help me find some binoculars?

[CobraMan]

Well I have owned a pair of the Leica 12x50BN binoculars for a few years and these things are pretty darned astounding. I have been seriously considering picking up a pair of 8x32BN or 10x32BN for daytime viewing as these are much lighter in weight than the 12x50. I live near a Scope City here in Southern California and have had the chance to look through many of the best binoculars available and have to say that the Leica's are hard to beat. Now with that said I also like the Zeiss and Swarovski are excellent as well.

Be prepared to drop some bucks to pick up any of these brands.

Cheers,
Tim

[knot]

Yeah I was looking at the zooming binoculars because the high magnification sounded cool. I'll research this more before buying anything. Thanks for the help and advice.
These are the binoculars I'm thinking of buying right now http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=019

I have those binoculars (20 to 125x27 Zoom). The were given to me as a gift. They are crap. They are out of alignment. They do work in bright daylight but must be used with a tripod. Forget about trying to find what you are looking for quickly, even at 20x. The field of view is horrible.

As people get older, their pupils won't open as much, so while a young person might take advantage of the exit pupil (and light gathering) of 7x50's, an older person would not see any advantage of 7x50 over something like 7x35.

That is complete bullshit about aging and not noticing a difference between a large objective lens and a much smaller one in regards to light gathering. That's like saying an old person won't know the difference between an old one cell incandescent and a 3w Cree. It's the ability to focus that is affected by age because of the loss of elasticity of the eye's lens.

[leukos]

Though a little dated, this is a good comparative review of many binos out there: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publica...Age_Binos.html

[SolarFlare]

I was after some "zoom" binoculars a few years back, they're all pretty much rubbish, however I did end up with a binocular that has got dual mag.


It's not a single dial like on the cheapy "zoom" binoculars.



It's the Leica duovid, they're not actually zoom binoculars, it's 2 binoculars in one (or 2 monoculars), and of course all that extra engineering means plenty of extra important cogs/glass/magic bits, bumping the weight to about 3lbs



These are the best binocular I have ever used though, and I'm not saying that just cause I bought them, I've worked in forestry/conservation for many years and have peered through all the top notch bins of my colleauges zeiss/swarovski. If I was going to recommend some binoculars though I'd say Opticron, the BGA countryman or DBA oasis ranges are absolutely brilliant they really are worth the money and its difficult to discern between them and the big boys unless you look at the price first.

[SolarFlare]

forgot to mention you can get every magnification inbetween too if you have nimble fingers

[tm3]

i didn't sift through all 5 pages of replies so this may be redundant, but ...

check out consumer search dot com. i like this site -- they "review the reviews" and post the findings. anyway, they reference an article about binocs in which a $250 nikon (monarch) tested better than some of the $1k models.

i was prepared to drop some cash but went with the nikons and they are very nice.

[leukos]

I'll second the Opticron recommendation. They rarely come in first in comparative reviews, but their products are usually up there just under leica, zeiss, and swarovski in performance.

[Tempora]

I want to buy a pair of binoculars with high eye relief >15mm under 150 USD.
What do you recommend.

[gjg]

High end stuff???

Anybody here have any experience with the real top shelf glass - Swarovski EL, Nikon Premier LX-L, and the like? Looking for a 8x42 for general use. I KNOW they're expensive, but after spending just a few minutes with a pair of EL's at a sports show, all I can say is WOW - regular TV vs HD is the best comparison I can make, and I looked through some good binos -Steiners and others in the $400+ range. Just wondering if sombody here has a preference, and why. The street price on the Nikons is abut $500 less than the EL's and top end Leica or Zeiss, just not sure if I want to eat mac and cheese for a year to pay for a high-end toy...
TIA,
Greg

[Flying Turtle]

I've had a number of small binocs from companies like Tasco, Simmons, and Bushnell. They're fairly cheap and not too bad, but none have been sharper or brighter than the pair of Nikons (Travelite III) I won in a drawing. I think they're worth the extra bucks.

