$200 binoculars

I'm not trying to be a snob but I've never looked through any binos under $300 that were any good. Oh wait, I am a snob. I think one of the forum sponsers deals with Sightron, I've read very good ratings about them on another forum. Kinda hard to buy a bino mail ordered but I'd think the sponsers hear have a reputation to keep and I'd be inclined to more or less trust them. EVERYONE I know or hunt with has bought lower priced glass and then upgraded. Just my opinion but I'd put more $ into glass, especially something you'll be looking through for a long period of time, you'll only end up paying more later. One guy I know has bought 3-4 binos for about $100+ each. Now he wants to get something better but he already has invested over $400 in something unusable. If he had bought just 1 pair for $500(I know that's a lot) he'd be way ahead in $ plus have had some good glass for the last 7-8years. Sorry for rambling on, just my opinion.
 
Look up at the top left of the page - see one of our site sponsors, Camera Land Inc. ? Go there.

$200 isn't going to buy very good binoculars new, but it'll probably get you better binos at Camera Land than it will anywhere else. Sometimes they have demo models at reduced prices and their service is exemplary.
 
We took a pair of Sightron 8X42 porro prism waterprroof binos to the rangee to seek opinions from the shooters, which included an optics technician, engineer, internationally-experienced shooters and others generarlly knoiwledgeable. The unit was compared to product costing much more and were sold on the spot for what turned out to be more than retail price as I didn't know correct amount and later provided corrrect change.
Opinions coincided with reviews, so more are on the way.
 
buy a set of Leupold Yosemite 6x30's off ebay for $90

they are as good or better than most medium priced glass, are cheaper, and have the Leupold warranty
 
I also went through two or three 'cheap' pairs before I bit the bullet and bought a good pair, which I should have done in the first place. My advice? Don't waste your money on cheap ones. Pick beer bottles, go without treats for a month, do what you must - but buy good ones ONCE, and you'll save money in the long run. They will last a lifetime and be a constant pleasure. The Fujinons I now use have been my constant companion for more than thirty years, frozen, baked, dropped and soaked, and remain as brilliant and crisp as the day I bought them in 1978. The Bushnells I had before that have long since joined the landfill; my son will probably be using the Fujinons after I'm in the landfill!
 
Ok, ok! :) You guys are very insistent! What should I buy then? First of I guess most would agree 8x42s correct?

What brand/model would fetch most bang for a buck?
 
It depends on your primary use. Boating? Waterproof 7x50s, probably.

Hunting / hiking? 8 x somethings, probably lighter weight. For certain applications (like weight savings) you can often get away with a good monocular. In my opinion, 8 x is too much on a boat that never stops moving.

10 x is (in my shaky old hands at least) too much, or at least the maximum, for handheld use.

Remember, big lenses and QUALITY gives you low light capability and the ability to look through them for long periods of time. Long looks through cheap glass just gives you headaches and fuzzy vision. If all you need is to take a quick squint for a few seconds now and again, you can get away with less.
 
There's always a trade-off unfortunately. Low light generally means better quality lens (higher price) and/or larger objective lenses (bigger binos) as that light has to be gathered somehow.

Personally, when I was on a budget and needing decent binos for hunting I shopped eBay for a used pair. Ended up buying a pair of used Burris Fullfield 8x42 for $130-140 or so (I forget, but around that range). Used them for almost 10 years, great binoculars for the money. Was able to afford a pair of Geovids last year so just passed the Burris binos on to a fellow member for $75 - and I'm sure that the way those things were built that they'll serve him and/or his son for many many more years to come.
 
klask7 said:
I need it for hunting primary. Low light would be nice, but probably pricey?
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One thing that I feel is important is to look through them before you buy them. You can tell if they 'please your eyes' or not. Get your hands on as many different ones as possible, take them outside, and have a good long gaze around. When you take them away from your face, your eyes will tell you if they're any good or not. If a salesman won't let you take them outside (or go with you) to try them, you're shopping in the wrong place.

Secondly, don't be in a hurry. Shopping for something in a hurry rarely gets you the right product. Other peoples opinions are worth considering, but it's your money and your eyes that demand satisfaction.
 
My vote for a low dollar bino goes to the bushnell excursion 10x42. For $230 at wss they aren't a bad deal at all. They don't compare to my buddys swarovskis but they aren't $3000 either. I have used them for three seasons now and haven't seen the need to upgrade.
 
I have used a couple of $40 7x50 and 10x50 rubber armoured cheapys on a boat and in the field, for the price they are excellent. (in my professional life I use 10x40 Zeiss @ $200x10)
 
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