Looking for new Bino's

tyef350 · Jun 23, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jun-23-12 AT 04:31PM (MST)[p]Im looking at buying some new bino's by this season. what is the best bang for your buck???? Swarovski's are a little out of my price range. Are the vortex good ones??? Let me know what you guys think. I want something good that i can spot stuff at a good distance. I own a cheap pair of bushnell 10x50 i like them just want something better and not as big and bulky as mine. Thanks guys

polar_bear · Jun 23, 2012

I have the Vortex Diamondbacks 10X42. I think they are around $230. In my opinion, they are one of the best in that price range. Good optics and good warranty. I left my first pair on the back of my truck and drove off. They hit the ground at 40MPH and exploded. I sent the pieces to Vortex and within a week I had a brand new pair. No questions asked.

txhunter58 · Jun 23, 2012

Nikon Monarch ATB 8X42 roof prism

I own 7x, 8x and 10x. I use the 8x's 90% of the time. 10x are too much for me (too shakey) unless I am set up somewhere glassing for long periods in the distance. Certainly they have their uses, but just not what I do most of the time.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

Foreman4x4 · Jun 23, 2012

Used Leica, Swarovski, or Zeiss. You'll waste lots of money chasing what you really want, so may as well do it right the first time.

dryflyelk · Jun 23, 2012

What's your price range?

Vi Et Armis Invictus Maneo

Cahunter805 · Jun 23, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jun-23-12 AT 03:48PM (MST)[p]+1 foreman
If you can't swing some used swaros Id look into the Zen ray ed3 10x42 are a great mid priced bino.

woody622 · Jun 23, 2012

I purchased my Vortex Viper HD 10x50s a few months back and absolutely love them.. love the warranty and you cant go wrong for right around 600 on the vortex glass!

tyef350 · Jun 23, 2012

I would like to stay around 400.00-600.00.

one_dryboot · Jun 23, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jun-23-12 AT 04:38PM (MST)[p]
Last year for a sheep hunt I bought a pair of Vortex Viper Hd 10+50 for around 600. They are awesome! very clear and not super expensive.

Go try a few pair out at your local sporting store and see for yourself

elkun · Jun 23, 2012

vortex and alpen, are the best glass for the money. i have 6 pairs of glass from the best' sw, and the the not so best , these are worth your money , hands down, you can pay more, but for the money you cant get better,,

oilcan · Jun 23, 2012

+2 foreman
Cost me a lot of money before i figured it out

JoshJ · Jun 23, 2012

I have a used pair of Leica ultravid 10x42s for sale if anyone is interested. Zero complaints, been the best binos I have ever had. Many times guiding people with lesser binos I have been able to pick stuff out in low light conditions that they cant see for the life of them untill I hand them mine. I would love to keep them, but I am upgrading to the rangefinding combo style. asking $1200.

theox · Jun 23, 2012

VORTEX ARE AWESOME! the talons are awesome! if you cant afford 450, the vultures are great if still too much go with the 230 dollar diamondbacks they are good!

hank4elk · Jun 23, 2012

Alpens are pretty good glass for the $.

tyef350 · Jun 23, 2012

I just got back from sportsmans and picked me up the VORTEX Talon HD 10x42. Have 30 days to take them back and get something diff or keep them.

carterj16 · Jun 23, 2012

save up for 2 years and get the swaros

dryflyelk · Jun 23, 2012

If i had your budget, I'd buy these.

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/binoculars/prime-hd/prime-hd-842.html

20% off and within your price range, and i'd bet a ham dinner you'll love them. Look up some reviews on these things. They are awesome.

Vi Et Armis Invictus Maneo

Hof · Jun 23, 2012

Go to cabelas and check out the Cabelas Euro binocs. I think I paid around 600-650. It is great glass made by Meopta and you have Cabelas down the road to stand by the warranty. I did alot of looking around and looking through everything. Definately best bang for my buck.

nickman · Jun 24, 2012

So, here's the deal. As you age, your vision deteriorates and unless you buy quality optics now, you will just have to replace them down the road.

What works now will be very different after age 40, or so.

I have probably owned 20 different brands and have had Swaros for 5 years now and wish I had made the sacrifice 20 years ago.

Ray Charles can see with Swaros.

And just as an OPINION.......I wouldn't have a free pair of Alpens up my azz, if I had room for a sawmill!

"I could eat a bowl of Alphabet Soup and
sh!t a better argument than that!"

txhunter58 · Jun 24, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jun-24-12 AT 10:33AM (MST)[p]And remember when you choose magnification that with each increase in magification, you lower the low light ability in each quality of glass. 10x42 certainly lets in less light than 8x42. This was brought home to me quite a bit when I bought a pair of leupold switch binocs that switch from 7 to 12 power at the flip of a button. 7x was much smaller, but much clearer in the last few minutes of daylight. Yes, I do need 10-12x from time to time, but if I had to have only 1 pair, it would be 8x. Best compromise of magnification, clarity, and low light ability, and the ability to hold it steady without a tripod.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

kingfish · Jun 24, 2012

Cameraland sells floor model returned Zeiss bino's for around 600.00 bucks with life time warrenties.. I bought mine last year and you can't do better. Foremans right!!! Don't waste your money on cheaper bino's you will replace them again...

Government doesn't fix anything and has spent trillions proving it!!!
Let's face it...After Monday and Tuesday, even the calender says WTF!

highcountryhays · Jun 24, 2012

I agree with some of the earlier posts. I progressed through seven pairs of binoculars over the years until I got a pair of Swaros. Knowing what I know now I wish I had not wasted my time and money with the cheaper binoculars. Stretch it. Buy the very best you can almost afford.

