Best binos on tight budget

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gunrunner8

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Kamloops, B.C.
What are the best binoculars (limited) money can buy?
Over the 25 years I used at least half a doz binos for hunting. Mid 80' ($150) Zeis Jena 8x30 (optically good but dim and not waterproof), early 90' ($200) B&L 8x40 Legacy (ok but not waterproof and heavy), early 2000' ($350) Steiner 8x30 (waterproof but POS, I can't belive I accepted all that propaganda) among others.
Finaly 3-4years ago I was willing to spend real money-$600-$700 for some decent roof prism binos and I couldn't find one (!) with: very wide field of view, decent depth perception, edge to edge sharpnes, waterproof and no less than 5mm exit pupil.
Friend of mine advised me to take a hard look at his rubber coated and waterproof made in China Nikon Action EX 7x35 ATB ones ($150) and WOW!
Sharper than the ones with four times the price, view like in I MAX Cinema with FOV of 163m (535ft) at 1000m!
Unreal depth perception usable with fine focusing in heavy brush hunting. My hunting score almost doubled b/c of them.
Now 3 weeks ago I took a bad slide from the mountain and I was sore for quite a while but more or less ok rifle survived in spades (no wonder it's a Ruger) but my binos got damaged.
I phoned Nikon service department in Richmond, Vancouver, asked for opinion and price for repair and they advised me to send them there ($10 expense). No comunication all that time (I didn't mind-hunting is over anyway) till yesterday with the phone from Pulorator to pick up the package.
I got brand new pair and no bill !!! Now that's what I call exelent service !
I am going to purchase second pair just in case they stop making that model in the future....

PS. I don't hold any Nikon shares....
 
Last edited:
Why not? said:
That is really great service!

Thanks for the heads-up on the quality of the binocs. Where did you get them? I am going to be in Ksmloops next week.

Ted
Click to expand...
They are really, really sharp. Porro prism binos don't need special phase-correction coatings to the prisms, 9,3deg of FOV is unheard of and wider distance between objectives create much better 3D picture. 7x power eliminates shaken picture with off hand glassing and brings that deer at 350yds (my absolute max to shoot at animal) to my eye within 50 yds and with those BTW I can see spike deer almost half a mile away.
IIRC Ted I purchased them in London Drugs, I phoned them an hour ago and they don't carry that line anymore.
I will be looking for spare ones soon and if I find the source I will let you know.
GR8.
 
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They are really, really sharp. Porro prism binos don't need special phase-correction coatings to the prisms, 9,3deg of FOV is unheard of and wider distance between objectives create much better 3D picture. 7x power eliminates shaken picture with off hand glassing and brings that deer at 350yds (my absolute max to shoot at animal) to my eye within 50 yds and with those BTW I can see spike deer almost half a mile away.
Click to expand...

YES!!!!! Finally someone I can agree with 100% and 7x,35 is a great combination. Nikon's 8x,32SE PORROPRISM is a "reference standard" for good reason ... pity it isnt waterproof as well


(BTW .. you werent the first to be disappointed by Steiner)
 
gunrunner8 said:
What are the best binoculars (limited) money can buy?
Over the 25 years I used at least half a doz binos for hunting. Mid 80' ($150) Zeis Jena 8x30 (optically good but dim and not waterproof), early 90' ($200) B&L 8x40 Legacy (ok but not waterproof and heavy), early 2000' ($350) Steiner 8x30 (waterproof but POS, I can't belive I accepted all that propaganda) among others.
Finaly 3-4years ago I was willing to spend real money-$600-$700 for some decent roof prism binos and I couldn't find one (!) with: very wide field of view, decent depth perception, edge to edge sharpnes, waterproof and no less than 5mm exit pupil.
Friend of mine advised me to take a hard look at his rubber coated and waterproof made in China Nikon Action EX 7x35 ATB ones ($150) and WOW!i
Sharper than the ones with four times the price, view like in I MAX Cinema with FOV of 163m (535ft) at 1000m!
Unreal depth perception usable with fine focusing in heavy brush hunting. My hunting score almost doubled b/c of them.
Now 3 weeks ago I took a bad slide from the mountain and I was sore for quite a while but more or less ok rifle survived in spades (no wonder it's a Ruger) but my binos got damaged.
I phoned Nikon service department in Richmond, Vancouver, asked for opinion and price for repair and they advised me to send them there ($10 expense). No comunication all that time (I didn't mind-hunting is over anyway) till yesterday with the phone from Pulorator to pick up the package.
I got brand new pair and no bill !!! Now that's what I call exelent service !
I am going to purchase second pair just in case they stop making that model in the future....

PS. I don't hold any Nikon shares....
Click to expand...
i agree nikon glass is extremly under rated i run a set of 10x32 and love them
 
Do tell?

Why not? said:
That is really great service!

Thanks for the heads-up on the quality of the binocs. Where did you get them? I am going to be in Ksmloops next week.

Ted
Click to expand...

I managed to score a pair of Bushnell Excursions from WSS on a blow out deal.
Just happened to be carousing around in there and there they were and the end of an aisle
marked down to the hundred dollar mark.
Or I had a twenty dollar coupon, forget, but they were in around a hundred bucks.
Cammo too.
Great clear crisp bino and I sure didn't mind the cost of them. Gave Thing 2 my H2O's.
 
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