Brunton Icon

[Aron Snyder]

I received the new Brunton Icon 20x60x85 spotting scope to test out a few days ago and was curious if anyone else had looked through one.

I'll post a video/review up after I get some field time with it, but so far t looks pretty good....

 

[Matt Cashell]

Aron did you get the WA zoom eyepiece for evaluation as well?

 

[dotman]

This should be interesting, hard for me to take them serious but who knows with todays optic improvements. Hard to justify a 4k price when not considered alpha glass. What new technology did they incorporate to justify the prices that the alpha's are not doing or don't have?

 

[cmeier117]

I am with Dotman... Why so much more?

 

[Matt Cashell]

Hard to justify a 4k price when not considered alpha glass.

According to whom?

I got to have respect for anybody aiming at the best. Takes some cajones to take on the "Big Three."

 

[cmeier117]

According to whom?

I got to have respect for anybody aiming at the best. Takes some cajones to take on the "Big Three."

I think it would be great if they could compete with Swaro and Zeiss! Since Aron probably has a few laying around the house he is a great candidate for testing the Brunton. I am very interested in what he finds?

 

[dotman]

According to whom?

I got to have respect for anybody aiming at the best. Takes some cajones to take on the "Big Three."

I agree but still skeptical, would be great to have more high end competition. BUT before I throw down that much it will need to be proven for a few years. So yeah justify was probably the wrong word to use but according to me it is hard to think about giving them any cash on an unproven item, I think they would have done better to come out in the mid range and improve their name before just going big. For so long I have thought of their name as the walmart brand, yeah I know shame on me but i'm sure others have as well.

 

[weaver]

I think Cam Hanes has recently hooked up with Brunton. I didnt know they made higher end optics.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Brunton isn't brand new. They have been making precision compasses since 1894. They have been making precision optics since the mid 90's. I worked at a flyshop in Bozeman, MT in the late 90's and we sold their binoculars. They offered models from inexpensive entry level to high-end performance models then. They have since expanded greatly, and are still in business. That says something.

People also say they want Vortex to prove themselves (less and less say this all the time, however) and they haven't been marketing optics as long as Brunton.

People get pretty brand loyal in hunting gear, and especially in optics. For some, it is Swarovski or nothing, others Zeiss, others Leica, others Nikon, others Vortex, and so on. I am sure there are the Brunton Optics faithful out there as well.

For me, it is all about performance. I don't care who makes (or imports) it. If it performs well, and is worth the cost, then I like it. This includes the company's customer service, of course. No matter how much weight the company's name carries, lemons happen with every optic brand, and I want the company to make it right for the consumer, when one slips through quality control.

Just discounting a product because you don't recognize the name, doesn't mean it is a poor product, or inferior to one marketed by a company you do recognize.

The great part about Rokslide is you can get great information on stuff you haven't heard about, and don't need to cut through marketing BS to get there.

I would love to check out the Icon myself.

 

[dotman]

Oh I know the name well and know they have been around for a long time, only compass I will use BUT I have never given their optics a second thought, kinda like Barska but you also don't hear much about them. I'm not knocking them just not sold on them YET Also people did question Vortex when they came onto the market but they also didn't throw out a $4k spotter.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I have heard a lot about Barska, but nothing good. I have also seen several Barska products, again nothing good.

Brunton is NOTHING like Barska, in my experience. the Barska products I have seen are simply rebranded Chinese imports. Brunton is an importer, but like many of the top optic companies, I believe Brunton puts a lot of design, testing, and quality controls in place to offer a quality product.

Just so I'm clear, I AM knocking Barska products.

 

[Aron Snyder]

The ICON is made in Wyoming (from what I'm told) and it's definitely in the same league as the big 3.

We've been comparing it to the Swaro 80, Vortex Razor and Zeiss 85 for the last few days and again...great glass.

I'm not sure if Cameron is using Brunton full time, but the Icon scopes were shipped to us on the same day by the same people (along with several others).

Anyway, Dan the man and I are heading out for a 3 day adventure and we'll get some good wilderness time behind it and post up our thoughts.

 

[cmeier117]

Aren't the scopes a full pound heavier than the zeiss or swaro?

 

[Aron Snyder]

Yes, they are heavier than sin!

 

[dotman]

I have heard a lot about Barska, but nothing good. I have also seen several Barska products, again nothing good.

Brunton is NOTHING like Barska, in my experience. the Barska products I have seen are simply rebranded Chinese imports. Brunton is an importer, but like many of the top optic companies, I believe Brunton puts a lot of design, testing, and quality controls in place to offer a quality product.

Just so I'm clear, I AM knocking Barska products.

Haha, I would be worried if you didn't knock them like I said just need more user feed back on Brunton which they are lacking with their optics.

 

[dotman]

Yes, they are heavier than sin!

Well that right there takes them down a notch from the big 3. A quality optic has to be useable and at that price point I can't believe they would think they could compete by putting out an item that is a full pound heavier. I guess ithe weigh factor may not matter for none backpackers though.

 

[ckleeves]

Let me say first of all I'm not saying one bad thing about the quality of Brunton, but the thing that would keep me away from them is the resale value (unless bought used, then you might score a great deal) I have seen the Epoch bino's for sale anywhere from 400 to 1500 it's such a wide range they are hard to value. I'm sure there is a difference in some of the models advertised like hd etc and I don't claim to know much about them but I wouldn't want to spend big money and then decide I want something different where with swaro,zeiss,leica etc the value is pretty clear cut and resale is easy.

 

[cmeier117]

Aron,

Any update on the Brunton spotter? Did you get bino's as well?

 

[mtnkid85]

Just checking on how that spotters has been fairing? Anyone one else with experience?

 

[sanchomaes]

I carried this spotter for a few weeks throughout the summer. Literally in a side by side by side test the Brunton was prety good glass. I was able to look through the Ziess 85, Vortex 85 and the Icon at the same time and they were all very good glass. Brunton stood its ground. If i had a choice I would not choose this for two reasons: #1 it was heavy as hell, I backpacked with it scouting this summer and that was all I wanted was and extra pound. #2 the 4K asking price was not my cup of tea.

I beleive the Vortex is by far the bang for your buck. And that means a lot to me. I want to get the most performance out of my dollar possible. I wouldn't be able to justify the extra money for the Ziess either. It is very hard to make a call on the overall winner but there again I am a "bang for your buck" kinda guy. I believe the vortex easily stood its ground for clarity when compared to the others although I prefer the natural color you get out of the ziess. To each their own. It is so hard to tell when looking through these spotters when you get to this level. Everyones eyes are different though and the next guy might choose a different spotter than me.
Brunton Icon = Boat Anchor(Too damn heavy!)