Thinking of adding a pair of 15x56 binos

[NVDesertHunter]

Hello all,

Currently I have a pair of 10x42 and a 85mm spotter and hunt most of the western states for elk, deer, bear, antelope and one day goat and sheep.

Most of my glassing distances are between 600yds to 2 miles. Lately I've been spending more time glassing with my spotter and was curious if adding a pair of 15's would help with eye stain. If so, is the added weight worth it. I am not an ounce counter and prefer a little extra weight if it means comfort and higher success.

thanks,

 

[Deleted member 16014]

If you're doing a lot of glassing with your spotter then I'd tend to say yes. The tricky part is that if you're used to top end binos and spotter, all but the high end 15's are going to be pretty rough to spend a lot of time behind.

 

[rtraverdavis]

^^^100% this.

 

[NVDesertHunter]

If you're doing a lot of glassing with your spotter then I'd tend to say yes. The tricky part is that if you're used to top end binos and spotter, all but the high end 15's are going to be pretty rough to spend a lot of time behind.

thanks for the advice....for more background I use the Vortex Viper HD 10x42 and the Vortex Razor 85mm spotter....most likely to pick up the Zeiss 15's.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I'd say go for it then, resale should be decent on the 15x Zeiss if you change your mind. At that price point you could pick up the 15x56 MeoStar, which I've had and was good, or the non HD Swaro SLC used. You probably knew that but just in case.

 

[ScottP]

Hello all,

Currently I have a pair of 10x42 and a 85mm spotter and hunt most of the western states for elk, deer, bear, antelope and one day goat and sheep.

Most of my glassing distances are between 600yds to 2 miles. Lately I've been spending more time glassing with my spotter and was curious if adding a pair of 15's would help with eye stain. If so, is the added weight worth it. I am not an ounce counter and prefer a little extra weight if it means comfort and higher success.

thanks,

I had 15s and sold them. Bought 12s instead and upped my glass quality. So on mule deer hunts I'm carrying the 12s on my chest and can run them off the tripod. Spotter in the pack if its warranted for the terrain. I didn't have 10s already though, or my process may have been different, only 8s which are Swaro and I love em for archery and everything else and not giving those up.

15s are nice, but I just wasn't about to carry a chest bin, 15s and a spotter around. With your 10x, you could look at some of the new 18x bins if you're not trying to tote around all those optics in your pack. I don't feel like I gave up a ton going from 15 to 12x. So you'd have to try it out and see if you think it's worth all the $$ to go from 10x to 15 rather than 18.

 

[.270]

As a die hard coues deer hunter 15x56s on a tripod are my got to. I use a spotter in long range to help judge a deer to determine the trophy quality and to take videos. Since you already have a 10s and a spotter, a pair of 15s will help out on any eye strains. In the market of 15s, I have used Swaros, Zeiss, Meotpa and Vortex. I feel that the Swaro SLC HDs offer the best quality in that field. Are they worth the extra coin over Meotpa or Zeiss? That is up to you. The Meotpa meostars are an amazing quality for the price. I would pick them over the Zeiss HDs. Not that the Zeiss are bad, I let my wife use them. I run the swaros slcs in 15s but the meotpa in 12s. I don't feel that the Swaro ELs 12 quality justify another grand spent in my hunting style.

 

[fishing4sanity]

You may want to look at Maven's demo program, you'll be out some shipping $ if you send them back, but I've been impressed so far with their binos. I went the B.5 18x56.

 

[Stubaby]

I’d pit a pair of 12x50 EL swarovision up against the 15x56. I have to be honest. For the money, I’d sell your vortex 10s and buy some Swarovski in 10x42. Sell your vortex spotter and get a swaro spotter.

When you figure in eye strain, field of view, clarity, low light transmission, ect.

You would really enjoy having some Alfa 10x as your daily driver. Those on a tripod beat some second tier 15s all day.

My eyes won’t let me look through ELs because of the globe effect so I have the SLCHD 10x42s and the 25-50x 80mm straight swaro HD eyepiece.

I’ve had the swaro HD’s in 15s and found that I left them home too much because of the weight, ect.

Having Alfa 10s and 80mm spotter beats having 10x, big spotter, and 15s from mid tier imo.

 

[Okbow87]

I will leave my spotter home every time before I’d leave my 15’s.

 

[NVDesertHunter]

Thanks for the advice everyone. My options for an optics kit would be either:

10x42 Viper HD/ Razor 85mm spotter/ Zeiss 15x56 Conquest

OR

10x42 Viper HD/ 12x50 Lecia Ultravid HD (for a lot more money) / Razor 85 spotter. (use the Viper's for backups in the truck)

thoughts on those?

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Out of those I’d be happier with option 2 personally.

 

[Brentc]

Thanks for the advice everyone. My options for an optics kit would be either:

10x42 Viper HD/ Razor 85mm spotter/ Zeiss 15x56 Conquest

OR

10x42 Viper HD/ 12x50 Lecia Ultravid HD (for a lot more money) / Razor 85 spotter. (use the Viper's for backups in the truck)

thoughts on those?

Option 1 and leave the spotter in the truck. Even the best of 12s just don't do anything exceptionally well. They don't have enough FOV to compete with 8s or 10s, and they don't have the magnification to compete with a good set of 15s.

I've used a lot of glass combinations over the years and I've concluded that the true game changer for all binos is a tripod, but if you really want to maximize your glassing time, put some upper tier 15s on your tripod and see the mountain come alive. I don't want to imagine hunting without a tripod and 15s in my pack.

 

[Brentc]

I will leave my spotter home every time before I’d leave my 15’s.

^^^^This 100 times

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

I carry 12s on my chest and my spotter in the pack. 12s are a bit too shaky to free hand, but I just use my trigger stick or hiking pole to stabilize them and that does the trick. Most of my glassing is done with them on a tripod, then I switch to the spotter for confirmation or to judge the animal. I find 12s to be plenty powerful without so much magnification that you can't use them while you're walking around. Take that with a grain of salt however, as my contact prescription is -12.5!

 

[brymoore]

I love my Swaro 15s.

 

[Doublegunner]

You might want to try putting your 10's on a tripod before you outlay the money for 15s. You might be surprised how much more you see. I have been assessing my optics needs so have been out in the hills recently testing out my stuff. I had no problem glassing blacktail deer at 900 yds in talk grass. Had my 10x50 ultravids on a a tripod a tripod. Then pulled out the spotter to take a closer look. Kowa prominar 88mm. If you are going to buy, buy the best you can afford even if it means dialing down the magnification. You see a lot of people going big with lesser optics and they just don't perform all that well.

 

[Bigjay73]

Theres an online company that will rent you 15x56s. Try them for a week, and see how you like them. I would much rather glass through a good pair of 15x56s than a spotter, but everyone is different.

 

[SG25]

I've used a lot of glass combinations over the years and I've concluded that the true game changer for all binos is a tripod, but if you really want to maximize your glassing time, put some upper tier 15s on your tripod and see the mountain come alive. I don't want to imagine hunting without a tripod and 15s in my pack.

Would you say 15’s over 18’s?

 

[Brentc]

Can't say. I haven't used 18s yet. I want to though.