Vanguard Binoculars any good?

[aletheuo]

Just was in to my local pawn and they have a pair of roof prism Vanguard HDT-7500 (7x50 dcf) marked at $200 - the new price on the box is $250 and they are definitely brand new. Guy says someone got 'em for Christmas and pawned them off for a fix. I might be able to turn a deal of $150 on them. I have concerns that they are only 7 power rather than the 8 power i was looking for. They are also pretty heavy due to 50mm. Exit pupil will be about 7mm - very huge, really. Lots of light - but not sure if anything over 5mm is actually usable if I remember correctly (edit - apparently 7mm is the max an eye can handle - so these would be great in low light situations if the optics are good). As far as I can tell they are amazingly clear compared to the cheapos I have now.

Any thoughts - should I just turn and walk away?

[Singleshotneeded]

:smile: Hey Aletheuo, If you're going to be doing a lot of walking, you might be better off with a lighter 8X40, and if you're wanting binos to scan clearcuts and valleys, but not carrying them up mountains, I'd recommend a 10X50. In my opinion, the 7 power is a bit weak for scanning clearcuts, and the 50mm lens makes it a bit heavy to pack around on long treks on foot...anyway, just my opinion. I have a small Minolta 8X25 that I use on foot, and a 10-22X50 that I use for scanning openings from the truck or quad...

[aletheuo]

Yup - obviously this is just initial exploration. Those suckers are 2.2 lbs! I thought they were a bit heavy when I was looking at 'em. My buddy's Nikon Monarch 10x42's are 1.4 lbs. Plus, I've found these Vanguards online for $120 and $60 respectively - of course you need to add the exchange rate and shipping - so the $200 is not too insane likely - somehow I doubt the $60 price. But I'll leave 'em for a birdwatcher who isn't walking up and down mountains all day long. And, considering the number of responses (only yours) and how long it took me to even find the specific model online me thinks they can be someone elses' boat anchor. I'll keep looking.

[Singleshotneeded]

:lol: Well, I would've responded sooner but I just joined, lol... I think anyone on here that asks a question deserves the respect of receiving an answer.
I think you're right with letting that one go, and if you're not doing a ton of trekking on foot, as in sheep hunting, and you're only getting one pair of binos, I'd recommend going with a 10X40+, ten power is great when you're scanning openings, and a 40mm objective or larger will let you see in lower light...

[aletheuo]

:lol: Well, I would've responded sooner but I just joined, lol... I think anyone on here that asks a question deserves the respect of receiving an answer.

I'd recommend going with a 10X40+, ten power is great when you're scanning openings, and a 40mm objective or larger will let you see in lower light...

Well, I don't think they were being disrespectful at all. Just that I posted a odd question because apparently NO ONE HAS HEARD OF VANGUARD BEFORE! Their silence is, in effect, an answer to my question.

On the topic of power, I'm not convinced that 10x is the best for myself. Perhaps 8 is better. Too many times I've had issues identifying something because it was too close to find quickly in my 10 powers. But then again, if I get 8's I'll probably say "too many times I couldn't identify that target because it's too far away for my 8 powers." 6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of the other. I hunt in diverse environments from mountain valleys to woods.

[Singleshotneeded]

:smile: Do take a look at the Bushnell Legacy 10-22X50, it's at all London Drugs, at $230, but they'll price match wholesale sports at $150. At 10X they're quite bright, fully coated glass, and a decent field of view. But if you spot some dead twigs across a clearcut, and you want to zoom in and see if there's a buck's antlers mixed in, you can hold them as steady as possible and find out. I shot a 5 point muley a couple of years ago, it was bedded down but I scanned the dead twigs, and saw his antler tips. The zoom also works well for spring turkey hunting, ID'ing gender at long range. And for $150, they're a darn good value, in my opinion... At close range, if it has a nice rack, just shoot it! I'm not hunting for Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett, lol!

[todbartell]

Ive seen Vanguard binos with real sloppy eyecups right out of the box. Glass seemed ok, but gotta wonder how well they will hold up to years of use