Has Anyone "Downgraded" Their Optics?

[Newtosavage]

I don’t think you will miss game with $1000 range glass vs alphas at $2k plus. $1000 glass is damn nice.

To me a downgrade would be to below $600 glass

I have to agree with this. If a person does their homework, $500-600 is plenty budget to get all the glass they will really ever need. Want is a whole different story though. LOL

To me, the difference between Swaro SLC's and Nikon HG's or Zeiss Conquest HD's is like the difference between a 7mm Mag and my 7mm-08. Is there a difference? Sure there is - at the most extreme and least likely to be used, end. But it comes with a penalty.

 

[Beendare]

I can't comment on a lot of the different brands...but the lesser cost Nikons give you a lot of bang for the buck...I'm sure there are others.

Vortex is a good company with good warranty....but their optics that I have seen from scopes to binos are sub par.

 

[Newtosavage]

I think the older Razors that were made in Japan, were much better than the current ones. I have yet to look through a pair of Chinese-made Razors (at least 3 by now) that I was impressed with enough to drop $600 on, let alone $1K.

The new Viper HD's are worth their asking price, but not the Razors - IMO

 

[prm]

I have some Vortex Viper HDs (10x). This year I compared my Vipers to Swaro 10x42ELs while sitting on the mountain during 1st rifle. If I tried really hard I could find ways the Swaros were maybe, kind of, sorta better. However, if asked to hunt with either, the outcome would be the same. No question there are psychological reasons why some feel they ‘need’ to upgrade. My guess if you stripped the labels and price tags and asked hunters to choose binos for a hunt a lot more $1k binos would be considered perfectly adequate. Prestige is very influential. I’m not saying the $1k binos are better necessarily, but at some point it really won’t make or break a hunt.
I’m in the market for some 8x32 binos. I started off thinking I ‘needed’ (wanted) ‘alpha’ binos (Leica, Swaro or Zeiss) but I think I’ve convinced myself to include others in the evaluation and do so without any preconceived bias.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I can assure you if you put them on tripods and used in less than ideal lighting conditions the differences between an EL and viper would be very apparent.

Really it all comes down to how much glassing and type of glassing you do. If you're a Midwesterner, or hunting muleys in rolling sagebrush country, or archery elk, I doubt you'll notice much of a difference between the mid and alpha performance.

If you're doing glassing intense hunts, in broken terrain, the alpha glass is most definitely worth it. When i'm trying to find a coues deer tucked in a shady pocket of mountain mahogany, or catch the movement of an ear flick or head turn at 1,000 yds, or maybe the top of a deer's back in a pile of jagged rocks, for 8 hours a day, you can bet I wouldn't trade my 12x50 EL for anything. I can't tell you how many deer I've picked up by seeing movement on the very edge of my field of view. In subpar glass you don't get that detail except in the very center. If you're looking for a deer in a corn field 300 yards away then you probably don't need the alpha glass and the money is best spent elsewhere.

 

[hunt1up]

I can assure you if you put them on tripods and used in less than ideal lighting conditions the differences between an EL and viper would be very apparent.

Really it all comes down to how much glassing and type of glassing you do. If you're a Midwesterner, or hunting muleys in rolling sagebrush country, or archery elk, I doubt you'll notice much of a difference between the mid and alpha performance.

If you're doing glassing intense hunts, in broken terrain, the alpha glass is most definitely worth it. When i'm trying to find a coues deer tucked in a shady pocket of mountain mahogany, or catch the movement of an ear flick or head turn at 1,000 yds, or maybe the top of a deer's back in a pile of jagged rocks, for 8 hours a day, you can bet I wouldn't trade my 12x50 EL for anything. I can't tell you how many deer I've picked up by seeing movement on the very edge of my field of view. In subpar glass you don't get that detail except in the very center. If you're looking for a deer in a corn field 300 yards away then you probably don't need the alpha glass and the money is best spent elsewhere.

That's pretty true. I had my ELs rigged up for tripod use and hadn't used them on a tripod in 3 seasons. None of my hunts required it. The next few probably won't either.

 

[hunt1up]

Well the Leica Trinovid HDs showed up. I can't do a whole lot of glassing from behind my desk here at work but I really like the fit and feel of these things. Compact, light, and they have a nice quality feel to them. They have 7 eyecup positions compared to the Nikon's 3. Also, the diopter adjustment doesn't lock, but it's very firm and I don't think it would move much if at all during normal use.

I'll be out in the field all day tomorrow so I'll take both pairs with me. Next week will consist of about 5 more full days in the woods so they'll both get some use. Then I'll need to decide which one I'm settling on, with the other hitting the classifieds. I really don't think I can go wrong with either one.

