Binos in $500 range or so.

[pikey]

So, time for new Binos as my el cheapos packed it in yesterday in the pouring rain up by Boston Bar.

It's a toss up between the Vortex Vipers or the Bushnell Elite E2, Pentax DCF SP.....all get great reviews......
I have a Bushnell 3200 scope and that rainguard seems to work real well.

Vipers just won the Field and Stream 2007 award, but not sure if it's an armchair test or not.

Anybody used any of these and what are they like here on the Wet Coast?

[daycort]

if you can afford it (800 dollars) the cabelas euro binos are amazing they are a little more,but you won't buy another set ever. they are very comparable to my swaro's.

[troutseeker]

Outdoor mags seem to point towards the Bushnell Elite (or replacement models) as a good quality bino whic is a lot cheaper than the euro stuff...

[daycort]

if you look through a $350 dollar pair a bush's and then a $800 pair of euros(made by cabelas) from cabelas it will blow yuor mind. remember the key with optics is spend what you can afford to the penny. I have done the cheaper buy a number of times when i first started and if i added all the costs of binos through the years i would have had a nice pair of swaros along time ago. i wish someone would have told me about that when i replaced the binos my dad gave me 18 years ago.

Do yourself a favor. Go to your local hunting shop and get three pair of bino's. The $100 ones, The e2's and then a pair of swaros. And pick something far away and then look at the object with all three pair. A big difference. The more money you spend on optics the better the quality hands down. You should put your $500 away now, and save up for the winter and when spring arrives buy a high end pair for bear season. I promise you won't regret it. The cheaper glass looks fine for about the first 20 minutes and then your eyes get tired and you get a headache because you can't get the focus just perfect, you get it close put it never is a perfect image. With the higher end this doesn't happen until about 9 or 10 hrs into your glassing session. This is just my opinion though and do what you think is best.

[todbartell]

my vote is for e2

[Mr. Dean]

Seems as though every year the glass gets better and better. I did my shopping a couple of seasons back. I picked the Legend 10x52's. 500 bucks out the door, then.

Now I see em for 350 (me thinks @ London Drugs) + tax. I'm still happy w/ them and they get to see ALL kinds of weather.

What can be had for 5 bills now, I'm not sure. good luck w/ your shopping and try to find a place that's got several kinds to try "side by side".

[kishman]

I just got back from my first trip with my new e2's and I love them. Even after being rained on all day they were bright, clear and fog free. Before I looked at these I was sold on Cabelas' "euro" bino, they run around $800.00 if memory serves. I paid 499.00 for my e2's and really couldn't be happier with them.

[J_T]

Steiner, Predator series.

[Fisher-Dude]

I have done the cheaper buy a number of times when i first started and if i added all the costs of binos through the years i would have had a nice pair of swaros along time ago. i wish someone would have told me about that when i replaced the binos my dad gave me 18 years ago.

X2.

You will spend $500 five times and struggle with low end optics through your hunting career, or you can buy good ones once, and have great optics for life that will greatly increase your success in finding and identifying animals. Your choice.

Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss - there are NO other brands of optics.

[Brambles]

of the ones you mentioned I think the Pentax DCF SP's are the best

[Bow Walker]

Vortex optics are relatively new, therefore not too many are fully aware of the super quality of the product. I recently bought a pair of the Vultures and have been well served by them. I'd recommend Vortex to anybody.

[Phil]

Another vote for the e2. Bought a pair 3 weeks ago and had them out twice in bad weather. They work great.

[pikey]

thanks for the replies guys, i wasn't sure if anyone would have some of the E2's or Vipers, I know they haven't been on the market all that long. All the reviews are saying that the mid price glass is a whisker away from the top ends in quality now....however practical reviews from BC hunters mean more than an armchair review.
Damn, so many choices.

[Krico]

The fact is that within any price range, the difference between different makes/models is minor. Most are very, very close optically and the differences tend to be with ergonomics. One may offer better edge clarity, while the other offers a wider field of view. One may be a touch better with color rendition, with the next one being slightly brighter.

Keep in mind the $500 binoculars of today in many cases are better optically than the $1000 binos from a few years ago. The bigger the jump in price, the smaller the jump in optical quality.

There are many good choices in that price range. You will likely be happy with any of the models you listed. If you can get your hands on them, try them all out and see which ones your eyes and hands like best. It's fairly subjective, so go with the ones YOU like, not what someone else tells you is best...

[Dirty]

I was going to buy some midranged binoculars but had a change of mind after a sheep hunting trip. We were laying on a ridge glassing and all 3 of the others I was with could see 7 elk bedded down at the far end of a valley (2 with Zeiss Binos, 1 with Swaros). They tried to direct me so that I could see them with my Bushnell's but no matter what they told me I couldn't find them. Finally one of the other guys took my binoculars and exclaimed, "Holy Shit I can't see them with these". I then proceeded to look through a pair of Zeiss's and found them immediately where I was previously looking and couldn't see. The magnification and field was the exact same on both sets of binoculars. At this moment I was sold on getting a pair of Zeiss or Swarovski binoculars. Until you have a moment like this in the field you will not realize what you are missing. Right now I am still using loaner Bushnell binoculars.....until I save enough for some Swaros.

[lunatic]

Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss - there are NO other brands of optics.[/quote]




Speaks for itself......no comparison !

[dime]

I just bought a pair of Nikon Monarch bino's from Cabela's. They are the highest rated 10x42 binocular in the price range as voted on by Cornell Labs. They were rated higher than the Swarofsky SLC WB 10x42 ($1300) and comparable to the Leica Trinovid 10x42 ($1350).

They cost less than $400 shipping included.

Below is the binocular comparison by Cornell Labs, the comparison chart is right at the bottom of the page.

Hope this helps.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/winter2005/Age_Binos.html

[Sitkaspruce]

Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss - there are NO other brands of optics.




Speaks for itself......no comparison ![/quote]


Actually, you can throw in Leupold HD's as well. I will post a report on them after the season, but through three weeks of guiding and a week of elk season, they are simply amazing. I have compared them to two of the "big three" and they hold there own and them some. Great glass.

As with what is in the topic, I would go with the Vortex and due to our dollar, check out
http://www.cameralandny.com/demos.html, call and talk to Doug. he is a great person and has amazing deals.

Cheers

[RoadKing]

Zeiss Diafun - love mine - about 400.00 with shipping from the states.

[6.5 turbo]

i got my sawoskis from a pawn shop ,like new 125.00 i love them

[rishu_pepper]

+1 for Doug from Cameralandny, got my 8x36 Nikon Monarchs from him, comes to less than $200. Comparable (if not better) to the $400-500 Bushnell/Pentax stuff I've looked through.

[6.5 turbo]

you can get nikon manarch 10x42out of winterpeg for 380.00 and they also have a sale on stiener 10 x35 for around 350.SIR that is. they also have pentax and elites on sale.check thier bargin bin and specials