Recommend Some Binos

I

Iron Glove

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Hope and Tulameen
Looking to get some binos for my son and I. His for Xmas, mine just for being me. :)
We were deer hunting near dusk the other day and he was spotting deer bare eyed that I couldn't even find with my 8 x 20 minis. I need help.
Price range @ $100 for him, me $300 max.
Used for hunting (deer primarily) and general use, mine have to be eyeglass friendly and decent for low light (and old eyes). His should be as close to indestructible as possible.
Any suggestions?
I see that SIR now brings in selected Cabellas stuff including some binos - anyone familiar with those?
Good sources for binos?
Thanks guys.
 
haha I knew my answer before I even opened this thread

steiner predators 8x30
doesnt get much better for the price, and I like them because they are compact and you can wear them all the time...

just about everyone that tries my steiners goes out and buys their own
 
OK, I'll look at the Steiners, assume they are eye glass friendly?
I always thought that for low light you should get a larger objective, i.e. 42 - 50 rather than a 30?
 
Hi Iron Glove,
I know you say your max is $300, but I would save up another 50 or so and get yourself a pair of Nikon Monarch 8 X 42s. I have a set and they are awesome, they blow my old ziess 8 X 30s out of the water for brightness and are maybe a tad clearer. I'm sure the ziess are much more rugged, but have been using the nikons for 3yrs now with no problems. They are quite light and have excellent eye relief for use with glasses. Check out used ones or Ebay if you want to save a little more. Oh yeah I ordered mine from binocularscanada.com I think they were around 360 shipped to the door.

Good luck, Homesteader
 
Another vote for the Nikon Monarch ATB 8X42's. They have a bit of edge distortion but the 90% of the view is amazing. Feels like you can reach through the binos and grab the deer. Really, the depth of field is excellent. Low light and resolution are superb.

You can try Ebay as they tend to be well under $300 there and can be shipped to Canada.

A bit bigger but also superb glass, the new Nikon EX Action 8X?? (must be the EX version as there are other models which are crap) They are a bigger and slightly heavier then the ATB roof prism above but retail is around $200 in Canada and well under that from the US.

I have the 12X60 version and can resolve wild grass at 1000m. Was at a 1000m fun shoot and a Zeiss owning sheep hunter sat down to have a peek. The Nikons were much better for depth and field of view, resolution, clarity and brightness. The Zeiss owner summed it up as the Nikons are so much easier to see through.

Cdn retail is under $250 for these Nikons.

Great glass is getting cheaper. both are very eye glass friendly.

If you really want to spoil yourself, you can upgrade to the Superior E porro binos. They were rated by birders to be the best binos made by anyone at any price about 5yrs back. They can now be purchased for around $700.

I haven't checked this year but last few years, the best went to the newer nikon Venture roof prism binos. The successor to the Superior E.

Seems Nikon knows a thing or two about binos....

Jerry
 
I picked up a pair of Bushnell Excursions (10X32). So far I'm VERY happy with them. I was looking for a decent set, small, and not too expensive.. these fit the bill. I'll report back after hunting with them and see how they hold up. (next weekend)

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redlaker1 said:
steiner predators 8x30
doesnt get much better for the price, and I like them because they are compact and you can wear them all the time...

just about everyone that tries my steiners goes out and buys their own
Click to expand...

I'd go with the Stiener's as well. I use the 8x30 Military/Marine, and they can be had for under $300.00. And they are eyewear friendly (even ballistic eyewear freindly).

Best binos I've ever used in that size, better than the Nikons, better than anything Bushnell will ever have.

They fit nicely in the C9 Mag pouch, and take up less than half the pouch (fits snuggly on top of your ballistic eyewear case).

Try them,, highly recommended.
 
My vote goes to Nikon 8x42, best buy. Good clarity and well build binos.
For that kind of money they are leader, nothing compares to them, do some research on binoculars forums.
 
$500 porroprism are better binoculars than $500 roof prism. Nikon still makes the Superior E series in 8x, 10x and 12x ... they are porroprism and the best performance/dollar EXCEPT they are not waterproof/fogproof and they may not suit an eyeglass wearer as well as some longer eyerelief bino's .

Roof prism binoculars are more frequently encountered with waterproof/fogproof ratings (there are waterproof porroprism bino's available but are usually individual eyepiece focussing - the exception being the Swarovski Habicht series) Roof prism can be made quite durable and combined with the waterproof quality make them a better choice for the hunter in many cases.

Personally I save the money and buy porroprism where I can ... and keep them dry when in the field...
 
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A Zeiss is a lifetime gift!


>>>>>>>Lots of good info here: http://www.opticsplanet.com/msgboard/

Ignore this links they do not ship to Canada! They consider us enemies!


Thank you for your interest in our products. We do apologize, however, at this time export of any riflescopes and weapon sights outside of the United States is restricted to US Military and other agencies of federal goverment. Due to very heavy export restrictions, items such as riflescopes, red dot sights, laser sights, and other related weapon components cannot be shipped overseas to any country. For more information on our international policy, please refer to the following site http://www.opticsplanet.net/our-policy.html#international.

