Real expectations with top line binoculars

R

Rol_P

Handloader
Nov 23, 2013
700
29
Ok, I carry Steiner Predator extreme 10x42 binoculars. On my last Montana hunt I could not pick out a big buck on a north facing rock rubble and cedar slope in the morning. I wear corrective lenses with three prescriptions. My rangefinder is a Leica 1000 and my rifle scope is a Zeiss Conquest 2-10HD.
Question: will high end binoculars provide a noticeable improvement in my vision to warrant the expense? I would be selling off unused items to finance this purchase.
 
I have been able to see clearly and count the points on mule deer at 600 yards with both my Swarovski RF and my Leica Geovid up to an hour and a half before sunrise. Is it worth the price to be able to see this well? Legal shooting light in BC is one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset. Hunting in the mountains or hunting on an overcast day can ensure that shots are possible under conditions of far less light than one might imagine. Hunting on the plains may make identification less critical, but hunting in shadows of the mountains sure makes good glass a benefit. I wear progressive lenses with some major corrections. I'm willing to scrimp and save in order to see game while others are still wondering what I'm looking at. Before I got the Leica Geovid, I was carrying Zeiss Victory glass. Any of these permitted me to see a lot of detail and early.
 
Steiner is known to make some fine glass, so it makes me wonder if your binos ocular lenses need to be adjusted properly for you and your prescriptive lenses? (Sorry, but I am not familiar with your particular model and whether you can adjust the lenses to your eyes).

If you can, follow the directions in the owner's manual to adjust your lense(s) to the best setting for your eyes (some binds are adjustable for just the right lense while others are adjustable for both lenses. And if the latter, it should explain the difference in the lense adjustment purposes. (My apologies, but my head old and flu medication is not bringing to mind the exact purpose of each at this moment)

You will find that makes and models will vary as to the options and quality of the glass and the coatings on the lenses that will provide better light transmission or make certain colours stand out more, such as game (Browns and tans are highlighted instead of greens and gray). Research will provide you with the makes and models that will provide you with the features that you are looking for and need to work best for you.

I own both a pair of Swarovski SLC's and Leica Geovids. Both top quality higher end glass by reputable companies. Both give great light transmission and provide crystal clear and sharp images. For those that wear eyeglasses, the eye cups rotate down so that you can use while wearing your glasses. The SLC's allow adjustment of just the right eye cup for your particular eyes to provide sharper imaging, and are very comfortable to grip, use and easy to adjust. The Geovids allow the adjustment of both lenses to allow for even greater personal customization to provide even better imaging. They are also easy to use and adjust. They are heavier as they also have a rangefinder built into them. They are not quite as comfortable for me as the angle of the hinge does not allow for as much adjustment to my face as the SLC's do. And weight is a difference when hanging around your neck for long hours while hunting. Initial price between the two different models was over $400 when new. (This is not all inclusive, but some important things to consider when looking for a new pair of higher end glass). You may also want to look at Minox, Meopta and Zeiss.

What I can also tell you is that they are worth every penny when you need to spend long hours glassine on your hunt!

You will have to decide what is right for you, your eyes, type and terrain for hunting in and your budget.
 
Only you and your eyes can decide if the higher end binos are worth the extra money. I would try and look through some different binos under same conditions, many stores will let you take them outside with an employee accompanying you. Take as many as needed out side and see what brand/power shows you something more then the ones you already own. Don't be afraid to go back several times as you narrow down a possible choice. If you go to buy some higher end binos check out www.texasbinoman.com he has new and used at some pretty good prices, that is where I bought my Swaro's.
 
Bill is correct. There are some practical steps to take when selecting binoculars. If you are permitted to test them outside, focus on an object at some distance away. Perhaps you can look at trees or a bush, looking for detail when comparing binos. If possible, look at birds, checking to see if colour is brilliant through the glass you are considering. If you are unable to take the binos outside, look to a dark corner of the store, checking for detail of such minor things as cobwebs, grain on the wood, etc. Do no look directly at bright lights or the sun, but look in that direction to see if there is noticeable flare at the edges of the sight picture. All these matters will be important when you begin glassing for extended periods or when trying to tease out detail as you are glassing.
 
My reaction when I looked through Leupold's (new last year) top end HD was " holy cow). It was about 1/2 hour before sunset on a hunting trip. I knew the hillside well having glassed it a million times over the years.
I guess I would echo what the others have said, once you get to a certain point in quality it should be obvious.
As good as they are my BIL has a top end pair of Swarovski. At 3 or 400 no appreciable differance. At the end of the day at 1000 yards I need my spotting scope to keep up.


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Before buying mine binos I also looked on some bird watching forums and found that they do some very very extensive comparisons with lots of great info provided about the comparisons.
 
Excellent idea, bet a fella could learn something there.


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Rol_P":1xijdvkp said:
Question: will high end binoculars provide a noticeable improvement in my vision to warrant the expense? I would be selling off unused items to finance this purchase.
Click to expand...

That's really a question you can only answer.

In my experience it did not at this time. The last time I bought binos, I compared Swaros and Vortex Viper HDs...side by side on a number of occasions. The Swaros were better but I couldn't determine that they were $2000 better all things considered. Modern optics are better than they've ever been and you can get really excellent "hunting" performance in the $500 range. That could change in the future as my eyes age, but my middle aged eyes do really well with my current Vortex HDs.

That said- it's hard to go wrong when you buy good glass, both as a useful tool and a long term investment.
 
