What are the best Binoculars out there?

Honestly you are looking at your razors plus 1g to get to the next level of glass. Unless you are a guide a
Or a dedicated birder/photog you will never need more than your razors. Imo us weekend warriors spend way too much on material items.
 
Swarovski flat-field ground lenses look phoney. Edge-to-edge sharpness? Sure, but try moving them around while panning through the bush and you'll see what rolling ball effect is.

Manufacturers started grinding lenses this way for optical edge-to-edge perfection and an extra 2 or 3% light gathering. This is fine for stationary viewing such as spotting scopes but a terrible idea for binos. Even the latest generation Zeiss's are made this way.

I highly recommend the slightly older Zeiss FL's. No flat field, very natural. Just the right amount of pincushion distortion to eliminate panning issues. Incredible glass the way it was meant to be. Panning through the bush is like being right in it, with incredible depth and none of the motion-based distortion known as rolling-ball effect.

Just a note, not everyone will notice the rolling-ball effect associated with flat field lenses but if you are at all susceptible to seeing it, it is rather disturbing and you'll wonder why your $3000 binos have this terrible defect.
 
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AlbertaPatriot said:
For the purpose of hunting or hikeing and sight seeing etc..

I have a pair of Vortex HD 10x42 but im looking to upgrade. Something portable not looking at spotter scopes.
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If you have Razor HD binos....going and buying Swaro or Leica isnt gonna magically allow you to find more animals. You may see a bit different color pop and maybe an ever so minute clarity in image but its gonna cost you an extra 1-2 K..... Razor HD's are hardly a slouch.
 
For what it's worth. Over the last months, I've taken to carry a pocket-spotting scope instead of binoculars



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Celestron Hummingbird 7-22x50 vs Minox 8x32 bino.

At 7x, you could use it off-hand like a monocular. Manageable (to me) up to 15x standing with the tripod resting against my chest.
At full magnification, I'll sit down.

it weights about the same
- Scope and mini-tripod = 651gr
- Bino and harness = 605gr

other contenders were
Kowa TSN553, Much heavier, much-much more $$$ and zoom was 15x-45x
Nikon Fieldscope 13-30x50mm. Weights about the same as the Hummingbird, about 1/2 the price of a Kowa

The Celestron won out because it uses standard 1.25" astro eyepiece and it showed up for not much $$ on my Camelcamel-amazon sales alert :p

Biggest down-side?
- The narrower field of view
 
Leica (8.5 x 42) and similar Swarovskis. Had both side-by-side, too close to make a meaningful distinction - slight difference in colour/hue - the Swaros being "bluer".

We were spotting elk on a hillside a mile away, kept watching the coyotes bothering calf carcass well after it was way too dark to see anything with the naked eye.

I eventually chose the Leicas due to the rangefinder. (Ranging stuff out to 1,700 yards+). Not too heavy to carry as a hunting binocular.
 
savagelh said:
Honestly you are looking at your razors plus 1g to get to the next level of glass. Unless you are a guide a
Or a dedicated birder/photog you will never need more than your razors. Imo us weekend warriors spend way too much on material items.
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Of course there's always the big three German manufacturers but the razors are all your gonna need, excellent glass for the price. This is good advice.
 
Most of the good ones kommen aus Deutschland. But Kowa makes outstanding glass and should definitely be looked at. Swaro or Leica are probably the best but I would be very happy with a set of Kowas and probably Zeiss as well. Everything else is one step down.

A-zone said:
I eventually chose the Leicas due to the rangefinder. (Ranging stuff out to 1,700 yards+). Not too heavy to carry as a hunting binocular.
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Leica Geovids are phenomenal. I had the choice of Geovids or Kowa spotter when we split up Dad's gear. I took the spotter but it was a hard choice.

Read about optics on birding forums or pages. They're way pickier about glass than we are.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Most of the good ones kommen aus Deutschland. But Kowa makes outstanding glass and should definitely be looked at. Swaro or Leica are probably the best but I would be very happy with a set of Kowas and probably Zeiss as well. Everything else is one step down.



Leica Geovids are phenomenal. I had the choice of Geovids or Kowa spotter when we split up Dad's gear. I took the spotter but it was a hard choice.

Read about optics on birding forums or pages. They're way pickier about glass than we are.
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I'm partial to Swarovski which is of course in Osterreich.
 
Mystic Precision said:
If you dont mind looking for older stock or used, Nikon Venturer LX or Superior E are ball park 5 to 10 yrs old. Won best in class many times and should be fantastic glass

They were never goofy pricy and now used, should be great bargains.

They come in 10X but given the higher grade lenses, might be all you need.

If you truly want high mag, then maritime styles and porro layouts will get you more bang for the buck.... but not so sure these will keep up with top tier Euro options. They will be a lot less expensive.

Good luck with your search.

Jerry
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I bought a pair of binoculars to replace my ancient and cheap Bushnells: They survived a hunting trip in the mountains, but I'm cautious for a multitude of reasons. The issue of porro prism vs. roof prism binoculars was obviously before me. I came across this simple article (for anyone wanting to sort out the differences) https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2012/10/19/are-roof-prism-binoculars-superior-to-porros/ and arrived at the obvious conclusion: Why do manufacturers not spend any amount of time wringing the most performance from the older porro prism design. It's claimed the roof prism is more compact, but while they are more slender, they are also longer... a point I found made redundant size and weight arguments leaving clarity/quality and cost at the fore front. I couldn't find a new porro prism made by reputable European or Japanese company so settled on a Leupold Yosemite... light, inexpensive, good glass, short(and chubby as opposed to thin and long). Fad avoidance is something I've done since my youth... not that roof prism binoculars are bad, but it seems fad has propelled them to the forefront and it's tragic the alternative has become so neglected: so it goes with new and "greater" cartridges. :rolleyes:
 
