Binoculars? WHat do you guys recomend?

gunknifenut said:
OK, I finished the ROAD a few days ago..(fantastic book by the way) and one of the things that the Dad used alot, was a pair of Bino's...I have 2 small pairs..I think 4 power. What is out there, that performs, and isnt all that big. What do you guys own and use. Thanks for the info boys and girls.:thumbup:
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The Fujinon FMT-SX 7X50 has the best image of any binocular, but it is built like a tank and weigh as much. LOL. If you want a small binocular that will give you a good image, and is easy to use, I would recommend the Bushnell, formerly B&L 7X26 Custom Compact Binocular. hxxp://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542196-REG/Bushnell_620726_7x26_Elite_e2_Custom.html#accessories
Replace xx with tt.
 
I really like this Pentax Papilio that Fortytwoblades let me borrow. I need to give it back to him someday :)
 
Steiners rock. I've got two pair, 10x40 and 8X30. The 8X30 are the now discontinued Safari model. I've had them for 10 years and are still going strong. I also like Pentax. I've got a small pair I use for deer hunting.
Scott
 
Leica Ultravid 10x42, pricey but worth it.

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I have a smaller pair of Nikons that I bought about 10-15 years ago, had lots of trouble with them (internal alignment) and Nikon customer service was less than stellar, actually terrible. They were so blurry that they were pratically unusable, so I put them on the shelf and forgot about them. When I discovered they have a 10 year warranty I took them off the shelf to send them in for repair. The customer service rep said they wouldn't fix them under warranty without a receipt of purchase. When I asked her how long had this model has been manufactured, she said about 8 years. So I pointed out the fact that every one of these models that had ever been built was still under warranty, so why would a receipt be required? After much ado and several phone calls later, they agreed to repair them for free.

They were returned and are much better now, but now that I have the Leica's they never get used. I would never buy another pair of Nikons.
 
I spent a fair amount of time selling binos and scopes, and I always hated going someplace to look at new ones and not being able to take them outside. One poster mentioned SHOT, and I've done my share of them, but even in Las Vegas, using the length of the convention center, you don't get the light and colors you are going to have to live with outdoors. Go someplace like REI and take the glass outside; you won't understand until you do this just how much the light and coatings can make a difference.

That being said, I use 7x30 Swarovski's. I can see things with the that my hunting partners can't, and they use some pretty highly recommended glasses. Greens and browns and greys show up much cleared in my binos, and they get passed around a lot.

As for a warrenty, I don't know of a better one. I sent them to the factory in early '07 as one of the rubber eye cups was tearing. They completely rebuilt them for me, as good as new, and I used them that trip to Iraq.

One last thing, if you can take a good look at the way the internal mech. is made. Brass gears, magnesium, titanium, those are good. Also, you want lenses that are cast in place, not glued, and not held by the old fashioned screw rings; those have a habit of becoming un-aligned, which makes the bino useless until repaired.
 
I agree w/ mtwarden. Leupold 10 x 28 gold rings are all I ever carry. Mine are 12 years old and still function flawlessly. The lifetime warranty covers all owners , not just the original.
 
Leica Ultravid HD 8x42 for a compact larger set and Steiner Predator 10x26 for light/small carry.
The Ultravid is amazing! I was hunting deer earlier this year and have a varible scope with a 50mm obj up to 12 power. I had to choose the deer within the game managment specs. It was 45 minutes or so before dawn and with the scope cranked up and the deer at 175yards, I could not make out his body size,age or point count. Using the Leicas, I could see clearly enough to count points and judge the age. I did get that nice 8 point about 30 minutes later.
 
Rib Salad said:
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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Rib,

I will see if I can remember to look for Jupiter, but we are in perpetual gloom here right now and it may be a while before I can see any stars at night.
 
DWK2 said:
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
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That must be nice and I bet that type of stability would make you a terrific long range shooter.
 
