Another Bino thread

[WNC2500]

@WVTXn I totally agree with @Khunter, take your time on this. I did what several people on here have done and spent more money trying to move up with optics when I should have just "buy once and cry once" and that would have been easier all the way around. @noharleyyet said, "I spent more than enough dough working up to Swaros than to have bought them sooner." and I wholeheartedly concur. #IDIDTOO

Take the time to go and try out multiple options. Take them outside the store and look at stuff. I did that in Sportsman's and Cabelas (90 min away) and looked at stuff over a mile away and that made a huge difference in helping me make decisions. Then I waited on one of the stores to have a sale, and I pounced on them!

 

[mdhunter]

I spent more than enough dough working up to Swaros than to have bought them sooner.

^^^This

 

[BrentD]

Buy used. You get much more for your money. Glass doesn't wear out because someone already looked through it.

 

[SC Living Outdoors]

I have a pair of Maven B2's 11x45. They are awesome binos. If you are sitting and glassing they are a fantastic option. The glass is unbelievable. They have made a massive difference in my glassing ability since I purchased them 2+ years ago.

 

[Don Fischer]

Thing about bino's for me is they are just one more thing to carry. I've got an old pair of inexpensive Bushnell's I seldom take anywhere. Got them used over 20 yrs ago and I can still see more than I want to through them. Sent a Nikon scope in for repair about the time they quit the scope business and they allowed me about $350 credit on any product they had. Figured I should get a decent set of bino's for once so did it. Pretty much everything I can see through them I can see through the old Bushnell's. Carry them around laying on the floor of the truck! In fairness though I don't search long range and certainly don't shoot long range. Bino's usually comes in handy at the range looking at target's I'm shooting at. Probably hangover from my early years hunting when ranges were short enough they weren't needed and one less thing to carry! These Nikon's seem to be really nice though. Then again I also prefer Nikon camera's! maybe that has something to do with it!

 

[Don Fischer]

One more thing. About the buy once cry once idea. Completely wrong if you can't afford it in the first place. Buy what you can afford and if times get better and you want to move up, do it. Be to bad to go blow a ton of money on something with the buy once cry once mentality then find out you really can't afford to go out and use them!

 

[WVTXn]

One more thing. About the buy once cry once idea. Completely wrong if you can't afford it in the first place. Buy what you can afford and if times get better and you want to move up, do it. Be to bad to go blow a ton of money on something with the buy once cry once mentality then find out you really can't afford to go out and use them!

There is always validity in pragmatism. Sometimes what we know will make actuarial sense in the future won’t pass risk analysis now. Or something like that.

 

[Broadjumper]

Swarovski ELs. I have owned the Trinovids and they are great for the price point. I have a mate who has the Zeiss conquest 10 x 42s and I think the Trinovids are a little better for colour. The build quality is what sets the ELs and in fact most Swaro stuff apart from the others. Try the focus wheel and ocular adjustment on them and compare it to the other brands you have mentioned. You will notice the difference. BUT, if you could live with it the significant price difference may not be worth it for you.

 

[F250]

The left eye piece came apart on my 4 year old Swarovski SLC binoculars last month. I sent them in. Very shortly I received an email advising they will repair them for no charge. Very happy with that customer service !!

 

[mrmedora]

Anybody care to expand on the demo glass options? Probably a rookie mistake on my part, but I have never heard of it as an option. Are they available online?

 

[WVTXn]

Anybody care to expand on the demo glass options? Probably a rookie mistake on my part, but I have never heard of it as an option. Are they available online?

Can't verify much yet. I have a slightly used maven in the mail. If I like it I can keep it as is, or return if I don't like it or return & order a new one if I want one in a different skin.
Can't speak to other options.

 

[TN2shot07]

Can't verify much yet. I have a slightly used maven in the mail. If I like it I can keep it as is, or return if I don't like it or return & order a new one if I want one in a different skin.
Can't speak to other options.

Which model are you demoing?

 

[WVTXn]

Which model are you demoing?

Maven B2 11x45.
Hopefully they arrive early enough I can compare them with the Zeiss Conquest 10x42 & Meopta Meopro Air 10x42 both which are showing in stock at the local sporting goods store.

 

[Broadjumper]

The left eye piece came apart on my 4 year old Swarovski SLC binoculars last month. I sent them in. Very shortly I received an email advising they will repair them for no charge. Very happy with that customer service !!

They are renowned for their warranty and after sales.

 

[Zlewis84]

So I’ve concluded that I’m looking for my first (and last?) pair of binos. My time is limited so I don’t really have much opportunity to drive an hour one way to try out a few pairs in the store. I totally understand the “pay it once and be done” aspect of bino purchases but dadgum I ain’t payin’ 3k for something without a trigger. So, here we go…. (Most are 10x42 except Maven)
The options I’ve narrowed…

Vortex UHD Razor demo $1300. Ouch. High price. Heavy weight. Good warranty?
Maven B2 (11x45!). $1200. Price still high-ish.
Zeiss Conquest HD. New $1000. Demo $750. Like the Zeiss brand, like the demo price.
Leica Trinovid. New $1000. Demo $870. Like the Leica brand. If the demo isn’t that much cheaper, there must be a valid reason? Why are Leica not more popular?
Sig Kilo 6k. New $800. Rangefinding. But heard sig warranty is not great.
Meopta Meopro Air ?
Leupold BX-5 New $1000. last choice, read somewhere this model isn’t recommended for hunting. Meh.

