Revamping optics setup

[htlt_surfboards]

Have you been able to put much time behind the 10x sigs, or know how he feels about them? I was originally leaning towards a set up like this. I just can’t find much info about the 10x sigs

Yeah Ive used them quite a bit. He is all in on them and as far as I know and has zero regrets. Many times I've asked to try them when we were hiking somewhere and they really are an incredible piece of tech. They are good enough that I got my dad a pair for Christmas last year. Personally my local hunting is very open country and I use a tripod for 90% of my glassing so haven't felt like I NEEDED to get my own pair. Once a year I go to OK and whitetail hunt a friends property and if that was my primary hunting style id definitely go with image stab binos.

 

[Bak222]

Yeah Ive used them quite a bit. He is all in on them and as far as I know and has zero regrets. Many times I've asked to try them when we were hiking somewhere and they really are an incredible piece of tech. They are good enough that I got my dad a pair for Christmas last year. Personally my local hunting is very open country and I use a tripod for 90% of my glassing so haven't felt like I NEEDED to get my own pair. Once a year I go to OK and whitetail hunt a friends property and if that was my primary hunting style id definitely go with image stab binos.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Wacko]

These questions are very hard to answer, let's start there.

It sounds to me like you are waffling as it is a big decision - for both $$ and hoping you get the right thing.

I used to live and hunt in the midwest. I now live in CO and hunt here. I have way too many optics trying to cover everything.

IMHO.... I would get alpha 8's or 10's. I personally find myself using my 8's more every year. I think the 8's give much better FOV, better hand held, and better color. The better color separation I think helps me pick out animals easier.I also think they equal a 10 off a tripod. 8's are made for the midwest woods too. 8's also pretty much eliminate the need for IS binos. IMO of course....

The problem is your "3 mile" range you glass at. You will always want more magnification to do that. Then you can pair your 8's with 15's or a spotter. A spotter is more useful if you add in it can have all the magnification you can use, you can use it at the range, depending on model it can weigh about the same as a pair of 15's.

Keep in mind I have 8's, 10's, 12's, 15's, and a spotter.... I might need to take my own advice!

 

[uthuntr]

I’ve had my eyes on these, NL pure, or Zeiss SFL

NL pure is the granddaddy of them all. You’ll never rethink your binos again

 

[Bak222]

NL pure is the granddaddy of them all. You’ll never rethink your binos again

Funny you say that, tonight I got a chance to get behind a few different pairs. I was only able to look around 800 yds with no objective measurements, about two hours before sunset, and at dusk. I saw zero noticeable difference between the NL 8x and Zeiss SFL 8x. In fact, the two hours before sunset the swaro’s had much more sun glare, noted by a friend as well as me. Don’t get me wrong, they’re fantastic, and it wasn’t a true field test, but I thought the SFL’s were every bit as good as the NL’s, if not marginally better, for almost half the price and almost half the weight. Obviously not a great test, but I was surprised.

 

[uthuntr]

Funny you say that, tonight I got a chance to get behind a few different pairs. I was only able to look around 800 yds with no objective measurements, about two hours before sunset, and at dusk. I saw zero noticeable difference between the NL 8x and Zeiss SFL 8x. In fact, the two hours before sunset the swaro’s had much more sun glare, noted by a friend as well as me. Don’t get me wrong, they’re fantastic, and it wasn’t a true field test, but I thought the SFL’s were every bit as good as the NL’s, if not marginally better, for almost half the price and almost half the weight. Obviously not a great test, but I was surprised.

Perfect then! Save some dough and look through what you like. I will add that the difference in NL’s for me is color pop, and edge to edge clarity. It’s unmatched when you need to catch a flicker or movement out of the corner of your eye or in shaded spots. Even compared the SLC it’s night and day for me. Just my .02

 

[Bak222]

These questions are very hard to answer, let's start there.

It sounds to me like you are waffling as it is a big decision - for both $$ and hoping you get the right thing.

I used to live and hunt in the midwest. I now live in CO and hunt here. I have way too many optics trying to cover everything.

IMHO.... I would get alpha 8's or 10's. I personally find myself using my 8's more every year. I think the 8's give much better FOV, better hand held, and better color. The better color separation I think helps me pick out animals easier.I also think they equal a 10 off a tripod. 8's are made for the midwest woods too. 8's also pretty much eliminate the need for IS binos. IMO of course....

The problem is your "3 mile" range you glass at. You will always want more magnification to do that. Then you can pair your 8's with 15's or a spotter. A spotter is more useful if you add in it can have all the magnification you can use, you can use it at the range, depending on model it can weigh about the same as a pair of 15's.

Keep in mind I have 8's, 10's, 12's, 15's, and a spotter.... I might need to take my own advice!

Thanks for the reply. Your first statement is correct; waffling as it is a big decision - for both $$ and hoping you get the right thing.

