help picking binoculars

L

Lone Hunter

Joined
Mar 2, 2000
Messages
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Don't know if its possible,but I like a pair for around $200.

I use them deer hunting,untill now I used really cheap small ones. All I wanted was to see if the deer entering the woods 100 yards away or so was a buck or check out the rack of one in brush .

Now I'm more into big bucks and finding them,since I hunt farm land I would need to glass them at 300-400 yards maybe more.

I know next to nothing about them,I don't need the best just something that will let me see the racks clearly at 400 yards.

Ok i could spend a little more(just cheap guy) but no $800 ones please.

Thanks. :)
 
You may want to do a search since this has been batted around a few times. IMHO the best way is to do a side by side comparison. However, in your price range and distance requirements you may want to stay with porro prism models. ( I personally carry Pentax DCF WP 8x42 roof prisms but they have been replaced by the dcf SP models)
You may want to start with www.betterviewdesired.com to track down something in your price range. I like the Pentax PCF WP V porros for the $$

Edit to add:
Porros tend to be less expensive because it is easier to get proper alignment and cheaper to manufacture them. The roofs do tend to transmit light better but if you are comparing a $200 pair of roofs with a $200 pair of porros you can pretty much know that the porros will be MUCH better!
 
I have some Nikon Eagleview Zoom 2 Binocular 8-24x bino's on my wishlist at midwayusa.com I like the bang for the buck of Nikon optics. And those would probably be in your price/needs range.
 
Just keep in mind that, if you are looking for big bucks, dawn and dusk are your time frames. Zoom binoculars (Especially compacts) will greatly reduce your light gathering capability at higher power. At 400 yards, a deer is still pretty small with 8 or 10x glass . . . large objectives, along with good glass and great coatings of course, will help the images stay crisp.
 
Thanks I see I"ve got some homework to do.

I have used a twenty dollar pair of small Tasco binoculars for the last 15 years or so.Almost anything will be a step up.Yet they did what I needed them to do.

Also 400 yards would be a max.I remember one buck I would often see in an inside corner feeding noon time about that far.

Often I would be glassing half that.
 
Steiner Predator. I use the 8 X 22 in the PA deer woods. One of the larger models would be better for you. Excellent glass at a good price.

Paul
 
Still over $200, but for ~$279, the Steiner 12x40 Predators are good. My best friend has a pair, that he bought last season, after borrowing my 8x30 Military/Marines, and wanting more power for checking out racks at a distance.
A recent trip to the beach revealed that the 12x40s superiority for checking out racks at a distance, does not appear to be limited by environment.
 
I got lucky a couple of months ago, and bought a pair of barely used Pentax WCP 8x32s for $200. Took them to the next baseball game, and was amazed at how bright and clear they were. Huge difference over your basic Tasco cheapos.
 
Alot of good choices listed. My pick is Steiners. I have 8x30 Safaris. Plenty of magnification for deerhunting and long range varmint hunting. They are compact and don't weigh you down.
 
Tasco... :barf: Go with a Pentax or Nikon model. There are plenty of good choices from either company in the 200$ range. If you like compacts, then try any of the UCF line from Pentax. I have found them to be very sturdy along with great optics. The Nikon Travellites have incredible optics for the money (around 100-120$ range) and, since these are porro models, they should rival most roofs costing twice as much in terms of optical performance.
 
I have not found Pentax or Nikon Binos to be up to the companies reputation.

For low light situations you describe, don't worry so much about the power. Two parameters are most important:
1.The exit pupil diameter. This is the diameter of the objective lens divided by the power. This should equal the diameter of your pupils for maximum resolution. As a rule of thumb, it should be 5mm or greater. Less will cause the light to be cut down. I carry 8X56s for an exit pupil of 7mm. You would not believe the low light gathering power this gives you.

2. Make sure the lenses are multi-coated on all surfaces. If you can afford it, get phase coatings, especially if the glasses have roof prisms.

you also should make sure the prisms are Bak 4 glass. Cheap models often have Bak 7 prisms which are optically inferior.
 
"The Pentax DCF WPs with phase coating are a definite BVD Best Buy in waterproof roof prism binoculars...and the first and only roof prism glasses that rate a overall Best Buy, regardless of design. Very impressive!"

It was that review from Better View Desired, along with a comparison against the big three at Bass Pro Shops that convince me to buy the Pentax DCF WP roof prisms. While Nikons are the "reference standard" for three separate categories at BVD, the price was prohibitive for me.

Edit to add . . . Dang, I've posted three times in this thread . . . I'll be the one shuttin' up! ;)
 
I don't know about the higher end stuff, some of which is rated up there with Leica, Swarovski, and Zeiss, but the Nikon Monarch ATBs that I checked out were junk, IMO.
On the other hand, I really like some of their compacts in the <$100 price range...
Personally, I think it's best to look at individual models rather than brand names.
 
Outdoor life just gave the Pentax 10X42 DCF-SP their best pick for binocs in 2004. I dunno if that will sway you or not. I am still in my binocs hunt myself.
 
I have a pair of Pentax 10x42 DCF WP bino's that I have used heavily for the last 3 years, and think that they were money well spent. From looking through my friends Swarovski's, I can't tell any difference. I can tell you that my binos do not get babied at all, and they have held up perfectly. I will say that this is the only Pentax product that I have ever owned, but if these are a representative example, they make a fine product for the money. BTW, if you are really serious about judging racks at a distance you should eventually look into a good spotting scope. Good hunting
 
I stole a pair of Zeiss 8X20 Victory NIB for $230 from my local Galyans. It was on a "double clearance" and had never been opened! Manager said they needed to move out stock to make room for new inventory. Thats right $230, original price...$380, then clearance tagged $299.99, then rang in as $230!!!! Just shop around at your local sporting good stores. Other I suggest the Steiner Predator or Safari line, or the Minox 10X25BR 8X20 BD
 
I would recommend that - for handheld use - you don't go over 8-power binoculars. Remember that the bins don't just magnify the target, they also magnify the tremor of your hands.

People who say that economy binoculars have the same resolving power as the expensive ones have never done proper testing. Try this simple, cheap test: Rest the bins on a wall or mount them securely on a tripod. Place a sheet from a daily newspaper at an appropriate distance. See what you can read through a pair of Leicas or Swarovskis. Then try the same test through the Bushnell, Tasco, Pentax etc. product. The difference between them will stand out stark and clear.

Any two brands can seem comparable when you're standing in a shop, holding them by hand and looking at a car number plate 50 yards away...

Buy the best and only cry once.

maximus otter
 
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