Optics???

[Trophyslayer]

I'm shopping for a new pair of binos and the fist pair i had put in front of me were swarovski now im in love im just wondering any if anyone has any other binos that come close to that quality to that for a better price?

[Bones050806]

The Vortex Razors are an amazing bino that are definetly comparable to the more expensive brands for around $800. They also come with a unlimited lifetime warranty that is second to none.

[Fisher-Dude]

You get exactly what you pay for in optics. $800 binos are $800 worth of quality. $2500 binos are $2500 worth of quality. And, the $2500 binos are worth every penny. Don't cheap out, because it will be a very short time before you are looking to upgrade, and it will cost you more in the long run if you stumble through a few pairs of cheaper binos before you buy the good ones. Swaro, Leica, Zeiss should be the only ones you buy once, to last your lifetime. If those Swaros felt good, just buy them and don't look back. :wink:

[Elkaholic]

I am going to second the vote for Vortex Razors they are an incredible bino and for the price cannot be matched for quality. And the warranty is superb.

[boxhitch]

Shop around let your eyes be the judge. What you see at the store can be what you see in the field, no surprises. Look in the dark areas, look for sharp edges. Most people get by with less than the 'top three'.
Vortex Nikon Pentax all are world class. $800-1000 will get you good stuff.
And it lasts too.

[BiG Boar]

Is there any way to actually test binos? With some kind of machine? I think some of these guys get a pair of something really expensive in thier hands and have an automatic hardon for how awsome they are. It would be something to do a "blind" test and somehow see who could really tell the difference. Because from what I have read, it is only during really low light that you can spot the difference.

[hunter1947]

I got a new pair of 10x42 leupold off e bay last year ,coast was $280.00 ,shipping and all at my mail box was $315.00.

My hunting partner has a pair of Swarovski's that have the same power and I can't see any difference when I look through ether one.

[bridger]

there are a lot of good optics at various price levels and a lot of brands will suffice for most hunters. If you are really into hunting like sheep, elk, or moose trips where you are using your bino's a lot (several hours a day) in poor light conditions for a lot of days the big three are hard to beat. Good quality bino's give you less eye strain and better light transmission. I have used probaly 20 pairs of bino's over the years, but once i picked up a pair of swarovski's the search was over. If they don't break your pocket book buy them and you will never have to buy another pair.

[Vader]

The eye of the beholder is the best tester. It is true that a pair of swaros is quite something.. worth 2500? I guess they are if you can afford.. Try the Razors try them all.. in the end, buy the best you can afford..
I hunt with someone who occassionaly forgets his swaros.. grabs my nikons and uses them and never says shi**y binos, get some swaros.. is he being kind.. not likely, very opinionated guy.. all I ever got out of him was "not bad".

[muleychaser]

I will never regret getting my swaro's. I have tried other kinds side by side (500 to 1000 dollar value) and in certain conditions it is hard to tell the difference. The difference comes when you have them in front of your eyes for long periods and low light conditions. But hey who needs bino's in low light conditons, we all know the big ones run around in broad daylight...lol.

[Everett]

I have been using Minox for the last three years and am realy happy with them. Noticed that Cameraland which is a sponser over at CGN has show demo models on for $299us.
Buy either Japanese made or Europeon stay away from chinese stuff. So no Leupolds as they are all chinese except the gold rings.
Most Bushnels are Chinese and alot of Nikon stuff is made in the Philippines
High end Nikons and Pentax Binoculars are great quality can't comment on the Vortex as I have never used them
Swaro's and Leica's are great Binoculars but are not worth the money they charge I have used both and there is not enough of a differance to warrent an extra $1000
Never liked Steiners or Zeis but that is personal preference as the lenses are as good as anyones
Hope this helps

[open-sights]

Where do you get this information? Almost all of the Leupold Green rings are Japanese, except the lowest end models. I have a set of Mojaves, Cascades and Northforks in front of me right now - ALL with "Made in Japan" stickers.



Buy either Japanese made or Europeon stay away from chinese stuff. So no Leupolds as they are all chinese except the gold rings.
Most Bushnels are Chinese and alot of Nikon stuff is made in the Philippines
High end Nikons and Pentax Binoculars are great quality can't comment on the Vortex as I have never used them
Swaro's and Leica's are great Binoculars but are not worth the money they charge I have used both and there is not enough of a differance to warrent an extra $1000
Never liked Steiners or Zeis but that is personal preference as the lenses are as good as anyones
Hope this helps

[Everett]

Spoke with Leupold last week thats what they told me. Was looking for Binos for my wife. How old are your Binos?

[Bow Walker]

IMO - anyone who disparages the mid-range binos has not handled a pair of them, or is not open minded enough to acknowledge the quality of them. I speak of the Vortex line when I say that.

Go look through a pair of Vortex binos. Ypu will be truly amazed at the brightness, clarity, and the quality of workmanship - not to mention thier V.I.P. warranty.

Try them. You'll like them.

