I've never carried a pair of binoculars while hunting. Looking for something small of course but function over size for sure. Price is not an issue but I'm not much for "wasting" money so if a best bang for decent price exists I'm interested because im not even sure how much I will use them. Any experience with brands NOT to buy would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance.
Buy the best you can afford. I started with Pentax and eventually moved up to Swarovski. Nearly puked buying them. Have not regretted it since. Use them all the time. Leica is another great brand. Good luck. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I just purchased a pair of Vortex Crossfires and really like them a lot. They are only $130 on Amazon. I'm not much for spending $1,000 on binoculars when I don't use them that often.
Leopold binoculars are excellent quality at a reasonable price. If looking on the high end you might check out Zeiss
Best bang for you buck, including full-blown no questions asked warranty is either Vortex or Sig Optics. Sig optics are new but they're fantastic. I was able to utilize a bunch of their stuff last fall, beat it up, etc. and it was exceptional. I've had lots of clients look at me and ask, "Why don't you have swarovsikis" My honest answer is, "you look through these and tell me why you don't have vortex :D" Equal performance, WAY better warranty/service and lots cheaper.
When I began guiding I had some good glass but didn't want to spend the money on the European glass. After spending 8+ hours behind the binos, I was finding my eyes regularly tired and sore. I saved all of my tip money and bit my lip and bought a pair of Swarovskis. Yes they are a lot of money but I have never regretted spending the money. At high noon, on a sunny day, it is hard to see a lot of difference between most any of today's glass but when it comes to a cloudy/rainy/trashy day or at that few minutes before legal shooting time and right at dark thirty at night and when it comes to looking to verify that that deer/bull elk at a mile away is worth going after, that is where the Swarovski money is worth it. I know that I effectively "sold" 12 different clients on a pair of Swaro's after they compared their glass to mine. If you're a person that "needs' something new and different every year, don't buy Swarovski binoculars. Without hesitation I highly recommend saving your money and buying a lifetime pair of binoculars and from my experience they would be Swarovskis.
The problem I had with any binocular was with the eye cups falling off. I just bought a pair of Leopold with the eye cups are part of the unit. I think I paid about $300 and I'm happy with them
My current go-to's that I wear on my chest for 120 consecutive days are Vortex Razor HD 10x42's. Retail runs right around $1,200, of course better deals can be had online. I also have a pair of Viper 10x50's and a pair of 8x42's. I keep the 8x in the truck and generally use them when I'm searching to find something bedded because they have a wider field of view. The Viper's are on sale at cabelas right now for $499, still probably cheaper on eBay. In all honesty, the difference in glass between the two is pretty minimal. The biggest difference to me, is the weight between the two. The Razors are noticeably lighter. For the Sig, the ZULU7 are excellent quality and a price point that is between the Viper and Razor of the Vortex, I believe they should be available in both the 8x and 10x. I could take any of these to the field and not second guess my choice. One of my favorite pairs of binoculars of all time were stolen this past season. They were a pair of 8x Nikon Premiere, IMO the best binocular that Nikon ever made and they were at least 9-10 years old. Either way, if you go with either the Razor, Viper or ZULU... I assure you that you won't be disappointed and unlike Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica (all of which I've owned) if you run over them with your truck, you can rest assured they'll be replaced without questions. That means a lot to me. Also, Vortex is moving all their production to the US and are on track to being completely made in America.
There are lots of great glass out there in various price ranges. I won't talk much about brand as any of the better companies make good stuff. Vortex, Leupold (my choice), Nikon, etc. Buy the absolute best ones you can reasonably afford. You're eyes will thank you for it. Better glass is clearer, brighter in low light and the eye relief is much better. I struggled for years with cheaper binos and finally broke down and bought a pair of Leupold GoldRings. I can use them all day without eye strain. Plus, on better brands, like Leupold, Vortex, etc., their warranties are outstanding. Case in point, I sent back a pair of 12 year old Leupolds because the eye cups were messing up. They sent me a brand new pair of the updated version, free of charge.
I use the Leupold Wind River, 10x50. They are light, waterproof and durable. I use them while I am both Bow and Gun hunting. Very affordable. Good luck with your choice.
While I won't get into brands other than I'm a fan of Vortex also. I wanted to chime in that you said you wanted small. Smaller tend to have low performance in low light conditions. Also tend to pale in bright sunlight when trying to look into the shadows. With today's binocular harnesses it's a breeze to carry larger ones and would recommend not going smaller than a 42mm objective lense. I'm no outfitter but have tons of hours using them and the best advise I can give is above.
Another Swarovski fan here. I use 8x32pockets for bow hunting and I also have a pair of 10 x 42s for long range
I spent quite a bit of time comparing glass when I bought my latest set of bino's last year. I ended up with the Vortex Viper HD in 10 x 50. I love them. I think they were about $650 and compared very well to glass that was twice as expensive. I would not hesitate to recommend Vortex.
I got the same ones as fletch. They are the best ones I could find for the price, love them! Great for whitetail
I bit the bullet this year and got the Swarovski EL 10x42. They may be big for stand hunting whitetails but the detail you see in low light is well worth the money if you've got it.
I've been using 10x42's for whitetail hunting for almost 10 years now and I think they're a great option. My Vortex Vipers were awfully beat up and have been repaired under warranty for eye cup damage (totally my fault) 3 different times now, so they've been retired to center console of the truck duty and replaced with a set of Razor HD 10x42's. They're amazing and I can't wait to put them to some real use this fall. Having dealt with Vortex as a pure consumer for a decade now I don't hesitate to recommend them. Great people and great products.
I can't say enough about Swarovski customer service either. I bought mine new/used and they were missing a clip and swaro set it to me next day without asking. I retired a great compact pair of Leopolds 8x32 BX-2 Acadias that have served me well and a pair of 10x42 Redfields that sit on the table at camp now.
