Binos??

[Wild Bill MCP 808]

They are like a good bow. How do they feel in your hand. What are your personal choices in bino's? What do you intend to hunt with them? I like 10X42 nikon again personal choice.

Good Luck------Wild Bill

[Kentucky Jeff]

You didn't mention price.  Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss are top of the heap but you will pay for it.  I also really like Vortex for the price.  

I own them both.  Swarovski are my go-to hunting binos.  Vortex are the binos I keep in the truck.

You will never be sorry you spend hard earned money on top shelf binos.  It will hurt in the short run.   But you will enjoy them for a LONG time...

Its like people who decide to buy a $300 dog vs. a $1200 dog....  You are going to have the dad blamed thing for 10-12 years.  So price isn't the primary consideration here...

[eflanders]

Originally posted by 3Feathers:
Whats a good compact brand?What power?will be for ground hunting.Was thinking about getting a pair of Steiner predator pro 8x22.Anybody use these?

I have a pair of these and they are decent binoculars as compacts, but to be perfectly candid they are only good for stand sitting.

[Biathlonman]

If you really want 20mm you better pony up for the good stuff...think Leica.

If you can live with 30mm the Leupold yosemite 6x30 are far and away the best bang for your buck.  At less then $100 they scare the pants off glass 5x as much. Hard to beat Vortex to at whatever pricepoint you like. I recently picked up a pair of the 6.5x30 something Vortex raptor that I'm very impressed with.

[Longbowz]

I wouldn't go with anything smaller then say 8X32 unless your just using them to spot something say from a tree stand that's close by in good light.

If like many hunters in the west you spend a lot of time glassing, good binoculars are probably one of your most important investments in hunting gear.

One of the truth's about optics is you get what you pay for.  I recently bought a pair of Swarovski 10X40's after doing a side by side comparison with Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski. This was after a long time spent researching on the web anything I could find about them.  Laying out this kind of money for a pair of binoculars wasn't easy for me so I wanted all the info I could find before making my decision.  I also looked at other brands.  These three brands by far are simply head & shoulders above the others.  I look at quality optics as a lifetime investment so I believe it was money well spent.  At least I keep telling myself that.

If however you can't swing something in the price range these three are in there are some surprisingly good bargains.  I also have a pair of Bushnell Legend 8 X 40's that after I bought the Swarovski's actually compared reasonably well.  I'm sure some of the other brands mentioned earlier would do too.  In my mind the most important thing is to try before you buy and look at quite a few before making a final decision.

[Tom Leemans]

I just don't mind having "mid sized" binos with 42mm objective lenses. They're making them lighter all the time. Get a good chest harness and you won't notice they're there. Mine are Eagle Optics 10X42 rangers. I looked at the 8X but the light was just as good with the 10's and the field of view difference was not noticeable.

[Stone Sheep]

3Feathers, I have a pair of Alpen 8x32's that are absolutly fantastic. They are made in California and the sevice is second to none. Alpen has a great name in the bird waching world but has not really caught on in the hunting market yet. they are also reasonably priced. Check them out on the web.

[BowMIke]

If you can afford them, yu can't beat the Swarovski's. Go to Gander Mountain or Cabelas and compare the different glasses for brightness and clarity.

[Machino]

I had always used the Vortex 10x42 but got tired of the weight on my shoulders after many miles.  So this year I got the Vortex Solo 10x25 monocular.  So far I'm really impressed with it.  Good clarity.  Same Vortex quality.  It fits in my sitka waist pouch perfectly and is super compact and light.  As well, it 50 bucks.

[sneakybow]

Brunton makes some great glass, everything from low end to their ICON series with the Halo warranty that covers anything and everything except losing them

[sneakybow]

For those who are saying the Swaros, Zeiss and Leicas are head and shoulders above everything else you owe it to yourself to put them side by side with the ICONs from Brunton...

[58WINTERS]

6x30 or 7x35 based on your info.  The rest will be based on your budget and looking through several pair . Pay attention to the image edges, many are sharp in the center but image quality falls of as you move out from center.  Higher quality glass maintains sharpness with very little image distortion and brightness as you move to the edges. Quality of construction will take more abuse in the field.  The big three have their reputations for a reason but not all of us can afford or need that level of engineering.  If at all possible mount the ones you are considering on a tripod and look through them as this will give you the best possible image to evaluate.
If you get the opportunity look through the big 3 it's fun and may help in your decision.
58

[Dawnpatrol]

Kowa 10x42mm, Great glass. Run about $500. Very good deal.

[Longbowz]

Originally posted by sneakybow:
For those who are saying the Swaros, Zeiss and Leicas are head and shoulders above everything else you owe it to yourself to put them side by side with the ICONs from Brunton...

LOL,    I did................  

[grouseshooter002]

I've carried a pair of Leica 10x25 compacts for years and feel that they have paid their dues. You usually get what you pay for, but not always.
Oh, by the way, these fit in my shirt pocket.
Regards,
Grouse

[MnFn]

I have had Swaro 8X30, have currently 10X42 Leica and 6X30 Leupold and 8X20 Zeiss.

If I got rid of all of these and bought one, it would be the Swaro 8X30. The size was just right for me, and I usually had them with me.

I have no experience with anything else, tho.

[Roy Steele]

Don't go little I like mid size so I can still use them 200 ,300 yards. So I can tell what I'M LOOKING AT.