Binoculars - What is good these days?
- Thread starter Kelly Timoffee
- Start date
I have Steiners and for me they are the best compromise between price and performance.
I am also hard on equipment and like that they are rubberized and tough.
I can't justify the money and am sadly not independently wealthy. Otherwise I would own Leicas.
I am also hard on equipment and like that they are rubberized and tough.
I can't justify the money and am sadly not independently wealthy. Otherwise I would own Leicas.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Ok, going to go another way here, what has everyone experienced to be the most durable?
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
That and when I am out hunting.
A heavy guy falling onto a nice pair of binos can spell the end of the glass.Beat around , drop, bouncing off trees type durable.
A heavy guy falling onto a nice pair of binos can spell the end of the glass.Beat around , drop, bouncing off trees type durable.
the IOR B/GA 10x50 hands down
Generally the most robust (tough) binoculars will be those designated as 'Marine' binoculars. They will be waterproof (as expected) they will usually have a large objective and still be capable of being hand held and they will have a moderate power to permit excellent twilight performance and good field of view. Too high a power would make them unusable in heavy seas or unsteady hands and they will withstand being dropped on a deck or bounced of a railing. All of this durability will come with added weight though. Not to be too repetitive..nikon also make a very good marine binocular.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
My truck binocs are a pair of Zeiss 8x30 BGA/T* from the 80's, They've fallen off the dash and out of the truck on several occasions, still perfect collimation. Heavy hard rubber armour. You could probably pick up a set on ebay for around $600-$800 or so. I also have a set of 7x42's, they're a little brighter but quite a bit taller, but equally robust. I think you'd want to to look more at good internals for rough use, as the first to go would be lenses shifting, throwing your image off. Again, higher price would generally mean better mechanics.
I had a local store bring in some different Pentax to try. All are made in China and it was very hard to pick a favorite of the bunch.
The DCF NV 10x36 and 8x36 seem robust and reasonably clear. For $150 they are an excellent value and I have seen far worse glass for a lot more money. There was no obvious flaw in the view but hey lacked the brightness and crisp edge to edge view of the higher end stuff. If they fit the budget check them out for sure. They are far better than what I have been using for years. I compared them to the Monarchs and they are as good as the in stock M5s but not as nice as the M7s to my eye.
The DCF LV 9x28 were very interesting. Again, not spectacular, but very nice in a compact package. Much easier to handle than a true pocket and optical clarity ahead of the NVs. I would say as clear as the M7s but not nearly as bright or as wide a FOV. This to be expected in a 28mm but for less than $200 they would be so handy to have in the pocket and light enough to carry at all times. The 9x is a nice idea to split the 8x or 10x decision. I think I may end up with a pair of these just to take fishing and hiking.
My favorite so far is the now discontinued Pentax DCF SP 8x43. These are old stock made in Japan and they are unquestionably of higher quality than the others. They are old news considering all the latest and greatest but to my eye they are crystal clear edge to edge and very bright. Some sites suggest they use ED glass and multi coating equal to the very best made. The FOV is a little narrow but it is truly useable. Most boast a wide field but are so fuzzy at the edges it is a moot point. The reviews were very good in their hay day but like I mentioned they are old news. They are of course fog and water proof.
Here is a blurb for a review site;
Pentax DCF SP Binoculars
The DCF SP series of binoculars includes the very popular award-winning 10x50 DCF SP. They combine exceptional image quality with edge-edge sharpness and come with a long list of outstanding features including an inner-focus optical design incorporating hybrid aspherical eyepiece lenses, high-resolution phase-coated roof prisms, hydrophobic coating on exposed objective and eyepiece lenses, and multi-coated optical elements. Coupled with a magnesium-alloy body with JIS Class 6 waterproof construction, these high-performance binoculars are a great choice for those with uncompromising standards without an unlimited budget. Perfect for a wide variety of applications including birdwatching, safaris and other wildlife viewing as well as close-up viewing and use in less-than-ideal weather conditions.
Sizes Available:
•8x43 mm
•10x43 mm
•10x50 mm
•12.5x50 mm
These are discontinued and on for a very good price while they last.
The DCF NV 10x36 and 8x36 seem robust and reasonably clear. For $150 they are an excellent value and I have seen far worse glass for a lot more money. There was no obvious flaw in the view but hey lacked the brightness and crisp edge to edge view of the higher end stuff. If they fit the budget check them out for sure. They are far better than what I have been using for years. I compared them to the Monarchs and they are as good as the in stock M5s but not as nice as the M7s to my eye.
