binoculars

[newdr]

I am looking for a new set of binos.Thinking of 10x 42 for hunting.
Cost not all that important but would rather not get the $$$ Leicas unless they are worth it.
Thoughs on all weather binos and your favorites???

[ozark]

I would suggest you visit a place where you can view through the binoculars and get a feel for how they focus (Both eyepieces) and how clear the appear. I personally don't feel you need to spend a fortune to get a good set. 10x42 should be fine but I would perfer 10x50 for more light gathering. Look at Nikon. I like that brand. More improtant, get Rossmans view is better than mine on things of this nature.

[Al]

Nikon ATB's are hard to beat for the price. I have a beater pair in the truck for the last 5 years and still going strong.

As Ozark mentioned, find a place that you can give them a good looking over, and +1 on what Rossman would recommend.

[farmallm51]

I've got a pair of Bushnell Legend 8x42. These have the rainguard coating and have been the best hunting binoculars I've ever had. The lenses do not fog up from your breath like most that I have. They are clear and fast to focus. The only disadvantage is there weight. they are a bit heavy. The new models are supposed to be lighter. Have a look at them, they may fit your needs. They do make them 10x42 as well.

[jims]

Swarvoski ELs are excellent but I do not know that they are worth the $1000 more than you can buy some other pretty solid binocs. If you look at some of the birding magazines or google you can get good reviews on different binoculars and comments and prices to compare.

[deadeye]

the swarvoski el's are the best i have glassed through although i have not viewed all,i could not afford those even @ cost which i could have,i like many have been looking for binoculars priced say approx $500 & under. i might have another unique problemw/bin/ -i seem to emit heat in larger quantities than most-meaning my eyes seem to cause fog even though im holding my breath/any ideas/not trying to steal the thread!

[ozark]

deadeye people who wear glasses have little problem with the fogging up you mention. You might try wearing shooting glasses. Most binoculars have accomidating features for wearers of glasses. If money was unlimited I might try the most expensive but I honestly don't see a need to see better than I am able to through my Nikons which cost less than three hundred.

[rossman40]

After spending the morning of opening day in the rain and then Saturday in the snow the value of the rainguard coating from Bushnell went up for sure. Deadeye, there are anti-fog lens cloths that will help.

In just about all the sports optics (riflescopes, binos, spotting scopes and rangefinders) the thing is to get the best value for your dollar (some of us do have a budget). You still need it to do the job you want it to, be able to relie on it working and backed by customer support.

You can take the $2K Zeiss FLs, Swarovski ELs, Leica Ultravid HDs, Nikon EDGs and even the Steiner Peregrine XPs and go head to head with a $800 Vortex Razor or a Bushnell Elite and my eyes sure do not see a $1000 worth of difference. The Razors even have a better warranty, you screw them up even if it is your fault and Vortex will fix them for free.

My binos? I have a pair of Tasco 12X50 Sierras. I only paid $40 for them so if they fall out of the tree stand, get run over by a ATV or the grandson drops them I'm only out $40. Plus they do a great job for glassing out to 500yds even in low light. Now if I was out west and glassing 1000yds and more then I might need better glass.

[boarhog]

I bought a pair of Nikon Action zoom type binocs last year. I have been relatively happy with them for hunting, and general nature looking at. Not too bulky to wear in one of those harnesses, and stays focused pretty well. My only real complaint is the sorry lens caps that come with the binocs. You will lose them sooner or later! I would like to find a better set of caps that will stay on while carrying, but be easy to remove when the need arises.

[newdr]

A birding site recommends a brand called Eagle Optics.
Never herd of them. The 8x42 are about $310

[rossman40]

Eagle Optics and Vortex Optics is the same company. Could be "Only the names are changed to protect the innocent". Or another case of not knowing who is who in the twisted world of sports optics. The way I understand it Eagle Optics started out as a big dealer like Optics Planet catering to the bird watching crowd. They learned enough about the business to have their own line made and then expanded with the Vortex Optics line adding riflescopes. Being from the birding side they know quality optics and customer service.