Used quality binos in perfect shape are a good investment. Just be sure you know what you want before shopping for used. Swaro, Leica, Zeiss would be my first choice. But some of the high end binos from Leupold, Kowa and Vortex would be worth looking at.

OwnMoreBone · Jun 24, 2012

+1 Cahunter805

OMB

There's room for all of God's creatures, right next to the mashed potato's and gravy.

hunter_614 · Jun 29, 2012

Has to be the NIKON MONARCH! DEBATE IS OVER!

slamdunk · Jun 29, 2012

>Used Leica, Swarovski, or Zeiss. You'll
>waste lots of money chasing
>what you really want, so
>may as well do it
>right the first time.
+1.....well said and so very true!!
Use layaway if you have to, but don't waste your money on trying to save a couple hundred bucks.

EROCK1313 · Jun 29, 2012

I don't know how the Zeiss Conquest ABK compare to the plain Zeiss Conquest or other brands mentioned, but the ABK version is on sale for only $699 through Cabela's.

Are these very good glass? Here is a link:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Optics/Binoculars|/pc/104791680/c/104752080/sc/104217480/Zeiss-Conquest-ABK-Binoculars/734862.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhunting-optics-binoculars%2F_%2FN-1100054%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104217480%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104791680%253Bcat104752080&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104791680%3Bcat104752080%3Bcat104217480

?-ERock-> ?

Foreman4x4 · Jun 29, 2012

>I don't know how the Zeiss
>Conquest ABK compare to the
>plain Zeiss Conquest or other
>brands mentioned, but the ABK
>version is on sale for
>only $699 through Cabela's.
>
>Are these very good glass?
>Here is a link:
>
>
> http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Optics/Binoculars|/pc/104791680/c/104752080/sc/104217480/Zeiss-Conquest-ABK-Binoculars/734862.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhunting-optics-binoculars%2F_%2FN-1100054%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104217480%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104791680%253Bcat104752080&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104791680%3Bcat104752080%3Bcat104217480
>
>
>?-ERock-> ?

You can do better for $700.00

slamdunk · Jun 29, 2012

I know one thing, the old Zeiss Classics are the best glass hands down.....my Swaro's are my "back up's" ;-)

Foreman4x4 · Jun 29, 2012

If anyone is in the market for a clean used Zeiss 10x40 ClassiC and is either military, LEO, or a firefighter, there's a clean pair in the Bargain Cave at the Lehi Cabela's right now that would net for under $500.00 with their Hometown Heroes Discount. They're marked $598.00, but the HH discount is 20% off anything in the Bargain Cave, ends tomorrow. The hang tag says they come with the box and accessories.

Foreman4x4 · Jun 30, 2012

Disregard my previous post. I went and took a closer look at those 10x40 ClassiC's this morning and the objective lenses are scratched to chit.

hangingmeat · Jun 30, 2012

who the ##### said ALPINE was some of the best glass? there are stupid people in this world, and there are people that are just plain stupid, both of them wouldn't even try and put "alpine" in the good glass category.

jimshorts · Jul 2, 2012

Don't overlook the Cabelas Euro's... Meopta makes a good glass... we have Swarovskis, Votex and others in my family and the Cabelas Euro's are right up there with the Razors and others. It is a good glass for the money.

http://www.livinthedream-rusty.blogspot.com/

tyef350 · Jul 2, 2012

I went with the Vortex Talons thanks guys still have about two weeks to change my mind. Waiting on my badlands bino system the website i ordered from said they are out of max1. My badlands back i just bought this year is max1 dont really want to have a realtree camo mix with max1. The company emailed me asked if i wanted to change my mind and go with the realtree camo but kind of want it to match. Sportsmans has my max1 one but there 130.00 this website has the realtree ( and STILL saying max1 ) for 70.00 bucks. So guys should i bite the bullet and pay full price to match my pack, or get the realtree camo ?

Foreman4x4 · Jul 2, 2012

$60.00 is a tank of gas for scouting.

Triple_BB · Jul 2, 2012

I have a box full of beat up old bino's that were supposedly some of the best glass for the money when I bought them. I finally decided to save some coin for a few years and broke down and bought a pair of Swaro EL's. Only regret is, I wish I had the money I wasted on all the other glass. Live and learn...

desertjunkie · Jul 2, 2012

So what do you guys say about Minox. I've loved mine and have never regreted it for a moment. Thinking on buying the new 13 x 56. Anybody look through them.

deadibob · Jul 2, 2012

I have a pair of Minox that I really like. I love my ZenRay's and don't think they can be beat for the money. The Meopta's compete with the best European brands for less money.

I've never been impressed with the Vortex and don't understand the hype there. I can never get a full field of view through there binos, I always get black halos on the edges. Everytime I've picked up a pair to think maybe it was me, I get the same dark edges.

Foreman4x4 · Jul 3, 2012

Buy once, cry once. You'll be looking for something else in a couple years, guaranteed.

hornkiller · Jul 3, 2012

Foreman pm sent

3blade · Jul 3, 2012

>So what do you guys say
>about Minox. I've loved mine
>and have never regreted it
>for a moment. Thinking on
>buying the new 13 x
>56. Anybody look through them.
>

For me, but my eyes are both different powers, the Minox HG with the German glass were better than the Zeiss Victories in low light. So were Pentax dcf ed's. Matched up against an SLC, not the new hd's, I could not tell any difference. I have not looked thru the 13x56's but one thing is for sure, you are going to need a tripod.