Mostly I’m hoping to avoid having a couple thousand dollar pair of bino’s sitting around not being used because I found the mag, fov, size/weight, etc. were not what I wanted and I end up going with something else. Not the end of the world as I could sell it. Honestly, my biggest “worry,” if you will, I get an awesome pair of alphas, then end up not using them because the Zulu 6’s work out so well. However, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied until I try both. It almost seems redundant to carry the Zulu 6 10x on my chest while on the move, but also have an alpha 8x/10x for better fov, low light, etc. I just can’t imagine anything competing with the Zulu’s for quick glassing while hiking, but they obviously have their limitations and I don’t know how to supplement them. I realize there’s no right answer, but it helps to hear others perspectives.

 

[Bak222]

Perfect then! Save some dough and look through what you like. I will add that the difference in NL’s for me is color pop, and edge to edge clarity. It’s unmatched when you need to catch a flicker or movement out of the corner of your eye or in shaded spots. Even compared the SLC it’s night and day for me. Just my .02

For sure! My short time with them was hardly enough to have an educated opinion, just first impressions. Could just be my eyes haven’t looked through as many binos as other eyes. I think I know my choice if I go with 8’s. What mag to supplement the Zulu 6 10x for dedicated glassing sessions is now what I’m trying to sort out.

 

[Wacko]

Thanks for the reply. Your first statement is correct; waffling as it is a big decision - for both $$ and hoping you get the right thing.

Mostly I’m hoping to avoid having a couple thousand dollar pair of bino’s sitting around not being used because I found the mag, fov, size/weight, etc. were not what I wanted and I end up going with something else. Not the end of the world as I could sell it. Honestly, my biggest “worry,” if you will, I get an awesome pair of alphas, then end up not using them because the Zulu 6’s work out so well. However, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied until I try both. It almost seems redundant to carry the Zulu 6 10x on my chest while on the move, but also have an alpha 8x/10x for better fov, low light, etc. I just can’t imagine anything competing with the Zulu’s for quick glassing while hiking, but they obviously have their limitations and I don’t know how to supplement them. I realize there’s no right answer, but it helps to hear others perspectives.

All good. I can tell you if you figure out a good way to hand hold the 8's while moving there is no need to get the zulu6's.

I usually have a long monopod I can rest them on when I stop to glass for a "quick look". Or if I don't want to use the monopod the old tricks of grabbing you hat bill and positioning your hands and arms better works fine. I also use a gun bearer...so sometimes I use the barrel as a prop off the side of it.

You can lean against a tree, or grab a sapling...all kinds of stuff....

Just some thoughts..

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

Im looking to revamp my optics set up. Hoping to get some opinions from people with more experience than me. I live in and hunt the Midwest, but also go out west for 1-2 hunts/year. I use my binos frequently on the move, but also use a tripod for longer glassing sessions.

I currently have Maven B6 12x50’s I’ve used for everyone the past 4 years. I can hand hold them reasonably well, but didn’t realize how much FOV I was missing out on until I tried some friends 8x recently. I was dead set on some alpha 8x. After reading tons of forums, image stabilizing binos also came into the mix. I’ve changed my mind more times than I can count, luckily haven’t spent any money yet.

My current thinking is Sig Zulu6 10x30 on my chest. I figured that would make the most sense as I’m generally moving around a good amount and the image stabilization is fantastic while on the move. 10x have about 70 ft better FOV than any of the other Zulu6’s. As awesome as the image stabilization is, they lack FOV, low light, and optical quality. So I’m planning on carrying something else for longer glassing sessions and first/last light. Any thoughts on what would be best? Stick with the 12x mavens, but then I don’t gain any FOV. Sell those and go with a higher quality 12/15x, but again lacking FOV. Go with alpha 8’s for the awesome FOV, but lacking in mag. Get an additional 10x to supplement for low light, better optical performance and decent FOV, but will already have a 10x. I realize every option has trade offs, just looking for opinions from people who have done this much longer than me about what the best trade offs are. Price is an object, but very low on the list, more concerned with having the optimal setup with as few pieces of glass as possible, thanks!

NL Pure 10x42.

Field of view of normal 8x, best image quality available, easily hand held, work great from a tripod. I have had mine for over 3 years and am still impressed when I look through them.

 

[madcalfe]

10x42 Leica Noctivids gets my vote

 

[DLIP]

I’ve got 10x meoptas on my chest and 15x meoptas in my pack with a tripod. Love both. If I was going to change anything, it would be to drop to 8’s on my chest but my 10’s don’t leave me wanting

 

[Bak222]

I’ve got 10x meoptas on my chest and 15x meoptas in my pack with a tripod. Love both. If I was going to change anything, it would be to drop to 8’s on my chest but my 10’s don’t leave me wanting

Thanks for the feedback. I think I’m going with 8x for FOV, just not sure how I want to supplement that.

 

[ThatsBishop]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I’m going with 8x for FOV, just not sure how I want to supplement that.

I went with 8x nl’s on the chest and 14’s in bag for tripod use. I chose the 8s over the 10s because I struggle with handholding. When out I’m always trying different techniques to eliminate as much shake as possible. What I have found is that if I use the brim of the hat technique with the headrest I can get very steady, not tripod steady but steady enough to pick out detail at distance. I looked through the Zulu’s but the glass quality was a non- starter for me. Maybe someday we will see alpha IS binos. The 14s are amazing on another level. They have that wow factor and then some.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

I saw zero noticeable difference between the NL 8x and Zeiss SFL 8x.

