entry/mid level binoculars

T

tim629

Handloader
Apr 15, 2013
267
5
Sell me on what binoculars I should be buying.

Going moose hunting in newfoundland and I figure it would be a good idea to have a decent pair of glass. I put a leupold vx freedom on the rifle and i'm satisfied with the clarity of the glass, went into bass pro today to compare the Leupold BX-2 alpine, and the vortex diamondback hd but the people behind the counter couldn't be bothered even with their check-in system so i'm going to rely on you guys and another forum and roll the dice.

Hoping to stay under $300, i'm thinking a simple 10x42 but if you talk me into something else i'm game
 
my Swarovski binos were stolen on my way to Africa, that hurt. I borrowed a pair of Vortex diamond backs, 200 dollar version my god they were awful. Please don't buy those. Bx 3 or 4 from Leupold would be a good place to start.
 
If buying a less expensive pair of Leupolds, do yourself a favour and spend a little more to ensure you at least get a pair with the Bak4 prism. Your eyes will thank you after hours of glassing. 10x40 (or 42) are a great binos for glassing mixed terrain. Even when glassing close objects in the thick bush, you'll be surprised how much easier it is to resolve game or count points at close range than with a 7 or 8 pair of binos.
A major rule in glass: buy the best you can afford! (The only other item you should pay as much attention to is your boots! Buy good boots that fit you well and get them broken in before your hunt! Happy feet will make a huge difference in the quality of your experience on an adventure you spending several thousands of dollars on!)

You will spend more time glassing than anything else. Cheap glass will give you headaches and nausea.

Minox also makes great binos that are less expensive and perform well above their price point.
 
10x42's are a good one size fits all . buy the best you can afford to start with , it'll be cheaper in the end .
Blkram has pretty much brought up my thoughts . when glassing for long periods of time cheap glass makes my eyes hurt . feels like my eyes are being pulled out of my head . watery eyes , headaches , it takes the fun out of it . my eyes get tired using good glass , but it takes a lot longer of time .

I've hunted moose in Newfoundland twice . I didn't need bino's . you might want to call the outfitter on this , if this hunt is your only need for them .

another good guy to talk to is Doug , at cameraland NY . Doug uses this equipment and seems to know a lot about how it compares to each other . I've bought a lot from cameraland . euro optics is another good place to buy , and I've bought a lot from them too . it seems the few times I've asked for advice , like this , they try to steer me towards vortex , because of the warranty .

I hate to make recommendations on glass because everyone sees things differently . what I have , and use , that I'm pleased with , are ;

there are demos listed at your price point .


heck of a price on these , but not in your price range .

Welcome to Camera Land NY

Camera Land offers top brands & low prices - cameras, repairs and binoculars.
cameralandny.com cameralandny.com
 
I have both Vortex and Leupold binoculars, they are both okay but that’s all. Both were in your price range but I’d love to compare them to a pair that cost in $500 range to see what you gain.
 
I am with the others. Invest in good optics and they won’t let you down, especially in low light. I have Meopta 10x42mm binoculars
and they have excellent glass.

JD338
 
I have a set of Leupold 10x50 bino's . they are too heavy to carry around . they set near the dining room window for watching the field .
 
jimbires said:
10x42's are a good one size fits all . buy the best you can afford to start with , it'll be cheaper in the end .
Blkram has pretty much brought up my thoughts . when glassing for long periods of time cheap glass makes my eyes hurt . feels like my eyes are being pulled out of my head . watery eyes , headaches , it takes the fun out of it . my eyes get tired using good glass , but it takes a lot longer of time .

I've hunted moose in Newfoundland twice . I didn't need bino's . you might want to call the outfitter on this , if this hunt is your only need for them .

another good guy to talk to is Doug , at cameraland NY . Doug uses this equipment and seems to know a lot about how it compares to each other . I've bought a lot from cameraland . euro optics is another good place to buy , and I've bought a lot from them too . it seems the few times I've asked for advice , like this , they try to steer me towards vortex , because of the warranty .

I hate to make recommendations on glass because everyone sees things differently . what I have , and use , that I'm pleased with , are ;

there are demos listed at your price point .


heck of a price on these , but not in your price range .

Welcome to Camera Land NY

Camera Land offers top brands & low prices - cameras, repairs and binoculars.
cameralandny.com cameralandny.com
Click to expand...

It was just in the "nice to have" dad has a nice pair so i'll probably just make sure he packs his. still in the good eye sight that the only other time i would use them is counting points in PA with antler restrictions but honestly don't think i would use them much there so i'll probably just skip unless i find a great deal on a classifieds or fb marketplace
 
Besides the ones already mentioned, also look at Maven Optics
mavenbuilt.com

Maven

Award winning optics including custom binoculars, spotting scopes, and rifle scopes exclusively sold direct with no middle man and no retail markup.
mavenbuilt.com mavenbuilt.com

here is another site I look at that has some great closeout deals from time to time on optics (don't be afraid to ask for a better deal in their chat, it worked for me)

SportOptics.com - America's High End Optics Authority

Expert advice and unbeatable deals on the premium sporting optics you've been hunting for! Rifle scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, range finders, and more...
www.sportoptics.com www.sportoptics.com
 
tim629 said:
It was just in the "nice to have" dad has a nice pair so i'll probably just make sure he packs his. still in the good eye sight that the only other time i would use them is counting points in PA with antler restrictions but honestly don't think i would use them much there so i'll probably just skip unless i find a great deal on a classifieds or fb marketplace
Click to expand...
I understand , it's hard to spend a bunch of money on something that'll be used one time .

by the time your eyes age , and you think you would use bino's more , there will be stuff on the market that will be better than what's available today . it also give you more time to save and research . good luck on the moose hunt , let us know how your group does . almost forgot , moose tastes great !
 