[weatherby_man]

Although I don't have a pair of Vortex binos (yet) I am convinced that Vortex products are excellent quality for the price. I have a couple of their scopes now and they have excellent optical clarity.

[Fisher-Dude]

IMO - anyone who disparages the mid-range binos has not handled a pair of them, or is not open minded enough to acknowledge the quality of them. I speak of the Vortex line when I say that.

Go look through a pair of Vortex binos. Ypu will be truly amazed at the brightness, clarity, and the quality of workmanship - not to mention thier V.I.P. warranty.

Try them. You'll like them.

Buddy bought Vortex, took 'em out of the box and the lenses fell out onto the table. That's what you get for the price. They are not comparable to the big three, but are simply comparable to the binos in their own price range.

Another buddy spent $1400 on top end B&L, then looked through my Leicas one early morning as we glassed for high country mulies, and said "F***, I should have bought Leicas." The top end B&Ls are good, but they are far from great. The big three give you great optics, hands down.

With my Leicas, I spotted a bear's ears sticking out from behind a bush at 1500 meters this spring as I was helping SSS get into bow range. I would never have seen them with lesser binos. That's the difference. Better optics = more game.

I bought my share of shit binos before I dummied up and bought the right ones. I sure wish I had the money back that I wasted on the shit. Look at it this way, you can buy 5 pairs of shit over 20 years for more money than one good set of binos - you might as well enjoy great optics, better hunting, no eye strain, and no spoiled trip with screwed up binos for the 20 years instead of the alternative.

[Bow Walker]

Hey F-D....don't sugar coat it. Tell it like it is. We can take it. We're all 'gown ups' here. 8)

If a guy is looking to spend under 2K for optics that guy owes it to himself to check out the Vortex line. He won't be disappointed, that's all I'm trying to say. :wink:

[lunatic]

Buddy bought Vortex, took 'em out of the box and the lenses fell out onto the table. That's what you get for the price. They are not comparable to the big three, but are simply comparable to the binos in their own price range.

Another buddy spent $1400 on top end B&L, then looked through my Leicas one early morning as we glassed for high country mulies, and said "F***, I should have bought Leicas." The top end B&Ls are good, but they are far from great. The big three give you great optics, hands down.

With my Leicas, I spotted a bear's ears sticking out from behind a bush at 1500 meters this spring as I was helping SSS get into bow range. I would never have seen them with lesser binos. That's the difference. Better optics = more game.
I bought my share of shit binos before I dummied up and bought the right ones. I sure wish I had the money back that I wasted on the shit. Look at it this way, you can buy 5 pairs of shit over 20 years for more money than one good set of binos - you might as well enjoy great optics, better hunting, no eye strain, and no spoiled trip with screwed up binos for the 20 years instead of the alternative.




x2 on this. Bought my fair share of $500-$800 binos before I bit the bullet and bought Leicas. Well worth the $$$ IMHO. Loved the Swaros too but liked the rangefinder on the Leicas.

[Piperdown]

Easy on FD, he is still hurting from Detroit getting spanked by the Pens :biggrin:

[SAVAGE300]

You cant beat EBAY for things like that. Just got a pair of new 8x32 burris binos for the wife for 60.00 to my door

[amerikazmoswanted23]

Im the end buy the best you can afford right now i use an old pair of 8-42 tasco and some day when i can afford better i get a new pair but like i said get the best you can.

[BlacktailStalker]

I have the swarovski 10x42 EL binos and the 65mm HD spotter.
Everybody loves the "top three" but to each eye one will look better.
People dont regret cheaping out on optics until in the field.

[Bighorn hunter]

Because from what I have read, it is only during really low light that you can spot the difference.



Generally low light is the best time for the big critters, buy the best you can afford

[mfarrally]

You get exactly what you pay for in optics. $800 binos are $800 worth of quality. $2500 binos are $2500 worth of quality. And, the $2500 binos are worth every penny. Don't cheap out, because it will be a very short time before you are looking to upgrade, and it will cost you more in the long run if you stumble through a few pairs of cheaper binos before you buy the good ones. Swaro, Leica, Zeiss should be the only ones you buy once, to last your lifetime. If those Swaros felt good, just buy them and don't look back. :wink:

I definately agree with the above. I was in a Vancouver hunting store and bumped into the Vortex rep(who used to be the swaro rep) and i asked him what the difference is in low light conditions between the vortex and swaro's. Even the vortex rep said that the swaro's are 10 to 15 % better in low light. If you can live with that then save yourself a thousand, and go vortex. Personally I would pay the extra for the best.

[Blainer]

You get exactly what you pay for in optics. $800 binos are $800 worth of quality. $2500 binos are $2500 worth of quality. And, the $2500 binos are worth every penny. Don't cheap out, because it will be a very short time before you are looking to upgrade, and it will cost you more in the long run if you stumble through a few pairs of cheaper binos before you buy the good ones. Swaro, Leica, Zeiss should be the only ones you buy once, to last your lifetime. If those Swaros felt good, just buy them and don't look back. :wink:
I would agree with above statement.
You will not find the same quality for 1/2 the price.
Zeiss produce great glass and are worth comparing.

