Best binoculars under $400 right now?

[Newtosavage]

Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide HD Binoculars 10x32mm Roof Prism Sitka

The BX-4 Pro Guide HD’s are built around the Leupold Twilight Max Light Management System. The specialized lens coatings...

www.midwayusa.com

Speaking specifically of the 8x42's on sale for $399 at Midway - I don't know of anything else in their class under $400, and maybe even under $600. I paid full price for mine and still feel I got my money's worth. Optics are on par with Zeiss Conquest HD and weight, length and ergonomics are better IMO.

You do give up a little field of view, and the focus wheel could be better, but the Leupolds have great eyecups that hold their position, give proper length for the eye relief, and the view leaves nothing to be desired.

 

[zeroforhire]

Really good binos

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[Tahoe1305]

I like the bx-4s as well.

I compared some Bx-5s to a bunch of $1000 binos and the Meopta meopros a few months back. The meopros stood out as really strong even amongst twice as expensive binos.

Just checked cameraland and the 8x42s are $429 and I bet Doug could work that price even....

BL: I’d consider them in the $400 pool as well.

 

[Newtosavage]

I like the bx-4s as well.

I compared some Bx-5s to a bunch of $1000 binos and the Meopta meopros a few months back. The meopros stood out as really strong even amongst twice as expensive binos.

Just checked cameraland and the 8x42s are $429 and I bet Doug could work that price even....

BL: I’d consider them in the $400 pool as well.

Man, I can't tell you how much I disliked the Meopros, after really wanting to like them. I had two brand new pairs in my hands at the same time, 8's and 10's. They both exhibited so much distortion that they made me dizzy. Classic Chinese bin distortion. Build quality, ergonomics and balance were all great, but I put them back in their boxes and returned them the same day. I know some folks love 'em, and all our eyes are different, which is why it pays to try several pairs.

Most made in Japan optics like the BX-4's don't have the strange distortion that I often see in made-in-China bins. I don't understand what the difference is, but I know it when I see it.

The Meostars are excellent, and have none of the distortion I saw in the Meopros, but the Meostars are not made in China.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Our pleasure to assist you as always. I would however, suggest you take a look at the Athlon Cronus 10x42 & Cronus 8.5x42, both of which we have on promo sale for only $319.99

• E2ES System- Edge 2 Edge Sharpness system: E2ES System is a field flattening system that produces sharper, clearer images all the way from one lens edge to the other
• ED Glass- High definition glass: ED glass gives you an image with little or no chromatic fringe so the final result brings a clearer and sharper image to your eyes
• ESP Dielectric Coating- Enhanced Spectral Prism Dielectric Coating: ESP Dielectric Coating is a multi layer prism coating that reflects over 99% of the light to your eyes bringing you a clear, bright image that displays accurate color reproduction.
• Lightweight Magnesium Chassis: Magnesium chassis give you the strength of a metal chassis while reducing the weight as much as 35%
• XPL Coating- Xtra Protective Layer coating: XPL Coating gives you an extra protection on the exterior lenses from dirt, oil and scratches
• Phase Corrected prisms: Phase corrected prisms produce images that have better contrast, a higher resolution and better color reproduction
• BaK4 prisms: Bak-4 glass prisms reflect more light to your eyes which will give you brighter and sharper image.
• Advanced FMC: Advanced Fully Multi-Coated lenses gives you better light transmission to bring optimum brightness and true color across the entire light spectrum.
• Locking Diopter: Locking Diopter keeps the diopter adjustment knob from accidentally moving from the optimal setting
• Long Eye Relief: Long eye relief can be particularly important for eyeglass wearers because longer eye relief allows them to still see the entire field of view.
• Close Focus: Close focus is important for those who are nature observers and especially important if you are going to watch butterflies or insects
• Twist Up Eyecups: Twist up eyecups with intermediate stops allow you to set the eyecups to the ideal eye relief for you eyes
• Waterproof: Waterproof to protects the binocular in the harshest weather conditions or if accidentally submerged underwater
• Argon Purged: Argon purging gives you better waterproofing and thermal stability

 

[AK Troutbum]

I cheaped out and bought my kid a pair of Leupold 10x42 Yellowstone with the bino pack for $120, and as much as I hate to admit it, they are much better glass than I expected. We’ll see how they hold up over the next few weeks of bear season, as my son tends to be pretty good at putting gear through its paces. AKA he abuses the shit out of stuff!

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[Newtosavage]

For many years, Leupold Yosemite's were considered a "best buy" under $100, and I know a few bird guides and bed and breakfasts bought then by the dozen for their clients to use. I bought a pair for my kids, and it lasted through all of them. Like you, I was always pleasantly surprised how good they were for $100 bins. Perfect for back yard feeder watching.

