Best 10x42 Binos under $500

[PrairieHunter]

Totally agree, I always find it funny when you read a negative review of a bino and people are complain about the strap that came with them and don't even comment on the glass...


My spec comment was apples to apples the Swaro SLC published 10x42 FOV is 408 while the Questa 10x42 is 336... so ~18% less... comparing a 8x to a 10x is misleading.

The 8x42 SLC FOV is 409 ft, which is exactly what I posted. The 8x42 questa at 420 ft is also accurate and exactly what I posted. Nothing misleading about it. Completely apples to apples.

SLC specs
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1000636-REG/swarovski_58305_8x42_slc_binocular.html

Questa Specs
http://theronoptics.com/QUESTA_HD-ED_BINOCULARS.html

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Shoot you got me, that checks with Swaro... I'm blaming the google... but I should have double checked before I typed.

Sorry PrairieHunter.

 

[MN Public Hunter]

The vanguards are well though of but not near the top of this particular category price range. Their angle of view and FOV are probably the biggest drawbacks with this particular model. It's also a bit heavier than some in this category. It has a locking diopter that gets mixed reviews,

FOV is a good way to see differences in binos.
Questa = 420 ft
Swaro SLC = 409
Vortex = 409
Zeiss = 367
Vanguard = 367
Leupold = 367
Metope = 351
Tract = 341

I have a sneaking suspicion if the name was scratched off these and hunters had to choose based of what they saw those Questa's would be hard to beat in this category. That is likely a 7-800+ Binocular with a big name on the box and a big retail markup.

If you read a good bino comparison there will be a lot of specifics on eye relief, eye cups, FOV, color warmness, edge distortion, chromatic abberation, dialectric coatings, prisim types, who actually made the binoculars (most likely one of about half a dozen manufacturers who make binoculars for all these American companies who put them in their box and mark them up) etc.... Rarely do those things even get brought up by hunters who mostly just recommend what they have and don't really know what to look for. Asking hunters about optics is like asking a 15 year old boy about sex, they kinda get it but not really. Then go talk optics with photographers, birders, and star gazers, those folks know their optics.

Based off what I have read and looked through the C1 and BX-4 models I would venture to guess that the best on this list are the Questa's. If could not bump the budget to $524 and buy the Torics I'd buy the Questas for this scenario.

While I agree with some spec difference, we are also talking a $150-$300 difference and very little loss of any of the specs IMO. I will take the small hit in spec for my eyes I guess and spend the money on other new toys. Hard part is, you can never get them all in 1 place to test !

 

[hoffamania89]

I really like my Leupold BX4 HDs. I purchased them about 9 months ago and have no complaints.

 

[std7mag]

Vote for none of thee above.

I have appearantly made some bad carreer choices, as you people spend waaay more money than i can afford!

 

[VikingsGuy]

Vote for none of thee above.

I have appearantly made some bad carreer choices, as you people spend waaay more money than i can afford!

I have a back-up pair of $170 binos that are surprisingly good for the price, Bushnell Legend M ED 10x42.

 

[PrairieHunter]

I have a back-up pair of $170 binos that are surprisingly good for the price, Bushnell Legend M ED 10x42.

This is truly one of the best deals going right now as everyone who tries that model seems to love them. Apparently that model which is normally in the $300 price range is being discontinued so many places are selling these for around $175 or less. The birders have made a really big deal about this one.

https://jet.com/product/Bushnell-10...MI54CgiJjg3AIVSNbACh0qIA4VEAYYAiABEgJ_rfD_BwE

 

[PrairieHunter]

Shoot you got me, that checks with Swaro... I'm blaming the google... but I should have double checked before I typed.

Sorry PrairieHunter.

No worries, at least you were not derailing the thread going from 10x to 8x like I was, LOL. I actually think you brought up a good point. Even among certain models there are subtle differences depending on magnification. It's really good to look past brands and look at spec's as most people skip that part entirely. Rarely do I ever see specs mentioned by hunters in a discussion, but other groups that is usually the first thing they look at.

 

[PrairieHunter]

While I agree with some spec difference, we are also talking a $150-$300 difference and very little loss of any of the specs IMO. I will take the small hit in spec for my eyes I guess and spend the money on other new toys. Hard part is, you can never get them all in 1 place to test !

We haven't even begun to compare specs of the vanguard to others and even though the vanguard is well respected they still have a traditional model where half the MSRP is retail markup. It's great that you are happy with them but that does not mean this particular group does not have some advantages over the vanguards.

Vanguards are probably a closer comparison to the Legend M. Comparing specs the Vanguards have shorter eye relief at only 16.5 mm vs 22mm for the Legend M.

Here are a few opinions I ran across on a simple search.
Vanguard Endeavour ED
My experience with the glass in these was love and hate. I loved the resolution. Lots of light, nice contrast, and the resolution was quite special in the group, a punch or two higher than the rest. Textures on distant telephone poles and interior of trees really popped. So I understand the praise these get for their resolution. HOWEVER, there is pronounced chromatic aberration in a variety of lighting situations. Reviews that do not mention the CA are missing a significant characteristic of these binocs, IMO. In some situations it wasn't as noticeable depending on where the sun was, but for the most part viewing an objects against a foggy sky, the CA was really pronounced, and in some cases was just really distracting to me. The CA becomes more exaggerated towards the edges of the field. I found these to have the most pronounced CA in the group. Image seemed fairly sharp across the field. I was not a fan of the form design, but that is obviously a matter of taste. I also thought these had a nice wide FOV, and without looking at numbers it felt comparable to the Bushnell, or at least wide enough so that any difference wasn't clearly apparent to me. If Vanguard addressed the amount CA and lessened it even to half or a third of the CA they would be serious binocs for the money, as I really felt the other characteristics of the optical experience were clearly above the others in the group. That being said, the tradeoff is really a matter of preference. Some may rather have the very nice, crisp optics these offer and not be bothered by the CA. For me however, when the CA was prominent, it degraded the viewing to the extent that it dominated any benefits of resolution. These binocs were slightly larger and heavier than the others.

I also agree with you about the Vanguard Endeavor ED's sharpness. Birdwatching.com gave them the top resolution score in their "midpriced binoculars" group review. I usually struggle to tell major differences in sharpness among similarly priced binoculars, but when I had a chance to test them myself, I found the Endeavors to be obviously sharper than the other budget bin competition. That, and the bright views, large sweet spot, and smooth fast focus really impressed me. I didn't note the CA as much (it wasn't a thorough test) but others on this forum have mentioned it.

Here the Endeavor is compared to the Legend L which is a step down from the Legend M.
http://www.opticscentral.com.au/blog/comparing-entry-level-ed-glass-binoculars/

At the end of the day if you are happy with what you have then that's all that matters.

 

[65swede]

I have the Carson 3D ED 10X42's. I also use EL Swarovision 12X50s. The Carsons are outstanding for <$300. Unconditional Lifetime warranty too! Buy them you will not be disappointed.

 

[7mm08mo]

I will say IMHO you cannot go wrong with leupolds. I have them on every gun I use regularly and spotter and binos. The quality is superb and customer service is great!! Haven’t had need for warranty yet and don’t think I will.

 

[Wapiti1]

I own the Vortex 10x40's and love them. I also own Swarovski 10x40 EL's and love them too. You can't compare the two but at 25% of the cost the Vortex are hard to beat.