Choosing new binos (swaro, zeiss, vortex)

[Reed104R]

New Zeiss Conquest HD's for $650 would be hard to beat.

 

[Bushman77]

Ended up getting the Swaro ELs. Time and Optics in Amish country Ohio was recommended to me to go have a look. Absolutely amazing place with dozens of high-end binoculars and tons of spotting scopes to compare. The people that work there are super nice and their prices are good.

Now to get a new tripod mount and adapters to fit my own straps to the bino. I’m thinking the RRS cinch

 

[Agross]

Good choice

 

[Badseed]

Im shocked nobody has pointed out Leicas. I’ve had the trinovids and now use 10x42 geovids and honestly for light gathering and clarity purposes I cant tell any difference between them and any of the swaros Ive looked through. There have been a few trinivids for sale recently that I thought were smoking deals. A vast majority of hunters will not be able to tell the difference or justify the difference of more expensive swaro glass.

At the end of the day you have decide if the FOV, weight and ergonomics of the different binos mean anything to you because generally the glass clarity and ability to bring in light will not be an issue with the higher end binos. For example, I have some B class Maven binos which are very clear and bring in plenty of light but the FOV is less than other brands in the same category.


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[6mm Remington]

Leica Trinovid 10 x 32 HD

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Bought these for my son for Christmas. Great binoculars! Sharp and clear. Personally I like the smaller more compact size and less weight over the larger 10x42's. I feel that they work exceptionally well and the advantages are that you will always be carrying these and you won't want to leave them behind because of size and weight

I have a pair of 10x25 Leica Ultravids that also are excellent. I do prefer the 10x32 but I won't be getting rid of the the 10x25's.

 

[Whaledriver]

I ran my Conquests for a long time. Nothing can touch it for 650 in my opinion. Recently upgraded to the SF. Definitely a wow factor for me and my eyes. Swaros are top dog for sure. They just never wowed me, especially at a 3k price point. I would love to see a "bino blind taste test". Somehow hide the manufacturer and just have people rate a bino. I think the results might be surprising. Very few people are gonna shell out 3k and not defend the bino to the end of the earth. Especially on the interwebz.....

 

[Boarmaster]

I think you will be happy with the ELs. Unless you are a guy who chases every new upgrade you may never spend another penny on binos. I bought my EL 8.5x42s in 2004/5. They are still working hard for me in Florida, Alabama and Ohio. If I ever want to upgrade I will very likely buy another set of ELs.

Believe me I am the first guy to be dissatisfied with something I purchased. But I always say the two things I didnt screw up on was my ELs and my Leica RF. It was tough back then to cough up $2300 for binos as an eastern hunter but I never once had a regret. I watched my buddies constantly buying one mid priced bino after another.

 

[Reed104R]

I think you will be happy with the ELs. Unless you are a guy who chases every new upgrade you may never spend another penny on binos. I bought my EL 8.5x42s in 2004/5. They are still working hard for me in Florida, Alabama and Ohio. If I ever want to upgrade I will very likely buy another set of ELs.

Believe me I am the first guy to be dissatisfied with something I purchased. But I always say the two things I didnt screw up on was my ELs and my Leica RF. It was tough back then to cough up $2300 for binos as an eastern hunter but I never once had a regret. I watched my buddies constantly buying one mid priced bino after another.

You might actually like your older EL's better than the new model due to the better depth of field and lack of panning distortion associated with the field flatteners. I understand some people are not affected by the "rolling ball."

 

[Boarmaster]

You might actually like your older EL's better than the new model due to the better depth of field and lack of panning distortion associated with the field flatteners. I understand some people are not affected by the "rolling ball."

If I don't make the costly mistake of picking any new ones up I will probably be buried with my current pair.
I stay the heck away from the bino counters.

 

[squid-freshprints]

If glassing to last light is the issue, a big objective is the cure, not a brand name. Just sayin. ( twilight factor.)

 

[WannaBeRambo]

I recommend you buy one of each, then go to where you hunt and do a side-by-side “shootout” however, whatever you decide.
I’ll skip the obvious of seeking lowest cost, least hassle return process, in fact, I told Eurooptic this is exactly what I was going to do and it would be returned in as good a condition as I bought it. I asked for demo models if they had them as they tend to be in excellent condition and you save enough to buy some accessories.
I even paid for the return shipping (using their discount) and insurance (this was some years ago) For those I did not keep. I considered this the cost of getting a level of certainty I neeeded.

Ended up with Swaro EL’s And never looked at buying any more binocs since.
(I refuse to look at the NX as I can’t afford it and don’t want optics envy!)

What’s really nice about doing it this way is it eliminated any doubt about my choice. I was even able to get my wife involved in the evaluation and she learned (and eventually supported) why I wanted them when compared to my old binocs, the difference wa clear.

 

[bowhiker88]

Buy used without a doubt if you want to maximize your dollar. Maven is probably the best route as buying used comes without the risk of being stuck with scratched glass since they handle all warranties and repairs no questions asked.

The B2 9x continues to be among to best glass you can buy at sub $1000 and without a doubt the best value proposition amongst that group of top binos under $1000 used. Since Vortex offers the same level of warranty I think that the UHD 10x or 8x is a comparable option in terms of value proposition and pure glass quality.

Other brands wont have the warranty and repair guarantee that these two brands do giving you confidence anything you buy used can, if needed, be fixed and serviced, removing the risk you sometimes take as a buyer of used optics from other brands.

 

[rlynn27]

It's a matter of personal preference. If possible, try before you buy. I like the Leica Trinovid 10x42 HD over the Zeiss, but again it's personal preference when you look through them.