Binocular Thoughts

I purchased a pair of Swarovski binos about 12 years ago...I still think back to that day as one of my best decisions ever!! I don’t baby them at all and they have been used a bunch. They are still awesome and worth every penny. Not into Vortex at all. Just my 2cents
 
guntech said:
I have a pair of Minox 10x42mm rubber armored Binoculars... they are better than Leupold in every aspect of clarity and 'light gathering' ability - when compared side by side with my hunting buddy in dim light conditions while hunting... reasonably priced German optics. I would highly recommend them.

Minox reviews here: https://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/minox-binoculars.php

MINOX Optics are another manufacturer from Germany that produce binoculars of the highest standard. Like many of the other German optical companies including Steiner Binoculars, Leica and Zeiss, they pride themselves on the quality of their workmanship. MINOX are probably best known for their spy cameras which have some of the the highest quality lenses in the world, but they also manufacture monoculars, spotting scopes, night vision devices, riflescopes and the range of Minox binoculars are some of the very best available.

MINOX is also a very innovative company and they produced the worlds first purpose built digital camera monitor and eyepiece that fits to the end of a spotting scope as an affordable way of getting into digiscoping, perfect for both birdwatching and wildlife viewing.

The MINOX Range of Binoculars
The MINOX binocular range is based around the highest quality optics and produced mostly for serious bird watchers, nature observation, marine use and as hunting binoculars. All MINOX binoculars feature a multi layer coating on all air to glass surfaces. This reduces any reflection and makes the image sharper and even more brilliant. The prisms in the MINOX binoculars are coated with a phase correction layer which enhances the contrast, even in difficult light conditions, therefore increasing the twilight factor of these new variable power binoculars.
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Interesting... you have reminded us that the Minox Complan lens on the sub miniature Minox B could exceed 340lpmm resolution...in fact greater resolution then available film at the time. They certainly did produce exceptional optics
 
BigBraz15 said:
I may be looking to upgrade. I have the older green ring 10 x42 Leupold Cascades. They have been Great, but as I every year I seem to notice I have a harder time picking out little things. It's probably more my eyes than anything.
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It might be worth your while to try some lower magnification bino. Personally, I find 10x a little too much to hold steady (and darker, unless what you're looking at in bright daylight) and prefer something in the 7x or 8x range...

+1 on the Minox. Check with Dough @ Cameraland NY. He's often got some great deals on "demo" units.
 
I've got a pair of Leica 10X42 HD-B Geovids as my primary binoculars and they're incredible, but I wanted a second set to have around for the family and casual trips where I didn't want to be worried about that kinda $$$$. I shopped binoculars in the same $400-700 price range, and I ended up with Nikon Monarch 5's in an 8X40. The Nikon Monarch 7's were slightly better and I almost spent the extra $$$, but I couldn't pass up the deal I got on the 5's. I looked through a lot of brands and models, and for what I wanted to pay, the Monarch 5 was in my opinion, by far the best bang for the buck. Bright, clear, very forgiving eye relief, and nicely designed.

They are not in the same league, not even close, to the Leica or higher end Swaro glass, but for what you pay, they're pretty darn good.

Waxy
 
Waxy said:
I've got a pair of Leica 10X42 HD-B Geovids as my primary binoculars and they're incredible, but I wanted a second set to have around for the family and casual trips where I didn't want to be worried about that kinda $$$$. I shopped binoculars in the same $400-700 price range, and I ended up with Nikon Monarch 5's in an 8X40. The Nikon Monarch 7's were slightly better and I almost spent the extra $$$, but I couldn't pass up the deal I got on the 5's. I looked through a lot of brands and models, and for what I wanted to pay, the Monarch 5 was in my opinion, by far the best bang for the buck. Bright, clear, very forgiving eye relief, and nicely designed.

They are not in the same league, not even close, to the Leica or higher end Swaro glass, but for what you pay, they're pretty darn good.

Waxy
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Yup, came here to offer up the Nikon Monarch 5's. They can be had in your price range, and have very good reviews. I own a pair myself. Main difference between the Monarch 5 and 7 is that the 7 has a bigger field of view.

As Waxy said, Swaro is top of the heap, but in your price range, Nikon shines.
 
Hey guys. Thanks for the input. I'm contemplating what I'm going to do. I have always had a soft spot for the swaro's, and other high end glass but will have to wait and see what I can afford.
 
BigBraz15 said:
I may be looking to upgrade. I have the older green ring 10 x42 Leupold Cascades. They have been Great, but as I every year I seem to notice I have a harder time picking out little things. It's probably more my eyes than anything.

Anyway, I'm looking at possibly upgrading to a mid range pair. I would guess near the $600 range +/-... I am not a fan of vortex at all. Most reviews I have read show the vortex as a top contender.

My other option would be to sell my Swaro Spotter and buy a set of Swaro bino's, but I feel that bino's get beat around a lot more than a spotting scope and I'm pretty sure I would shed some man tears if I broke a set of $3000 bino's.
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The Swaros are top notch. Around the +$600 but less than $1000 range, a set of Vortex Viper binos are great.
 