Geoff

[leukos]

High end stuff???

Anybody here have any experience with the real top shelf glass - Swarovski EL, Nikon Premier LX-L, and the like? Looking for a 8x42 for general use. I KNOW they're expensive, but after spending just a few minutes with a pair of EL's at a sports show, all I can say is WOW - regular TV vs HD is the best comparison I can make, and I looked through some good binos -Steiners and others in the $400+ range. Just wondering if sombody here has a preference, and why. The street price on the Nikons is abut $500 less than the EL's and top end Leica or Zeiss, just not sure if I want to eat mac and cheese for a year to pay for a high-end toy...
TIA,
Greg

For the price, I liked the Minox HG 8.5x43 over the EL's, Premiers, Zeiss and Leicas. Better edge to edge clarity. If you are a bird watcher though, the EL's have the best image in the "sweet spot" of the lens, IMO.

[Patriot]

High end stuff???

Anybody here have any experience with the real top shelf glass - Swarovski EL, Nikon Premier LX-L, and the like? Looking for a 8x42 for general use. I KNOW they're expensive, but after spending just a few minutes with a pair of EL's at a sports show, all I can say is WOW - regular TV vs HD is the best comparison I can make, and I looked through some good binos -Steiners and others in the $400+ range. Just wondering if somebody here has a preference, and why. The street price on the Nikons is abut $500 less than the EL's and top end Leica or Zeiss, just not sure if I want to eat mac and cheese for a year to pay for a high-end toy...
TIA,
Greg

I'm a huge optics nut and spend several hours per week viewing through top end optics. In some ways picking an optic is even more involved that buying a flashlight and can be more expensive too.

You can get a good binocular for around $250, a great binocular for around $500, a superb binocular for under $1000, and the elite glass is all well over $1000.

Note that most people will look through a $250 pair and exclaim, "WOW!"

What is your past experience with binoculars and what your you going to use them for?

[gjg]

I'm a huge optics nut and spend several hours per week viewing through top end optics. In some ways picking an optic is even more involved that buying a flashlight and can be more expensive too.

You can get a good binocular for around $250, a great binocular for around $500, a superb binocular for under $1000, and the elite glass is all well over $1000.

Note that most people will look through a $250 pair and exclaim, "WOW!"

What is your past experience with binoculars and what your you going to use them for?

Patriot:
I have a couple pairs of Nikons now - a Action 10x50 I got for my wife to use for hunting, and a 10x25 HG DCF I traded a knife for just to have a small, easy to carry and pack pair that still has good optics. I use both birding (although would prefer less power), and both are good binos, but with issues - the Actions are heavy, fine if you're sitting in a stand, but I'm deeper in the woods... The DCF's just don't bring enough light in in poor conditions, plus they don't really have enough eye relief for me - thicker glasses.

So - main purposes - mostly birding, a few deer hunts per year, and as a general purpose bino. Don't WANT another 10 power - 7 to 8.5 is great. Good eye relief is needed. Lighter weight, weatherproof. Still kicking around the Canon IS's, not sure if the weight is a good enough trade-off for the image stability. Plus only the 10x42 is weatherproof (I think...), and I would rather have the wider field of view of an 8x42 or so. And no batteries needed and less to go wrong with the non-IS's.

Then there are the intangibles, just like in lights. Does anybody really NEED a McGizmo, Ti Draco, or whatever, when a Fenix will provide nearly the same function?, No, but we want them because they're the best of the breed. Functional and beautiful - GREAT pride of ownership. I look at the Swarovskis or Zeisses the same way. Although if I drop nearly 2K on the binos, it may be a LOOOOONG time until I finally own a Ti McGizmo....

