Ok, help me out here. Optics, binos in particular. I hunt in sc and a couple years ago I picked up a pair of Nikon binos and I love them, they are lower end but good. I never understood how much they can help out hunting until I used them. My question is this: what makes the upper class brands.. Zeiss, Swarovski ect so much better to justify the added cost? I ask because I've never owned a pair of anything else. For those who own/use them help me out here what makes them so nice? Are they really worth it?
I've owned both Zeiss and Nikon and I don't think you can justify the added cost of the upper end glass. If you have extra money to spend, go ahead and buy the best but in my opinion they are not that much better.
clarity, brightness, durability and comfort of viewing, important if you spend hours behind them glassing for sheep or other open country game. I have a pair of Swarovski's that are great. Worth every penny in my opinion. I have heard good things about vortex's bino's at a lower price point, but have little experience with them.
Darcy :campfire:
Nikon Monarch's is what I always use around here and they are great.
After hunting in Newfoundland and glassing for hours every day, I was getting bad headaches by lunch time. My buddy had top of the line Swarovski's and let me use them. No headaches.
And the clarity under the very wet, foggy conditions was better also.
General hunting, decent middle of the line will do fine.
For serious binocular use, I saw and felt the difference.
Didn't matter though, I didn't have the 1000.00 for a pair like my friend's!
Good thing he is loaded.
It mostly depends upon where and how you hunt. If you do mostly stand hunting and only use glasses to view animals that walk past then they are not that important. If you are hunting out west and doing spot and stalk type hunting you will quickly notice the difference. Here you will be glassing for hours on end in all types of lighting conditions and your hunt doesn't start until you SPOT the animal. In this type of hunting they will more than pay for themselves.
Old Chief is spot on. Where I hunt here in Oklahoma it doesn't matter, one works just as good as the other. When I hunt in Colorado doing a lot of glassing it makes all the difference in the world and your eyes will appreciate the more expensive glass for that type of use. In my opinion it just depends on how you plan on using them if it is worth spending more money for higher end binoc's.
My thought is to be as much bino as you can afford. I have a pair of Swaros 8x30's that I bought in 1991 yhat I love. I paid $350 for them on a layaway deal at a local sporting goods store. A few years ago I broke one of the strap holders that are fixed on the body. Sent them in and some time later got back a set that had brand new body. I thought at first they were brand new binoss. Excellent customer service. These have been in many states and Canada and have stood the test of time. Break that initial cost down by year and see how much they cost that way. Then figure out how many cheap pairs you will buy over the same time period.
I spent many years hunting in Germany. One thing you can say about the Germans - they don't skimp on quality. I used a foresters Swarowski 10 x 42s and compared them to my old Zeiss 10 x 50s. There would probably not have been a noticeable difference in the middle of the day, but we were pig hunting and it was just at dusk. His were brighter and clearer.
I sold the Zeiss because they were bigger than I needed for hunting in Michigan and bought a pair of Nikon Monarch X glasses - 8.5 x 45. Not up to the Swarowskis, but I am more than just pleased with them for general use. I'm now looking for a pair of little 6 x 32's for bow hunting. Distance in Michigan woods is not normally very far, but I need help seeing into the shadows in early morning or late evening. I tried a pair of Vortex Vipers at Cabela's last trip there and they were really sweet.
Optics pricing reaches a point of diminishing returns at about $350.00 IMHO. You'll appreciate good glass if you are spot and stalking in open country. Lesser optics will fatigue your eyes. The key is resolution; an upper end 8X will allow you to see more than a low end 12X. You will get more bang for your buck withh porro prism binos than roof prism.
I have a pair of Vortex, less money than some of the ones mentioned but IMHO still very good binos. Glassed for hours with them on a mule deer hunt and was very pleased. Some of the other guys on the trip had the high end binos, I really couldn't tell that much difference. Vortex aren't cheap, but they won't break the bank either. Just my two cents worth.
I did a podcast that explains coatings, light gathering, waterproofness, and everything else about binoculars. I also covered alot of the different brands and thier pros and cons.
Here it is if you want to listen to it.
http://tbwpodcast.com/episode-25-all-about-binoculars/
Redfield binos are the way to go. They are made by leupold but half the price.
One of the big things I like about higher end binoculars (I have Leica Ultravid HD 8 x 42), is the clarity out to the edge of the field of view. With lower end binos, often the edges are never really sharp as in "in focus."
The first time I looked through a pair of Leicas in a shop around 20 + years ago, I recall being amazed at the resolution. I could count the individual hairs on some guy's beard, who was about 15 - 20 yds away. I couldn't afford them then. I just got finally bought a pair of Leicas last year.
Clarity . Out here we often spot critters at a mile or more. Good, really good glass, can save you hours of walking.
Agree there is a point of diminishing returns,, and only you walket knows where that is. I saved for a couple years to get Zeiss, do not regret it. LB has it down pretty good
I have owned a bunch; Sears, Leupold, Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica.
My favorite and the one I bought for the second time around is the 8X30 Swarovski.
Why? I think it is the best compromise for me. The 10X42 Leica was great, but too heavy hanging around my neck so I found myself using my 8X20 Zeiss just because I could easily stick them in my pocket.
The 8X30 gives me that perfect, sharp, nice round view. I just never get tired of looking through them. They seem to fit my face the best.
So right now I have the 8X30 Swaro and the Zeiss 8X20 and I think my search for binoculars is done.
If I won the lottery I might buy a pair of EL's but I am perfectly happy with what I have.
You mention that you hunt in South Carolina. If you are hunting "in the woods" and trying to locate animals at relatively sort distances consider a pair of lower powered binoculars, such as 6x30. Leupold "Yosemites" are quite good, reasonably priced and there are a number of other good ones available in this range. These binoculars are excellent for hunting elk out west in timber as well.
Thanks guys for all the help, I'm still on the fence between a few pairs but the advice here has helped a ton. If anybody's got more advice please keep it coming.
I glass a lot of open country glassing long distances for coues deer and javelina. I use Swaravski 15X and my son uses Vortex Kaibab 15X both on a tripod. I also have 3 sets of Nikon Monarchs. There is NO and I mean NO comparison at how much better the high end binos are in terms of clarity etc. If you are only using binos for short distance hunting then you may not need high end binos. I keep a pair of monarch 8x around my neck.
I do hunt predominantly wooded terrain but I also have access to open land as well. And when I move be it in wooded or open area I like to go slow and glass a lot. I own a lower end pair of nikons now and have noticed how huge a difference a pair of binos can make when it comes to spotting game before they spot you. I've never regretted spending the money on the pair I have now and I suppose that I wouldn't regret a higher end pair it's just bringing myself to do it that seems to be hard for me to do.
Look at it this way, if you buy a pair of high end binoculars now, you'll probably never have to upgrade again in your lifetime, AND you'll be looking through excellent glass all that time.
IMHO, buy the most expensive optics you can afford. Where :high-end: optics excel is dawn and dusk. I've had most brands and I now hunt with a pair of Kahlis 8 x 42's. Makes a big difference in low-light conditions.