$500 or $1000 discussion

[NoRush24]

Trying to sort out some new 10x42’s to run this year. Had some maven c3 10x50’s that were just too large and didn’t feel great on my face. Went and tried some bx4’s at cabellas and was very impressed and they felt good. But I messed up and peeked through some conquest 10x42’s and now I’m back to square one on what to do. And now I have a very large curiosity about the leica trinovids. Anybody have any input on these models and choosing mid range vs lower end high grade glass I guess? This is all going to used for Idaho long glassing sessions.

 

[Ynothunt41]

I was in the same boat as you last year and ended up finding a great deal on some Swaro SLCs. They are amazing and I will never look for another pair of 10 powers. The bottom line is buy the best pair you can afford. There is a reason some cost more than others. Sometimes the buy once cry once can save you money in the long run.

 

[NoRush24]

That’s pretty much what convinced me to bump up from the $500 range to the $1000 mark. I think I’m going to try the maven demo program for the B1’s and see how I like those.

 

[30338]

Got a set of B1s 10x. They have worked great for 3-4 years now.

 

[TexaninSconny]

Or maybe demo the B2 11x45s as well if you’ll be using a tripod?

The bundle package they offer for the B1 and B2s is a great value for just $10 more as well.


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[Marbles]

I think there is a large difference between 500 and 1000. The Conquests are also nice. Having compared mine with Vortex Razors in the field I would sell Razors if I had them to fund a pair of Conquests.

If you have time, MooseJaw sells them and if you watch for their promotional offers you can get Conquests for around $700-800. Or, if you are mil/vet/first responder/midical/teacher you can see what kind of discount they will give.

 

[Rodéo]

I've been comparing the Tract Toric 8x42's and Maven B.2 9x45's for about three months now head to head and I don't see a difference that justifies the ~100% increase in price between the two. I've never owned SLC's or looked through them but I have some experience with swaro El's and there is about a 10% increase in performance (sharpness/contrast/depth of field mainly) between the Toric's and EL's in my opinion. Up to you whether that increase justifies the price of EL's. From my experience the torics can't be beat at their price point. I have read some users on here that don't like the eyecups on the torics but they fit me perfectly. Bino's are personalized tools to some extent and what works for some won't work as well for others.

I suggest demoing some mavens, tracts, and SLC's (buy them from somewhere with a good return policy or buy used so you don't take a big hit when/if you decide to resell) and you'll make the most informed decision. Sorry for the non-answer but after reading reviews for so long I just decided to buy all the bino's I had in contention and make the decision based on my own eyes instead of internet reviews.

 

[NoRush24]

I’m trying to stay away from larger glass as in the future I plan to invest in some bigger 15’s. I wish I could get hands on some leicas and play with them

 

[Rodéo]

I’m trying to stay away from larger glass as in the future I plan to invest in some bigger 15’s. I wish I could get hands on some leicas and play with them

Call camerland and see if they'll let you buy some leicas and return them within a month if you don't like them. They've gone out of their way to accommodate me with my optics itch haha

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

About 4 years ago I sold of my swaro slc 10x42's and replaced them with Leica Trinovid 8x42's. Would do again, no complaints whatsoever. The slc's were quite excellent but for my money not worth it when I compared side by side with my Trinovids despite the fact that slc's cost nearly twice as much.

That said, I had paired my 8x with my spotter which I recently sold. Now I'm contemplating a 12x or 15x set of binos. I'll for sure be keeping the 8x Trinovids however.

 

[Outwest]

Meopta meostars or Leica trinovids. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed or feel lacking with either.


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[willfrye027]

I think there’s a pretty big jump in performance from 500 to 1000.

conquests for me were best in the $1000 range, but overall you cannot go wrong with any of those options. Try some out in a store if you can, I think ergonomics and personal preference will matter more than optics at that level.

then wait to find on used on the classifieds. If you ever do upgrade you won’t lose any $$ on resale.

 

[Newtosavage]

Trying to sort out some new 10x42’s to run this year. Had some maven c3 10x50’s that were just too large and didn’t feel great on my face. Went and tried some bx4’s at cabellas and was very impressed and they felt good. But I messed up and peeked through some conquest 10x42’s and now I’m back to square one on what to do. And now I have a very large curiosity about the leica trinovids. Anybody have any input on these models and choosing mid range vs lower end high grade glass I guess? This is all going to used for Idaho long glassing sessions.