For my girl friends birthday i bought a set of bushnell trophys 10x42. have nothing but good things to say about them. water proof, fog proof, dust proof and life time no questions asked warranty. The actual body of them are very comfy and you can grip them well very rugged. i bought the for about 300$ taxes in and they had the 40 mail in rebate on so really 260$ awesome deal in my eyes.


some of the stats
uses BAK4 Prisms
Nitrogen filled with O-ring seals.
Coated lenses
threaded for stands or mounts.

comes with carry case, comfy neck strap, lens cloth and a micro fiber bag.
 
Buy the most expensive bino's you can afford from the major brands. High end Vortex can be more than the others so I personally would not go that route. Just a personal choice. You can probably save a couple hundred dollars ordering from the States as long as they are not tactical or have mill dots etc. Sporting purposes like bird watching are O.K. I saved 200.00 on a 600.00 pair of Leupolds.
 
Just got back from a four day deer camp. These were awesome. Pro Guide HD.
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I sent in an old pair that I was having trouble with and Leupold sent me these....if anything they are worth it for the warranty that they stand behind. I think they are around 800$ but I think I've seen them on sale for $600. Great clear bright glass, I could see well into the dark.
 
Well after much research I almost pulled the trigger on a Zeiss Conquest HD for a great price. I started researching warranty and it turns out Zeiss is only 5 or 10 year depending on model. I heard some guys also has warranty issues with Leica. So I think I have it narrowed down to the Leupold BX3 pro guide HD or the Swaro SLC's

I will keep my eyes out over the next few months and see what kind of sales I can find.
 
Another vote here for the swaro SLC’s. Upgraded to them this year from Vortex vipers. I sat behind them for nearly 11 hours glassing swamps for moose and my eyes didn’t hurt. There was fatigue for sure, but no pain! They were on a tripod though.

Purchased them off a forum for $1400 USD. Best of luck in your search.
 
BigBraz15 said:
Well after much research I almost pulled the trigger on a Zeiss Conquest HD for a great price. I started researching warranty and it turns out Zeiss is only 5 or 10 year depending on model. I heard some guys also has warranty issues with Leica. So I think I have it narrowed down to the Leupold BX3 pro guide HD or the Swaro SLC's

I will keep my eyes out over the next few months and see what kind of sales I can find.
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If warranty is a significant factor (and value)...you really should have a close look at the Nikon Monarchs as others have suggested. Nikon Canada will stand behind their bino's! Pretty remarkable actually.



Also dont be quick to dismiss Nikon as a mid class manufacturer..if you want to spend over $6k (US) for incredible binoculars...they can oblige you. Or you can buy the 8x,30 EII porroprism binoculars for around $700 (US) and challenge any of the similar power offerings from Leica or Swarovski.
 
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AP said:
If warranty is a significant factor (and value)...you really should have a close look at the Nikon Monarchs as others have suggested. Nikon Canada will stand behind their bino's! Pretty remarkable actually.



Also dont be quick to dismiss Nikon as a mid class manufacturer..if you want to spend over $6k (US) for incredible binoculars...they can oblige you. Or you can buy the 8x,30 EII porroprism binoculars for around $700 (US) and challenge any of the similar power offerings from Leica or Swarovski.
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i recently bought the nikon monarch 7 8x42 and am extremely happy with them. I compared them to the vortex viper, monarch 5, zeiss, and a bushnell pair of all approximate equal price range. to my eyes, the monarch 7 were the best. they all look good in the store but what got me was the FOV, check out how much more they have than others, it's nice. i've used them now in sunrise/sunset situations and don't have any complaints, they seemed brighter than the naked eye.

last tidbit of advice, don't pay whatever cabelas is listing them for. although i like to support the canadian economy, check the us for binoculars- they're silly cheap. for my Monarch 7s i paid in us. dollars, shipping and duty (tax) and they were $190 cheaper that way.
 
I have a pair of Leica 10X42 Ultravids. The Clarity is spectacular. The Field of View is tremendous. You will find them extremely durable and tough for the field, or even the blind.
Colours appear Vibrant too, with little to no distortion of images. Bonus is that they water resistant, and great for freezing rain, fog, or early morning mist/dew.
I am a Deer and Moose Hunter and I can pick out highly detailed elements in the tightest bush, across the marsh, or in open clearcuts.
I also have fun seeing fine details of Owls, Hawks, Whistling swans, Grey Foxes; and also Mink along the shorelines. .
The only "possible" negative if there is; is that you have to have a steady hand at full power of 10X.
Also, for some hunters doing a lot of walking and/or portaging, I might choose a lighter weight 8X instead of the larger 10X; but I have NOT weighed the 8X vs 10X to know!
The Old saying goes: "You Get What You Pay For."
 
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I see a couple of people mentioned Steiner - definitely worth comparing ghem. I have a 8x42 and they are remarkably better than my leopold and nikons.
 
Don't overlook buying used . I picked up a pair of Fujinons off ebay for 300 bux . Other glass may be as good but none better . Mine are armored and they have a ranging reticle and compass . The seller included his original receipt should i ever need warranty work . He paid $900.00 USD 20 years ago . Fujinon makes some of the very best astronomical binoculars and telescopes on the market as well as high end microscopes .
 
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