Binoculars -- Any recommendations?

Suveges said:
I would check out Zen-Ray ED2, the optics are superb for the price http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/binoculars/zened2.html
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Another vote for Zen Ray. They are an American Company who have their binoculars made in China. They are one of the group of near Alphas. Their binoculars are 95% as good as Zeiss, Leica, etc. for about the price you'd pay for some Monarchs.

Also consider a pair of Swift Audubons. I have two pair, one is the latest, now discontinued and the previous model. They are also in the league of being almost as good as the Alphas. The Swift 820 is a porro prism binocular but it is water proof.

Either one of those two binoculars should last you for a long time.

Chad
 
as somebody who has really good eyes (me) I have the Monarchs from Nikon in the full size (10x42) and the compact (10x42) that I purchased right here on BF. They are EXCELLENT and compare very favorably to the Leupold Gold Class in 10x42.
A buddy I hunt with has the Leuopolds, and had offered to sell them to me at a reasonable price. The main reason I did not buy them was the WEIGHT, I swear those binocs feel like they had lead in them, check out the specs on both and see for yourself.
As far as clarity, both the Nikon and Leupold were IDENTICAL to me, the only SLIGHT difference I could detect was the Leoupold looked slightly brighter in the dusk hours...and I mean slightly.
BTW - I'm a big fan of Leupold scopes, but when it came to binocs the Nikon were a better deal without all that extra weight
 
Leupold binocs have great glass...but their frames/ergos blow chunks, in my opinion. Guess they had to cut corners someplace. :p
 
i've enjoyed my 10x42 acadias. they've been good for me, i use them for elk hunting in all kinds of weather and they have never failed me. those monarchs are suppose to be pretty good as well. $250 bucks was my budget. i paid less than that and have been happy with my choice.
 
I have a pair of Nikon Monarch 8x42 which I like a lot. I tend to carry my Leupold 6x30 Yosemite binoculars (much cheaper price at about $100) more for everyday woods and stream use as they are waterproof and smaller. They are very comfortable to use. I generally don't need the magnification, but I think the Nikons are better binoculars. I would think carefully about the power and what you are going to use it for. More power normally adds weight unless you go with the small compacts which don't capture light as effectively.
 
JohnWayne360 said:
Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated. One more question for those of you who know, is there that much of a difference between the Nikon Monarchs and the Leupold Pinnacles to warrant shelling out the extra cash?
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You might be able to find a review of these two binoculars on binoculars.com.
 
To complicate matters even further, there are several different versions of the Monarchs! The X's are particularly nice if you wanted to jump up a level. :p
 
Steiner's have work great for me in field / LE work. They take the heat from being store inside a vehicle in south FL pretty well, where cheaper ones haven't. Quality German engineering!
 
Second the motion re Orion binos. They have a nice selection and good prices. Also want to point out that any binos above 7 or 8 power need to be supported, on your knees, tree, rock, tripod, etc. You just can't hold still enough with ten or greater powers to get rid of shake unless you buy some with electronic stabilization, i.e., Canon and they are pricey. My favorite binos are a pair of top of the line Nikon 7/50s I've had for 30 plus years. These are so sharp, bright, and contrasty they outperform any 8s or 10s I've ever seen. The quality of the glass and the diameter of the objective lenses are the most critial requirements for top performance. Oh, you might also Google B&H Photo, a great selection and great service.
 
Tell you what. Look up Leupold on line and call their free 1-800 product support line and ask one of their product support team members which Leupold glass will fit your needs. You'll find they are some of the most knowledgable and wilderness & hunting experienced group of users who can help.

These men and women are hard core seasoned users and not some college kids sitting in a cubical reading computer cue cards. I know personally at least three or four of them and spent time in the wild with them. Besides being great folks they are the real deal training at International Schools, hunting/traveling world wide, and extremely successful outdoosmen/women. This team is one of the reasons why Leupolds are tops. Look beyond price. They will tell from their experience which of their products works and why! You won't find this at brand x.
 
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JohnWayne360 said:
Hello folks,

I'm in the market for a set of binoculars (10x42 preferably) and I've basically narrowed it down to the Nikon Monarch 10x42, and either the REI XR 10x50 or the XR 8x42.

Am I missing any other notables in this category? I'd be using them mainly for terrain scouting, and to take along on hikes for recreational purposes. Having said that, compactness and ruggedness would be a plus.

Thanks,
JW360
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Hey, Check out mayershops.com/waterproof-10x50-tactical-army-military-marine-binoculars-compass-rangefinder-p-340.html

Or mayershops.com/waterproof-7x50-army-military-floating-marine-hunting-binoculars-with-internal-compass-p-255.html

I bought the 10x50 marine binoculars 3 weeks ago. Wonderful!!!
 
Vortex.

Excellent optics and a great warranty. Made in the US.

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Firstly, it's a binocular. Singular not plural. Not a pair (or set) of binoculars unless you are considering two binoculars. These days more and more often used incorrectly in the plural.

Secondly, and most importantly, the best place to get advice on a binocular is a birding site/forum. No different than a guy on a birding site asking advice on a knife being directed to a knife site/forum.
 
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I second Vortex, great glass, no better warranty out there. I have the Razor HD, but the Vipers give a ton of bang for your buck.
 
I have binoculars from Vortex, Zen-Ray, Steiner and Minox that I like very much. Most impressive brands in terms of bang for the buck have been Zen-Ray and Vortex from my limited experience, but I would also suggest that you take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available from forums such as Optics Talk and Birdforum as those guys can in most cases give you head to head comparisons of the actual models you are considering and many there are true optics gurus. Eagle Optics, SWFA and Cameraland are my favorite online stores I have found and many retailers will ship you 2 bins with the understanding that you are going to return the pair you like the least. Check out the demo sections as they sell the demos at reduced prices.
 
Look at binocs from a company called Alpen. I've owned a pair of their 10 by 42's and they have served very well for any of my scouting or hiking trips. Most of their models retail for around $300.00.
 
Hi,

I am looking for compact 9oz binoculars for about $100 or less

I am looking at:
Nikon
  • 12x25 Travelite VI Binocular
  • Nikon 10x25 Travelite VI Binocular
  • Nikon 10x25 Trailblazer ATB Binocular

  1. General opinions about the x12 or x10 mag
  2. Specific opinions about these Nikon
  3. Suggestions for other brands good compact $100 binoculars

Thanks
 
Neeman - I'm not a big fan of compacts although I have had many. I would recommend that you stay away from 10x or 12x magnifications and search for a 8x or lower as compacts tend to be harder to hold steady than a mid or full size binocular and the higher magnification will make this even more noticable. I would also suggest that you consider a 32mm objective lens over smaller options due to the increased light gathering ability and the easier to hold steady size. That being said I have a pair of Steiner Predator Pro 8x28 that can be had for not more than $100 and are an excellent value as far as compacts go although I prefer some of my 32mm objective lens binoculars better and they don't take up much more real estate in my bag. The Pentax Papilio is the best sub $100 compact that I have seen although I gifted my pair to my father.

What is the primary intended use?
 
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