Conquests are better in several ways than the Trinovids. The Trinovids are light and small and optically near perfect, but they have a narrow field of view, no useful tripod adapter socket thread, and the eyecups are not long enough to meet the eye relief. I owned my brand new pair of Trinovids for less than a week before I returned them for some Conquests.

Optically, the BX-4's don't give anything up to the Conquests or Trinovids, but they have a narrower field of view than the Conquests. I'd personally prefer the BX-4's over the Trinovids, and I've owned both.

 

[Newtosavage]

I think there is a large difference between 500 and 1000. The Conquests are also nice. Having compared mine with Vortex Razors in the field I would sell Razors if I had them to fund a pair of Conquests.

If you have time, MooseJaw sells them and if you watch for their promotional offers you can get Conquests for around $700-800. Or, if you are mil/vet/first responder/midical/teacher you can see what kind of discount they will give.

This all day and x2 on Sundays.

You will find no better overall optic for under a grand than the Zeiss Conquest HD's. And I've literally tried them all.

 

[JGRaider]

I've tried them all too, and would cast my vote for the Toric over the Conquest HD, but it's all a matter of ergos, personal preference, my own eyeballs, etc. I'd also take a Nikon MHG, personally. I sure wouldn't miss anything if all I had to use were Conquests though.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

My standard answer is, compare what ever you are going to purchase and buy the very best you can afford.

 

[Newtosavage]

I've tried them all too, and would cast my vote for the Toric over the Conquest HD, but it's all a matter of ergos, personal preference, my own eyeballs, etc. I'd also take a Nikon MHG, personally. I sure wouldn't miss anything if all I had to use were Conquests though.

Isn't that funny. I've seen it though - different eyeballs prefer different images. I had the MHG's side by side and to my eyes, they were no match for the Conquests. I owned them less than a day. Great glass though! I've heard great things about the Toric HD's and I am not sure they aren't the same binoculars as the Conquests. I'm pretty sure they are made in the same plant in Japan.

 

[Rodéo]

Isn't that funny. I've seen it though - different eyeballs prefer different images. I had the MHG's side by side and to my eyes, they were no match for the Conquests. I owned them less than a day. Great glass though! I've heard great things about the Toric HD's and I am not sure they aren't the same binoculars as the Conquests. I'm pretty sure they are made in the same plant in Japan.

I sent my torics in for a focus wheel issue a few weeks ago and tract had me send them to Kamakura's repair/import facility in Chula Vista, CA. They repaired them and sent them back looking brand new free of charge. I've always had my suspicions that they are the same bino and my recent experience made me even more curious. Do you know if the conquests are made by LOW (Light Optical Works) or by Kamakura? Those are the two big players in Japanese optics to my knowledge.

 

[Laramie]

I must just be lucky. I seriously don't think there is much difference between my vipers and the top end glass I have tried. I think how a person uses the glass is the key.

 

[Sled]

I've been comparing the Tract Toric 8x42's and Maven B.2 9x45's for about three months now head to head and I don't see a difference that justifies the ~100% increase in price between the two. I've never owned SLC's or looked through them but I have some experience with swaro El's and there is about a 10% increase in performance (sharpness/contrast/depth of field mainly) between the Toric's and EL's in my opinion. Up to you whether that increase justifies the price of EL's. From my experience the torics can't be beat at their price point. I have read some users on here that don't like the eyecups on the torics but they fit me perfectly. Bino's are personalized tools to some extent and what works for some won't work as well for others.

I suggest demoing some mavens, tracts, and SLC's (buy them from somewhere with a good return policy or buy used so you don't take a big hit when/if you decide to resell) and you'll make the most informed decision. Sorry for the non-answer but after reading reviews for so long I just decided to buy all the bino's I had in contention and make the decision based on my own eyes instead of internet reviews.

as a non-pro... i've been looking through tract, maven b2's and slc's (10x42 & 9x45). i'd put them in that order to my eyes. the slc's resolve better in last/first light than the others. they have a greater DOF but slightly less FOV when compared to tract. the slc may be sharper to the edge but that doesn't seem to be much of an issue for my use. for the price the tract is very nice. without regard to price, the slc is clearly better...and so is the nl pure i'll be purchasing when i win the lottery.