Probably still trying to talk myself into this. Talk me out of it, Please...
Thanks,
Greg

[Patriot]

[quote]
[quote]

Patriot:
I have a couple pairs of Nikons now - a Action 10x50 I got for my wife to use for hunting, and a 10x25 HG DCF I traded a knife for just to have a small, easy to carry and pack pair that still has good optics. I use both birding (although would prefer less power), and both are good binos, but with issues - the Actions are heavy, fine if you're sitting in a stand, but I'm deeper in the woods... The DCF's just don't bring enough light in in poor conditions, plus they don't really have enough eye relief for me - thicker glasses.


So - main purposes - mostly birding, a few deer hunts per year, and as a general purpose bino. Don't WANT another 10 power - 7 to 8.5 is great. Good eye relief is needed. Lighter weight, weatherproof. Still kicking around the Canon IS's, not sure if the weight is a good enough trade-off for the image stability. Plus only the 10x42 is weatherproof (I think...), and I would rather have the wider field of view of an 8x42 or so. And no batteries needed and less to go wrong with the non-IS's.

Yeah Greg, actually it looks like you're on the right track and you're looking at it very sensibly in my opinion. The 7x to 8.5 range is a spectacular, all purpose magnification. Most people purchase 10x glass because somewhere along the way the 10x50 became the marketing standard. People still incorrectly think that more magnification is better. Magnification as you know has much more to do with the task at hand. All other components being equal, images through good binoculars will look even better and sharper the less the image is magnified. Of course you will additionally (in most cases) get a wider field of view and always have a larger exit pupil, given objectives of the same size. The biggest problem with the Canons, for me, besides the image quality is the lack of weather proofing. The only weather proof model is the 10x42 and that's the final problem...the size. They're quite bulky. The 8x25 and 10x30s are smaller, but will perform lack luster in low light conditions not unlike your 10x25 Nikons.

Nikons happen to be just about the best bang for the buck, generally speaking of all the optic companies. Within certain categories or sizes certain models from other manufactures may slightly outperform Nikon models within a certain price range but you usually cant go wrong with a Nikon...hope that makes sense.

I'd definitely go with roof-prism instead of poro-prism binoculars since you're going to use them for hunting at times. They're more compact and easier to make waterproof.

I'd say that the Nikon 8x42 Monarch is one of the best values out there. You will notice a substantial increase in image quality compared to the Action or Action Extreme series. Of course they're smaller, lighter and waterproof, unlike the Action series. In order to see much of a difference in image quality from the 8x42 Monarch, you're going to spend roughly twice as much money. You'd be going from the $250 range to the $400-600 range. That would mean looking at Pentax, Minox, Doctor, Vortex, some Swift and a few others. To move up from them you'll be in the $700-$1000 range and the increase in image quality will be even less than it was from the Monarch to Pentax. If you're not a complete optics nut or hyper critical of slight optical shortcomings, I'd recommend against the spending over $500 dollars on a set of bins unless you happen to be financially wealthy. You may look through the Monarchs and be so impressed with them compared to what you've been using that you'll choose them. The Pentax 8x42 DCF WP II will provide a slightly better image over the Monarchs for about $75 bucks more and have the advantage of 22mm of eye relief. Minox also has some certain models that stand out but for me, they're not as ergonomic as trim as the Pentax.

Don't rule out the 8x32s either. They're smaller and lighter and unless you do a whole bunch of low light viewing they're only slightly handicapped. One of the best values I've seen is the Pentax 8x33 DCF XP for about $350....talk about bang for the buck! I have 8x30 SLCs and my girlfriend has 8x32 LXs and I just love using them. I've never been short of light unless it was nearly dark, long after sunset. Another nice feature is that the 8x33 Pentax have 20mm of eye relief so it's great for eyeglass wearers.

My main hobbies are shooting, hunting and optics and I'm hyper critical when it comes to optics. I'll spend anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours per week looking through optics, usually from tripods. During hunting season that number goes up to 10 to 25 hours per week depending on the terrain. If you're not the kind of freak I am, you'll be very pleased with a $250 - $400 set of optics. If fact, that's far more than 95% of what most people are willing to spend. If you look at it that way, you're way ahead of the game and you're enjoying a much nicer image than they are.

