Did a quick search but couldn't find the thread. I'm turning 40 in a few months and that's a good excuse for my wife to spend too much money on something for me. I'm looking to get my last set of binoculars, some that I would never want to upgrade. I hunt a lot but not glassing for animals far off. Most shots I take are less than 125 yards. What are your recommendations? Thank you!

agcrock2005 said:

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Did a quick search but couldn't find the thread. I'm turning 40 in a few months and that's a good excuse for my wife to spend too much money on something for me. I'm looking to get my last set of binoculars, some that I would never want to upgrade. I hunt a lot but not glassing for animals far off. Most shots I take are less than 125 yards. What are your recommendations? Thank you!

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Not sure I have a good suggestion for such an aged person. After all - someone turning 40 has one foot in the grave already......






OK - just kidding, obviously. Right now, the hot bino is the new 42mm Swarovski NL, which comes in 8x, 10x, and 12x. Most of the reviews have been complimentary, but some people have had problems with them, mainly glare. My experience with the 12x NL is that they are more finicky about eye position than their EL and SLC, and moreso than the Zeiss SF and the Leica Noctivid as well. If you are an experienced binocular user who can be exacting in eye placement no matter the physical size of a binocular, then I would go with either the 8x or 10x NL. Their construction, color presentation and sharpness is top-notch, and their FOV's are best in class. If on the other hand you find using small binos (20mm or 25mm) to be a bit tedious, then you might have issues with an NL too, and therefore I would recommend that you stick with an EL or a Noctivid. These will be easier for a lot of people to use.

If you don't want to spend NL money, then definitely consider the EL, in particular the 8.5x42, which is my overall favorite binocular. The 10x42 EL is also very good, but their 10x50 is a better 10x. The 50mm is just as sharp, but is brighter and has a wider FOV. But the 8.5x42 is just excellent, enough so that I have no plans to "upgrade" to an 8x NL, and the 8.5x magnification is close enough to 10x that I don't have plans to upgrade to a 10x NL either. I do like a wide FOV and certainly the NL has that, but it would come at the expense of a slight decrease in magnification and eye relief. Also, I don't find the ergos of the new NL to be all that impressive. My wife liked it, but even though I can get along with binos of any size, I actually prefer the wider diameter barrels of the EL.

The other two models to consider are the Leica Noctivid and the Zeiss SF. The SF has great ergonomics, but to me they just don't feel like they have as solid a construction as compared to the Leica or the Swaro. I also don't care for the Zeiss color presentation, which to my eyes tends to run cooler than I prefer, and often with over-emphasized greens. I tend to prefer the warmer colors of the Leica products (their 8x32 Ultravid HD+ is my favorite 32mm bino), and also really like their physical appearance and bombproof construction. But when it comes to 42mm binos, I still prefer the resolution and color presentation of Swarovski EL's over the other two.

All that being said, I would also say that you should consider the Swarovski SLC too. They are less expensive, but still quite good, and certainly more than enough binocular for most people. But if you are a discerning viewer, then stick with an NL, EL, or Noctivid.

The above deals with 42mm binos, as that is what most OB'ers tend to want. If however you are considering a 32mm bino, let me know and I can get into that size.

hth,
C

Wow, impressive information as always. Thank you sir!

It's interesting. While it seems like a lot of bino gurus prefer the Swaro color, I like the Ultravid 10x42s the best for overall hunting bino. Can't go wrong with either. Went in to buy Swaro. I liked both but ended up going with they Leica because the feel better in my hands.

No problem! I hope you come back here and let everyone know what you ended up with.

After re-reading my post, I kinda think it might cause more questions than it answered. If you want me to go into more detail about any of these, let me know. I don't own everything out there, but I've used almost everything out there.

C

What are your suggestions for one tier lower, maybe $1000-$1500 range? I have an awesome Vertex Viper scope on one of my guns and have heard good things about their binos. Also, my brother has some Nikon Monarch HD binoculars that I've used and they're pretty nice. Just trying to get some other ideas as well in case she freaks out when she sees my $3000 binoculars in my Amazon wishlist.

agcrock2005 said:

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What are your suggestions for one tier lower, maybe $1000-$1500 range?