For a few years now I've also been running the Maven B6 12x50 and love them, though with all the 12x NL Pure love going around I thought they'd be a massive improvement over anything in the Universe. I did a non-scientific back to back comparison when antelope hunting and honestly couldn't see a whole heck of a lot of difference in the fov and quality between the Pures and my Mavens.

I don't doubt they're better for a trained eye, in certain light/color situations, but the degree of difference was far far too little to justify the huge expense of the Pures over the Mavens, so luckily I was able to return them.

For years I owned and used the SLC 15x, which were very nice on a tripod, but very heavy and really didn't end up being used too much, as I would opt for the more versatile (better hand holding/lighter) 12x50 Mavens.
So the SLC's got sold and now I'm almost always just running the Mavens and sometimes carrying a spotter.

I do live, scout and hunt in Montana so do tend to glass longer distances where I would really prefer not to sacrifice the added range of the 12x.

If you buy used then decide to change it's really not too much of a price hit, so makes a great option to try things.

 

[180ls1]

I went from Monarch HG 8x42 (435' FOV) to 10x30 Zulu6 stabilized. Overall I am happy with the change but the stabilization is the only thing they are better at.

Either way, going to an 8 with huge FOV or 10x30 Zulu6 would make you very happy.

 

[ThatsBishop]

For a few years now I've also been running the Maven B6 12x50 and love them, though with all the 12x NL Pure love going around I thought they'd be a massive improvement over anything in the Universe. I did a non-scientific back to back comparison when antelope hunting and honestly couldn't see a whole heck of a lot of difference in the fov and quality between the Pures and my Mavens.

I don't doubt they're better for a trained eye, in certain light/color situations, but the degree of difference was far far too little to justify the huge expense of the Pures over the Mavens, so luckily I was able to return them.

For years I owned and used the SLC 15x, which were very nice on a tripod, but very heavy and really didn't end up being used too much, as I would opt for the more versatile (better hand holding/lighter) 12x50 Mavens.
So the SLC's got sold and now I'm almost always just running the Mavens and sometimes carrying a spotter.

I do live, scout and hunt in Montana so do tend to glass longer distances where I would really prefer not to sacrifice the added range of the 12x.

If you buy used then decide to change it's really not too much of a price hit, so makes a great option to try things.

It would seem the 14NL’s might fit your case scenario quite well. Virtually same field of view as the B6 and only 5oz more. Not that you said that you were looking to change but you mentioned the SLC’s were heavy and rarely used. I really love my 14’s.

 

[JGRaider]

I went from Monarch HG 8x42 (435' FOV) to 10x30 Zulu6 stabilized. Overall I am happy with the change but the stabilization is the only thing they are better at.

Either way, going to an 8 with huge FOV or 10x30 Zulu6 would make you very happy.

I'll take good binos on a tripod any and every day over image stabilized, battery dependent binos. YMMV>

 

[180ls1]

I'll take good binos on a tripod any and every day over image stabilized, battery dependent binos. YMMV>

They don't depend on the battery to work. Only the stabilization does FYI.

 

[4th_point]

Funny you say that, tonight I got a chance to get behind a few different pairs. I was only able to look around 800 yds with no objective measurements, about two hours before sunset, and at dusk. I saw zero noticeable difference between the NL 8x and Zeiss SFL 8x. In fact, the two hours before sunset the swaro’s had much more sun glare, noted by a friend as well as me. Don’t get me wrong, they’re fantastic, and it wasn’t a true field test, but I thought the SFL’s were every bit as good as the NL’s, if not marginally better, for almost half the price and almost half the weight. Obviously not a great test, but I was surprised.

I agree.

Veiling glare with the NL is a showstopper for me. Same with the EL and SLC.

That stated, the Swaro optical recipe for color and contrast is my favorite. SLC in particular for contrast, to find big game - I think it's better than the EL and NL. So I totally understand why people love Swaros - I get it.

I've owned/tested many of the binocs mentioned in this thread, including the SIG 10x30 non-HDX. I tested the units in the pics below (and more not shown) over an extended period of time, under varying light conditions side by side. I had a special resolution target that avoids many of the pitfalls with other targets that you see in many reviews.

Results? Only two binocs could resolve the target under all lighting conditions (dim to bright) - the 8x42 NL and 8x40 SFL for the 8x category. BUT, the NL was essentially unusable under glare conditions.

Overall for my needs and my eyes/brain, the 8x40 SFL is the best option unless you need integrated LRF. It has excellent resolution, and handles glare extremely well. I struggle to get any glare with the SFL.

The SFL is so dang handy and compact too. I've gone back and forth with fullsize vs compact and 8x vs 10x, and find that a compact 30/32mm in 8x is my preference overall. The 8x40 SFL is the exception, as it is more like a compact.

I'm not saying that you should go out and buy the 8x40 SFL though. I don't even own them.

I think you need more info before you buy anything. I've got more comments, and will post some follow ups.