need some good binos...

SkaerE · September 22, 2002, 01:22 AM

mostly for hunting season. anyhow heres what i need:

1.) good optics (clarity/no distortion etc)
2.) about 7-8 power, no more, no less
3.) around $300 or so.
4.) durable housing
5.) MAYBE some kinda ranging reticle
6.) about 40mm or so

im thinking about the IOR 7x40 military binos. dont really NEED a range finding reticle, but i was pretty good at using the Army binos as a Cav Scout, so it may come in handy...

anyone here ever use the Steiner predator glasses? supposed to make game stick out somehow...

anyhow, what do you all use?

labgrade · September 22, 2002, 03:10 AM

Quick check.

Do you normally wear glasses?

If so, you'd best be served with a set of extended eye reliefs. Very handy not to have to swing the specs out of the way to view.

Just a thought.

I do wear specs & pleased with a set of Nikon's Attache series EER 8X40 (42, I disremember without going to the truck). No matter the brand, buy for what you normally look through.

SkaerE · September 22, 2002, 03:22 AM

nope, no glasses.

im also lookin at Nikon Monarch 8x40 All terrain binos.

now i know Nikon has very nice glass, how about durability?

clown714 · September 22, 2002, 10:17 AM

i have had a pair of nikon atb 10x40 for over a year now.

couldn't be happier

my vote goes to nikon

clown

Art Eatman · September 22, 2002, 10:22 AM

If you're hunting where it's common to get up to overlook pretty large areas (a mile or more away), quality is a necessity. For one thing, you'll be spending a lot of time looking over the country, and quality binocs not only provide better clarity, they avoid giving eyestrain and headaches.

If you're mostly just "checkin' country" or counting points within 200 to 400 yards, most any old binocs will do.

Art

H&H,hunter · September 22, 2002, 12:30 PM

A couple of years ago I broke down and got a pair of Swarvarski 10X42 SLC's. I paid about $850.00 for them. real darn expensive but I've got to tell you they were probably the best hunting investment I've ever made!!

With glass that clear you'd be amazed at what you can pick out at distance that a guy with lesser glass won't see.

For the money however, Stiener Big horn 9X40's are real nice glass.

justinh · September 23, 2002, 08:13 AM

I suggest Pentax 8x42 DCF WP. They can be had for $224 after rebate here: http://www.17photo.com/mivastore/mer...uct_Code=62560 I just ordered mine and I like them so far. 17th Street photo is a great company to do business with.

Chipster · September 25, 2002, 12:31 PM

www.swfa.com. Great to deal with, and they stand behind their products. Lots of specials on binoculars as well.

bronco61 · September 27, 2002, 04:19 PM

I have used my pair of Nicon Monarchs here in Prince William Sound Alaska for 4 years now. As nasty as it is here, I've found that they are VERY durable and have had no problems with them. They get soaked and take trips with me as I fall down hill-sides on a regular basis.

I also feel that the optics are good for the price because I cannot afford Zeiss or Swarovski bino's at this time.

I would also suggest getting a Crooked Horn Outfitter Slide and Flex bino-system. These things ROCK!! They hold the bino's close to your body and keep them from swinging side-to-side while you walk, or forward as you lean down.

http://www.crookedhorn.com/indexbino.htm

Fred Hansen · September 27, 2002, 10:20 PM

I use Fujinon CD 8x42's but they are closer to $600.00. I second the motion on the Crooked Horn Slide and Flex. They make great binos (read that relatively heavy) easy to carry.

OF · September 27, 2002, 10:35 PM

I've seen jmbg29's Fujinon's and they are INSANE. I never knew binos could look that good.

- Gabe

Kernel · September 28, 2002, 12:36 AM

The only way for you to get a high quality $300 waterproof bino is to buy a porro prism design. Roof prisms are cool and very fashionable but because of their more complex optics and body design they cost 2 -3 times more than optically equivalent porros. It's like a law of nature, there's no gettin' around it.

Look at it this way. I've got a ten year old pair of Nikon 7x50 Naturalist XL RC (camo rubber coated). They're clear as a bell and I love them dearly. Their depth of field is awesome, focus them once and forget it, they stay focused from 30 feet to infinity (I've never seen a roof at any price come close). It's a huge benefit when hunting. Great dawn/dusk glass, heck, you can even discern useful images at night in bright moonlit. They set me back around $280 IIRC. I've compared them side-by-side to high end roofs and optically they're equivalent to roof glass costing $500 to $750.