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In the $1.5k range, there are three binos to consider, the Vortex Razor UHD, Kowa Genesis, and the Swarovski SLC. The Razor UHD is made in Japan, unlike the regular 3rd generation Razor which is now made in China. The UHD is an excellent binocular, but it is big and heavy, and certainly will not hold its value such as a Swarovski. Although I would love to own one, I doubt I would use it much just because of it's weight. But if you can find one on sale close to the $1k range, it would be an excellent choice.

The Kowa is also a large and heavy binocular. I haven't used a 44mm Genesis, but I have used a 32mm version, and it is also an excellent binocular. One thing about Kowa is that they are very good at correcting chromatic aberration, and are even better at this than some alphas. But like the UHD, it is big and heavy, and it is not going to hold its value like a SLC.

The Swarovski SLC would be the ~$1.5k bino that I would get. However, the 42mm models have been recently discontinued, so if you want one, you have to hurry. I have a feeling that Swaro will come out with a 42mm CL to replace the SLC, due to the EL line now becoming their "mid-level" binocular. The SLC has a rather strange-looking exterior rubber armor, but they perform quite well. In this price class, they are the ones to get, if you can find one. Just be aware that the jump in performance between a $1k bino and a $1.5k bino is IMO actually fairly small. That is probably the main reason why we don't own an SLC, or and UHD for that matter. IOW, if someone can't pop for an alpha, then just stick to the ~$1k level.

At the $1k range, there are the Meopta Meostar, Zeiss Conquest HD (not to be confused with the earlier and not nearly as good Conquest), Leica Trinovid, Nikon Monarch HG, and Vortex Razor. The Razor is very good, but as it is now made in China, I would not recommend one. The Meostar is also good, but has a slight yellowish color bias and is rather heavy. The two I prefer are the Conquest HD and the Trinovid. To my eyes the Zeiss has a cooler color bias than the Trinovid, but it has more eye-relief than the Trinovid. Both are excellent however. I kinda prefer the Trinovid, but for subjective reasons. TBH, the Zeiss is probably the better bino in this class, boring-looking though it is. The Nikon Monarch HG is also very good, but I don't care for the exterior rubber armor all that much, and at least on the one we have, the focus wheel is not as smooth as it should be. In this price class, you can sometimes find the Monarch HG the cheapest, but I would still prefer the Zeiss or the Leica.

There is one new player in the ~$1k range, and that is the new Meopta Meopro Air. I haven't used one as they have just been introduced, and I haven't read any reviews on them either. However, they seem to have really good specifications (especially weight) and certainly they seem to be a very handsome binocular. If I were to be in the market for a $1k bino, I would definitely try these. All the Meoptas I have tried in their various price categories have all been quite good, and with a feel in the hand of great build quality. I am actually looking forward to trying these out.

C

agcrock2005 said:

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Did a quick search but couldn't find the thread. I'm turning 40 in a few months and that's a good excuse for my wife to spend too much money on something for me. I'm looking to get my last set of binoculars, some that I would never want to upgrade. I hunt a lot but not glassing for animals far off. Most shots I take are less than 125 yards. What are your recommendations? Thank you!

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I'm approaching 60 and still waiting for $2000+ gift that wasn't a child

AgDad121619 said:

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agcrock2005 said:

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Did a quick search but couldn't find the thread. I'm turning 40 in a few months and that's a good excuse for my wife to spend too much money on something for me. I'm looking to get my last set of binoculars, some that I would never want to upgrade. I hunt a lot but not glassing for animals far off. Most shots I take are less than 125 yards. What are your recommendations? Thank you!

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I'm approaching 60 and still waiting for $2000+ gift that wasn't a child

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I can confirm several of Caladan's points. I bought and slc for about $1,200 used it for 15 years then sold it on eBay for $950 a couple years ago. Swarovski do hold their value. I then bought his favorite the EL 8.5 on his recommendation and they are beyond terrific. I also bought a pair of meopta meopro on his recommendation for my daughter which are about $400 and they have been terrific as well. Very impressed given the price point.

