Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide HD opinions.

[mxgsfmdpx]

The BX-4s are Japanese glass, which in my experience behind A LOT of quality glass, is superior to American glass. Gasp!

I run a pair of BX-4 Pro Guides in 12x50 as my everyday carry binos. Yes I am lucky to be able to get out into the hills just about every evening on my property.

For the quality of glass and handiness, I’d recommend these binos to anybody at this price range. I look through a lot of glass and at this price point it’s either the BX-4s or the Meopta MeoPros in my opinion.

 

[Newtosavage]

I'm bumping this thread back to the top for a big fat "mea culpa" on my part.

I am now the proud owner of a brand-new pair of BX-4 Pro Guides that I actually paid full retail for at Bass Pro (although I did use some gift cards to buy them. ) and I try to never pay full retail for anything.

Can't say enough good things about the image my 10x42 BX-4's produce. Sharp, sharp, sharp. I mean razor sharp and not Vortex razor sharp either.

I sure am glad someone on this thread earlier set me straight about the eyecup problems. I handled a couple pairs of newer Leupold binoculars that had the ridiculously large eyecups that look like they were designed for Andre the Giant, and pretty well swore off Leupold as a serious binocular after that. Boy was I wrong.

My new BX-4's have quickly become my go-to hunting and birding binocular. I'm pretty thrilled to find a set of open hinge 10x42's that are still compact and lightweight. Only issue I have with them is a focus wheel that is a bit chalky at times, kinda like the Swaro SLC focus wheel. But I'm going to reserve judgement on that and see if it smooths out over time. I already contacted Leupold about it and they said "no problem, we'll be happy to replace them" if the focus wheel doesn't eventually smooth out. The Leupold CS person even responded to my request on a Saturday.

Every time I try to get away from Japanese glass, I find myself coming back. My eyes love that stuff.

These BX-4's are basically a slightly better version of my tried-and-true Cabelas Outfitter HD's (also made in Japan). A little sharper toward the edges, a slightly better field of view, much better eyecups (some of the best I've used so far in fact), lighter, more compact, and better ergonomics due to the open hinge design. I do wish the BX-4's had the Outfitter HD's focus wheel however.

Compared to my Conquest HD's, the image quality is essentially identical, the BX-4's are 1/4 lb. lighter, smaller and handle better, the eyecups are better on the BX-4's, and to my eyes at least, they both have about the same apparent field of view.

I also forgot how handy the diopter adjustment is on some of the Leupold binoculars. The adjustment on these BX-4's couldn't be easier, and it locks in place and remains completely out of the way once it's set.

 

[sndmn11]

My new BX-4's have quickly become my go-to hunting and birding binocular. I'm pretty thrilled to find a set of open hinge 10x42's that are still compact and lightweight. Only issue I have with them is a focus wheel that is a bit chalky at times

I ordered some in for a customer last summer and he told me via text the same thing, a few minutes later he sent a picture of the focus knob separate from the binocular. I think the grit he was feeling was some of the epoxy dust flaked off because things weren't put together or cured properly. He had replacements in a business day, but I would give that knob some tugs to see if yours will be the same.

 

[Newtosavage]

I ordered some in for a customer last summer and he told me via text the same thing, a few minutes later he sent a picture of the focus knob separate from the binocular. I think the grit he was feeling was some of the epoxy dust flaked off because things weren't put together or cured properly. He had replacements in a business day, but I would give that knob some tugs to see if yours will be the same.

Not quite following what you mean by "tugs" but I certainly don't want my focus wheel to separate from my binoculars! Do you mean his came completely off? Yikes!

 

[sndmn11]

Not quite following what you mean by "tugs" but I certainly don't want my focus wheel to separate from my binoculars! Do you mean his came completely off? Yikes!

Yeah, it fell off. Give it a tug a little harder that how you'd pull it out to adjust the diopter. If it had screwy epoxy it will pop off. It was apparent after his fell off why the grit feeling was present because the epoxy dust/crust from when it isn't mixed properly was the abrasive between the shaft and knob.

 

[Newtosavage]

Yeah, it fell off. Give it a tug a little harder that how you'd pull it out to adjust the diopter. If it had screwy epoxy it will pop off. It was apparent after his fell off why the grit feeling was present because the epoxy dust/crust from when it isn't mixed properly was the abrasive between the shaft and knob.

Well I'll be sure not to do that then. LOL I would never have a reason to pull that hard on the diopter adjustment wheel anyway.

 

[ndhtr]

Can't say enough good things about the image my 10x42 BX-4's produce. Sharp, sharp, sharp. I mean razor sharp and not Vortex razor sharp either.

