Binocular opinions needed..what to buy

Pentax All The Way

Buy the pentax dcf sp (I think it is the sp they are the ones that cost about 600. I'm @ work so I can't check) I have had a pair for two seasons and they are great, no regrets at all. I have heard lots about the Monarch but had a client this year w/ a pair and they were not as good as the pentax. Buy the pentax from binocularscanada.com and never look back. If you want to read reviews do a search for birding websites these guys know their binos.
 
Chola.
I purchased the leupold wind river "pinnacles" the year.I started with the 10X42s, great glass just too powerful for me glassing standing freehand.I sold them to a buddy and got a pair of the 8X42s and for $450 cdn they are awesome.Nice and light,fairly compact too_On a side note I have a pair of wind river 8X42 "mesa",I have two buds with 12X50 "olympics" and 8X42 "cascades" and the pinnacle is worth the extra cash.PM me if you want and I will give you more details.RB
 
Ruttinbuck said:
Chola.
I purchased the leupold wind river "pinnacles" the year.I started with the 10X42s, great glass just too powerful for me glassing standing freehand.I sold them to a buddy and got a pair of the 8X42s and for $450 cdn they are awesome.Nice and light,fairly compact too_On a side note I have a pair of wind river 8X42 "mesa",I have two buds with 12X50 "olympics" and 8X42 "cascades" and the pinnacle is worth the extra cash.PM me if you want and I will give you more details.RB
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In your opinion....how much of a difference is there between the Pinnacles and the Cascades...the price difference is not a whole lot,but I only want to buy one set.....I am thinking the 8x42's as well....what didn't ya really care for about the 10x42's, just too much power or ??????
 
I may be able to answer that, 10 power will be a bit harder to hold steady. Also remember the formula for max light in that the eye can handle, magnification x 7 equal to or less than the obj diameter. So 7 x 50 are perfect. :D You can glass all day with Steiner 7x 50 Military/Marine and your eyes enjoy every minute.
 
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Levi Garret has pretty much summed it up.
I find I have to hang onto the brim of my hat with the 10X42s to keep them as still as I like.With the 8X42s I can glass any way I want and I get the image quality I am after.I do find the 8X42s brighter as well but not by much.
The cascades are decent glass but the pinnacle is that much better for seeing detail.I tried them side by side and little details on branches,in shadows under trees,the pinnacle was better.I did'nt get to do a low light comparison.
This was my top dollar I had for a bino budget,IMHO I am glad I got the best lifetime waranteed,serviced in Canada, binocular.
 
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I have used the Nikon Monarch ATB 8X42 for a few years now and love them. Certainly not perfect, but pretty D**m good. Lighter/smaller then the Pentax (DCF) but the Pentax has better colour definition. Both are equal in resolution. The nikons are around $335 to 345 from binoscanada.

If really on a budget and can handle a larger body scope, the Nikon EX Action binos are amazing. Make sure it is the EX version, the other Action line is crap. Dirt cheap and the glass is really good. I have a 12X50 that I use for spotting while others are shooting out past 1km. The resolution is great. I use this for a bit more mag and 'depth' of view when hunting cut blocks. A 8 or 10X will likely cost you under $250.

Both of these allow me to see in light I can no longer see in.

Jerry
 
I like the wider feild of view with the 8 power anyway - when you're scanning a woodline or block or the like, it's just better to have a little more feild of view to work with.
 
crazy_davey said:
Have a look at the Steiner 10x42 Merlin. A friend was looking at some recently and I was impressed, price should be in that ball park as well.
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My experience with Steiner, stay away from any model that does not come with the 30 year warranty. They have models with the 10 year or 30 year warranty, the 30 year models are pretty much the best they make but many of the 10 year models are made very poorly. The individual eye focus models have issues with the eyepiece adjustment mechanism breaking. I had this happen twice with my 8x30 Predators, also heard of many other people on other forums having the SAME failure with similar models which Steiner refuses to admit that there is a problem with the design. Steiner banks their reputation on their "mil-spec" quality BUT the so called Military Marine models you buy at your local outdoors store ARE NOT the same as the actual military issue. Trust me, I know. Their warranty and service leaves much to be desired also. If after the first year your binos require service, they will not replace them with a new pair and they will not repair the exact ones you sent in. They will eventually replace them with a refurbished pair from a recycle bin that were owned by someone else, you send in a pair that look like brand new and could get back a pair that look like they fell down a mountain cliff.:rolleyes:
 
I just purchased a set of Nikon Monarch 8x42's from binoculars canada--excellent service--pleased with the bino's except for the mickey mouse lens caps--can anyone recommend an after-market set that works well?

44Bore
 
When in the field, I don't bother with the front caps but do use the rear unit.

Takes too long to take the caps off when Bambi comes running out. The back one is ideal when it snows or rains. The strap attachment works very well, quick to remove and get the binos in action. I only have the cover attached to one strap so I can flip it off.

Jerry
 
I just purchased a set of Nikon Monarch 8x42's from binoculars canada--excellent service--pleased with the bino's except for the mickey mouse lens caps--can anyone recommend an after-market set that works well?
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Bino buddy , by Butler Creek
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If can find them it would be worthwhile also looking at the Leupold Green Ring Katmai™ Series Binoculars 6x, 32. I own Swarovski 10x,50 Leitz 7x, 50 and various German, Austrian and Japanese 6.5, 7x, 8x and 10x. from 30 mm to 56mm objectives. I also have numerous pairs of 6x, 30 (wartime and later commercial) Leitz, Swarovski and Pentax.

The binoculars I use most (practically always) for hunting are 6x, 30. Excellent field of view, good brightness, light and convenient to carry, easy to use (they seem easier/more comfortable when glassing for extended periods of time)....

6 power binoculars are not too popular which is a shame cause I think if most people tried them they would be impressed by their very balanced characteristics. And you are giving up very little "power (in real world usability) when you move from 8x to 6x ...

I previously recommended the Fujinon FMTR 8x,30 porro's before I found that Leupold had recently introduced these 6x,32 fwiw
 
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the best the budget would allow was for the Leupold Cascades...got them in 10x42.....very nice...bright and clear and work perfectly in my hunting applications...I was especially surprised when the sun set and light was fading,no comparison to my other binoculars I was using at all...pricewise and quality wise,I am very pleased
 
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