Listen to the man!

https://www.adorama.com/us%20%20%201377970.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInPuGpuzL7wIVRAnnCh0Kdgl0EAQYAyABEgIF5PD_BwE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInPuGpuzL7wIVRAnnCh0Kdgl0EAQYAyABEgIF5PD_BwE&utm_source=adl-gbase-p

TRIDENT said:

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https://www.adorama.com/us%20%20%201377970.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInPuGpuzL7wIVRAnnCh0Kdgl0EAQYAyABEgIF5PD_BwE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInPuGpuzL7wIVRAnnCh0Kdgl0EAQYAyABEgIF5PD_BwE&utm_source=adl-gbase-p

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That is a great price, as long as it is truly a Fieldpro edition as seen in the picture, and comes with all of the original accessories. The listing states that the picture is not the actual item, so if anyone is considering these, they need to make sure the bino is really an EL Fieldpro version, and not one of the earlier EL versions, called EL W B and EL SV.

C

Still in love with my Tract Toric UHD binos.

I still love my Zen-Ray ED3s as well, just wish they would have stayed in business lol. Oh well.

A bit more on the Swarovski SLC. As mentioned above, the 42mm are being discontinued. I don't know of anyplace that has the 10x42, however if you want an excellent 8x42, BHphotovideo.com has them at $1399, and they will take off the sales tax too if you use their credit card. That is the best price I have seen for them.

For anyone who might want the 10x42, you might consider calling an official Swarovski dealer called Honey Creek Bill and Beak and see if they still have any. They are good people to deal with. They have a website.

C

Caladan said:

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agcrock2005 said:

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What are your suggestions for one tier lower, maybe $1000-$1500 range?

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In the $1.5k range, there are three binos to consider, the Vortex Razor UHD, Kowa Genesis, and the Swarovski SLC. The Razor UHD is made in Japan, unlike the regular 3rd generation Razor which is now made in China. The UHD is an excellent binocular, but it is big and heavy, and certainly will not hold its value such as a Swarovski. Although I would love to own one, I doubt I would use it much just because of it's weight. But if you can find one on sale close to the $1k range, it would be an excellent choice.

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https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Binoculars/ci/1010/N/4083534123

Wondering what the OP went with?

I was looking at the Vortex Fury HD. I've starting shooting PRS matches and the commination bino/rangefinder would be nice to have, not to mention the built in ballistic functionality and not having to carry multiple devices around (bino, ketral, range finder).

Any opinions on those? I know it's not going to be top glass like the Swarovski, but I don't have $3,000 for the Swarovski version.

FYI Europtic just sent out an email a couple days ago with a bunch of swarovski demos.

Looked at Bino's this weekend. Unfortunately it was all inside, but their was a wall decoration ~80-yards away with enough fine detail to see the difference between the brands.

Started with the Vortex Fury HD5000 10x42 looked nice and as I noted I like the idea of a Bino/Rangfinder in one so as not to have to carry multiple items. The HD5000 AB has ballistics and you can input wind direction/speed to get MOA/MRAD adjustments.

Then I tried the Swaro EL 10x42..holy cow. The clarity difference was huge. On the Vortex, I could see their were different colors/patterns on the wall decoration, with the Swaro I could see at the pixel level!! At least that's the best I can describe it. The colors and clarity difference were just huge to my eye. I know it was not far away, but it was exactly ideal lighting either. Really just blown away.

Tried the Vortex Razor UHD 10x42 and those were comparable to the Swaro'smaybe not quite as good, but not $700 price difference worse (Swaro's were on sale at Scheels for $2199, Razor's were $1,499).

I might have to go back and look at the $600 Bino's just to see how those compare to the Vortex Fury optics just to see what I'm really looking thru. If mean if a $600 pair of Bino's looks better than the Fury, then the carrying two items nuisance goes away. I should have done that when I was there but the wife was waiting to leave. I also saw Swaro makes a bino/range finder, but it's $3600+that's not happening anytime.

Honestly I really don't need these. Seems like everyone else has a pair at the PRS matches where I'd get the most use and they're all happy to let you look thru them at targets.I also don't really need a new heavy barrel and new stock on my .223 but.