Which binoculars are just step down from the best of the best?

[JNDEER]

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/optics/7225-quest.html

 

[Finn16]

I like my Kahles 10x42's. I was able to sit next to a friend and look through his Swaro 10x42 EL Range and my Kahles during the last hour of daylight. The Kahles hung in there pretty well but lost out in the last 15 minutes or so.

 

[Thinkingman]

After trying most of the
"Almost alphas" I have found my bino, the monarch HG from Nikon. Lightweight, build quality easily exceeds the razor, most importantly to me is the relaxed view provided by the HUGE field of view. Of course all eyes are different.
Nick

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I concur, high end Nikon are hard to beat and once you own a pair of 'nocs with a wide, flat FOV, you are spoiled.
Anything else is like a paper towel tube.

 

[RobertBaker466]

r......I still think my 10x42 Kahles have better glass. And my eyes have never liked any of the Vortex glass.

Not to resurrect an old thread, but couldn't help noticing this observation above - I bought the Vortex Viper 10x42 from Cabela's and ended up taking them back, they looked and felt good in the store (ergonomically the best of several $500 brands), but "in the real world" just didn't impress me. I'm still looking for the right pair, have Zeiss Conquest on order, hope they are the ones.

 

[Stingray]

You might want to try Tract Toric. I‘ve been told that the Tract, Zeiss Conquest, Sig Zulu 7 and Maven B1 are all made in the same factory in Japan with the same glass but different coating. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong. Just like the Sig Zulu 9 and Maven B2 are made with the same components to the same design in the same factory.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Not to resurrect an old thread, but couldn't help noticing this observation above - I bought the Vortex Viper 10x42 from Cabela's and ended up taking them back, they looked and felt good in the store (ergonomically the best of several $500 brands), but "in the real world" just didn't impress me. I'm still looking for the right pair, have Zeiss Conquest on order, hope they are the ones.

You definitely resurrected it, but that’s ok!

I really find the Nikon Monarch HG and Meopta Meostar HD to be the best of the mid-range binoculars.

The Conquests are pretty good too, but I prefer the Nikon and Meopta by a fair margin.

 

[Wiscohunter]

You will get a bunch of different options here. I would use the search on forums (including bird watching) and read as many reviews as you can. Then check them out as much as you can in person at low light conditions.

I like the Meopta/Euros the are above the Razors and IMO (for the price) can't be beat.

This is true and I spent months researching and looking through different Binoculars and ended up with the Cabeles brand Meoptas.

As others stated, find a cool employee that will let you take them outside, that's when I could tell the difference. I thought the Meoptas were better than anything I looked through with the exception of the Swarovski ELs and $3000 Leicas with range finding, which were way more than I was spending. The new Monarch, Lieca Trinovid, Zeiss conquests and Razors were all good enough that your individual eyes will tell you what you prefer in that price range.

 

[RobertBaker466]

... I‘ve been told that the Tract, Zeiss Conquest, Sig Zulu 7 and Maven B1 are all made in the same factory in Japan with the same glass but different coating.

Can Zeiss print "Made in Germany" on their glass if it is actually made in Japan? Somewhere I read that in some cases the PARTS are made in Asian countries but the final product is ASSEMBLED in Europe. The Zeiss Terra binoculars are definitely made in China, but they don't put "Made in Germany" on those like they do on the Conquest and Victory bins.

 

[RobertBaker466]

Wow, Many thanks for all the suggestions - Tract, Nikon, Meopta...it gets so confusing you just want to make a choice and pull the trigger! I haven't had much of an opportunity to try out all of the choices even in an outdoors store. I didn't like the Nikon Monarch 5 ergonomically so didn't try the Razor, I was not thrilled with the Vortex Viper optics. Tract is available by mail order only or in classifieds but I'm nervous about investing in a startup that may not be around in another 10 years, however great the optics and price. If I could afford it I would definitely consider the alpha glasses like Swaro EL, but I want to stay married. I've probably invested 80 hours in reading reviews. So what's a poor guy to do??? But thanks again for the expert opinions!