Then there are the intangibles, just like in lights. Does anybody really NEED a McGizmo, Ti Draco, or whatever, when a Fenix will provide nearly the same function?, No, but we want them because they're the best of the breed. Functional and beautiful - GREAT pride of ownership. I look at the Swarovskis or Zeisses the same way. Although if I drop nearly 2K on the binos, it may be a LOOOOONG time until I finally own a Ti McGizmo....

Probably still trying to talk myself into this. Talk me out of it, Please...
Thanks,
Greg

Ahh, yes. The intangibles factor. We'll if you're wealthy then don't hesitate to purchase elite glass. Just like most hobbies, we have to find that balance of cost vs. practicality. If you're like me, you might be able to afford the best in one hobby and then make a sacrifice in another. If you'll enjoy a Ti McGizmo more, then go for that instead. I will say that with flashlights, much of the cost is build quality not just sheer light output. Like a Ti McGizmo compared to a P3D Q5. The McGizmo is first a tool but additionally it's art. With bins, most everything over $250 is made well or exceptionally well, the added cost has the most to do with improving the image quality. It's takes a lot more money to get just a little bit better.

My optics not including rifle scopes:

Edited 5.13.08
Edited 5.23.08
Edited 2.23.09

Tasco Offshore 54s. (owned for about 22 years)
Nikon 7x50 insta-focus (owned for about 18 years)
Pentax 8x42 DCF WP IIs
Zeiss 8x30 Deltrintem 1Qs
Doctor 8x30 Deltrintem 1Q equiv.
Nikon 8x32 Premier LX (girlfriend's)
Swarovski 15x56 SLC
Swarovski 10x42 EL
Swarovski 7x42 SLC
Leica Televid 77 APO Spotter 20x-60x variable, 32XWW eyepiece also)
Leica LRF 1200 (for sale, like new, PM me if interested.)
Leica CRF 1200
Leica 8x32 Trinovid.

Once owned:
Bushnell Trophy Spotter 16x-36x
Nikon Spotter XL 16x-48x
Swarovski AT Spotter 20x-60x
Swarovski 8x30SLC
Pentax 10x42 DCF WP II
Leica 10x50 Trinovid
Leica 7x42 Trinovid.
Zeiss 15x60 B/GAT
Zeiss FL 7x42
Zeiss FL 8x42 (sold to a fellow CPFer)
Fujinon 8x42 roof prism

[gjg]

Don't rule out the 8x32s either. They're smaller and lighter and unless you do a whole bunch of low light viewing they're only slightly handicapped. One of the best values I've seen is the Pentax 8x33 DCF XP for about $350....talk about bang for the buck! I have 8x30 SLCs and my girlfriend has 8x32 LXs and I just love using them. I've never been short of light unless it was nearly dark, long after sunset. Another nice feature is that the 8x33 Pentax have 20mm of eye relief so it's great for eyeglass wearers.

Appreciate it, Patriot!!
Lots of good info there.
I AM going to kick around the 8 x 32's - I thought I gave up FOV with the smaller glass, if it's just low light capability, the less weight may be a good trade. I'll also look for the Pentaxes to take a look through, then I CAN still afford the Ti McGizmo, If I can find one....

Ahh, yes. The intangibles factor. We'll if you're wealthy then don't hesitate to purchase elite glass. Just like most hobbies, we have to find that balance of cost vs. practicality. If you're like me, you might be able to afford the best in one hobby and then make a sacrifice in another. If you'll enjoy a Ti McGizmo more, then go for that instead. I will say that with flashlights, much of the cost is build quality not just sheer light output. Like a Ti McGizmo compared to a P3D Q5. The McGizmo is first a tool but additionally it's art. With bins, most everything over $250 is made well or exceptionally well, the added cost has the most to do with improving the image quality. It's takes a lot more money to get just a little bit better.

