New Binos

[DStewart]

Well the time has come to start replacing my hunting gear that was recently stolen. Looking for a pair of 10x42 Binos. Not stuck on anything specific at this point.

I will be replacing a pair of leupold pro guide HD 8x42’s. I did enjoy them. Have been looking through past threads and ones that continue to come up are Zeiss Conquest, Leupolds, and potentially some of the more affordable swaros.

Trying to stay under the 1500 mark if possible. Any suggestions?

[huntingfamily]

Another one you could add to your list is the Leica Trinovid 10x42 HD.

[Arctic Lake]

Meopta 10x42 HD Awesome !
Arctic Lake

[Ertner]

i just picked up a Kowa spotting scope and it is amazing, there bino's look good as well. from the research ive done they are optically as good or better as the other top brands at a fraction of the price. might be worth looking into. i will likely be getting a pair of the Genesis i think there around $2000. if anyone has a pair id also love to hear what you think of these.

[monasheemountainman]

Well the time has come to start replacing my hunting gear that was recently stolen. Looking for a pair of 10x42 Binos. Not stuck on anything specific at this point.

I will be replacing a pair of leupold pro guide HD 8x42’s. I did enjoy them. Have been looking through past threads and ones that continue to come up are Zeiss Conquest, Leupolds, and potentially some of the more affordable swaros.

Trying to stay under the 1500 mark if possible. Any suggestions?


A little out of your budget but such a good deal, Omer has some Leica geovid ranging binos for around $1700! They’re the older models but the new ones are over 4K.... I bought a pair from Omer and they’re awesome!

[Sharpish]

I really like my Zeiss Conquest 10x42, you can get those for under $1500. I bought my wife a pair of used Meopta 10x32 from a fine gentleman on this site, and they are very impressive for the price as well.

Anything better and you are jumping up to the big 3 premium glass for twice that price.

[Weatherby Fan]

Another one you could add to your list is the Leica Trinovid 10x42 HD.

These are outstanding binoculars, well worth the money.


Meopta 10x42 HD Awesome !
Arctic Lake

Meopta HD binos are also excellent, if you like a little lighter binoculars with excellent optics these are hard to beat, hard to find in Canada though.

Zeiss Conquest HD are also right there with the Leica Trinovids, exceptional glass for the money

[whitlers]

As stated above. Leica, zeiss in that price point. I have the Razor HDs and although I find the glass remarkable the overall quality is lacking. DO NOT want to start a Vortex bashing thread just my opinion. Stick to Leica or Zeiss I have never tried Meopta.

I have tried the Ziess Conquests and I have a Leica scope. Both excellent quality and glass.

[twoSevenO]

Vortex Razor HD are light years ahead of zeiss conquest. This I've personally tested .... and likely better than anything Leica has in the sub 1500 range.

[hickman]

Zeiss Conquest is what I got. Awesome! Like sitting in a 3D movie, great color contrast and outstanding in low light. I love them. You can tell the high quality.

[Sportster]

By far the best investment in hunting gear I've made to date,was last year I purchased a pair of Nikon laserforce Monarch rangefinder binoculars. Outstanding performance in the extreme weather conditions we were hunting in last year in northern and Eastern Alberta. Cristal clean, did not fog up, and ranged faster than any other range finder I've used to date. Picked them up for 1100.00 and change on sale at Cabelas. A little heavier that your standard binoculars, but with a good bino bra (we all use vortex) you don't even know their there.

[swampthing]

Look no further than zeiss conquest. You could buy vortex and they would never get stolen...even thieves know!

[Arctic Lake]

DStewart . Not sure if you entered the draw but maybe you could win the binos !
Arctic Lake

[Salix]

I like my Maven B1’s in 10x42. Buy direct from them in the US. Should be no duties. I’ve had mine for a few years.

If I was to buy any optics now I’d talk to Omar first and get something from him. Let him know your price and what you want to use them for and he will help you get something that fits you at a great price.

[Arctic Lake]

Sure hearing good things about Omer and Precision Optics . Need to give him some business .
Arctic Lake

[Sako81]

Omer is one of the best guys to deal with. Hands down! You won’t find the small company feel and customer service anywhere else. Not to mention the honest advice he gives!

[whitlers]

Vortex Razor HD are light years ahead of zeiss conquest. This I've personally tested .... and likely better than anything Leica has in the sub 1500 range.