[KerryB]

I have been interested in optics for most of my life and currently have accumulated a pretty good selection of binoculars (probably around 75 pairs now)! When stand hunting, i currently use a pair of Nikon Monarch ATB binoculars in 8x56mm which are waterproof. They have a great image except when birding they do have a slight purple fringe when viewing darker objects against a bright sky. These binoculars have extremely sharp optics, with excellent contrast (good coatings), and they are incredibly bright with the big 56mm objectives. If i were still hunting or doing much hiking i wouldn't hesitate to get the same binocular in a smaller objective model for the lighter weight. I have probably 25-30 pairs of Swift binoculars and the newer model 820 Audubon binoculars have unequaled optics compared to all but the priciest binoculars. They are also waterproof and i feel they beat out the Nikons for quality of view, but i don't think they are as tough built as the Nikon Monarch and so i keep the Audubons for bird watching only. If i were concerned with quality of view and nothing else, i would grab my Pentax PIF 8x50 or 10x50. These are without a doubt the finest binoculars i have ever looked through. I have heard that they were built to military specs for the Japanese Navy and a few other countries adopted them when they could get them. I bought a couple of each power when they became available to the general public and am saving a NIB pair of each power as collectibles. They were only available to the public out of Europe and were just under $1000 in US dollars, but well worth it. They are the toughest binoculars i have ever seen, including all of the US military binoculars. Oh well, enough about my favorites........i think you would be very satisfied with the Nikon Monarch for the money and i see them being used by the pro's on hunting shows every day, so they have a pretty good following. Let us know what you end up with and how you like them. KerryB

[rossman40]

The bino field is worse then the riflescopes. There are about 200 small mom&pop shops just in japan that make binos and or bino components. Use to be if you looked somewhere on the Japanese made binos you could find a 3 or 4 character code and that was the mark of the company that actually made them. Even the Pentax PIFs were made by smaller companies. I think most were made by the Katsumi Optical Company. It is not a bad thing, the company like Nikon, Pentax, even Vortex and Swift sets the design and the standards and a smaller shop keeps the QC higher. Not quite the contractor-subcontractor relationship that you see in the US but more like the mafia with the larger companies being the godfathers. Little companies that have had a working relationship with the larger ones for generations with respect and honor throwed in. And in Japanese society to go below standards would have someone committing hari-kari because of the dis-honor. The problem you have nowadays is more and more is pushed out of Japan and to China. Before it was Korea and the Philippines. I remember one guy bragging about his American made Leupolds and how he wouldn't depend on a foreign made POS, I told him he better look close at his binos, he did, made in Korea.

The best advice I can give is to figure out what you want in a set of binos as far as magnification, lens size and even the weight. You get into the higher magnifications (10X and higher) you have to have a study hand and your FOV shrinks. You get into the 42 and 50mm lenses and the binos start getting big. Also note that a better pair of 35mm will usually outperform a cheaper 42mm. You go with some of the bigger models like the PIFs or big Steiners and they are a boat anchor to use all day.

Set a amount you want to spend and go window shopping. There are some nice models out there in the $100-300 range. Compare side by side and play with them adjustment wise. I can usually spot the idiots looking at binos when they pick a pair up to look thru and never adjust them.

Once you have narrowed it down start looking at details like warranty and what people are saying about that model on the forums. The Pentax warranty since being bought out by Hoya is the same as Vortex. You screw them up they will fix them free which is tough to beat. Swift has came thru the restructure of bankruptcy and the sports optics side is now stand alone and trying to regain market share. The big maker in binos right now is Fujinon (yes part of Fuji films), they took the M22 Army bino contract away from Steiner and are making the M24s (at least they are assembling them in NJ). Nikon and Bushnell higher end stuff are contenders, it seems once you break the $100 mark your above the junk.

[kopodd]

I returned from a mule deer hunt in Montana a few weeks ago. Last spring I bought a pair of Nikon Monarch 10 x 42's for the trip. They exceeded my expectations by a wide margin. They are small enough to hold steady and the clarity of these glasses is just outstanding. I could easily count points on a buck at 400 - 500 yards. My brother, nephew and cousin who hunted with me all raved about the quality of these binos. A friend of mine has a pair of Vortex Razors that Rossman mentioned and they are just jaw dropping in their quality. However they are also about $850. I bought my Nikon's from SWFA for about $ 230 and am completely pleased with them. I see they have now gone up to about $330 , but if I can buy a pair for about what I paid for mine I would do it in a heartbeat. It is worthwhile to check them out. Hpoe this helps.

[newdr]

Bought the Nikon Monarchs 8X42 and the Cabalas strap-harness

[killahog]

I checked out as many Bino's side by side as I could. Including the top of the line Leicas and Swarovski, when I was shopping price was not my major concern. I came to the conclusion that Swarovski was the sharpest followed by Leicia and Then the optic I settled on that was actually 1/3 of the price was The kahles 10x42. I was told by a Swarovski rep that they make the kahles bino's. They are very light and durable, So far they have fallen 25 feet from the tree and I have had them completely submerged in water. The swaroski are better binos' but we are not using these thing to take pictures for national geographic just judging critters.

[Guessed]

{Daze late, dollies Short}
www.betterviewdesired.com/

[bubba]

I have some leupold wind river 8x42 that are decent for the money, I cant afford better.