I am thinking of upgrading my current binos and I can get a discount on vortex as well as Leupold. How would you compare the BX-4’s to the Vortex Razors?

 

[Newtosavage]

I am thinking of upgrading my current binos and I can get a discount on vortex as well as Leupold. How would you compare the BX-4’s to the Vortex Razors?

The Razors are great binoculars. Don't get me wrong. But now that I've owned both, if someone offered me one or the other, I would take the BX-4 Pro Guides. Mainly because they handle so well with the open hinge, but also because the image - to my eyes - leaves nothing to be desired. The Razors will edge out the pro guides a little on field of view, but Razors are not edge-to-edge sharp, so is it really a useful extra field of view? Not that much. The pro guides are brighter, without a doubt. Razors have a better focus wheel. Both have locking diopter adjustments. I mean, I wouldn't be angry if someone took my pro guides and handed me a pair of Razors, but I'd probably want to know when I could get my pro guides back. LOL Once you get used to the open hinge and light weight of the pro guides, it's hard to go back to a conventional bin.

 

[jonathond]

Has anyone tried the Burris signature series? I haven't been able to find many reviews, but those I've seen are positive.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[ppt2211]

I had a pro guide and viper at one point, and the pro guide was noticeably better. They are priced at mostly the same level and the pro guide is punching above its weight.

 

[Centralcoastca]

I think they’re excellent for the money, haven’t compared them to anything else in that price range just my Swaroski els and they were very clear and handled nice. Biggest difference to me was low light, but for under $500 they’re great imo. I have heard good things about the vortex too, it’d be worth comparing a few side by side at cabelas or whatever and see what looks and feels best, but they certainly wouldn’t be a bad choice if that’s not possible.

 

[jalcon9]

Last year I bought Vortex Viper HD 10x42s and Leopold BX4 HDs 10x42s. I had them both for about a week and asked multiple people which they thought was sharper and brighter. Overall consensus including myself was the vipers were better clarity and brightness. Less chromatic aberration as well. I actually wanted to like the BX4 HD more because I liked the look and feel of them. They just weren't as good though, period.

 

[roberteifert12]

I'm bumping this thread back to the top for a big fat "mea culpa" on my part.

I am now the proud owner of a brand-new pair of BX-4 Pro Guides that I actually paid full retail for at Bass Pro (although I did use some gift cards to buy them. ) and I try to never pay full retail for anything.

Can't say enough good things about the image my 10x42 BX-4's produce. Sharp, sharp, sharp. I mean razor sharp and not Vortex razor sharp either.

I sure am glad someone on this thread earlier set me straight about the eyecup problems. I handled a couple pairs of newer Leupold binoculars that had the ridiculously large eyecups that look like they were designed for Andre the Giant, and pretty well swore off Leupold as a serious binocular after that. Boy was I wrong.

My new BX-4's have quickly become my go-to hunting and birding binocular. I'm pretty thrilled to find a set of open hinge 10x42's that are still compact and lightweight. Only issue I have with them is a focus wheel that is a bit chalky at times, kinda like the Swaro SLC focus wheel. But I'm going to reserve judgement on that and see if it smooths out over time. I already contacted Leupold about it and they said "no problem, we'll be happy to replace them" if the focus wheel doesn't eventually smooth out. The Leupold CS person even responded to my request on a Saturday.

Every time I try to get away from Japanese glass, I find myself coming back. My eyes love that stuff.

These BX-4's are basically a slightly better version of my tried-and-true Cabelas Outfitter HD's (also made in Japan). A little sharper toward the edges, a slightly better field of view, much better eyecups (some of the best I've used so far in fact), lighter, more compact, and better ergonomics due to the open hinge design. I do wish the BX-4's had the Outfitter HD's focus wheel however.

Compared to my Conquest HD's, the image quality is essentially identical, the BX-4's are 1/4 lb. lighter, smaller and handle better, the eyecups are better on the BX-4's, and to my eyes at least, they both have about the same apparent field of view.

I also forgot how handy the diopter adjustment is on some of the Leupold binoculars. The adjustment on these BX-4's couldn't be easier, and it locks in place and remains completely out of the way once it's set.

So you find the bx4s to be fairly similar in clarity to the Conquest HD? I own the bx4s in 10x42 and my only complaint is the FOV. Wondering if a 10x42 conquest hd would offer anything but a slightly wider FOV

 

[Newtosavage]

So you find the bx4s to be fairly similar in clarity to the Conquest HD? I own the bx4s in 10x42 and my only complaint is the FOV. Wondering if a 10x42 conquest hd would offer anything but a slightly wider FOV

Yes, I do. And that's damn high praise. The BX-4's give up field of view and not much else.