Wealthy??? Unfortunately not. Just made the mistake of looking through the 8 x 42 EL's one time, now I'm hooked... This will shoot my big toy budget for a LONG time. That's why I'm spending the time and energy up front, I really don't want these in "Non-Light FS" section. Ever. So I'm willing to pony up to get what I want and go for the McGizmo of binos.

Thanks,
Greg

[Patriot]

[quote]

Appreciate it, Patriot!!
Lots of good info there.
I AM going to kick around the 8 x 32's - I thought I gave up FOV with the smaller glass, if it's just low light capability, the less weight may be a good trade. I'll also look for the Pentaxes to take a look through, then I CAN still afford the Ti McGizmo, If I can find one....

You're welcome!!
Usually the 8x32 class bins have equal or greater field of view compared to the 8x42 class, but suffer very slightly with sharpness at the edge of the field of view (off axis). This is related to the geometry pertaining to the dimensions of objectives, eye piece magnification and focal length.

Wealthy??? Unfortunately not. Just made the mistake of looking through the 8 x 42 EL's one time, now I'm hooked... This will shoot my big toy budget for a LONG time. That's why I'm spending the time and energy up front, I really don't want these in "Non-Light FS" section. Ever. So I'm willing to pony up to get what I want and go for the McGizmo of binos.

Thanks,
Greg

Eeek! Looking through the 8.5 x 42 EL will spoil you for sure. My Uncle now owns those upon my recommendation but we was looking to spend the money on premiums. We've traded glass several times while out viewing nature or hunting. It's just fun to see the differences between the 10x ELs and the 8.5 ELs.

Hey, I won't lie to you, there is a difference between the good bins and the great ones but if it isn't a passion then I'm not going to suggest that a person spends four times as much for a 5% - 7% improvement in light transmission. Of course there are other qualities that are more difficult to measure but if you're happy with them and the accomplish the mission that you purchased them for, that's all that really matters. If you decide to "pony up" as you mentioned. There have been some great deals on Ebay lately, especially on the 8x30s SLCs. You have to know your stuff, but good deals can be had.

SWFA currently has a "newest style" 8x30SLC display model for $899. That's about a $100 bucks below retail, which is a great deal. Swarovski doesn't discount. They're a lot like Surefire in that regard. Here is the link:
http://www.samplelist.com/default.as...ide_sold=false
(Stock # 7160) It's a great buy considering that the 8x30 is a really hot mover right now. Buy the way, SWFA has outstanding customer service. Best of the best!

Here is an Ebay link
http://cgi.ebay.com/Swarovski-SLC-8x...QQcmdZViewItem but it does have a reserve. You'll notice that it's currently the only 8x30 SLC on ebay. You might want to what the sale. If you can get it for $825 or less, you'd really be making out great! I say $825 because it's just an individual vs. a great reputable company like SWFA.

Here is another very fair price on some 8x32 Leica Trinovids. Beautiful little gems of an optic that are sadly being discontinued soon. These have and advantage over the swarovski 8x30 because of the rear focus knob. The 8x30SLC has a front focus that is easiest to use with the pinky finger. The front focus of the 8x30SLC doesn't bother most people, but some prefer the rear focus of the Trinovid and extra 2mm of objective. Here they are:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Leica-Trinovid-8...QQcmdZViewItem

Here is the same bin new in box from SFWA, but $300 more:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Leica-8x32-Trino...QQcmdZViewItem

The Zeiss FL 8x32, and Nikon LXL 8x32 are both superb but the Nikon is the best value of the two. It really isn't giving up anything to the zeiss except some field of view. They have beautiful color rendition too. That what my girlfriend is using....and will be for a long time. You might want to google those two models during your research.

Anyhow, hope that gets you started. Please PM me if you're thinking about purchasing something high end from Ebay. I be happy to view the link to give you my 2 cents.

Good Luck.