New Camper said:
I bought a pair of binoculars to replace my ancient and cheap Bushnells: They survived a hunting trip in the mountains, but I'm cautious for a multitude of reasons. The issue of porro prism vs. roof prism binoculars was obviously before me. I came across this simple article (for anyone wanting to sort out the differences) https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2012/10/19/are-roof-prism-binoculars-superior-to-porros/ and arrived at the obvious conclusion: Why do manufacturers not spend any amount of time wringing the most performance from the older porro prism design. It's claimed the roof prism is more compact, but while they are more slender, they are also longer... a point I found made redundant size and weight arguments leaving clarity/quality and cost at the fore front. I couldn't find a new porro prism made by reputable European or Japanese company so settled on a Leupold Yosemite... light, inexpensive, good glass, short(and chubby as opposed to thin and long). Fad avoidance is something I've done since my youth... not that roof prism binoculars are bad, but it seems fad has propelled them to the forefront and it's tragic the alternative has become so neglected: so it goes with new and "greater" cartridges. :rolleyes:
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the Yosemite's were a terrific bargain and as a big fan of 6x,30 porro’s .... I was impressed with that version that was available in the Yosemite line.

Fwiw ... Fujinon still makes a wonderful porroprism but the 7x,50 are the most practical .... but not very light. I believe that Swarovski still sell their Habicht line but not in North America - too bad.
 
I have owned both the Swarovski and Leica's, and still have my Swarovski 10x42 SLC's. Have had them for over 20 years now.You can find good used ones for around the $1100-1200 mark if you watch. The older Zeiss 10x40 were the model by which all others were judged, and can also be found for about $1000 for good used ones. Was going to buy a set from a friend for my wife, but they did not fit her eyes well. Found a nice set of Minox that she really likes!
I have found that the Swarovski SLC's fit my eyes better than the others. But that is just me.
If you want to buy new, the top of the line Minox are better priced, and for the money, as good as my SLC's are. And lighter. I would buy these, if I ever have to replace my SLC's today and cannot afford another pair of Swarovki's.
Have not used the Meopta's, but have heard very good things from those who have them,,,just not seen that often.

As for power, 8 to 10 power is the most useful out there for your purposes. Having owned the 12 power binos, before going to the 10, and found what others have said/written about the shakiness and eye strain, headaches and queasiness that come from these from glassing for extended periods of time, without a tripod.
One season of mountain hunting was enough to go back to a 10 power set of bino's.

If looking at HD glass, do your research to ensure that it is true HD glass, as some of the less expensive makers are/or were, labelling their ED glass as HD.
 
If looking at HD glass, do your research to ensure that it is true HD glass, as some of the less expensive makers are/or were, labelling their ED glass as HD.
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. I think that sort of labelling happens because there is no ‘objective’ industry standards that define what they mean. A good binocular is a good binocular ... a bad one isnt ... I like porroprism binoculars because they are capable of similar performance at a lower price than roof prisms. Most (not all) roof prism binoculars use schmidt pechan prisms which have limitations compared to porroprism ... while manufacturers attempt to correct those limitations it costs money - and some are more successful than others.
 
“Best” is always an interesting word to me. Best value, best clarity, best low light transmission, best durability, best customer service. All of these could be won by a different manufacturer. Some others have mentioned it in this thread already, but you have to decide what you are doing with your optic. Some guys use higher magnification off a tripod whereas some like compact platforms to tuck in a jacket pocket, most fall somewhere in between. So I have crawled my way part way up the binocular food chain. I have run a set of crap Bushnell 12/50, vortex talon 10/42, zeiss diaylist 10/40’s (20 some year old binos) And now Leupolds. One of my hunting buddies runs top end Leicas, another runs Swarovski SLC just not the HD ones, another runs Swarovski EL’s, another runs Vortex Razors. All have a pro and a con just some less “con” then others. If I had unlimited money I would probably personally run the Swarovski ELs because I like open bridge binos in my hand and my eyeballs like the glass. As it stands I just purchased a set of the new Leupold BX-5 binos in 10/42 because I got an absolute killer deal, glass was excellent and heck why not try one nobody else has. If you are gunna drop 3 grand + on the “best” stick with German optics and honestly find the time to go look through them. Everybody's eyes are different. Everyone has different hands so some may be more comfortable, eyecups can also be a personal preference. In conclusion to my rambling; personally I would stick to a 10/42 or 8/42 magnification range. You have Vortex Razors which are decent glass so unless you have two grand plus what those are worth new I don’t think you are going to see much difference. If you do have that go check out one of the big three European companies and decide what works for you best. Mostly if you want to see more get out more! I have found a lot more animals with 500 dollar Vortex Talons then some guys I know who have Swarovskis; because you won’t find any animals with your binos in a cupboard at home! Happy shopping and happy hunting!
 
sixtalldog said:
For hunting buy 6x ... you will NOT be sorry. I have used optics for 50 years and that is my advice. I chalk it up to "live and learn".
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I agree, 6x or 7x is great. 8x is getting a little shaky with a narrower field of view. 10x just doesn't work that well.
 
propliner said:
I agree, 6x or 7x is great. 8x is getting a little shaky with a narrower field of view. 10x just doesn't work that well.
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I agree completely with sixtalldog and propliner - the military used to invest a lot of time lecturing on camouflage and concealment (‘cam & concealment) - during which a good deal of time is spent on “why things are seen” .... a lightweight wide field 6x bino will increase your odds of detecting game a lot quicker than a heavy narrow field 10x
 
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