True sleeper optics

[Frank Grimes]

I have a pair of bushnell elite 10x42. They were pretty cheap I think. Always been happy with them.
The vanguard endeavour spotter mentioned I wasn’t happy with. My eyeball almost had to touch the eyepiece for a good sight picture and it gave me a headache quickly. My Nikon ed50 is much clearer and easier to use.

 

[Qfrog]

Seeing some deals on Zeiss conquest had 10x42 at around $750.

Worth the few hundred more than I was originally going to spend?

Seems like great reviews everywhere across the board especially at that price point.

 

[peaches]

Konus Konuspot spotter works great at the range for the price. Easy to see .22 holes at 200 yds.

 

[Newtosavage]

Seeing some deals on Zeiss conquest had 10x42 at around $750.

Worth the few hundred more than I was originally going to spend?

Seems like great reviews everywhere across the board especially at that price point.

They are a buy once, cry once purchase. You'll never need to upgrade.

 

[Mr Xv3]

just want to add two things.

1. Older porros offer some awesome views, but at heavier and often a less elegant form factor.
2. This thread rocks.

 

[willsyb]

Bushnell Legend M's for sure. I got lucky and scored a couple of 10x42's for my wife and I prior to a Yellowstone trip back in '17. I remember at the time I had also ordered other 10x42's - Vortex Viper, Sig (don't recall the model), Leupold, and of all things, Trijicon branded bins. The Legends hands down won out on side by side comparisons to my eyes at easily half the cost ~225 on Amazon.

Now, heading to Alaska soon, and am thinking upgrade, but I don't know what I would bump up to as I'm reading in this thread that these Legend M's can compete with Razors. So how much more would I need to spend to really see an appreciable difference in performance. Looks like it would at least need to be in the $1k+ ballpark for Conquests or the like.

 

[*zap*]

Minox

 

[SikaSeeker]

I should have put my Fieldscope ED on that list. I got my ED III 60mm for just $200 and it's a killer scope.

That’s a steal, picked up one EDIII-A (angled) with 30x eyepiece for £216 /$270 and consider that a bargain.

Someone mentioned German optics/ poor shaming. The Fujinon and Nikon stuff is really great, the 7x50 FMTR-SX2 are my favourite binoculars. One owner of NL pure and those said he thinks the Fujinon edge it for him, but you do get some CA. The 7x means huge exit pupil and brightness, you feel like you’re using an industrial tool though. Also have compass Version.

For the millionaires / fishermen Fujinon make gigantic 25x150 binoculars . Japanese fisherman use them on their boats to spot bird flocks 12 miles out. Good for your ocean front home

 

[darcytribe]

That’s a steal, picked up one EDIII-A (angled) with 30x eyepiece for £216 /$270 and consider that a bargain.

Someone mentioned German optics/ poor shaming. The Fujinon and Nikon stuff is really great, the 7x50 FMTR-SX2 are my favourite binoculars. One owner of NL pure and those said he thinks the Fujinon edge it for him, but you do get some CA. The 7x means huge exit pupil and brightness, you feel like you’re using an industrial tool though. Also have compass Version.

For the millionaires / fishermen Fujinon make gigantic 25x150 binoculars . Japanese fisherman use them on their boats to spot bird flocks 12 miles out. Good for your ocean front home

Do you think my Slik will support them?

 

[xsn10s]

SWFA 6X after lusting for one from LRH and recent RS posts. Yeah I'm pretty impressed. It may end up on my new RemArms ADL 7mm RM.

 

[Overwire]

Vanguard Endeavor ED 8x42 first gen. Maybe I just have an exceptional example but I also bought a pair of Swarovski SLC HD 8x42s and spent time comparing them to the Endeavors off a tripod in lots of conditions. Ended up selling the Swaros. The Endeavors were a better bono straight up, and they only cost me $250 since I got them when the ED2s were coming out. The Vanguards were better in low light, lighter, better focus, better glare control. Swarovski was only better in CA control if I forced it. I’ve compared this Vanguard’s to Razor HDs, Conquest HDs, and older Swarovski and they handily beat them all. I mostly use 10x42 ELs now and enjoy the field flattener and bump in mag but at first and last light I miss the low light performance of those Vanguards as they are significantly better than the ELs. I wouldn’t trade them for anything under $2k.

 

[HuntInWild88]

I have to say cabelas Krotos's
I had my 65mm next to my Swaro 95Atx and I was really pulling at string to "make" my Swaros better.
I was trying to figure out if the weight of the swaros were really worth the haul in sheep country.
I decided to go with the Krotos..which I do belive are actually just Athlons rebranded to Cabelas.

 

[Kimber7man]

They might not have been the best optically, but I always loved the little set of Vortex Viper 6x32 binos I used for turkey and tree stand hunting.

 

[Sarcazmo]

I think the Hawke Frontier APO series punch above their weight. I have the 8 and 10x42. I also have a maven b12x56 and think the hawkes are every bit as good, possibly even a hair more sharp.

 

[JGood]

On the high end side, Kahles is a sleeper. You can find them on SH and Rokslide for under $2500 all the time and SOMETIMES you can find them for under $2k. At THAT pricing, its best in class by far. You sacrifice a small amount of edge to edge compared to ZCO and SB but at 1/3 the cost, they are for sure in another class above the Razor Gen 2 and Mark 5. Where Kahles lacks is in Warrenty and Service. Its a just pain to have something shipped to Austria.

On the lower end, I still cannot believe you can find a Vortex PST 2 for uder $800 new and $600 used. That is lights out with the best warrenty in the game by far.

 

[Blue72]

Nikon ed50 with fixed magnification eye piece. Mine is flawless!!!

 

[LostArra]

I've got some Leopold Golden Ring HD binoculars 10x42 that are very nice. Heavy, built like a tank but very sharp.
I wish I had the 8x32.

They might be the last American made binocular.

 

[4th_point]

I've got some Leopold Golden Ring HD binoculars 10x42 that are very nice. Heavy, built like a tank but very sharp.
I wish I had the 8x32.

They might be the last American made binocular.

I still keep an eye out for those on the used market!

 

[4th_point]

Nikon ed50 with fixed magnification eye piece. Mine is flawless!!!

They are impressive for the size and weight. At ~20 ounces, I think of it as a just-in-case scope if already carrying a tripod for binocs. Why not bring it along, unlike a bigger/heavier scope? Fine as a primary scope too, given the limitations of a 50mm.

 

[Sierra Hunter]

They are a buy once, cry once purchase. You'll never need to upgrade.

Love mine, no “need” for anything else. Getting here late so sorry if it’s been said but the vortex vultures 15x. Can find them cheap, I think I sold mine for a song. Saw a ton of game before I spent 4x more for 20% greater clarity.