BINOCULARS

[wood carver 2]

I'm looking to buy an 8 x 42 binocular to replace an old 10 X 50 and I'd like to get a few opinions on what's got the best bang for the buck. I don't want to spend too much on it as I have other things on my list of things to get this year. I'm thinking in the $300 or so range.
Dave.

[babs]

I have a pair of 8 x 42 Nikon monarch 5 that my wife bought me. Great bino for the price, they can be found for 250-300.

[Joe2Crow]

Another vote for the Nikon Monarchs.  I like using nice glass and have several pairs of higher end binos, zeiss, leica, swarovski.  But I wouldn't hesitate to buy a pair of Monarchs.  One of my hunting buddies uses them and it's hard to tell the difference in the glass between them and the more expensive ones. Good luck.

[Bladepeek]

Take a look at Vortex too. I've had Nikon Monarch X (forerunner to the Monarch 5) and they are excellent. I compared the Vortex Razor to the Leica Trinovid and there was no noticeable difference, but the Vortex Viper is lower priced and you really need to work hard to find a difference. Lifetime warranty on the Vortex, too. Optics Planet usually has a sale on.

[kevsuperg]

MHO, you can't go wrong with either Leupold or Nikon. Both great glass.
 Last yr I got a 600+$ Leupold Mojave glasses on clearance for 400$. By far best bino' s I've owned.
 It's easy to scimp on bino's but you do get what you pay for. Stay away from the blister packed glass.
 The Mojave is compact, light, crystal clear no fog etc.

[George Vernon]

The best choice of binoculars depends mostly on how they are going to be used.  I find two modes of use, and there are different choices depending on the mode. 

One mode is what might be called the ‘quick glance’.  You’ve seen movement and want to check it out.  Time spent looking through the lenses is a minute or two, often less.  For this mode, any of the binoculars mentioned will do a good job.

Second mode is prolonged viewing.  At least 10 minutes, often more.  I favor the top of the line models like Swarovski because, for me, they produce less eye fatigue.  You can’t ‘see’ or feel this difference with the kind of quick look used at a sales counter.  You either have to use them for an extended period or take people’s word there is a difference.

The ‘tie breaker’ data point some use in selecting between binoculars is weight.  Heavy glass is often left at home where, regardless of price it does no good.  My overall first glass of choice is the Swarovski CL 6x30.  It’s light weight magnesium body allows me to carry it and not know it’s there.  The 5mm exit pupil provides good viewing even in low light situations.  Some might say the 6 power is too low, but I find the clarity, lack of eye fatigue, and viewing angle to be a good match whether I’m scouting on the move or taking an extended view of things on a mountain top.

[KSdan]

I did ALOT of research on this the past few years.  No doubt high end make a difference. But, I could not afford high-end Swarovski, etc.  Among other arenas, my research took me into the "Birding" users who needed detail etc.  I realize there are different uses.  But for general stand and closer stalking use (not all day glassing mountain sides miles away) a higher quality 8 x 32 is of equal or perhaps even better than a less quality 10 x 42. 

In the end, I discovered that the Vanguard Endeavors ED II (I ended up with 8 x 32 ED II)- were being compared to the Vortex Razors at about 1/3- 1/2 the cost.  And the 8 x 32 were easily-if not better in low light and detail- than Leupold, Nikon and other such 10 x 42s. 

I found the Vanguard Endeavors ED II to be one of the best/top purchases I have ever made on any equipment I own.  Very comparable (almost impossible to tell the difference) to $1200 Vortex.

Dan in KS   

[Roadkill]

George V MAKES GREAT POINTS.  It also depends where you will use them and what your position is.  Stand hunting is not as weight critical as hill or mountain hunting.  I have a set of big Nikons that are too heavy to lug around so they sit on the dash board to viewing from the truck-great optics and the large exit optic gathers light at dusk well.  Having sat behind my Ziess for hours at a time, eye fatigue is a concern.  Here’s another couple things:  carry eye drops-out here in the dry west your eyes will dry out and the drops help.  Set your binos up properly-no sense provoking eye strain by improper adjustments.  Keep lenses clean so you do not bring them to your eyes and get an eye full of sage or other dust. Three things i never leave at home during the season;toilet pape, knife and binos.  Buy the best you can afford, keep them clean and your grandkids will be using them

[Broken Arrows]

Check out Sig Zulu 3. I have the 10 x 32’s they seem to be very well made and the price is in your range. I purchased them from Cables for around 179 before tax. I have been using them for 6 months with no issues so far. They are not to big or heavy.

