Oninions on binoculars wanted. Specifically, different sizes and quality. Zeiss?

Just to continue the binocs discussion. The 10X is not a problem for me either. There is a bit more shake but this is not a problem if you brace yourself. I've also noticed that if you become totally absorbed in the subject - wild animal, nice girl on the beach - whatever that the image becmes very still. Wether this is the otherwise shaky hands of an addict becoming very still when geting a fix, or the brain compensating for the movement, I'm not sure.
 
Rather than bore you to tears with my anecdotes relating to optics, I will give you a fantastic little web page to go an read. Take 6 minutes out of your life and read this page here:

http://www.celestron.com/binbasic.htm

It will give you some very good base knowledge on your purchase.
The Zeiss Classic seems to be an unbeatable deal at current pricing ($689.00 @ www.eagleoptics.com). Am I nuts?
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Nope, you are not nuts. That's the best deal in the world. Go get 'em.
 
my dad has an older pair of zeiss and he bought them for 2100 canadian, and he was thrilled, i kinda got sick, i could of had a new computer :grumpy:
 
Several years ago I recieved a pair of 10X40 Bausch&Lomb Customs. Good glasses but the 10X made it near impossible to hold steady, and I was in my 20's. Almost 10 years ago I bought a pair of Zeiss classic 7X42, best glasses ever! Super bright even at night, can see deer or other "game" in near or total darkness. Fast forward to a year ago, wanted a nice small pair. After research I went with 8X21 Leica minis. They're small, light, and have optics as good as the Zeiss. Plus they have a passport policy. Break them and they replace them,for life! Even if they're in pieces. They fit in a pocket, and have pop-up eye cups. Very pleased. Check out www.eagleoptics.com Prices from 50.00 - 2000.00. They also have a pair of well reviewed minis of their own for less than a 100.00
 
I had a good friend and fellow groundhog shooter who had a pair of Ziess Jenas he bought for 500 dollars in the mid 90's(they were East German army surplus and originally had a rangefinder reticle which he sent to the factory to have removed).They were 7x50's and were simply the best binoculars I've ever peeped through,he brought his top of the line Swarovski's along for comparison.They had a slight yellow tint that heightened contrast on overcast days.Looking at a whistlepig at a laser ranged 323yds it was apparent that you could see more detail than through a Leupold M-8 12x riflescope,which is no slouch of a scope.That said,me not being in his fiscal league,I own a pair of Bushnell Trophy 10x40's that are right at 200 dollars.They are waterproof and are a decent set of field glasses.If you can afford it go with the Ziess Classics they are the ne plus ultra optics.As far as 10x being unsteady,grab the bill of your hat with your hands as you hold the binoculars to your eyeballs,it makes a big difference.
 
Good call, Willis. The old hat bill steadying trick. Nice for those of us who have hats on all the time. Trying it with a stocking cap makes one look rather foolish though... I'm uhhh, told anyways. ;)

Dunno if anybody mentioned them or not, but Wind River binos are nice too. Leupold makes 'em. Lifetime warranty, blah blah blah. Bow huntin' buddy has a pair, and he's impressed. I suspect that if he could have afforded the Zeiss he'd have got them though.
 
jmxcpter,
I went out looking at some of the binoc's you mentioned and was surprised at the selection available. I went specifically to compare the Zeiss Classic to the others, including the Pentax DCF WP 8 x 42. I was not able to discern a large difference in the Zeiss and the Pentax, with what little knowledge I have. Holding one in each hand and going back and forth between the two, I focused on a corner of the building far across the store, up in the rafters where it was dark. The salesperson also suggested the new Nikon Monarch ATB's, in 8 x 42. Both the Pentax and the Nikon seemed as bright and sharp as the Zeiss, and were actually a little more comfortable to hold and seemed lighter. I am leaning towards the Pentax DCF WP in 8 x 32 to save a little weight and size if I can find a pair locally to checkout- they also have a 75.00 rebate on them. I was wondering about your take on the Pentax, as well as if you looked at the Nikon Monarch ATB. I know of the Zeiss reputation but these others seem very close without the 700.00 price. Thanks for your reply- lots of good info here.
David
 
There is probably a phenemenon at work here. When you get more used to a fine piece of gear you become ever more discerning. For example if you put a novice cyclist on a $700 road bike, then a $4000 carbon fiber machine - they probably wouldn't be able to tell a huge difference. But an experienced cyclist would imedietly be able to give you 10 reasons for why the $4000 machine feels better.

I found the Tasco's to be so similar to the others I was looking through that it didn't matter - yet they felt more comfortable ergonomically. I couldn't pick the difference in the optics. If I use them a lot - then in 12 months try a pair of Leicas - I'd probably go scrathing around for a spare $3000 (Aus):rolleyes:
 
I didn't spend much time on Nikons because while their Voyager series seems to be right there with Zeiss and Leica, they cost more. Their lower cost glasses don't seem to get the same respect at the places I was looking, so I crossed them off the list.

justdrivin, you hit it on the head.

