Binoculars? WHat do you guys recomend?

I found a pair of Brunton Echo waterproof binoculars on my front lawn a couple years ago. I found them in the spring, just after the snow melt, after they had obviously sat on the ground all winter long. They cleaned up nice and worked perfectly. That convinced me that they were tough enough for my outdoor fun. They aren't the quality of some uber-expensive optics, but free is for me. :D
 
I've got a Swaro scope on my hunting rifle but I must concede that Zeiss has a slight advantage when it comes to full-size binos. Glad you got some as a gift. Great brother!

I once gave my sister some of the image stabilized Nikons (14x40?) for birding.

DancesWithKnives
 
If you are on a budget, another vote for Vortex and/or Sightron. Good glass and great warranties. I know both have unconditional warranties (they replace it even if you damage them), but I don't know if Sightron's is transferable like Vortex's; it may be.

If you are going to be looking through them for extended periods of time, buy the most expensive you can. If you can afford Swaro's, Zeiss, etc. do it. It'll save you many a headache. Glass is one of those few things that you truly get what you pay for.
 
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Thanks everyone...great info. I learned a thing or 2. :thumbup::D
 
Dannyboy,

One of my hunting buddies has a set of Steiners that are something like 20x80mm. MONSTERS. At least he is smart enough to carry a tripod when he's using them.

DancesWithKnives
 
As I hike a lot and have gotten to a stage where I can occasionally spurge, I ended up, after extensive testing, with a 10x25 pair of Zeiss Victory Compacts. Very light, very compact, very good optics.

That said, the optical difference between these $400 roof prism binoculars and a $100 pair of small Nikon or Pentax and similar porro prism binoculars is not like night and day.

The 8x20 version of these is even more compact but I spent a lot of time testing the two side by side and preferred the longer reach of the 10x and found I could hold them very steadily.

I thought the Zeiss trumped the equivalent Leicas but not the Swarovskis. However, the Swarovskis were over $200 more and the difference was simply not noticeable enough to be worth the higher price to me. All three are things of beauty, optically speaking.

I see the price has gone up considerably since I bought mine for $400. Now, they're closer to $700 and I'd think long and hard about that.

http://www.zeiss.com/c1256bcf0020be5f/Contents-Frame/6cc9e4f932f62f48852571cb00676fdb
 
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Before anybody gets ahead of their budget, I want to post this link for "vintage" binoculars.

Most of these old binoculars can be purchased for less than the shipping or sales tax on most modern "field grade" binoculars. Many of these items were premier brands in their day, and I predict many sat stored on a shelf for decades.

http://www.gotcheapbinoculars.com/all/vintage-binoculars/

By way of disclosure, I have nothing to do with this company.
 
For a period of a year, I was a bino field rep. First of all, you will want to look at warranties. Nikon was always unspecific in nailing down their warranty, even when I dealt with them directly. The Leica "Passport" warranty is the best in the industry. I have never heard of a human pupil dialating beyond 7mm, nevermind 9. The Leopold Gold Rings are very good binos, until you look at their minimum focusing distance - terrible. A pair of pocket binos that will not focus under 100-150 yards is unacceptable. Minox is one of the most under appreciated, and overlooked companies out there. If you can afford it, buy Leica, Swarovsky, or Zeiss. I would choose one of the first two. With the Leica, take the Ultravid over the Trinovid. The cost of these increases at a rate that a lightly used pair will sell for what you paid new within two or three years. If you really want a treat, try looking thru a pair of HD binos. Binoculars are extremely complex devices. The difference is in the details and construction. Much of what goes into them is not seen, and therefor not immediately appreciated. Magnesium vs aluminum vs synthetic frames, nitrogen vs argon filled, waterproof vs immersion tested. You must spend a significant amount of time researching and learning in order to make the best choice. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for. To many, a $700 pair of top quality pocket binos seems insane. With a minimum of care, they will last you a lifetime, whereas I have many old, cheap binos that sit in a junkbox.
 
Good info from someone in the industry.

With regard to vintage binos, my understanding is that one will do better buying quality vintage porro prism than roof prism models. From what I read, a lot of the older roof prism models did not have phase-coated optics, which was a big advance in this configuration of bino. The article indicated it was not a significant issue in porro prism types.