[Scott F]

Please do this:
1.  Go to a store where you can look through a pair of Leupold Yosemite (6x30 or 8x30).  Go in the afternoon and ask to view something outside of the store so you can see how well they gather light - clearly.
2.  Note the price.
3.  Note the lifetime warranty
4.  Then after you buy a pair, look up every online review that you can find on them and try not to smile; impossible.
*hint - check out some of the bird-watching forums for advise on glass.

[T Lail]

I have a pair of Bushnell Bone Collectors 8X 40.....clear as a bell, lifetime warranty, and did not bankrupt me........compared them to Nikon, Leupold and Zeiss.......love them and have used them from Georgia to Texas in all situations......

[MnFn]

X2 on the Leopold Yosemite.  I have a couple of high end glass that I use, but I bought a couple of Yosemite for family members Christmas presents and they are very happy with them.

[wood carver 2]

Thank you all for the advice. Lots to think about. Looks like I'll be doing a lot of looking and reading before I buy anything.
Does anyone have any experience with Styrka. I was on their site and their binocs seem pretty impressive as well.
Dave.

[Archie]

When the local Gander M store closed here a year or so ago, I bought 3 pairs of Nikon Monarch 5's for $109 each, out the door.  Chose them because of the great reviews I'd seen here on TG, and I wasn't disappointed.  But I needed to come up with some $$ several months ago, and sold them all off at a tidy profit.  Kinda wish I'd kept a pair for myself.  Birders think very highly of them too.

[sneakybow]

Camofire has Sig Zulu5 8x42s on sale right now for 239. Right in your wheelhouse I would think.

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[Yellow Dog]

It all depends on how you plan on using them. For woods and thick covering I prefer something in 6X30. In open country where I plan on spending more time on them 7 or 8 power. Never been a fan of anything over 8 power without some kind of support to hold them steady. Any shaking or movement in the higher powers is much more noticeable and after a short time can become annoying.

My favorite in 6X30 is a pair of hunting model Steiners. You set them up for your eyes and no need to focus them. Really helps in thick cover where things are moving and you can pull them up and get quick acquisition with no lost time focusing them. 

For more open country 8X32 and 7X42 Leica's. The 8's being much smaller and lighter weight than the 7's. For me the lighter glasses are easier to carry but a little harder then heavier glasses to hold steady.

[huntryx]

I have Nikon, Vortex and Leica Glass in various configurations. For value, I think Vortex wins. The quality of the glass is to me better than the Nikon, comparable to the Leica. When I say quality, I mean clarity of the image, glass coating, general build of the bino. My favorite is one they stopped making, a 10X32 compact which is the perfect bino for carrying (by which I mean not leaving in the truck or pack because they are too heavy to wear.)

[Gdpolk]

Look at Leupold Yosemite’s for that power and use. No lie, the optical quality of the image in that particular product (I’m not impressed by any other current Leupold binoculars for the cost) is stunning and WELL beyond its price point. I currently own and use Swarovski 8x30 CL Companions as my primary binoculars but I recommend the Yosemite’s without hesitation to anyone on any budget below ~$800 or more. The differences in optical quality and real world light gathering between the Yosemite’s and mid range ($300-700) binoculars is negligible to my eyes. There is a noticeable difference when you jump into the $800+ range in several ways, the most important of which to me is reduced eye fatigue because my eyes are terrible and naturally dry anyway. Even with a pair of Swarovskis in my gun cabinet at home I’ve grabbed my Yosemite’s because they were more convenient or already out on the coffee table for quick hunts and I have not felt under-glassed in terms of being able to hunt effectively. They really are some pretty decent glass and they are dirt cheap.

[Recurve7]

Another vote for Nikon Monarchs

[Hoosierarcher88]

Ive been looking into new binoculars as well. I have used alpen since 2001 and absolutely loved them. I had a few warranty issues over the years and they always either replaced my binoculars with the same model or if it was discontinued then they upgraded me at no charge. I recently had a lens come loose on my beloved rainier's and when i went to contact them i found that they had closed their doors. Now i have a $1200 paperweight and need to find a suitable replacement. The vortex line is what has really caught my eye as well as meopta (good friend of mine recently left his job with Leopold for a job at meopta).