heritagehd
FNG
Over the past few weeks I have been deciding on a new pair of binoculars. I was going to pull the trigger on the some Maven C.3s in the 10x50 but was then pointed in the direction of a sale at Midway. I picked up the a pair of the Leupold BX-4 Pro Guides in 10x50 in Kryptek Typhon for $455. With the current Leupold rebate offer I also got their new chest harness system.
I have no prior experience with quality binoculars and I still dont fully understand all the concepts and qualities such as chromatic aberration. I have read a ton of threads on here and reached out to a couple members during my research. I wanted to do my part and contribute what I can for future members. So - not a super in depth or technical review but something I thought I'd share.
I wasn’t looking to get the kryptek color but I have to admit they are pretty sick looking and I definitely like it. For a comparison I borrowed a pair of 10x42 BX-2 Acadias. Yes I know not anywhere near apples to apples but I wanted to see the difference in the different levels of binoculars and price ranges – was the extra cash really worth it? The first difference I noticed first was the feel of the exterior of the two. The BX-2s are a much softer rubber coating – smooth, but almost sticky like. The 4’s are very hard and extremely textured. I like the feel of the bx-2 better but I think it may add some weight and maybe that’s why the two units both weigh 28oz?
I took them both out yesterday evening for some testing. I live in the city so it is hard to find somewhere with enough ground to really test them out. Anything under 100 yards and it was hard to tell a big difference between the two. Yes, the 4's were a little sharper and crisp but not worth the extra $$.
To get some more distance I found a street going downhill that gave me a clear view at a school 1,134 yards away. Side note - testing binoculars in the suburbs and trying not to get arrested/look like a creep is a challenge. I started with the BX-2s - raised them up and could tell there were 4 people walking next to the school. Everything else around was visible and I could make out what the objects were. In my head I was thinking - "ok, these could totally work for hunting." I raised the BX-4s and holy shit what a difference! I could now see it was 2 men and 2 women, one woman had on glasses and one of the men had headphones in. I could clearly see their faces and describe all of their clothing. I could see the detail of the red brick on the school and even into one of the windows. The difference was insane.
I then rode my bike down to the school to see what else I could test on. At this point the sun was going down with no clouds in the sky. By no means dusk but the time when the sun is big and orange filling up the horizon. I looked at a roof line that was directly infront of the setting sun about 150 yards away (didn't range it). With the BX-2s I was pretty washed out and it was hard to see much besides the outline of the roof. The BX-4s - super crisp. I could count the individual shingles and the streaking glow did not fill the lenses.
The next thing I found was the air handling unit on top of the school - 362 yards away. The sun was lower now and the building was in the shade. I was inspecting the unit with the BX-4s and could see the manufacturers tag clearly saying "YORK" on it in blue block letters. Switched to the BX-2s and all I could see was a dark square.
These are my first pair of nice binoculars that I’ve owned and also even looked through. I have no other point of reference besides the two pairs I had. For me though it was hands down the right choice to purchase the better glass. I wish I could see them next to the Maven’s or Vipers but I can’t play that game in my head. I spent a good chunk of cash on these and I am happy with them. They will last me a long time and I can’t wait for hunting season!
I have no prior experience with quality binoculars and I still dont fully understand all the concepts and qualities such as chromatic aberration. I have read a ton of threads on here and reached out to a couple members during my research. I wanted to do my part and contribute what I can for future members. So - not a super in depth or technical review but something I thought I'd share.
I wasn’t looking to get the kryptek color but I have to admit they are pretty sick looking and I definitely like it. For a comparison I borrowed a pair of 10x42 BX-2 Acadias. Yes I know not anywhere near apples to apples but I wanted to see the difference in the different levels of binoculars and price ranges – was the extra cash really worth it? The first difference I noticed first was the feel of the exterior of the two. The BX-2s are a much softer rubber coating – smooth, but almost sticky like. The 4’s are very hard and extremely textured. I like the feel of the bx-2 better but I think it may add some weight and maybe that’s why the two units both weigh 28oz?
I took them both out yesterday evening for some testing. I live in the city so it is hard to find somewhere with enough ground to really test them out. Anything under 100 yards and it was hard to tell a big difference between the two. Yes, the 4's were a little sharper and crisp but not worth the extra $$.
To get some more distance I found a street going downhill that gave me a clear view at a school 1,134 yards away. Side note - testing binoculars in the suburbs and trying not to get arrested/look like a creep is a challenge. I started with the BX-2s - raised them up and could tell there were 4 people walking next to the school. Everything else around was visible and I could make out what the objects were. In my head I was thinking - "ok, these could totally work for hunting." I raised the BX-4s and holy shit what a difference! I could now see it was 2 men and 2 women, one woman had on glasses and one of the men had headphones in. I could clearly see their faces and describe all of their clothing. I could see the detail of the red brick on the school and even into one of the windows. The difference was insane.
I then rode my bike down to the school to see what else I could test on. At this point the sun was going down with no clouds in the sky. By no means dusk but the time when the sun is big and orange filling up the horizon. I looked at a roof line that was directly infront of the setting sun about 150 yards away (didn't range it). With the BX-2s I was pretty washed out and it was hard to see much besides the outline of the roof. The BX-4s - super crisp. I could count the individual shingles and the streaking glow did not fill the lenses.
The next thing I found was the air handling unit on top of the school - 362 yards away. The sun was lower now and the building was in the shade. I was inspecting the unit with the BX-4s and could see the manufacturers tag clearly saying "YORK" on it in blue block letters. Switched to the BX-2s and all I could see was a dark square.
These are my first pair of nice binoculars that I’ve owned and also even looked through. I have no other point of reference besides the two pairs I had. For me though it was hands down the right choice to purchase the better glass. I wish I could see them next to the Maven’s or Vipers but I can’t play that game in my head. I spent a good chunk of cash on these and I am happy with them. They will last me a long time and I can’t wait for hunting season!
