is awesome with the NL vs the EL. Both have field flattening lenses in them. You have to step down to the SLC to get the non flattened lenses.

 

[WAB]

Just get Swarovski NL 8x32 and call it a day! Resale value will always be there with swaro also! The increased field of view is awesome with the NL vs the EL. Both have field flattening lenses in them. You have to step down to the SLC to get the non flattened lenses.

That would be a great pair of bino’s for the bush! One of these days I’ll upgrade my Steiner 8x30’s to these.

For all around use I went with the SLC 10x42 as I found the color better. Probably just nit picking and I believe they are discontinued now anyway.

For mountain glassing the SLC 15x56 is unbeatable. Best investment I’ve made for Coues hunting.

 

[Travis2282]

That would be a great pair of bino’s for the bush! One of these days I’ll upgrade my Steiner 8x30’s to these.

For all around use I went with the SLC 10x42 as I found the color better. Probably just nit picking and I believe they are discontinued now anyway.

For mountain glassing the SLC 15x56 is unbeatable. Best investment I’ve made for Coues hunting.

I just recently sold my slc 10x42 for the same price I paid for them. Everyone loves that glass. I will purchase the NL 10x42 soon and put the outdoorsman stud in them like I had with the slc.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

That would be a great pair of bino’s for the bush! One of these days I’ll upgrade my Steiner 8x30’s to these.

For all around use I went with the SLC 10x42 as I found the color better. Probably just nit picking and I believe they are discontinued now anyway.

For mountain glassing the SLC 15x56 is unbeatable. Best investment I’ve made for Coues hunting.

The color has something to do with your eyes. I see the same thing.

Additionally when panning side to side on the EL’s I get a little bit of the rolling ball. I haven’t played with the NL’s enough outside to see if I get it with them as well. Ive only looked through them indoors before they released and was extremely impressed.

 

[Bonk]

Rigby rifles, Swaro glass, Courteney boots. Excellent gear and if money was no object I would probably purchase one or two of those items. I'm definitely going to buy a pair of Courteney boots in the near future. Unfortunately for me and a lot of others money is an object. It wouldn't be prudent for me to spend $15K+ for a rifle, scope, & binos.

I suspect the value of premium gear goes up the more one is able to afford it. IOW, the difference between Leupold and Swaro binos becomes more pronounced the more the money doesn't matter as much. I'm not saying the premium gear isn't better. I'm saying the difference has a lot to do with one's economic circumstances.

Plenty of game has been taken with M70/CZ550 rifles, Leupold scopes/binos, and off the rack boots from Cabelas. Treat yourself when you can but you don't have to buy top of the line gear to have a successful and enjoyable hunt. I think I'd like a pair of Swaro binos but for the time being I like my 25 year old Leupolds and keeping $3500 in my bank account better. If and when I consistently lose game because of my gear I'll reconsider but, so far, it hasn't been an issue.

Please keep in mind I'm not bashing or condemning high quality gear nor the folks that enjoy them. I'm just simply stating that sometimes the economic reality precludes a lot of us from dipping our toes in the same water. No sour grapes or jealousy. Good for those of you that get to do that. I can't justify it for me.

 

[Cme1983]

Maven is a direct to consumer brand that offers a very high end product at a very reasonable price.

 

[ActionBob]

Rigby rifles, Swaro glass, Courteney boots. Excellent gear and if money was no object I would probably purchase one or two of those items. I'm definitely going to buy a pair of Courteney boots in the near future. Unfortunately for me and a lot of others money is an object. It wouldn't be prudent for me to spend $15K+ for a rifle, scope, & binos.

I suspect the value of premium gear goes up the more one is able to afford it. IOW, the difference between Leupold and Swaro binos becomes more pronounced the more the money doesn't matter as much. I'm not saying the premium gear isn't better. I'm saying the difference has a lot to do with one's economic circumstances.

Plenty of game has been taken with M70/CZ550 rifles, Leupold scopes/binos, and off the rack boots from Cabelas. Treat yourself when you can but you don't have to buy top of the line gear to have a successful and enjoyable hunt. I think I'd like a pair of Swaro binos but for the time being I like my 25 year old Leupolds and keeping $3500 in my bank account better. If and when I consistently lose game because of my gear I'll reconsider but, so far, it hasn't been an issue.

