$100 Binoculars?

baddarryl · April 4, 2012, 08:27 PM

What are the best general purpose or compact ones for $100? Thanks.

FlyFish · April 5, 2012, 09:36 AM

I'm no expert when it comes to optics, but my personal experience is that there are no binoculars at that price that are worth owning. The cheaper binocs that I've owned at various times all eventually suffer from collimation problems (i.e., the two sides look in slightly different directions) that make them virtually unusable, and even without that issue the glass has problems with resolution and light transmission.

I have a pair of compact Pentax binoculars that (as I recall) I paid about $250 for around 10 years ago and I find them to be quite good, but clearly inferior to the high-end Swarovski and Zeiss products, which of course come with very high-end price tags. If you get a chance you should look through one of the other brand just to get an idea of how good binoculars can be. Unfortunately, you'll forever after be dissatisfied with lower-end products but at least you'll have a standard to judge them against.

baddarryl · April 5, 2012, 10:01 AM

I understand that you get what you pay for generally. That being said, true quality binoculars are not my highest priority so I am just hoping to get the best I can for about $100 + or -. Thanks for your input though.

doofus47 · April 5, 2012, 11:18 AM

What magnification? I picked up some WW2 German ddx binos in 6x for $80. Very clear. I picked up some 1950's French surplus 8x Hensoldts for $75; they had a couple specs on the lenses but nothing I can't accommodate. Both are good, solid, general purpose binoculars. The WW2 binos fog up when it's cold out. I use the 8x for plane watching at the local airport; they haven't seen bad weather.

wogpotter · April 5, 2012, 03:07 PM

Sadly the old "You get what you pay for" is becoming less & less true as everything is being made in (insert 3rd world country here) & re-branded as a major brand.

Look carefully in all the odd corners when you but a binocular from (insert major Japanese manufacturer's brand here)There is a very good chance it was actually re-branded from brand-X!

Its over $100, but I bought a set of 8X42 Cabela's Alpha Extreme full sized a few years back & they are (or rather were) exactly the same as a major Jap brand for $100 more & for only another $450 I could have had a major German high quality label stuck on them.

I've had them a while & they are excellent glasses & have had zero problems despite of hard use quite a lot or the time.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunti...3Bcat104217480

Check out some of the store brands, they are secret sleepers nowadays.

603Country · April 6, 2012, 08:51 AM

If I was limited to $100 for binocs, I'd probably go for Nikon or Pentax. I've got some 9 power Nikon compacts that somebody gave me years ago, and they are really clear, though they wouldn't be much good in low light situations.

You might consider getting one of the birdwatcher magazines and see what those folks are using at the low price end. That's a group of people that spend more time using binocs than we hunters do.

April 4, 2012, 08:27 PM	#1
baddarryl Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2011 Location: Cape Fear! Posts: 1,683	$100 Binoculars? What are the best general purpose or compact ones for $100? Thanks.

April 5, 2012, 09:36 AM	#2
FlyFish Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2009 Location: Overlooking the Baker River Valley Posts: 1,723	I'm no expert when it comes to optics, but my personal experience is that there are no binoculars at that price that are worth owning. The cheaper binocs that I've owned at various times all eventually suffer from collimation problems (i.e., the two sides look in slightly different directions) that make them virtually unusable, and even without that issue the glass has problems with resolution and light transmission. I have a pair of compact Pentax binoculars that (as I recall) I paid about $250 for around 10 years ago and I find them to be quite good, but clearly inferior to the high-end Swarovski and Zeiss products, which of course come with very high-end price tags. If you get a chance you should look through one of the other brand just to get an idea of how good binoculars can be. Unfortunately, you'll forever after be dissatisfied with lower-end products but at least you'll have a standard to judge them against. __________________ NRA Benefactor Life Member NRA Certified Instructor: Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, PPIH, Metallic & Shotgun Shell Reloading; RSO Pemigewasset Valley Fish & Game Club

April 5, 2012, 11:18 AM	#4
doofus47 Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: live in a in a house when i'm not in a tent Posts: 2,483	If age isn't an issue.... What magnification? I picked up some WW2 German ddx binos in 6x for $80. Very clear. I picked up some 1950's French surplus 8x Hensoldts for $75; they had a couple specs on the lenses but nothing I can't accommodate. Both are good, solid, general purpose binoculars. The WW2 binos fog up when it's cold out. I use the 8x for plane watching at the local airport; they haven't seen bad weather.

April 5, 2012, 03:07 PM	#5
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Sadly the old "You get what you pay for" is becoming less & less true as everything is being made in (insert 3rd world country here) & re-branded as a major brand. Look carefully in all the odd corners when you but a binocular from (insert major Japanese manufacturer's brand here)There is a very good chance it was actually re-branded from brand-X! Its over $100, but I bought a set of 8X42 Cabela's Alpha Extreme full sized a few years back & they are (or rather were) exactly the same as a major Jap brand for $100 more & for only another $450 I could have had a major German high quality label stuck on them. I've had them a while & they are excellent glasses & have had zero problems despite of hard use quite a lot or the time. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunti...3Bcat104217480 Check out some of the store brands, they are secret sleepers nowadays. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

April 5, 2012, 10:01 AM	#3
baddarryl Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2011 Location: Cape Fear! Posts: 1,683	I understand that you get what you pay for generally. That being said, true quality binoculars are not my highest priority so I am just hoping to get the best I can for about $100 + or -. Thanks for your input though.

April 6, 2012, 08:51 AM	#6
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	If I was limited to $100 for binocs, I'd probably go for Nikon or Pentax. I've got some 9 power Nikon compacts that somebody gave me years ago, and they are really clear, though they wouldn't be much good in low light situations. You might consider getting one of the birdwatcher magazines and see what those folks are using at the low price end. That's a group of people that spend more time using binocs than we hunters do.