Very good point on technology and improving. Wasn’t that many years ago top end Leupold binos were not that great. Very much better now. Maven, some of these other optics company’s coming on line are reportedly producing good stuff.
When I reported the entry level vortex were horrible, you wouldn’t have noticed looking across a parking lot or an open field. But looking into broken country for a partially concealed animal in brush, that is where better glass makes a difference.
Use the time you don’t need a pair of binos to get smart on them, that knowledge will take you out of the entry level phase, contrast that with where you hunt.
Have a great hunt.
 
Meopta is a very underrated brand. The Nikon Monarch line is good at that price point. Also look at Kowa. Go to Eurooptic and use their search engine.
I have 8x42’s in Meopta’s, 10x42 Leica Trinovids, Swarovski 7x42 SLC’s and an old pair of Zeiss 10x40’s. My experience is that the 10x are great for open ground however, my favorite still hunting glasses are the 7x42’s. I have found that the 8x42’s are a great compromise. There is no contest, quality optics are a great tool.
 
tim629 said:
Sell me on what binoculars I should be buying.

Going moose hunting in newfoundland and I figure it would be a good idea to have a decent pair of glass. I put a leupold vx freedom on the rifle and i'm satisfied with the clarity of the glass, went into bass pro today to compare the Leupold BX-2 alpine, and the vortex diamondback hd but the people behind the counter couldn't be bothered even with their check-in system so i'm going to rely on you guys and another forum and roll the dice.

Hoping to stay under $300, i'm thinking a simple 10x42 but if you talk me into something else i'm game
Click to expand...
I’ll just say that your glass is more important than your rifle.
You can’t shoot what you can’t see.

Vince
 
I gave the tracker my $500 Zeiss 8 X 30 binoculars when I left Africa.
I also gave him a good tip. For my next trip I’ll take some 8 X 42 Zeiss binoculars. Maybe I’ll get the 10 power instead but I’ve noticed a difference between the $200 binoculars and the $500 binoculars. If going with less expensive binoculars go up in power.
12 Power is about the highest you can go, imho, without needing a tripod. I didn’t bring my 15X Minox binoculars this trip. If I hunt the Kalahari I’ll bring them.
I would encourage you to double your binocular budget if you can.

Vince
 
My thought is to buy an absolute minimum of "mid level quality" optics. If you have a choice, ask a sales rep if they will go outside with you to see what the optics quality is like in heavy overcast, fog or rain! As for price, I would reject everything below $350.
 
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I’m going to buck the trend here, and say this.
I also want to premise that it’s taken me three years to save $2000 for a whitetail hunt this fall in NC.
I have limited funds to do the things that I like to do.
I have two pairs of binos, one pair for AG fields, and one pair for still hunting.
Both are the Diamondback HDs from Vortex. 10x42, and 8x32
They both work great for me. I don’t get headaches from them, I’ve been able to see deer in the AG field walking in, in the dark, and I’m able to pick out small bits of an animal in thick brush, without any problems.
The 8s I’ve had for three years and the 10s for five both going strong.
Sure, I would like to have the top of the line stuff, or close to it, but these have aided me very well.
For what you’ve described I’d say go ahead and get a pair of the HDs, and spend the money saved on enjoying your hunt.
 
I have three Pair one is a Bushnell pair of 10x50 cost Me about $200 they are fine and took them when I went to Alaska and I could see better than My Brother with Nikon.
Second Pair Vortex Razors in 8x42 these are excellent. I would not spend more as these are Nice IMHO
Third pair I bought for Muzzle loader hunting and Hiking Vortex Diamondback 8x32 and weight 15.9oz and are awesome for what I bought them for and I was surprised how much I like them.
In your Price range I would look to Vortex.
 
tim629 said:
Sell me on what binoculars I should be buying...
Click to expand...

Personally I would recommend that you go to a place where you can physically look through each pair you're interested in and make a side by side comparison.

Many years ago I dreamed of owning a top of the line Zeiss and I found myself with the ability to finally get a pair. I kept hearing how Swarovski was better from others & reading some articles online. When I compared Top of the Line Zeiss, Swarovski and Leica (which I never really considered) I can tell you hands down the the Leica's were by far the clearest and gave the best resolution I have ever seen - to my eyes).

I own all three, Zeiss, Swarovski and Leica & many others as well and when I hand & loan my Leica's to others to use they are visibly surprised on what they can see ... even calling them "Angel Glass" and making comments that without the Leica's they would not have been successful on their hunt.

So - Short answer - physically look through each pair you're interested in and make a side by side comparison & decide from there - don't necessarily believe the hype. And last comment - My own opinion - I would rank them as Leica # 1, Zeiss # 2 and Swarovski as # 3 - Again, My own opinion to my old eyes.
 
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