The DCF LV 9x28 were very interesting. Again, not spectacular, but very nice in a compact package. Much easier to handle than a true pocket and optical clarity ahead of the NVs. I would say as clear as the M7s but not nearly as bright or as wide a FOV. This to be expected in a 28mm but for less than $200 they would be so handy to have in the pocket and light enough to carry at all times. The 9x is a nice idea to split the 8x or 10x decision. I think I may end up with a pair of these just to take fishing and hiking.
My favorite so far is the now discontinued Pentax DCF SP 8x43. These are old stock made in Japan and they are unquestionably of higher quality than the others. They are old news considering all the latest and greatest but to my eye they are crystal clear edge to edge and very bright. Some sites suggest they use ED glass and multi coating equal to the very best made. The FOV is a little narrow but it is truly useable. Most boast a wide field but are so fuzzy at the edges it is a moot point. The reviews were very good in their hay day but like I mentioned they are old news. They are of course fog and water proof.
Here is a blurb for a review site;
Pentax DCF SP Binoculars
The DCF SP series of binoculars includes the very popular award-winning 10x50 DCF SP. They combine exceptional image quality with edge-edge sharpness and come with a long list of outstanding features including an inner-focus optical design incorporating hybrid aspherical eyepiece lenses, high-resolution phase-coated roof prisms, hydrophobic coating on exposed objective and eyepiece lenses, and multi-coated optical elements. Coupled with a magnesium-alloy body with JIS Class 6 waterproof construction, these high-performance binoculars are a great choice for those with uncompromising standards without an unlimited budget. Perfect for a wide variety of applications including birdwatching, safaris and other wildlife viewing as well as close-up viewing and use in less-than-ideal weather conditions.
Sizes Available:
•8x43 mm
•10x43 mm
•10x50 mm
•12.5x50 mm
These are discontinued and on for a very good price while they last.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Meopta Meostar 10x42 HD
Leica Geovid-R 10x42
Well, gonna be between those two.
Just have to decide if I want ultimate durability or a built in range finder with ballistics
Leica Geovid-R 10x42
Well, gonna be between those two.
Just have to decide if I want ultimate durability or a built in range finder with ballistics
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Regarding the Meopta - http://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/s...-hd/meostar-b1-42mm-hd-binoculars/ctgBus.html
I see it says that "The addition of extra-low dispersion, fluoride objective lens elements..."
If you are going for 'durability and toughness .. you may wish to read this to the end of the article:http://www.kowa-prominar.com/product/cristal/index.html
Fluorite can be easier to damage/more fragile and used to be avoided on exterior elements for that reason as well as its poor resistance to moisture. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_glass (Optical elements made of calcium fluoride, namely of fluorite crystals, are used in some telephoto lenses, to correct chromatic aberration. They are however being replaced with various low-dispersion glasses, which have higher refractive indexes, better dimensional stability, and lower fragility."
Having said all of that the MeOpta name has been around optics for a long time and they are certainly well informed about how to make a good one. You may want to ensure that the warranty (in practice - from sources you are confident in) will adequately cover your use.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Well, after a lot of reading and talking and consideration I think I am going to go for the Meopta, I was 99% sure the Leica but I talked myself out of them.That range finder built in is a great feature along with other electronics but just want the most basic rugged decent unit out there,I am a keep it simple type of guy. I am quite sure I won't be disappointed.
I thank everybody for their input, opened my eyes up to options I hadn't looked at.
They just look built to take a beating.
I thank everybody for their input, opened my eyes up to options I hadn't looked at.
They just look built to take a beating.
Fluorite and flouride are two different things. In fact, you'll likely never see fluorite in binocular lenses. Flourite's main purpose is to further reduce chromatic aberration on optics with longer inter-lens distances and is therefore all but useless in binoculars.
Zeiss has been using flouride lenses and coatings for decades with great success. I also prefer their 3-reflection Abbé-Koenig prisms with achromatic lenses which makes for a stunning picture with no rolling-ball effect along with the best edge-to-edge uniformity. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbe–Koenig_prism
Most others HD manufacturers including Swarovski use the Schmidt-Pechan prism with 5 reflections plus air gap. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt–Pechan_prism
They also grind their lenses for more of a "sweet spot" which can affect the view when panning, especially in complex terrain such as trees. Have a look through a Swarovski, especially their scopes, while panning and see if you notice that rolling-ball effect. I find it a little distracting and unreal looking.
I believe Zeiss optics use the best, most natural looking lens setup for a hunting binocular.
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