So what's the trade off? Porro prisms are bigger, bulkier, and (usually) heavier. That's the down side. I bought a good neck strap and moved on.

The Nikon Superior E 8x32, though not waterproof, is considered by many the most optically perfect binocular made. They're a porro prism design and cost around $600. It might be possible to make a roof prism to equal them but they'd be so friggin' expensive I don't think anyone's even tried.

Forget the Nikon Monarchs. Optically they're worse than many porro prism costing around a hundred bucks. Check them out side-by-side with a $110 pair of Nikon 7x40 Action porros and tell me which one is clearer. Dollar-for-dollar I think Nikon makes the best binos on the market, but IMO the entire Monarch line is just awful.

Getting back to your original question. Check out some of these sub $300 waterproof porros: Fujinon BFL 8x42, Nikon Sports/Marine 7x50, and the Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 8x42 Porro. For around $500 there's the Swarovski Classic 7x42 MGA. Optically it's probably the best glass Swaro makes. Any of these will easily out class roofs costing twice as much.

Pentax DCF WP 8x42 is definitely the cream of the crop of the sub $400 waterproof roofs. The Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 7x42 is another good roof bargain and closer to $300.

Here's a couple of more links to get you going.....

Better View Desired
Eagle Optics

Both sites are packed with a ton of bino info. -- Kernel

bronco61 · September 30, 2002, 03:07 PM

Forget the Nikon Monarchs. Optically they're worse than many porro prism costing around a hundred bucks. Check them out side-by-side with a $110 pair of Nikon 7x40 Action porros and tell me which one is clearer.

Wow! SkaerE, I would suggest doing that very thing. I did and I walked away with a pair of Nikon Monarchs. In the last few years, the advancements of coatings and other technologies have made the difference between $110 porros and $300 roof prism bino's purely objective.

Another critical factor in choosing a binocular is its construction. The security of the barrel alignment and proper internal mounting and alignment of the optics are crucial to producing a binocular that's mechanically reliable, smooth functioning and long-lasting.

I don't believe that a $100 pair of bino's would have the kind of construction I need compared to one that's been built to be more durable. Just go try out different kinds of bino's and find a pair that is built for your needs.

muleshoe · October 1, 2002, 07:45 AM

If it all possible, take a peek through some Pentax DCFs, the waterproof versions. Forget the online stores, On Ebay you can get the 8x42s for $300 delivered.

I don't have the kind of money it takes to buy these obscenely priced optics. $300 was about the lid of my budget when hunting for binocs a year or so ago. I'm real glad I stumbled across the Pentax, very nice. I was able to compare them side by side in a week's worth of hunting conditions to a pair of Kahles, IMO the Pentax are better.

beetlefang · October 4, 2002, 08:43 PM

Hi,

If you perform a search on altavista or any other popular search engine containing the terms binocular and bird watching or ornithology, then you'll find some good info about optics.

I'd give you some links...but I'm in a transitory status and on a borrowed 'comp'.

I've owned several binoculars for nature watching/hunting. So far, the best - yet very expensive - are Leica 10 x 42 BN. They are a bit heavy, but completely fogproof and waterproof. And, they are expensive. The eye-cups roll down for eyeglass wearers.

If you decide on the Leica brand...make sure that you purchase them from an 'authorized dealer' if shopping for good deals on the internet - or Leica will not honor the warranty. So far I've had mine for four years, and have used them without incident in caribbean rainforests.

Persons who look through them are always awed by the clarity and detail of my binoc's.

Anyways, my two cents...

beetle

September 22, 2002, 01:22 AM	#1
SkaerE Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2001 Location: Va Posts: 166	need some good binos... mostly for hunting season. anyhow heres what i need: 1.) good optics (clarity/no distortion etc) 2.) about 7-8 power, no more, no less 3.) around $300 or so. 4.) durable housing 5.) MAYBE some kinda ranging reticle 6.) about 40mm or so im thinking about the IOR 7x40 military binos. dont really NEED a range finding reticle, but i was pretty good at using the Army binos as a Cav Scout, so it may come in handy... anyone here ever use the Steiner predator glasses? supposed to make game stick out somehow... anyhow, what do you all use?