DancesWithKnives
 
To the OP, you didn't really mention what you want them for (except to glass The Road for cannibals). Count me as another vote for more light collectivity, while I suggest a use you may not have considered.

I have a pair of Nikon Action 7x50. They were around $100, and they have some warranty that says, no matter what happens to them, I can give them back to Nikon with $20 and they will give me a new pair. These binos are not compact, but they collect so much light, I now use them at night to look at the stars when camping. I even use them for stargazing at home, even though I have two telescopes that are more powerful. Looking at the stars with both eyes, even just 7x, makes a huge difference, and it's much less complicated than setting up a scope. If your objective is less than 7x the magnification, you don't get as much light into your eye at night.

Several nights ago I was looking at the Andromeda galaxy. It's just a smudge, really, but it's the furthest point in space that human eyes can see. There are a bunch of star clusters out there that pop right out in good binos. If you can rest the binos on something solid (or a tripod), you can see the moons of Jupiter, which is visible right now after sundown.

So, if you like to camp out and might use binos at night, this is something else to think about. Do what Matt Danger said and get an objective that is at least 7 times the magnification. These Nikons are great, even during the day, but they are not compact.
 
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If you want to be able to see detail at a distance, try a set of Canon IS binoculars.

I personally cannot hold anything steady and these have really made a difference to me. To get a true appreciation of them, you will have to take them outside and look at something of detail at a far distance. You will not be able to tell a difference in a store.

I have a pair of the 8x25's that I use for deer hunting. They allow me to get a very good look at deer's antlers at a great distance to see if it is something that I am interested in stalking. They are durable and work well in very cold weather, but you do have to keep the batteries fresh when really cold (below zero).

I was not a beliver in the IS until I took them to the beach and looked at a tall masted ship on the horizon, without the IS I could tell it was a ship, once I pressed the button, I could count the masts.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=128&modelid=7502
 
Diver Down, I had not considered image stabilization before. Could you do me a huge favor? Go out some evening soon and look at Jupiter (brightest star in the western sky, right after sundown). Tell me if you can see the moons with those binoculars. (It's really tough to hold a regular pair of binos steady enough to see them.)
 
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I have a few pairs of binos. I also agree that the Travelites are good. I have a pair that I keep in my day hike backpack. I have a pair of Minox 8x42s that I keep in the car for watching birds when I'm at the park with the kid. They are really very good binoculars for the price.

But I think the best for the price would have to be the Zen Rays. I have a pair of the 10x43s and they are fantastic. Almost the equal of the big three European makers at a fraction of the price. Their warranty is supposed to be good as well. The binoculars are made in China, but the company is based in America and does a good job of listening to its customers. They also have a 30 day money back guarantee so if you buy them and don't like them, all you are out is shipping.

Chad
 
DiverDn,

I'm lucky enough to be able to hand hold ten powers. But I bought my sister some 14 x 40 mm IS Nikons for birding and they are impressive. I agree that the IS technology makes a big difference. They say it is even more helpful when you are standing on a moving boat.

DancesWithKnives
 
I picked up this combo from Cabelas and I couldn't be happier. If you need a range finder as well, this is the way to go.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0049749712861a&type=product&cmCat=froogle&cm_ven=data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=1720101&cm_ite=0049749712861a

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Bushnell® Sport 450 Rangefinder with 10x42 Waterproof Binocular Combo
$159.99
 
I threatened my 10 by 50 Nikon's with a full out assault from a Battle Mistress.
They brightened up tenfold, out of ear.
 
In my post I made a mistake in listing the Nikon warranty, it should have been Zeiss. I dealt with Zeiss North America on a near daily basis. They would not give me specific infornation on waterproofness, unspecific warranty info, and constantly pissed me off. Here is a specific example. A customer wished to buy a pair of 10x40 Classics to use for a hunt in Alaska. He wanted exact information of how they were sealed and waterproof specs. I called Zeiss NA and requested this info. The response was "Oh they will be fine, and if he has a problem, send them in and maybe we'll warranty them". I explained that failure during the hunt was not the right time to determine their suitability, and that none of my questions had been answered. This is how the conversation ended.

I would suggest avoiding grey market models. They are brought in from europe or asia, and usually carry the 1 year European warranty. Typically they sell for 1/3 less than the North America lifetime warranty models.

FYI the cost for refurbishing a used pair of top quality binos nearly equals the original cost.
 
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