Rol_P":1ahl10b7 said:
Ok, I carry Steiner Predator extreme 10x42 binoculars. On my last Montana hunt I could not pick out a big buck on a north facing rock rubble and cedar slope in the morning. I wear corrective lenses with three prescriptions. My rangefinder is a Leica 1000 and my rifle scope is a Zeiss Conquest 2-10HD.
Click to expand...

Try this - compare your rifle scope to your binoculars using different objects at different ranges, as well as in low light. I highly suspect that your Zeiss will be nicer than your binoculars, and answer your own question.

I was using a set of Leupold binoculars which are now about 10y old and likely cost ~$400 when new. On a TX deer hunt I couldn't make out if an object was a rock or a deer, and others could. The following year I bought a set of Meopta Meostar HD in 10x42 and have had zero problems since then seeing animals. They compare well to my friend's Zeiss binos, and not too bad compared to Dad's Swarovskis. Cabelas sells the same units under their brand name.

http://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/shop/ ... tgBus.html
 
Rol_P":fmzecefg said:
Ok, I carry Steiner Predator extreme 10x42 binoculars. On my last Montana hunt I could not pick out a big buck on a north facing rock rubble and cedar slope in the morning. I wear corrective lenses with three prescriptions. My rangefinder is a Leica 1000 and my rifle scope is a Zeiss Conquest 2-10HD.
Question: will high end binoculars provide a noticeable improvement in my vision to warrant the expense? I would be selling off unused items to finance this purchase.
Click to expand...


High end optics will provide noticeable improvement in your ability to see clearly. Your vision however will remain the same............... 8) sorry................

I'm a huge proponent of high end glass for multiple reasons. Because glass is no longer simply glass, today's coatings really enhance perception and contrast. Image is sharp, subtle differences in color/texture become more apparent, color fidelity.............. the list goes on.

Like many I learn things the hard way. Started off using cheap binos, then upgraded to mid-level. Finally spent some time behind a friends upper end glass comparing them to mine and finally saved enough to buy the good stuff. Since then I can see bucks bedded in dead fall the exact same color, see deer when it's too dark for the naked eye and see well enough to spot them when there would be no way to do so with lower end binos.

Years ago when scouting a day before the 1st rifle season elk in Colorado, a group of us were on a ridge glassing. There was a huge bull over a mile. Three of us had high end glass and the others were using bargain basement intro stuff. You guessed it, the three of us were counting points while the others were asking... "what hill is he one????"

On the same trip my buddy and I were with two guides, we all headed out from camp before daylight. Up a canyon I spotted two bucks fighting. Both my buddy and I had Zeiss victories and were seeing the action with just star light. Both guides had older mid-level glass and could not see the deer. We returned the following year for another hunt and guess what? Both of those guides had upgraded their binos!

It's true, you can see, spot and judge animals much better. How much you are willing to pay has to be determined by you. All I can say is binos will last a very long time. Most likely your remaining hunting career. Pay once, cry once and then enjoy the benefits for year after year.

Good luck!
 
Happy New Year everyone and thank you for all the replies. The following is a quote from Birdwatcher.com:

Even if you don't have $2500 to spend on a binocular, you can still have wonderful birding experiences. Moderately priced optics are better today than they were even a few years ago. For most of us, a mid-level binocular will deliver more resolution than our eyes can see.

I will keep this in mind going forward.
 
I bought a pair of Zeiss HD last year. Like the glass. My one complaint it the focus kept changing when I would hike with them on a chest rig. They would always drift to the the closest focus point. Shipped them back to Zeiss a month ago. Called last week and all the HD repairs happen in Germany...10 - 12 week turn around time.

Good things take time?
 
Dr. Vette":17ptgj4i said:
Rol_P":17ptgj4i said:
Ok, I carry Steiner Predator extreme 10x42 binoculars. On my last Montana hunt I could not pick out a big buck on a north facing rock rubble and cedar slope in the morning. I wear corrective lenses with three prescriptions. My rangefinder is a Leica 1000 and my rifle scope is a Zeiss Conquest 2-10HD.
Click to expand...

Try this - compare your rifle scope to your binoculars using different objects at different ranges, as well as in low light. I highly suspect that your Zeiss will be nicer than your binoculars, and answer your own question.

I was using a set of Leupold binoculars which are now about 10y old and likely cost ~$400 when new. On a TX deer hunt I couldn't make out if an object was a rock or a deer, and others could. The following year I bought a set of Meopta Meostar HD in 10x42 and have had zero problems since then seeing animals. They compare well to my friend's Zeiss binos, and not too bad compared to Dad's Swarovskis. Cabelas sells the same units under their brand name.

http://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/shop/ ... tgBus.html
Click to expand...

I will completely 2nd this. Joel and I were glassing this Fall. We had a moose at about 3/4 of a mile. We got to swap back and forth between my Meopta HDs and his Swaros. Neither of us could tell ANY difference. Very impressed with them and I believe mine were less than half since I bought them as demos. Meopta customer service has treated me right as well when I sent them in to get the bridge tightened. Very happy guy for 800 bucks. Seriously looking at their spotters as well.
 
I'm a huge fan of meopta binos as well. They really stack up well to my older 10x40 victories.

Be careful though, if you use a pair out doors especially in low light during a hunt, you are screwed for life and nothing lesser will do................................
 
Last month after shooting with NYDAN one afternoon, at dusk I set my Zeiss Conquest HD scope @ 10x and compared it to my STEINER PREADTOR XTREME 10x42 using just one side of the binocular and to my aged eyes the Steiner performed clearer, so I have to resist the temptation to buy more expensive binoculars.
Red Hawk Rifles in Colorado sent me an e-mail detailing their sales and they look very tempting.
Good thing I did the comparison before seeing the e-mail.
 
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