[SolarFlare]

Get the Leicas I looked through the trinovids and the ultravids, you have got to try the ultravid HD 8 x 50

[Patriot]

Get the Leicas I looked through the trinovids and the ultravids, you have got to try the ultravid HD 8 x 50

Actually the HD models are not for sale to the public yet so no one has been looking through them unless they're affiliated with Leica. Estimated release date is early December.

[SolarFlare]

Actually the HD models are not for sale to the public yet so no one has been looking through them unless they're affiliated with Leica. Estimated release date is early December.

Which is why I said you have to try them before buying anything else in that league. They should be released for sale in the next few weeks as announced when they where exhibited here in the UK by leica at the British Bird Fair back in August.

[Patriot]

Which is why I said you have to try them before buying anything else in that league. They should be released for sale in the next few weeks as announced when they where exhibited here in the UK by leica at the British Bird Fair back in August.

Many are skeptical about the November release but then again sometimes they surprise us. Maybe they won't release all models but just one or two. It should be a very nice bin. Many were complaining about chromatic aberration with the Ultravid. I just didn't like the focus mechanism of any that I pondered purchasing, but Leica is fixing that too. The Zeiss FL has been the benchmark for controlling CA over the past couple of years so it's nice to see Leica striving to be the best.

[gjg]

I would assume the non-HD's may sell at a bit of a discount if they're being replaced, correct? And for a substantial enough savings I know I could force myself to live with just a PLAIN Ultravid, I'm sure...
Greg

PS - If someone knows of a retailer clearing out the 8 x 42's or the 8 x 50's please let me know... BTW, what IS a good price on the non-HD's? the 8x42 HD's will sell for $1995 at SWFA.

[Patriot]

I would assume the non-HD's may sell at a bit of a discount if they're being replaced, correct? And for a substantial enough savings I know I could force myself to live with just a PLAIN Ultravid, I'm sure...
Greg

PS - If someone knows of a retailer clearing out the 8 x 42's or the 8 x 50's please let me know... BTW, what IS a good price on the non-HD's? the 8x42 HD's will sell for $1995 at SWFA.

Yes they should sell for a bit of a discount but don't expect any extraordinary discount for at least six months or so as they probably won't be forced to clear them.

A good price on the 8x42 will be $1500 - $1600 on (new) ones and about $1300 - $1400 on used but like new and certified pre-owned with 10 year warranty.

Beware of the Ultravid focus mechanism lottery. Many owners have complained and had to send the Ultravids back to have a teflon washer installed with mixed results. It's been an ongoing issue ever since the Ultravid was released. The interesting part is that they don't get smoother as you use them, they only get worse. I've been trying to purchase a 8x32 Ultravid at local stores for the past year (playing the lottery) and haven't because of terrible, notchy focus wheel on ever example that I've handled. It was a design oversight but they're fixing it in the HD. If you do purchase one, it would be best to buy it locally and test it out first...unless of course you feel lucky. The Swarovski, Zeiss FL and Leica Trinovid have outstandingly smooth and linear focus with a slight edge going to the FL.

[Gaffle]

About 6 years ago I purchased some Minolta binoculars. They weren't Leica/Swarovski quality, but they weren't "el cheapo" either. Went to the Upper Peninsula to see my grandparents and brought the binocs with.

My grandmother packed me two boxes of stuff to bring home when we were leaving. I put the boxes in my truck and took off. When we got home I took brought the boxes down to the basement. A few years ago we cleaned out the basement and I brought the boxes out to the garage. Well, since that trip I lost my Minolta's. I was always pissed about those going "bye bye". Just recently we had a garage sale. I went into the boxes to see what they contained. When I lifted the top box, low an behold, there were the binocs!! I always carried the boxes 2 at a time (I don't like second trips). The binocs were not in a case, nor did they have caps. After 5 years sitting in a garage during hot summers and cold winters, these were totally fine. No moisture in the lenses. It was like Christmas for me!!

[Patriot]

Good deal Gaffle. Glad they showed up again for you. I friend of mine has 8x42 Minolta roof prisms and they look very nice for the price.