September 22, 2002, 12:30 PM	#6
H&H,hunter Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2001 Location: Colorado Posts: 504	A couple of years ago I broke down and got a pair of Swarvarski 10X42 SLC's. I paid about $850.00 for them. real darn expensive but I've got to tell you they were probably the best hunting investment I've ever made!! With glass that clear you'd be amazed at what you can pick out at distance that a guy with lesser glass won't see. For the money however, Stiener Big horn 9X40's are real nice glass. __________________ Velocity is thrilling, But diameter does the real killing.

September 27, 2002, 10:20 PM	#10
Fred Hansen Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2001 Location: The middle of WWIII Posts: 3,335	I use Fujinon CD 8x42's but they are closer to $600.00. I second the motion on the Crooked Horn Slide and Flex. They make great binos (read that relatively heavy) easy to carry. __________________ "This started out as a documentary on gun violence in America, but the largest mass murder in our history was just committed -- without the use of a single gun! Not a single bullet fired! No bomb was set off, no missile was fired, no weapon (i.e., a device that was solely and specifically manufactured to kill humans) was used. A boxcutter! -- I can't stop thinking about this. A thousand gun control laws would not have prevented this massacre. What am I doing?" Michael Moore

September 28, 2002, 12:36 AM	#12
Kernel Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 1999 Location: Madison, WI.... "78 Square Miles Surrounded by Reality" Posts: 923	The only way for you to get a high quality $300 waterproof bino is to buy a porro prism design. Roof prisms are cool and very fashionable but because of their more complex optics and body design they cost 2 -3 times more than optically equivalent porros. It's like a law of nature, there's no gettin' around it. Look at it this way. I've got a ten year old pair of Nikon 7x50 Naturalist XL RC (camo rubber coated). They're clear as a bell and I love them dearly. Their depth of field is awesome, focus them once and forget it, they stay focused from 30 feet to infinity (I've never seen a roof at any price come close). It's a huge benefit when hunting. Great dawn/dusk glass, heck, you can even discern useful images at night in bright moonlit. They set me back around $280 IIRC. I've compared them side-by-side to high end roofs and optically they're equivalent to roof glass costing $500 to $750. So what's the trade off? Porro prisms are bigger, bulkier, and (usually) heavier. That's the down side. I bought a good neck strap and moved on. The Nikon Superior E 8x32, though not waterproof, is considered by many the most optically perfect binocular made. They're a porro prism design and cost around $600. It might be possible to make a roof prism to equal them but they'd be so friggin' expensive I don't think anyone's even tried. Forget the Nikon Monarchs. Optically they're worse than many porro prism costing around a hundred bucks. Check them out side-by-side with a $110 pair of Nikon 7x40 Action porros and tell me which one is clearer. Dollar-for-dollar I think Nikon makes the best binos on the market, but IMO the entire Monarch line is just awful. Getting back to your original question. Check out some of these sub $300 waterproof porros: Fujinon BFL 8x42, Nikon Sports/Marine 7x50, and the Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 8x42 Porro. For around $500 there's the Swarovski Classic 7x42 MGA. Optically it's probably the best glass Swaro makes. Any of these will easily out class roofs costing twice as much. Pentax DCF WP 8x42 is definitely the cream of the crop of the sub $400 waterproof roofs. The Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 7x42 is another good roof bargain and closer to $300. Here's a couple of more links to get you going..... Better View Desired Eagle Optics Both sites are packed with a ton of bino info. -- Kernel __________________ "You can shoot down every MiG the Soviets employ, but if you return to base and the lead Soviet tank commander is eating breakfast in your snack bar, Jack, you've lost the war." — Anonymous A-10 Pilot, USAF

October 1, 2002, 07:45 AM	#14
muleshoe Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2000 Location: Mills County, IA Posts: 410	If it all possible, take a peek through some Pentax DCFs, the waterproof versions. Forget the online stores, On Ebay you can get the 8x42s for $300 delivered. I don't have the kind of money it takes to buy these obscenely priced optics. $300 was about the lid of my budget when hunting for binocs a year or so ago. I'm real glad I stumbled across the Pentax, very nice. I was able to compare them side by side in a week's worth of hunting conditions to a pair of Kahles, IMO the Pentax are better. __________________ get the US out of the UN, get the UN out of the US

September 22, 2002, 03:10 AM	#2
labgrade Member In Memoriam Join Date: November 29, 1999 Location: west of a small town, CO Posts: 4,346	Quick check. Do you normally wear glasses? If so, you'd best be served with a set of extended eye reliefs. Very handy not to have to swing the specs out of the way to view. Just a thought. I do wear specs & pleased with a set of Nikon's Attache series EER 8X40 (42, I disremember without going to the truck). No matter the brand, buy for what you normally look through.