Please keep in mind I'm not bashing or condemning high quality gear nor the folks that enjoy them. I'm just simply stating that sometimes the economic reality precludes a lot of us from dipping our toes in the same water. No sour grapes or jealousy. Good for those of you that get to do that. I can't justify it for me.

Age and eyes has a lot to do with it. I first got glasses at about 50. Buy needed them a couple years before. That's also when I could really start to tell the difference in quality optics.

But you are absolutely correct. Just 10 years ago it made a big difference on what I was willing to spend too. And yes good mid range can suffice quite nicely if it must.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Rigby rifles, Swaro glass, Courteney boots. Excellent gear and if money was no object I would probably purchase one or two of those items. I'm definitely going to buy a pair of Courteney boots in the near future. Unfortunately for me and a lot of others money is an object. It wouldn't be prudent for me to spend $15K+ for a rifle, scope, & binos.

I suspect the value of premium gear goes up the more one is able to afford it. IOW, the difference between Leupold and Swaro binos becomes more pronounced the more the money doesn't matter as much. I'm not saying the premium gear isn't better. I'm saying the difference has a lot to do with one's economic circumstances.

Plenty of game has been taken with M70/CZ550 rifles, Leupold scopes/binos, and off the rack boots from Cabelas. Treat yourself when you can but you don't have to buy top of the line gear to have a successful and enjoyable hunt. I think I'd like a pair of Swaro binos but for the time being I like my 25 year old Leupolds and keeping $3500 in my bank account better. If and when I consistently lose game because of my gear I'll reconsider but, so far, it hasn't been an issue.

Please keep in mind I'm not bashing or condemning high quality gear nor the folks that enjoy them. I'm just simply stating that sometimes the economic reality precludes a lot of us from dipping our toes in the same water. No sour grapes or jealousy. Good for those of you that get to do that. I can't justify it for me.

I think we all understand this opinion, however a lot of the premium recommendations came because several of the member know he’s undertaking a premium hunt.

IMHO the most important pieces of equipment on a hunt where someone should spend the absolute best are 1) Ammo/Bullet choice 2) Optics (Binos the Scope) 3) Footwear 4) Clothing. Most factory rifles now can keep a group under 1” and are plenty capable for most everything. As long as your rifle is in a suitable caliber, you should be good. At some point the cost and value of the hunt ones undertaking needs to come into play in that decision. If someone draws a once in a lifetime tag like a sheep premium elk tag I’d strongly suggest investing in or borrowing the best optics.
Personally, I started with Nikon Binos because that’s what I could affordworked up to Leupolds, then Meopta, and after looking through someone’s Swaro a week after buying the Meopta’s took them back and returned them to buy a pair of Swaro’s. I couldn’t afford them but I’d drawn a really good elk tag with single digit draw percentages and wanted the best possible equipment for the hunt. I used the same muzzleloader I’d had for several years but also upgraded the scope.

This is why my recommendation was if he’s spending more than $5k a year on hunts consider upgrading. Figure a 5 day elk hunt, at $5k (without tip, tax, tags, license, or travel), is $1k a day cost. I’m betting he picks up at least 15 min more than likely 30 min of light gathering in both the morning and evening. That’s almost an extra 5 hours of hunting/glassing time at roughly $100/hour over the cost of the hunt. Over 4 hunts you’ve basically paid for your used Swaro SLC’s and that’s before you’ve factored in all your other expenses. That’s how/where I drew the line in the sand but we’re all different.

 

[Travis2282]

I took leupold binos to Africa with me last time. My guide had swarovski. On a side trip to a park I was glassing some beautiful birds and asked if I could look through his swaros.I was blown away of the details I was missing. As soon as I returned I purchased a pair of SLC 10x42.

 

[Flewis]

I use swaros elk hunting, last trip to Africa I used Leupold bx4s. The place the swaros make a difference is black animal in dark bush.