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Thread: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    43

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    Ha! Nice to hear some good honest opinions. But there’s no way I’ll spend $3000+ on binoculars. So far I’ve tried and passed on the nikon monarch 7 and zeiss terra eds, and have ordered the vipers and the Leupold BX-4s–apparently they are the absolute best in this price range. I’ll try them out and keep the ones I prefer... also found a place in Burnaby that carries the Kowa line and their new bdii line looks interesting. I’d stick with Nikon but the monarch 7’a didn’t pop for me–and they won’t warranty my broken 13 year old monarchs so I’m moving on.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    903

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    What’s the name of the place in Burnaby?
    Interesting you didn’t like the Nikons. I bought the cheaper monarch 5 ones over the vipers a few years ago because they looked better to me. I guess you gotta try them all to see what’s best for you.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
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    11

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    I bought the Nikon monarch 7 and they are awesome!

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Aldergrove, BC
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    4,466

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    Quote Originally Posted by Skogkatt View Post
    I bought the Nikon monarch 7 and they are awesome!
    Yup. Everyones eyes are different .... to a degree.

    I went with Nikon over Zeiss Conquest as well, because they looked better to my eyes than zeiss. The color seemed more accurate and edge sharpness was better.

    I went with the nikon monarch HG ... the top of the monarch line, though they dont seem to have gained much popularity here in canada last couple years that they have been out.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Manitoba
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    561

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    Quote Originally Posted by twoSevenO View Post
    Yup. Everyones eyes are different .... to a degree.

    I went with Nikon over Zeiss Conquest as well, because they looked better to my eyes than zeiss. The color seemed more accurate and edge sharpness was better.

    I went with the nikon monarch HG ... the top of the monarch line, though they dont seem to have gained much popularity here in canada last couple years that they have been out.
    For my eyes the HG model was better to me than the monarch 7. But the price difference was more noticeable than the view.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    Aldergrove, BC
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    4,466

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    Quote Originally Posted by lowball View Post
    For my eyes the HG model was better to me than the monarch 7. But the price difference was more noticeable than the view.
    Yes they are quite a bit more, I agree. But I was in the market with a $1200 or so budget and it was down to the HG or conquest. I ended up buying mine new in box on ebay for $900. Shipped them to my brother in the USA then brought back on the plane with me when I went to visit him so I didnt have to pay taxes and duties.

    I definitely agree that people should use the best optics they can afford. But telling someone they need $3,000 binos and that everyhing else is garbage is absurd!

    got to draw the line somewhere. Cant have top of the line everything especially for those of us with more hobbies than just fishing.
    Last edited by twoSevenO; 08-15-2020 at 11:43 AM.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Lower mainland
    Posts
    947

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    From my experience with cheaper binos compared to pricy ones, the difference is only noticeable during low light. If it is 9am in the morning, you would have to have some amazing eyes to notice the difference enough to affect any outcome. I would say I could count on one hand over the years that the difference would have been noticeable. In saying that, I do believe in having good optics but to say that people should only spend thousands is absurd.

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Haney,BC and anywhere you can hunt in BC out of the rain !
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    8,649

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    Cheap binoculars vs expensive ones has been a topic of discussion and debate since I can remember, a long time friend of mine that I met Hunting 35 years ago talked me into buying a pair of $999.00 Leica Trinovids......luckily Leica had $200 discount if you traded in an old pair of binos......still I was like yowsa thats a lot of money !

    I went Sheep hunting with him and noticed that after glassing all day I didn't have eyestrain and a blasting headache from using my old Redfields, and yes low light performance is one of the many advantages as well.

    The thing about buying an expensive pair of binoculars they may have slightly better optics, but its the quality on the inside that you don't see, mechanics, also the fact they will probably last you a lifetime.

    My brother has a Vortex Viper HD and a Vortex Razor HD spotting scope and I have a newer Leica, we set them up and compared them, optically wasn't a huge difference, but we both noticed was the working parts were much better on the Leica, but honestly from looking through them I didn't see the difference in the cost.

    RemingtonJim and I were deer hunting late one evening in area 3 and we had a bedded doe at about 300 yards, He was using his German made Minox 10x42 and I had an older set of German made Leica Trinovids, clarity was the same, the difference was when it became dusk he couldn't see the doe and I could.

    So when some old timer comes on here preaching about buying the best glass you can as he's been there done that its not absurd ignorant or insulting, they're just pointing out that quality glass is just that and in the long run you might be better to hold off buying one or two cheap sets before an expensive set,

    I think most understand that not everyone can afford expensive binoculars and luckily today we are blessed with excellent optic choices at reasonable prices, Minox,Meopta, even Cabelas has some great optics,Nikon,Vortex,

    Leica even has their Trinovid HDs for about $1200, or you can always be patient and pick up and used set of higher end binoculars, again you have to be realistic and weigh out the pros and cons for your needs as if your going hunting one weekend a year well I would agree buying a $2000 pair of binos seems silly.
    Last edited by Weatherby Fan; 08-15-2020 at 07:29 PM.
    7mm PRC soon to be the most popular cartridge in North America

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    14,707

    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    RemingtonJim and I were deer hunting late one evening in area 3 and we had a bedded doe at about 300 yards, He was using his German made Minox 10x42 and I had an older set of Leica Trinovids, clarity was the same, the difference was when it became dusk he couldn't see the doe and I could.

    Now with my New Leica 10-42 Geovid's I can See Them and Range them ALL now !
    RJ

  10. #40
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    Mar 2006
    Location
    Aldergrove, BC
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    Re: Best binoculars in the $500-800 range? Nikon monarch 7? Vortex viper hd?

    I looked at some leica Trinovids as well. My opinion was that it's better to go with a high end Nikon than a low end Leica.

    The trinovids are not even made in Germany. Made in Portugal, and they really werent better than conquest HD

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