Again, we do appreciate your interest in our products. If you need anything else in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us

Best Regards,
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Sales@OpticsPlanet.com
http://www.OpticsPlanet.com
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Fax: (847) 919-3003
 
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sinawalli said:
For yourself, I recommend Steiners. I have a pair of 8X30 Predators, and find them awesome! They are available at SIR for $299.99.
Click to expand...

Well I have quite a bit of experience with Steiner binoculars, I have 3 pairs of them, Nighthunter XP 8x30, Admiral 7x50 with compass, and the Military 15x80 model. Steiner does make some great binos BUT they also make some crappy ones too. As far as the 8x30 Predators go, I would avoid them like the plague.:runaway: Steiner makes two basic grades of binos, the higher end mil-spec rated models that come with the 30 year warranty and the lower end non-milspec models that come with a 10 year warranty. From my experience with Steiner I would avoid ANY non-milspec 10 year models. Also the standard so called "Military Marine" series that SIR or any other shop carries is NOT to be confused with the actual Military issue, they are NOT the same thing. The 10 year non-milspec models are also NOT nitrogen purged like the 30 year mil-spec models are.

The non-milspec 8x30 models, such as the Military Marine, Safari, Predator and Navigator series are all built the same and ALL have a flaw in the eyepiece design. If you unscrew the rubber eyecup and remove the plastic adjusting ring with the numbers on it you will see what I mean. The lens barrel is ALL plastic and there are two very tiny, thin, flimsy, serrated tabs, one one each side of the lense barrel that grip the adjusting ring that focuses the eyepeice. These things are VERY delicate and break VERY easily, if you just bump them by accident or drop them on the ground that's it, they break and the ring just spins around unable to focus the eyepiece.:mad: This is unacceptable IMO and a VERY poor design for a $300.00 bino. I originally bought a pair of the Predator 8x30s and had to send them back TWICE for this same problem, the first time they were replaced with a brand new pair, the second time after a six month wait they replaced them with a refurbished pair that looked like they flew out of a moving vehicle and were pulled out of a recycling bin.:mad: I refused to accept those and after a lengthy fight with Steiner, was upgraded to the 30 year mil-spec 8x30 Nighthunter XP series. Steiners warranty and customer service leaves a lot to be desired also. If a bino breaks or fails within the first year they will usually just replace them with a brand new pair BUT if it is a few years later they will not necessarily repair the ones YOU send in but will likely replace them with a refurbished pair that MAY or may NOT be in as good a condition as the ones you sent in.

As I said, I've had quite a bit of dealings with Steiner and their products and will give credit where credit is due, they DO make some good products but do yourself a favor and avoid the 10 year non-milspec models. The Steiner Nighthunter XP 8x30s I have are awesome and are mil-spec rated with the 30 year warranty. With the Can. dollar being as good as it is you can pick up a pair of Nighthunter 8x30s on Ebay for slightly more than the predators cost at SIR and trust me you WON'T be sorry.:)
 
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I got a set of Minox 8x32 for the GF earlier this summer... They are eyeglass friendly. She liked my 8x42, but wanted something a little lighter.

Save yourself a few dollars and the "demo"... that's what I did, and I couldn't tell if the box had even been opened.


fbfa531aba.jpg

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/minox.pl?page=62149

And Doug at Cameraland is a good guy to deal with!
 
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SuperCub said:
Anyone use Burris binocs, particularly the Landmark 8x32s?.
Click to expand...

i picked up a Fullfield II 3x9x40mm Ballistic Plex scope and Landmark 8x32 bino combo at lebarons for $299.

i will be the first to admit that they are not high-end binoculars, and nowhere near the quality of $1000+ Zeiss, etc.
however they are head and shoulders above the CT/Walmart Bushnells, and will more than adequately fulfill the needs of most hunters for a long time. im happy with them and really dont need anything better for hunting - theyre compact and durable, and if they break or get lost it wont kill my pocketbook to replace them.

unless you are sitting in a stand/blind scanning for game for several consecutive hours -- youll suffer from severe eyestrain from anything but high-end binos in such a situation.

i wouldnt recommend specifically buying them for $200 though, if you are going to do that then spend a bit more and get a mid-range pair... but if you just happen to need a scope as well, then you really cant go wrong with the burris scope/bino combo.
 
manbearpig said:
i picked up a Fullfield II 3x9x40mm Ballistic Plex scope and Landmark 8x32 bino combo at lebarons for $299.

i will be the first to admit that they are not high-end binoculars, and nowhere near the quality of $1000+ Zeiss, etc.
however they are head and shoulders above the CT/Walmart Bushnells, and will more than adequately fulfill the needs of most hunters for a long time. im happy with them and really dont need anything better for hunting - theyre compact and durable, and if they break or get lost it wont kill my pocketbook to replace them.

unless you are sitting in a stand/blind scanning for game for several consecutive hours -- youll suffer from severe eyestrain from anything but high-end binos in such a situation.

i wouldnt recommend specifically buying them for $200 though, if you are going to do that then spend a bit more and get a mid-range pair... but if you just happen to need a scope as well, then you really cant go wrong with the burris scope/bino combo.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the review. I recently bought a pair of 8x32 Landmarks for $100/shipped. They are like new and am pleased with them, esp for that price.

Maybe next time I'll get better binocs, but I just don't use them that much, so spending $1K doesn't seem to make sense.


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