The Pentaxs are an entirely different story from the affordable Nikons. They seem very well built and optically hold up really well when compared to the very best in the class. They are also less than half the money of the other top end glasses in the class. Except for edge focus, the Pentaxs seem to be the equal of the Zeiss and Leica if the subject is centered in the focal field. The Zeiss and Lieca glasses are both heavier than the Pentaxs, which make the Pentaxs more desireable if you're going birding or to an Indy car race all day (more likely for me). However, several people I have spoken to said that one of the reasons Leica and Zeiss are heavier and have slightly better optical performance is that they use denser glass that has higher content of certain minerals including lead. I'm not sure if that's optics mythology or if there's really something to it?

I'm also concerned about the Zeiss being a 10x glass. I was more sure until all the folks here posted about the shake thing. This actually makes the Leica and the Pentaxs more attractive as they're both available at an 8X magnifiction. But I like the ergos of the Zeiss better and the old fashioned roll down eye cups, as opposed to the newer pop up cups. I don't wear glasses yet as I'm only 40, so the extra shade provided to the pupil with the old eye cups is preferable to me.

When it comes to warranty, Leica seems the best in writing, although everyone seems to feel that if you hurt a Leica or a Zeiss, you will have to have tried real hard, and both companies will fix them at no charge. Leica makes it unconditional in writing with the Passport warranty, but Zeiss is supposed to stand behind their products no matter what from what I can tell. Here's where the Pentaxs are a sort of unknown entity. Japanese companies have traditionally been the worst about warranty claims in my experience.

I told my wife that I wanted either the Zeiss Classic 10x40s or the Pentax 10x42s as the top gift on my xmas list (that's not true, there was a new safe above that, but that's way too expensive). I'm not sure if she'll get me either (although I deserve them both!). If she gets either it'll remove me from the decision making process. That would be good. If I buy the Pentaxs for myself, I think I'd always wonder if the Zeiss really are worth the extra money and end up buying a pair of Zeiss or Leica a year or ten years down the line, just to reassure myself that I got the best. If they're a gift from my wife and they're the Pentaxs, I'll love them for the awesome binocs they are and never look back and we'll save nearly $400.00 in the process.

Life has led me to believe that if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is. The Pentax DCF WP series seems to be just that. Too good to be true. World class optics at upper mid range prices. Sort of like the Microtech of binoculars. When comparing a Chriss Reeve to a Microtech, the Reeve will usually win when the buyer is really critical and the measurements become really precise, but most folks would call them equals.

I'm still confused.

jmx
 
I have a pair of Swarovski 8X30 Mark II. They are a great binocular. My dad has a B&L 10x40 customs, the Swarovski is head and shoulders better.However if I were to buy another pair for the type of use that meets my requirements I would probably buy a pair of Swift model#820s, 8.5X44.Check out www.betterviewdesired.com. These folks are bird watchers who spend countless hours with binoculars stuck to there faces with no ax to grind and list the Swifts very high. Street price around $275.
 
When I was I was a young college student (19 years old), I went shopping for a pair of binoculars to take backpacking and to replace my B-L monocular.

The discount store I went to had B-L's, Bushnell, Pentax, etc., but one pair there, the last pair they had, and they said would not carry again because they did not sell well due to it's price, was a pair of 8X20 B Swarovski's. I paid the insane price of $140 (great sale price they told me at the store, when the Bushnell's were $15), my parents thought I was wacked, but they were obviously so much better than all the binoculars they had, or that I had seen at other stores.

I have used them backpacking, doing Bighorn Sheep census, birdwatching, and for surveillance. The lenses are so good, they are far superior to the cheaper brands for low light, etc.

I am now 47 years old, and I still use them regularly. One of the best purchases I ever made. Friends use them and want a pair, until they find they are $300.
 
Or should I say, my wife got them for me? What a wonderful to find under the tree Xmas morning. I still think the Pentaxs after rebate are the most bang for the buck, but there's usually a difference between bang for the buck products, and best in class performance. The clarity and brightness of the image are amazing.

I think the Zeiss are as good as anything out there and I looked at pretty much everything. Unless someone steals them, I'll never need another set of binoculars.

Of course need doesn't always factor into the equation...:)

The Zeiss have caused one small problem. They're too big to go everywhere, but are great for hiking, birding, plane watching etc. For go everywhere portability a few years agoI bought a $20.00 set of Bushnell 8x21 minis to keep in my briefcase. Since getting the Zeiss 10x40s, I can't stand looking through the little Bushies. I'm pretty determined not to spend the cash to replace them with a pair of Zeiss or Leica minis and I'm hoping that the Bausch & Lomb Legacy 8x20s I just ordered from opticsplanet.com fill give me the improvement I'm looking for. If anyone is looking for a nice set of mini binoculars, opticsplanet has a closeout on refurbished Legacy 8x20s for only $33.95. The glasses were originally $165.00! I'll post on them once I get them and check them out. I'm sure they won't be as good as a Zeiss set (but they're not over #300.00 either!), but as long as they're better than the Bushnells, I'll be happy.

jmx
 
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