 

[Newtosavage]

Our pleasure to assist you as always. I would however, suggest you take a look at the Athlon Cronus 10x42 & Cronus 8.5x42, both of which we have on promo sale for only $319.99

• E2ES System- Edge 2 Edge Sharpness system: E2ES System is a field flattening system that produces sharper, clearer images all the way from one lens edge to the other
• ED Glass- High definition glass: ED glass gives you an image with little or no chromatic fringe so the final result brings a clearer and sharper image to your eyes
• ESP Dielectric Coating- Enhanced Spectral Prism Dielectric Coating: ESP Dielectric Coating is a multi layer prism coating that reflects over 99% of the light to your eyes bringing you a clear, bright image that displays accurate color reproduction.
• Lightweight Magnesium Chassis: Magnesium chassis give you the strength of a metal chassis while reducing the weight as much as 35%
• XPL Coating- Xtra Protective Layer coating: XPL Coating gives you an extra protection on the exterior lenses from dirt, oil and scratches
• Phase Corrected prisms: Phase corrected prisms produce images that have better contrast, a higher resolution and better color reproduction
• BaK4 prisms: Bak-4 glass prisms reflect more light to your eyes which will give you brighter and sharper image.
• Advanced FMC: Advanced Fully Multi-Coated lenses gives you better light transmission to bring optimum brightness and true color across the entire light spectrum.
• Locking Diopter: Locking Diopter keeps the diopter adjustment knob from accidentally moving from the optimal setting
• Long Eye Relief: Long eye relief can be particularly important for eyeglass wearers because longer eye relief allows them to still see the entire field of view.
• Close Focus: Close focus is important for those who are nature observers and especially important if you are going to watch butterflies or insects
• Twist Up Eyecups: Twist up eyecups with intermediate stops allow you to set the eyecups to the ideal eye relief for you eyes
• Waterproof: Waterproof to protects the binocular in the harshest weather conditions or if accidentally submerged underwater
• Argon Purged: Argon purging gives you better waterproofing and thermal stability

Doug, where are the Athlon Cronus made?

 

[Ndbowhunter]

I used the bushnell legend ultra HD again last fall in Wyoming for a week. Loaned meostars to my dad.

I couldn’t sell them for 80$ Here, and the Center hingE tension sucks, but for 75% of the view they are pretty darn decent..

for A couple sets of eyes that have done side The Zeiss conquest HD’s are markedly inferior to meostar HD’s. They aren’t rubbish but the Pleasing color rendition or “pop” masks a lack of resolution and build quality over couple seasons shows as lacking

curious how these Leupold compare.

To be fair until mine break I’m not in the market for new Bins. Next upgrade will be range finder ones with ballist solver and integrated weather station.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

I cheaped out and bought my kid a pair of Leupold 10x42 Yellowstone with the bino pack for $120, and as much as I hate to admit it, they are much better glass than I expected. We’ll see how they hold up over the next few weeks of bear season, as my son tends to be pretty good at putting gear through its paces. AKA he abuses the shit out of stuff!

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that’s good value!

I’ll have to swing by sportsman’s or cabelas and have a look see.

My girls are always forgetting to lock doors on truck and recently donated a roll of quarters and a sandvik knife to a tweaker.

Usually JTI badged Porto prism bino’s from op shop, garbage sale for 10$ works As under the seat bino’s But would t be a bad deal to get something decent for wife.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Doug, where are the Athlon Cronus made?

China

 

[ChrisAU]

You can get BX-4 8x32 (my new favorite), 8x42, and 10x42 for under $400 if you look hard enough and to me they are fantastic. The diopter adjustment being the locking kind on the focus wheel is huge for me as I have very different vision between my two eyes and have always inadvertently turned non-locking styles on the eyecups resulting in a poorer image. They are also lightweight - I think they may be my perfect bino. Weight/cost/features/glass all taken into account I literally can't find any I like better, at any price.

 

[ChrisAU]

I cheaped out and bought my kid a pair of Leupold 10x42 Yellowstone with the bino pack for $120, and as much as I hate to admit it, they are much better glass than I expected. We’ll see how they hold up over the next few weeks of bear season, as my son tends to be pretty good at putting gear through its paces. AKA he abuses the shit out of stuff!

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Man I've been kicking around getting some of those for truck binos for a while, glad to see someone comment on the glass. You can get them around $100 from time to time on eBay, with the harness.

 

[Newtosavage]

You can get BX-4 8x32 (my new favorite), 8x42, and 10x42 for under $400 if you look hard enough and to me they are fantastic. The diopter adjustment being the locking kind on the focus wheel is huge for me as I have very different vision between my two eyes and have always inadvertently turned non-locking styles on the eyecups resulting in a poorer image. They are also lightweight - I think they may be my perfect bino. Weight/cost/features/glass all taken into account I literally can't find any I like better, at any price.

They really did think through the ergonomics of the BX-4 series really well. Very compact for x42's, the open hinge is a joy to handle, and they are indeed light. 4-5 oz. lighter than many comparable bins.