 

[tdhanses]

Can you not return the one you don’t keep? My vote is keep the Leica

 

[Newtosavage]

I’m in the market for some 8x32 binos. I started off thinking I ‘needed’ (wanted) ‘alpha’ binos (Leica, Swaro or Zeiss) but I think I’ve convinced myself to include others in the evaluation and do so without any preconceived bias.

Cabelas just put their Meopta-made x32's on sale (both 8's and 10's) for $699. They are only 21 oz. and at least the 8x32's are very highly regarded in the birding community as one of the best 8x32's made. I'm currently having an argument with myself about whether to get a pair, or not. LOL

I love 8x32's for birding and Eastern hunting. Just have to be sure I'm all set with my 10x42's for Western hunting first, and I'm not quite there yet.

 

[hunt1up]

Can you not return the one you don’t keep? My vote is keep the Leica

I can return the Nikons. The Leica are “used” but essentially new.

 

[tdhanses]

I can return the Nikons. The Leica are “used” but essentially new.

Even more reason to keep the Leica

Current resale value on the Nikons doesn’t look great Nikon Monarch HG 8x42 with Outdoorsmans stud

 

[prm]

Cabelas just put their Meopta-made x32's on sale (both 8's and 10's) for $699. They are only 21 oz. and at least the 8x32's are very highly regarded in the birding community as one of the best 8x32's made. I'm currently having an argument with myself about whether to get a pair, or not. LOL

I love 8x32's for birding and Eastern hunting. Just have to be sure I'm all set with my 10x42's for Western hunting first, and I'm not quite there yet.

I just got back from Cabelas. I really wanted to like the 8x32 Euro HDs, but they never looked quite right to me. Not bad at all, just my eyes never felt relaxed and I tried fiddling with focus quite a bit. I walked in really expecting to buy them, but passed. As a comparison they had some 8x30 Swaro Companions and those actually worked better for me, at over 1.5x the price.... I really need to look through the big 3 offerings.

 

[hunt1up]

Has Anyone "Downgraded" Their Optics?

So I picked the kids up after work and was out at last light glassing down the street since it’s the only test I had today. I was trying to read license plates at 200-300 yards. I went back and forth 10 times and the difference was night and day. With the Nikons I was really struggling to hold still and read the plates. I’d switch to the trinovids and I could read things plain as day. The difference was astounding to me. I don’t have my ELs to do a three way comparison but it was quite surprising. I’m leaning Trinovids at this point.

 

[AGPank]

I’ve had the 8x32 euro Instinct. Very nice and compact. The eye cups weren’t a great fit for me. I have EL SV 8x32 that are my hunting binos and are excellent. Found them at Natchez as demo, but honestly were NIB.

If you can find them Leupold GR 8x32 are very good too.

I found a used pair of Leica Ultravid that I couldn’t pass up for the price. Again very good, more compact than the EL by a considerable amount. The HD+ may be an amazing option, but I haven’t found a used pair in my range.

I really like this size for hunting.

I haven’t seen either of the Swarovski CL version 1 or 2. The second is supposed to be a big improvement, but at a bigger price point too.

I’m curious about the new Leica Trinovid HD 8x32 also.

 

[hunt1up]

I was going to do some extensive testing while hunting this week but I already put the Nikons back on the plastic and the FHF straps on the Trinovids. I did indulge in 3 Miller lites prior to my test but it was really that apparent.

 

[tdhanses]

I was going to do some extensive testing while hunting this week but I already put the Nikons back on the plastic and the FHF straps on the Trinovids. I did indulge in 3 Miller lites prior to my test but it was really that apparent.

Well at least your tried to them and good deal you can return them. Truthfully even if they are equal financially your best bet would have been to return the Nikons.

 

[hunt1up]

Well at least your tried to them and good deal you can return them. Truthfully even if they are equal financially your best bet would have been to return the Nikons.

Given their similar price tag and favorable reviews I expected they’d be much more similar. Others may experience a different result but it was a no brainer for me.

 

[hunt1up]

Given their similar price tag and favorable reviews I expected they’d be much more similar. Others may experience a different result but it was a no brainer for me.

Update: I've been using the Trinovids nearly every day while hunting and I love them. Great feel in the hand, clear, good near dark. I'm glad I tried them before settling on the Nikons and have no regrets at this time with my decision.

I just sold the cheesy Leica bino harness that comes with the Trinovids on ebay for $60. So I have a grand total of $595 invested in the Trinovid HDs. That's a mega deal in my opinion.

 

[Newtosavage]

That is a good deal. For pure IQ in the $1K class, I don't think the Trinovids can be beat. Reviews all over say they are nearly indistinguishable from the Ultravid view, and I believe it.

You're right about the harness. That thing is super cheesy. I can't believe you got $60 for it. That's awesome.

 

[tdhanses]

Dang I have a few of those things sitting around, figured they were worthless.