I will agree that the glass is excellent but the quality control is sub par. Mine have been in to warranty twice in as many years.

[DStewart]

Thanks everyone for the info. Definitely interested in the Leica trinovids, have read nothing but good things on them and a few bucks less than the zeiss. I will be sending Omer an email. I should have spent a little more time around his booth this past weekend at the sheep convention, but heard nothing but good things from the guys who did some shopping.

[jac]

I would look at the mavens. I have a pair and really like them

[todbartell]

I really like my Vortex Razor 8x42, take a look through some before you decide which bino is best for your needs

[todbartell]

I will agree that the glass is excellent but the quality control is sub par. Mine have been in to warranty twice in as many years.

Razors in for repair twice?

[Bugle M In]

Have a Zeiss, but lower end.
Some of the upper end ones are really nice.
However, my buddy has a set of "Swarovski's" and to be honest, I think they are fantastic.
If I could afford a pair, that's what I would get.

[Sako81]

Best value in the mid to upper range are the Zeiss Conquest HD. I did side by sise comparisons with my Swarovski el and it was really hard to distinguish any difference especially for hunting

[whitegoat]

I just picked up a pair of Nikon HG 10x42 for $1300. Nice glass, haven't had a chance to field test them yet. Going to do a comparison with my buddies razors. Aron Snyder gave them a pretty good review, lots of info on the net about them. It was either them or the Maven B2's for me. Weight, cost and not having to get a new bino harness sold me on the HG's. Time will tell if I made the right choice.

[pinofire]

Leica Trinovids is a good option in that price range

[whitlers]

Razors in for repair twice?

Yes sir. Went in first for a faulty diopter ring and some odd color issues. The right lens was always showing a blue tinge and the left a red tinge. Had a few friends verify. They fixed the issues then when I got them back there was foreign matter in the right objective. A small black mark. Guess they didn't take time assessing them before they boxed them up and sent them out. So I sent them back. Now they are fine so far.

[northof49]

I have Leicas and picked some Vortex Razor HD 8x42 when WSS closed out. Very pleased with the Razors so far....not sure how you can go to wrong considering their warranty. Nice and light as well. Another thing......dont recommend putting any binos on the dash on the bumpy roads....I believe this can lead to problems.

[lwing]

Buy once, cry once. Get a lifetime warranty.

[sumonda]

Omer is one of the best guys to deal with. Hands down! You won’t find the small company feel and customer service anywhere else. Not to mention the honest advice he gives!

+ 1 .. Omer is a great guy to deal with!

[wlbc]

Well the time has come to start replacing my hunting gear that was recently stolen. Looking for a pair of 10x42 Binos. Not stuck on anything specific at this point.

I will be replacing a pair of leupold pro guide HD 8x42’s. I did enjoy them. Have been looking through past threads and ones that continue to come up are Zeiss Conquest, Leupolds, and potentially some of the more affordable swaros.

Trying to stay under the 1500 mark if possible. Any suggestions?

I hunted with an average pair of Bushnell's for years and then I looked through a friends Swaro's and I was ruined. From across a valley we could make out 4 elk and count tines on the bull, with the Bushnells I wasn't sure what I was looking at.

After this I started researching different glass. If you can I would suggest looking through the different brands you are considering at dawn or dusk across a valley or on a tree line. I did this with the Bushnell Fusion, Vortex (IIRC) Viper, Zeiss, and Swarovski EL's. As I looked across the valley (from the parking lot at Chilcoten Guns) into some guys yard across the other side. The fusions ranged the yard I was looking at about 1500 yards IIRC. In the yard was lawn and a grey blob. Through the Vortex I could make out that the grey blob might be a dog. Any way with the Swaro's I could tell it was a grey Scotty dog pinching a loaf. I have used the Leica's and didn't find them as bright and sharp as the Swaro. The Zeiss Victory is about a wash but I like the feel of the Swaro's better.

My point here is that your eyes and hands might favor the zeiss or leica over the Swaro. I have Swaro binoculars but a Leica spotting scope because I thought the Leica was sharper than the Swaro in spotting scopes. Go figure... Try to look through them all. You will never regret the money you spent.

The top end Swaro's and Zeiss are in a class of their own. Take your $1500, save for another year and buy the best - you will not regret it. I bought my Swaro's a few years ago and I still just love how clear and bright they are.