September 22, 2002, 03:22 AM	#3
SkaerE Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2001 Location: Va Posts: 166	nope, no glasses. im also lookin at Nikon Monarch 8x40 All terrain binos. now i know Nikon has very nice glass, how about durability?

September 22, 2002, 10:17 AM	#4
clown714 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2001 Location: ga Posts: 395	i have had a pair of nikon atb 10x40 for over a year now. couldn't be happier my vote goes to nikon clown

September 22, 2002, 10:22 AM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	If you're hunting where it's common to get up to overlook pretty large areas (a mile or more away), quality is a necessity. For one thing, you'll be spending a lot of time looking over the country, and quality binocs not only provide better clarity, they avoid giving eyestrain and headaches. If you're mostly just "checkin' country" or counting points within 200 to 400 yards, most any old binocs will do. Art

September 23, 2002, 08:13 AM	#7
justinh Member Join Date: August 24, 2002 Location: Montana Posts: 37	I suggest Pentax 8x42 DCF WP. They can be had for $224 after rebate here: http://www.17photo.com/mivastore/mer...uct_Code=62560 I just ordered mine and I like them so far. 17th Street photo is a great company to do business with.

September 25, 2002, 12:31 PM	#8
Chipster Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2001 Location: Commonwealth of Virginia Posts: 123	www.swfa.com. Great to deal with, and they stand behind their products. Lots of specials on binoculars as well.

September 27, 2002, 04:19 PM	#9
bronco61 Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 1999 Location: Alaska Posts: 518	I have used my pair of Nicon Monarchs here in Prince William Sound Alaska for 4 years now. As nasty as it is here, I've found that they are VERY durable and have had no problems with them. They get soaked and take trips with me as I fall down hill-sides on a regular basis. I also feel that the optics are good for the price because I cannot afford Zeiss or Swarovski bino's at this time. I would also suggest getting a Crooked Horn Outfitter Slide and Flex bino-system. These things ROCK!! They hold the bino's close to your body and keep them from swinging side-to-side while you walk, or forward as you lean down. http://www.crookedhorn.com/indexbino.htm

September 27, 2002, 10:35 PM	#11
OF Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2000 Posts: 2,239	I've seen jmbg29's Fujinon's and they are INSANE. I never knew binos could look that good. - Gabe

September 30, 2002, 03:07 PM	#13
bronco61 Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 1999 Location: Alaska Posts: 518	Forget the Nikon Monarchs. Optically they're worse than many porro prism costing around a hundred bucks. Check them out side-by-side with a $110 pair of Nikon 7x40 Action porros and tell me which one is clearer. Wow! SkaerE, I would suggest doing that very thing. I did and I walked away with a pair of Nikon Monarchs. In the last few years, the advancements of coatings and other technologies have made the difference between $110 porros and $300 roof prism bino's purely objective. Another critical factor in choosing a binocular is its construction. The security of the barrel alignment and proper internal mounting and alignment of the optics are crucial to producing a binocular that's mechanically reliable, smooth functioning and long-lasting. I don't believe that a $100 pair of bino's would have the kind of construction I need compared to one that's been built to be more durable. Just go try out different kinds of bino's and find a pair that is built for your needs.

October 4, 2002, 08:43 PM	#15
beetlefang Member Join Date: October 4, 2002 Posts: 41	Hi, If you perform a search on altavista or any other popular search engine containing the terms binocular and bird watching or ornithology, then you'll find some good info about optics. I'd give you some links...but I'm in a transitory status and on a borrowed 'comp'. I've owned several binoculars for nature watching/hunting. So far, the best - yet very expensive - are Leica 10 x 42 BN. They are a bit heavy, but completely fogproof and waterproof. And, they are expensive. The eye-cups roll down for eyeglass wearers. If you decide on the Leica brand...make sure that you purchase them from an 'authorized dealer' if shopping for good deals on the internet - or Leica will not honor the warranty. So far I've had mine for four years, and have used them without incident in caribbean rainforests. Persons who look through them are always awed by the clarity and detail of my binoc's. Anyways, my two cents... beetle