[shantz]

AS much as i love my Vortex Vipers my dad has a pair of Zeiss Victory that he got as a tip and the difference is night and day. Also they cost $2000 more but if you have the money they will be the last pair that you ever buy.

[bigwhiteys]

I've got to throw it out to Swarovski. Their warranty dept. is the absolute best... They just replaced my old, worn out 15 year old pair with a brand spanking new set!

Vortex might be great optics, but Swaro has stood the test of time... Will Vortex exist in another 15 years? Swaro, Leica and Zeiss will be!

Carl

[Trophyslayer]

Well i took the cash out and look like im gonna be a owner of a new pair of Swarovkis tomorrow :)

[mcrae]

Well i took the cash out and look like im gonna be a owner of a new pair of Swarovkis tomorrow :)


If you can afford to do it you will not regret it:biggrin:. For me 2000+ dollars for binos will never happen I bought the Vortex Vipers as well and they are decent glass for the money...

[dutchie]

I got a new pair of 10x42 leupold off e bay last year ,coast was $280.00 ,shipping and all at my mail box was $315.00.

My hunting partner has a pair of Swarovski's that have the same power and I can't see any difference when I look through ether one.

did you get the Mojave?

I got them and Then i tried a pair of Leica's. Talk about grass being greener on the other side!

I PERSONALY like Leica better but the name Sawro is coming around on me. Everyone that gets new high end binos or spotting scopes tend to side with Swaro more then Leica.

I think that the biggest differeance is the crispness around the edges of the binos as well as light transmission. I was not at all impressed with teh Zeiss tho. They were alot heavier and clunky then the Leica and Swaro.

Dutchie

[open-sights]

Spoke with Leupold last week thats what they told me. Was looking for Binos for my wife. How old are your Binos?
All brand new, I get new samples every year. ;)
I would be real curious who you spoke to - had to be someone at an optics store and not here at Korth or Leupold.

[Everett]

Actualy it was at the number on leupolds website for the states. The reason I called was to find out which ones were made in Japan because I was looking for a new set for my wife and wanted to eliminate the chinese ones. The guys response was they are all made in china except one which is Japan than I specificly asked about the the pinacles and he told me they were made in China. I will be pissed if they are made in Japan because I passed on a good deal because of this.

[open-sights]

The only ones I know of that are made in China are the Yosemite and or Mesa. I don't have a set of Pinnacles in front of me but have owned many and never had a made in China sticker on any of them.

[Everett]

So what you are saying is the guy a leupold was blowing smoke up my ass this is my second exsperiance dealing with leupold over the phone and if you right they are batting a big freaking goose egg. I am assuming you work for the canadian distributer.

[silvertipp]

hey trophy idont think your momy will spend that much on them for you i saw a princess auto had a good sell on binos

[Spitzer]

I was not at all impressed with teh Zeiss tho. They were alot heavier and clunky then the Leica and Swaro.

Dutchie




8x42 FL T* Zeiss 26.6 ounces

8.5x42 Swarovski 28.9 ounces

Leica Ultravid HD 8x42 27.9 ounces

[BlacktailStalker]

What they claim for weights isn't always the case.. same with backpacks, tents etc.

[oldtimer]

I guess the first question you should ask is, What will be the main use for these Binos ? If it is sheep hunting and picking out a bears ears at 1000 yards or more then definitely go for the high priced. If you are like me who will use mine more for 3D competition and hunting as well, (moose, deer, and bear) so they can't be over 8.5 power and I have a very limited budget so I will go for the Vortex Diamondback in a 8.5 X42 or the Bushnell Excursion EX in a 8 X42 It is my experience that most of the animals I have shot have been under 200 Yards and the Binos mentioned are more than enough to tell me if it is a "immy" or a 4 point.
Also I won't be the least bit worried to let my grandson use them and think about them being damaged. My 2 cents. Mike

[kennyj]

I bought a pair of Lieca's 15 years ago and they're still Awesome!
kenny

[stonecrazy]

My motto is buy nice or buy twice! as far as low light condition testing take some masking tape and blank out half of the objective. black tape works best. start with blocking out half of the objective then increase until crispness of image is degraded. repeat on all the brands till you have a good idea of the light transmission quality of the glass and coatings, just dont put the tape on the lens!!! store owners tend to frown on that.

[vanislehunter1]

Hey, this is a little off-topic, but it's better to post it here than make a new thread. I was wondering who in canada sells zeiss compacts, and the leica trinovids. I've looked everywhere and i can't seem to find any unless they're in the states and I do not want to get dinged to crap on duties. thanks to anyone who knows.

[wideload]

Well i took the cash out and look like im gonna be a owner of a new pair of Swarovkis tomorrow :)
your mommie must have bought them for you cause farmers cant pay for stuff like that!!