Buying binoculars. Need suggestions.

[cadillac]

Dave,

I like the Vortex glass, but there is no one close by that carrys them. Deer season closes on the 15th here, so I need to try to find a pair by Wednsday. Plus the Vortex stuff is a little out of my price range.

Anybody here ever try out the Nikon Monarch 8.5X 56?

[Curveman]

Seriously, you do not need to spend a lot of money to get good quality binoculars nor would I personally recommend them for the rough and tumble woods. As a hunter you want to spot animals and antlers and the mid-price range optics are MORE than adequate for that purpose.  A lot of research supports the infuence of price tag on people's evaluation of the quality of the product. In some cases they have even given people the same product but different prices. Guess which one's get rated as having the best quality? Look at the reviews on the HG's and the Monarch's: "You're better off with the Nikon Monarch ATB Binoculars 8x42 than the Nikon 8x32 HG DCF which was at the top in this class. The HGs have a slightly wider field of view and closer focus, but image quality is not any better than the Monarch's."(Cornell). The Cornell folks birdwatch for a living where a detailed image is frankly even more important than you would need to hunt whitetails.  If I had money to burn I wouldn't burn it for that-not for binoculars used for hunting anyway. A better view of Saturn from your backyard yeah, buy that 5k telescope. How many tines, no.

[SpankyNeal]

Eagle Optics has the Vortex Fury 6.5X32 in stock for $299.99 with free ground shipping - hard to beat that!

Ken

[cadillac]

Just a little update....

I bought the Nikon Monarch 8X42.

I looked at the Steiner Merlin 8X32, the Leupold Green Ring Olympic 8X42, the Nikon monarch 8.5X56, and the Leupold Katmai 6X32.

The brightest were the Monarch 8.5X56 but they were so big they were almost comical. Too big for my taste.

The Katmai and the Steiner Merlins were the least bright....but they did have smaller objectives. I had every intention of buying the Steiners before I looked through them...I was a little disapointed.

The Nikon 8X42 and the Leupold Olympic's were pretty much identical. Both were very clear, and nice and bright. Comfort was the only thing the Leupold's had over the nikons and, to me, it wasn't enough to justify an extra $60.00.

[Buckhorn47]

I am going to "date" myself here and ask if anyone out there still use or recall the Ranging 5-power binos.I have been using them so long I'll likely go into shock looking through some of these higher priced binos, and actually SEE things.

[DCM]

I own 8x42 Nikon Monarchs.  

Been following your thread.  I might have looked into whether the Leup warranty might have been worth the extra $60, but you made a good choice I think.  I recall the Nikon warranty not being very generous, although I forget the details.  And I know on Leup rifle scopes the warranty is unconditional, for the life of the product regardless of how many times it changes hands.  That's... well I don't see how you can beat that but I dont' know if it applies to their binocs as well.  Probably not, at least not the written one while they may have a more generous policy in practice, but to be honest I just don't know.

I worried probably too much over the choices when I bought my Nikons, and I'm pleased with my decision every time I use them.

[Tom Leemans]

I'll put a plug in for Eagle Optics Rangers. Mine are 10X42's. I was all set to get 8X42's but I just couldn't notice enough difference to not get the 10X. They are great optics at a good price.

[cadillac]

DCM,

The warranty on the Green Ring Leupold is non transferrable. The warranties are both the same except the Nikon is for 25 years and the leupold is lifetime.

[Shawn Leonard]

Nikon Monarchs in the 8 by 36, if you are hunting thick cover you will love these. Shawn

[rxhntr]

I would agree with the Nikon Monarchs--I bought the 10x42 last year and love them---just my 2c

[DJTJR]

Leupolds.  Great product awesome customer care.

[lucznik]

In full-size binoculars, if you are not willing to spend at least $500, you would be best off buying a good porro prism glass.  

They are far more rugged than they are given credit for and they offer image quality that will rival (and sometimes even better) that of the so-called "Alpha" glass at prices that are much, much lower.  Good options can be had from Nikon, Leupold, Pentax, Bushnell, Minox, etc.

If you just can't stand the idea of a Porro prism binocular, but still have to spend less than $500, then your best bets are going to come from models like the Nikon Monarch, Bushnell Legend or Discoverer, Leupold Cascades, Olympics, Mojave, Brunton Eterna, Pentax DCF WP II, etc. Their optics are noticeably inferior to comparably priced Porro models, but they are (usually) a little more compact and people seem to like them better.

[parr]

I have both the Leupold Yosemite 6X30 ($90) and the Katmai 6X32 ($350).  The Katmai are much better and seem perfect for whitetails.  I also have an expensive set of Nikon Venturer 8x32 which are superior optically.  However, they weight a lot more and are, therefore, less comfortable to wear.  Thus I almost always take the Katmai binos.  I have also owned Sworovski's but was not nuts about them.  For me, it is important that the binoculars are set up to fit flat against my chest for comfort.  I also wear glasses so I need high eye releif (>15mm).

[KrEn]

In full-size binoculars, if you are not willing to spend at least $500, you would be best off buying a good porro prism glass.

They are far more rugged than they are given credit for and they offer image quality that will rival (and sometimes even better) that of the so-called "Alpha" glass at prices that are much, much lower. Good options can be had from Nikon, Leupold, Pentax, Bushnell, Minox, etc.
   

Oft forgotten, but very true.
Probably the best bino i ever looked trough, save the new Zeiss 10x42FL, was an Opticron HR WP Porroprism thing at not 1/3 the price.

K

[crazymoose]

I sure like my Alpen optics. They have some reasonably priced bino's.

[Glenn Hickey Jr.]

I purchased a set of Leupold Yosemite 6x30 mm and they are great, all I need in my part of the country.  They are just a hundred dollars, you can't go very wrong, I promise.

[CDR]

I purchased the Leupold arcadia 10x42 and they work great, about $200.

[CDR]

I purchased the Leupold arcadia 10x42 and they work great, about $200.