[gjg]

Small Dealer??? http://smalldealerusa.com/index.php
This place has REALLY good pricing, Seems to be too good, in fact... Has anybody heard of or dealt with these folks??
TIA,
Greg

[Patriot]

Greg, did you get my PM? My opinion of that place is that it's very it's a very high risk place to do business with. I had to learn the hard way with a couple of the unethical New York camera stores. I wouldn't wish that experience on anybody.

[cy]

loads of great info... thanks for sharing!!!

an optics nuts here.... mostly for high end scopes. got all sorts of Leupold, 4200 elite, Zeiss, etc. rifle scopes.

really proud of my spotting scope... Bausch & Lomb 20x60 - 80mm
this is an older model (discontinued) with interchangeable rear lens. I've got a 22x wide angle fix focus and the 20x60 lens.

much prefer 22x lens for most jobs. quality of image is soooo much better with single magnification. quality of image is unbelievable!

been needing to find a good bino for hunting. thinking of going with Nikon Monarch 8x42. can't be too big or it won't get taken into the bush. image quality is paramount to separate deer from woods.

my hunting buddy has been using a pair of Nikon bino forever. need to find out which model...

[Patriot]

loads of great info... thanks for sharing!!!

an optics nuts here.... mostly for high end scopes. got all sorts of Leupold, 4200 elite, Zeiss, etc. rifle scopes.

really proud of my spotting scope... Bausch & Lomb 20x60 - 80mm
this is an older model (discontinued) with interchangeable rear lens. I've got a 22x wide angle fix focus and the 20x60 lens.

much prefer 22x lens for most jobs. quality of image is soooo much better with single magnification. quality of image is unbelievable!

been needing to find a good bino for hunting. thinking of going with Nikon Monarch 8x42. can't be too big or it won't get taken into the bush. image quality is paramount to separate deer from woods.

my hunting buddy has been using a pair of Nikon bino forever. need to find out which model...

That is a nice Bausch & Lomb Cy. My Dad owned the smaller version of that same scope but it's a 16-36x60. It was and still is a good scope without getting into the European catagories. The fixed power as you say are always much nicer to view through. I usually use a straight 32X on my Leica for that reason, even thought the 20-60x is more versatile.

The Monarch 8x42 is a really surprising bin considering it's price. You can't really get any better in a roof prism Nikon until you get to Nikon's LX-L, which is really extraordinary glass and nearly the equal of the "big three" Europeans.

If you don't have the need for absolutely water tightness and can settle with splash resistance, the porro prism Premier SE probably provides the best image for any bino under $800. They're small because of the 32mm objective and wonderful to view through.

[CplTriangle]

Old topic, but I'm new to this forum so what the hell.

The bino I've been using in the field and as a coach on the firing range is the vanquish, which is Vortex Optics' compact bino. I couldn't be happier with them; the vanquish is an inexpensive, durable, and very compact set of binoculars. The army-issue binos are super clunky and my optics outperform them.

http://www.vortexoptics.com/binocula..._vanquish_8x26

The rubberized armor provides positive grip and protection, they always get a lot of compliments whenever I bring them around.

[Patriot]

Old topic, but I'm new to this forum so what the hell.

The bino I've been using in the field and as a coach on the firing range is the vanquish, which is Vortex Optics' compact bino. I couldn't be happier with them; the vanquish is an inexpensive, durable, and very compact set of binoculars. The army-issue binos are super clunky and my optics outperform them.

http://www.vortexoptics.com/binocula..._vanquish_8x26

The rubberized armor provides positive grip and protection, they always get a lot of compliments whenever I bring them around.

Those are a handy size and will work well for most uses. Vortex has become known for their value in the bin world. I've looked through all their models on various occasions and I've been pleased with them for the price. It's kinda like the Fenix light of the binocular world. Although they won't win any optics trophy, just do a great number of things really well. I think you made a great choice.