My Leica Ultras are over 20 years old, and they perform just as perfectly today as the first time I took them out of the box. They've been used 150-200 days in the field every year... tons of use in all weather conditions. Expensive, but worth it. Buy the best and cry only once.

AJ
 
DiverDn,

I grew up doing photography (often in low light) and off-hand firearm shooting. Much of my practice at the range is off-hand rifle because I find it useful for hunting. Can't always find a rest. A lot of yoga and martial arts classes also helped with the ability to hand hold binoculars.

I have an inexpensive set of 20 x 50s and have tried hand holding them. It's sort of like that old WWII movie "A Bridge Too Far". Just can't do it effectively. If I ever get anything over 10x for birding, I think I'll go with IS.

Eisman: Good point about natural light. Although they have lots of colorful posters at SHOT, no natural light. I've tested many of the same binocs at Bel Air Camera and Samy's. If you leave a driver's license and charge card (and don't look like a thief), they will let you take binocs outdoors. It amazes me to see people checking out $1500+ binocs by looking through the camera shop's window glass. You'd think the salesman would point out that they're not going to get any better resolution/color transmission than the window glass affords.

DancesWithKnives
 
High End (Money No Object) - Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica
Medium Range - Steiner, Vortex, Nikon
Low End - Nikon, Bushnell, Leipold.

All binocular companies get there glass almost from the same place. It's what they do to that glass in their manufacturing process that makes "ALL" the difference.
I will say this, you get what you pay for when it comes to binoculars or optics. The high end binoculars the process in which they go through to create the glass or crystal (Swarovski) is amazing.
 
I only use Pentax and I have 8x, 10x & 20x's that I use when hunting. I wouldn't go smaller than 10's myself (son uses the 8's) but Pentax is an awesome company for customer service. I've sent two pairs back to them:

1. I lost the center nut on my 10's and sent them in expecting to pay for the replacement part... it came back like new w/no charge, not even the 15.00 charge for shipping/inspection etc.

2. I bought the 8's used and the rubber eye reliefs were cracked/dry so I sent them in to be refurbished again expecting to pay for this.... they sent me a brand new pair (new model) and also didn't charge me a penny.


These "problems" were either caused by me or the previous owner and it made no sense for Pentax to foot the bill, but they did and they have a customer for life. Their really good binoculars too, I've found a lot of animals with them.


Eli


edit to add: Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!
 
Twenty years ago, after muddling around with intermediate binoculars (nikon, pentax, bushnell) I decided that price-be-damned, I'd buy the best pair of glasses I could find. I looked at all the top end binoculars and then I spent three months wages on a pair of Swarovski 10x42 SLC's.

They are my most used and most enjoyed piece of outdoor equipment by a factor of five. Until you use real top end binoculars you have NO IDEA what they can reveal.

I agree that they are crazy-expensive, but it's the best money I ever spent.
 
Great thread, I had a couple pairs of the el cheapos sold at Walmart in my old truck and stashed around the house. The ones in my truck either survived the accident in my gear bag, or are smooshed under the seat in the truck at the junkyard. I was planning on buying some better quality binos my last trip up to Cabelas, and figured why not look in the Bargain Cave room. Wow, I didn't know binos got into the four figures!

The last really good pair of binos I was able to use were my uncles that he kept on his boat. Auto zoom, forget which brand. Great binoculars.
 
This thread dates to about the time when I upgraded my binoculars slightly from a couple pair of cheap cheap Bushnells (<$50) to Leupold Yosemite (6x30) and Nikon Monarch 8x42. Been pleased with both of these binoculars. I use the Leupold's the most.
 
For about 30 years of LE work I carried a Bausch and Lomb 7 x 35 monocular around in my "war bag." It got dropped many times, out of a moving car once, and never failed me. If all you're doing is a quick peek to ID something, as opposed to "glassing a hillside looking for game," a monocular is a great way to get some great optics at a good price. They're less than half the cost of binos. Only one set of lenses and no worries about alignment.
 
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