[wlbc]

Oh yeah, and that Omer fellow in Quesnel at Aroma Foods is about the best guy to buy from in North America.

[south island hunter]

vortex fury

[twoSevenO]

Buy once, cry once. Get a lifetime warranty.

Pretty much every respectable manufacturer offers lifetime warranty nowadays. Get with the times.

And buy once cry once is the dumbest statement ever. I really wish people would stop using that. There are SO many good options out there for optics (and everything else) there is absolutely no need to buy things you really cant afford.

It's not like your options are $100 Bushnell and $3000 Swarovski.

There are perfectly good binoculars out there for even $500.

[Boner]

My next set will be either Zeiss or Swaro. I already know the Leicas won’t work for me, since I’ve already field tested a high end pair. Everyone’s eyes are different when they look through a set of binoculars.

The Leupolds I have right now look funny to me, looking at second growth trees at a distance. But other people looking through say that they are fine, just something in my head. Same as the Leicas for a different optical issue I have with the pair I tried.

[twoSevenO]

^ three thousand dollar binoculars dont work for you?

That's like buying a Rolls-Royce and saying it doesnt drove for you

Are you sure you had them adjusted well and focused properly? Color reproduction aside, there is just NO way a pair of high end binoculars couldn't work for you, unless you had a funny shaped head with eyes either really close together or really far apart.

My guess you didn't have them focused properly.

[REMINGTON JIM]

Vortex Razor HD are light years ahead of zeiss conquest. This I've personally tested .... and likely better than anything Leica has in the sub 1500 range.

and they come with the NEEDed Lifetime Warranty too ! :cry: RJ

[twoSevenO]

and they come with the NEEDed Lifetime Warranty too ! :cry: RJ

Multiple stories and reports on here of swaro, zeiss and leica have handled their warranty claims.

Everything breaks at some point or another.

I like how people on here will debate about the minuscule differences between zeiss and swarovski and how you need dependable gear with good support and warranty that you wont use ..... but then they'll load up their beater truck they bought second hand with NO warranty and head hundreds of kilometers into the bush. Lol.

My most important piece of gear is my truck that can get my ass back to town. :)

Lol

[300rum700]

Cant say I recommend spending $1500, either pony up the cash for non-vortex alpha glass or buy a set in the $500-$800 mark as there wont be much difference in quality in that price range. To get a noticeable increase in glass quality your going to have to spend more than $1500. You could also look for a used set of Swarovski ELs or SLCs in that price range.

[mastercaller]

Well the time has come to start replacing my hunting gear that was recently stolen. Looking for a pair of 10x42 Binos. Not stuck on anything specific at this point.

I will be replacing a pair of leupold pro guide HD 8x42’s. I did enjoy them. Have been looking through past threads and ones that continue to come up are Zeiss Conquest, Leupolds, and potentially some of the more affordable swaros.

Trying to stay under the 1500 mark if possible. Any suggestions?

Love my Vortex...warranty is superb. Watch Cabalas/Bass Pro as they do go on sale

[wiggy]

I own some great glass. Spend as much as you can afford on it
in the less expensive but still expensive I’d definitely look at some Brunton Epochs
I have a set that I got a few years back and would take them anywhere without concern ��

[khoffnbud]

I’ve been quite pleased with my Leupold BX4 pro guides in 10x42.

[Bennet]

How come no one on here has mentioned Steiner? I bought a pair of 10x42 from Blainer back in the day and they are absolutely crystal clear and have amazing glass. Are they not that common around here? Anyways, I’m no pro, just sayin they are worth a look. Super happy with them and I believe they have a lifetime warranty as well

[IslandWanderer]

Vortex Razor HD are light years ahead of zeiss conquest. This I've personally tested .... and likely better than anything Leica has in the sub 1500 range.

The Razors are really good. Glass all day with mine.

[guntech]

Minox 10x42's

The BEST German glass for the money...

[Glockenspiel]

Time to resurrect this thread. Any further opinions on Leica vs. Zeiss vs. Swarovski? Looking for a set of compacts, 8x32 only. Already have an older pair of Zeiss 10x40 (may replace those in the future). Looking for optical quality resolution and ease of use with glasses for an old guy like me (distance of eye relief is important).

Thanks,

Glockenspiel