If Swaro still made the SLC I think that would’ve been my choice. I don’t trust online resellers with this.

Or should I just get a set of Vortex Vipers or Leupold BX-4s to start?

Apologies for yet another optics thread. Thanks for the wisdom.

Absolutely love my Luepold. I will not buy another type of lenses than them now. Wether scope, range finder, or binoculars

 

[Irrelevant]

We have Swaro EL 10x42s, and an old Leitz Wetzlar 7x35 that was rebuilt by a master, so that is our reference.

I recently got 2 Tract riflescopes, and in the bad weather we have had, tested them against a Swaro Z5 at the same mag and every bit as bright.

The Tract Toric 10x50s SCHOTT glass binos are ~$750. 10x42s are $694. For bino reviews I usually look at the birdwatcher stuff, as they spend more time behind glass than most hunters. Transferrable warranty. I have no affiliation with Tract.

Tract Toric 10x50 UHD HT impressions.

WOW. Seriously? How can these be $700 glass? If you handed them to me and they were in a bag with the end cut out so I can't see what they are, I'd guess something that cost $1500 or more. No bullshit. The views are that good. Today is a dark and rainy day, and these things offer nice bright...

www.birdforum.net

This seems to good to be true. Like WAY too good. Why isn't everyone buying these? How do they produce what appears to be comparable product to something that's going elsewhere for 3k?

@Schaaf you seem to always be flipping optics, have you looked through any Tract?

 

[Schaaf]

This seems to good to be true. Like WAY too good. Why isn't everyone buying these? How do they produce what appears to be comparable product to something that's going elsewhere for 3k?

@Schaaf you seem to always be flipping optics, have you looked through any Tract?

I have. I think they’re good but they are definitely a step below the good binos out there. I felt like they were in the same ball park as the Zeiss Conquests, Meopta Meoair, last gen Vortex Razor, Maven, etc.- all binos that can be had for about 700ish. I remember them feeling a bit clunky in your hands and I wasn’t a fan of the eyecups. I’d have a hard time buying them when you can get equal performance out of other brands that have a much longer track record.

The Toric riflescopes are another story. I think that 3-15 model is the best value out there for a 1” scope.

 

[longbow51]

The Toric riflescopes are another story. I think that 3-15 model is the best value out there for a 1” scope.

Glad you said that; I bought a couple just because it was a fairly new company, they were getting good reviews, and you could talk to the owners on the phone (kinda like a guy who makes bullets around here), and I just generally root for the underdog. Or, infracaninophile, if you're not into the whole brevity thing .

Anyway, we'll see. One, a pretty simple 2-10x42 SFP is going on a 6.5 CM K-Rifle Kirby is building for my GD; , the other on a dedicated Varmint rifle 2.5-15x44 FFP. But, both are SCHOTT glass and made by LOW in Japan, so I'm optimistic.

 

[Schaaf]

Glad you said that; I bought a couple just because it was a fairly new company, they were getting good reviews, and you could talk to the owners on the phone (kinda like a guy who makes bullets around here), and I just generally root for the underdog. Or, infracaninophile, if you're not into the whole brevity thing .

Anyway, we'll see. One, a pretty simple 2-10x42 SFP is going on a 6.5 CM K-Rifle Kirby is building for my GD; , the other on a dedicated Varmint rifle 2.5-15x44 FFP. But, both are SCHOTT glass and made by LOW in Japan, so I'm optimistic.

I think you're really gonna like them. I've been very close to getting that 2.5-15 FFP model.

 

[sclancy27]

So I’ve concluded that I’m looking for my first (and last?) pair of binos. My time is limited so I don’t really have much opportunity to drive an hour one way to try out a few pairs in the store. I totally understand the “pay it once and be done” aspect of bino purchases but dadgum I ain’t payin’ 3k for something without a trigger. So, here we go…. (Most are 10x42 except Maven)
The options I’ve narrowed…

Vortex UHD Razor demo $1300. Ouch. High price. Heavy weight. Good warranty?
Maven B2 (11x45!). $1200. Price still high-ish.
Zeiss Conquest HD. New $1000. Demo $750. Like the Zeiss brand, like the demo price.
Leica Trinovid. New $1000. Demo $870. Like the Leica brand. If the demo isn’t that much cheaper, there must be a valid reason? Why are Leica not more popular?
Sig Kilo 6k. New $800. Rangefinding. But heard sig warranty is not great.
Meopta Meopro Air ?
Leupold BX-5 New $1000. last choice, read somewhere this model isn’t recommended for hunting. Meh.

If Swaro still made the SLC I think that would’ve been my choice. I don’t trust online resellers with this.

Or should I just get a set of Vortex Vipers or Leupold BX-4s to start?

Apologies for yet another optics thread. Thanks for the wisdom.

I've looked through most of those mentioned above. I would never buy a new pair of binos unless they were on a stupid sale, the used market is freaking flooded and the prices are real good now. If you are really looking for a first and last pair, I would up the price point and be diligent about looking through a bunch of different binos.

A bino I don't see mentioned enough, and it isn't in your list, is the Zeiss SFL. They are insanely good for the weight and size, and the price, tho higher-ish, is still really good for what you are getting. You should be able to find them for $1300 ish used and they beat out everything on your list at 60-70% of the weight.

Also, I have spent way more on binos and spotter than I would for a rifle. There is much higher utility in really good optics all year. My guns (and bow) cost at most 6$-700 per without scope and I seem to do just fine.