 

[RobertBaker466]

... Plus warranty is a consideration, and one important feature is having a 1/4-20 tripod mount which eliminates some of the high end glass anyway.

 

[MallardAddict]

If one can’t afford alpha glass the Meopta Meopro’s are amazing for their price and I imagine they are hard to top without spending significantly more money.

 

[RobertBaker466]

If one can’t afford alpha glass the Meopta Meopro’s are amazing for their price and I imagine they are hard to top without spending significantly more money.

Wish I could try these out, I've heard a lot of good things about the Meopro's and the Meostar's.

 

[WCB]

Meopta hands down

 

[menhaden_man]

I'm trying to find reviews but they are all different. One review had Vortex Diamondbacks at number 3! Lol

When I'm in Cabelas it's difficult for me to see a huge difference between the Swarovski vs Leupold vs Vortex etc.

I know a lot of emphasis is put on buying the best glass you can afford but I know guys that glass up and kill great deer with mid level binos.

Guess I'm wondering about some more affordable options while still getting great quality. Any recommendations? Are the Leupold Mohave HD Pro, Vanguard HD, etc any good? Can they hang somewhat with the big dogs?

Almost seems like guys turn up there nose unless it's 2000$ Swarovski, Zeis, or Leica.


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I've got a pair of Nikon Monarch 7 10 x 42s and wouldn't buy another pair of binos if I hit the lotto. My eyeballs are not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between these and the $2k stuff that folks love so much.

Amazon.com : Nikon 7549 Monarch 7 : Camera & Photo

Amazon.com : Nikon 7549 Monarch 7 : Camera & Photo

www.amazon.com

 

[Stingray]

I think optics are getting closer and closer in terms of quality. The only area where I see a big difference as you go up in price are rangefinder binoculars. The Vortex, Sig, Nikon and GPO RFs seem to be a big step down from the Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski Comparable. But, in normal (Say10x42) binoculars, the Zeiss Conquest, Leica Trinovid, Maven B1, Maven B2, Tract Toric, Nikon HG, Vortex Razor and Vortex UHD, Leupold Santiam BX5, GPO Passion, Meopta Meostar B1, Steiner HX and Sig Zulu 7 and Zulu 9 (and others) are all really good. I’d say most of us wouldn’t get but only a 3-5% improvement at most if we spent more and got alpha Zeiss, Leica or Swarovski. But that doesn’t seem to hold true with the RF bins.

That said, all people see through each bino differently and will value the view differently. Some of us spend more. Some of us spend less. Luckily, there are enough options to make most everyone happy regardless of price point. it’s just a matter of trying as many as you can until you find what works for you in terms of view, ergonomics, price and other factors. It’s very personal and subjective.

 

[rev44]

Nikon HG

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[Leroy91]

Mavens are incredible bang for your buck.

 

[ZackP]

My wife runs the 10x42 Viper (Philippines). They’re fairly good glass for the money. I had a set of the Maven C3 in 12x50 but I couldn’t get past the narrow FOV and terrible eye cups, although the image was incredible for the price. Monarch 7’s are fantastic for the price although MIC I believe. As far as mid range I prefer the Leica Trinovid over almost anything with the Monarch HG being a very very close 2nd. Razors didn’t make my mid range list for what it’s worth. Everyone’s eyes are different, best bet is to get into a store and compare some outside if possible. Good luck!

 

[JGRaider]

Meopta Meostar HD, Nikon HG, Tract Toric, GPO Passion HD, Zeiss Cnquest HD would be my short list.

 

[Spiral Horn]

Meopta Meostar HD, Nikon HG, Tract Toric, GPO Passion HD, Zeiss Cnquest HD would be my short list.

+1 for JGRaider’s list. Would also highly recommend handling/glassing with the Nikon Monarch HG’s before making any final decision, I’m a guy not often “wow’d” by optics, but just couldn’t get over what these binos offer at the $1k price point.

Really want to buy the Nikon HGs, but already have Zeiss Victory, Zeiss Classic, Leica Trinovid, and Maven B2, so it’s pretty hard to justify. Maybe they’d make a nice anniversary gift, but I‘d be sure to monogram them as a reminder of where they came from