There is no one "perfect" binocular. Every pair is a series of compromises. But I'd say Leupold got as many compromises "right" with the BX-4 series as any binocular I've seen so far, when you consider all the features the optical performance, and the price point. There are plenty of bins that do certain things better, but none I can think of that do so many things, so well, for so little money.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Man I've been kicking around getting some of those for truck binos for a while, glad to see someone commnet on the glass. You can get them around $100 from time to time on eBay, with the harness.

Yeah, that’s where I got these. Price was for new in packaging, including shipping. Like I said, verdict is still out regarding how well they hold up, but I figured that if something happened, Leopold has always been good with warranty services.


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[JLane330]

I just received some BX-4s the other day in 10x42. I pulled out my SLC 10x42 to compare side by side. Physically, they are nearly identical in length/width/height. The BX4's weighed 1.5 ounces less on my scale. Optically they are awesome, and the focus wheel is smoother than the Swaro's (which feel gritty). I like that the diopter is on the focus wheel, just like the Swaro's. The eye cups are ok, but I prefer the Swaro's more. The big difference is the ergonomics, the Swaro's feel better in my hands. The location of the neckstrap lugs on the BX-4s is in the wrong spot and hit my hands funny, and the rubber coating/texture isn't nearly as comfortable. I found these for $426 brand new from an online retailer. Overall, these are awesome bino's!
There is a rebate for a bino case for the BX-4s from Leupold currently running. I won't be replacing my badland's case anytime soon, but nice to have a back-up.

BX-4 Pro Guide HD Rebate Offer | Leupold

Mark 5HD Rifle Scope Free Kestrel Rebate Offer

www.leupold.com

 

[npro04]

I run the Leupold BX-4 HD pro guides 10x42. I think I got them on sale for $350. Might have been a little more. They may be the best in that price range. Atleast the best I’ve had a chance to use.

 

[Newtosavage]

I just received some BX-4s the other day in 10x42. I pulled out my SLC 10x42 to compare side by side. Physically, they are nearly identical in length/width/height. The BX4's weighed 1.5 ounces less on my scale. Optically they are awesome, and the focus wheel is smoother than the Swaro's (which feel gritty). I like that the diopter is on the focus wheel, just like the Swaro's. The eye cups are ok, but I prefer the Swaro's more. The big difference is the ergonomics, the Swaro's feel better in my hands. The location of the neckstrap lugs on the BX-4s is in the wrong spot and hit my hands funny, and the rubber coating/texture isn't nearly as comfortable. I found these for $426 brand new from an online retailer. Overall, these are awesome bino's!
There is a rebate for a bino case for the BX-4s from Leupold currently running. I won't be replacing my badland's case anytime soon, but nice to have a back-up.

BX-4 Pro Guide HD Rebate Offer | Leupold

Mark 5HD Rifle Scope Free Kestrel Rebate Offer

www.leupold.com

That's interesting, since the listed specs has the Swaro SLC's at nearly 4 oz. more than the BX-4's, and that's what my scale showed. You might want to check your scale. The Swaros are 28 oz and the BX-4's are 24.2 oz, nearly 1/4 lb. difference. The Swaros are 5.7" and the BX-4's are 5.6", so basically the same length. I find the open hinge makes any pair of binoculars "feel" lighter than it is though. My wife's Bushnell Legend M's are pretty heavy binoculars, but with the open hinge, even she thinks they feel light in the hand because they balance so well.

I really don't think the BX-4's give up much to the SLC's in image quality. Not enough for my eyes to tell anyway.

 

[JLane330]

That's interesting, since the listed specs has the Swaro SLC's at nearly 4 oz. more than the BX-4's, and that's what my scale showed. You might want to check your scale. The Swaros are 28 oz and the BX-4's are 24.2 oz, nearly 1/4 lb. difference. The Swaros are 5.7" and the BX-4's are 5.6", so basically the same length. I find the open hinge makes any pair of binoculars "feel" lighter than it is though. My wife's Bushnell Legend M's are pretty heavy binoculars, but with the open hinge, even she thinks they feel light in the hand because they balance so well.

I really don't think the BX-4's give up much to the SLC's in image quality. Not enough for my eyes to tell anyway.

Interesting about the published weight difference. In hand the BX-4's feel lighter, perhaps it's the shape. I weighed them back to back (didn't move the scale, turn it off, etc). Thinking more about this, the Leupold's had the lens covers on and the Swaro's did not, maybe that's worth a couple ounces?

I agree about image quality. The BX-4's look really good to me as well.

 

[Tartan]

I have not tried the bx4s. But have the Maven C1 8x42 and they have been great for my uses. $325 on mavens website.

I know when Avery tested them he said there wasn’t anything else under $600 that compared. But I do believe that was before the bx-4s came out.