Well I have had the same $150 pair of bino’s for quite awhile. Today for some reason they are showing double vision. Not sure if they were dropped or if its just time for a new set. What specifications do you look at when getting a quality set? Any recommendations? Looking to stay under $300.
I have pair of Vortex Crossfire HD in 10x42. They were under $300 and more than adequate for what we use them for Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk
I bought the Vortex Triumph HD 10x42 a year ago, they are the cheapest Vortex full size model. They are by far the best binos I've ever owned - that said I've also never owned a $300 pair. Right now Scheels has the Diamondback (not HD series) on sale https://www.scheels.com/c/binoculars/b/vortex/
I am thinking I would like a little more magnification. My pair now are 10x42(I think) and there are times where I would like a higher fov.
Not really sure what I would like as far as numbers. Guess I am not up to speed with what works best with the numbers. Am I thinking of this wrong to look into 12x50’s???
First number is magnification, second number is FOV. So a 12x50 is 12 magnification with 50 mm FOV. That’s a pretty high magnification for tree stand hunting out east. I like a 10x50 even western hunting. If I need to magnify more I have a spotting scope. I struggle with 12s but I may have just never got used to them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Second number is objective, meaning barrel size in millimeters, effecting light gathering more than anything. The magnification takes away FOV the higher it is, but a bigger objective does help with FOV. You divide the objective (2nd number) by the magnification (1st number) to get the “eye field” or whatever they call it. This affects FOV, but how they build the lenses also effects it. example. You have 10x42 right now. 42 divided by 10 is a 4.2 “eye field”. A 12x50 would be 50 divided by 12, which is 4.16. So you’d actually lose a tiny bit of FOV. But it would gather light better and have more magnification. If you want to look through binos and see more of the overall area in front of you through them without moving, then you want more FOV. So, something like staying with a 10x power but bump to a 50mm objective. Most binos state what the FOV is at a specific distance, so when shopping you could make sure to compare. And you should be able to look up what your current ones have for a baseline to start with. But if you want to be able to pick apart a buck’s antlers better than you can now with your 10x42’s, then you’d want a higher magnification. And would possibly want to bump the objective up too to keep FOV around the same as what you have now. And gather more light.
Very helpful thank you! I was wondering about a set that provided a better low light picture. Not trying to overthink this but just wanting to know what features are important when choosing something that is going to be an upgrade to a middle of the road set I was using. - brand/quality of glass - low light ability - weight More important to me would be a better magnification.
I would just buy the highest line vortex that you can afford. I have the diamondback, crossfire, viper, and razors. All in 10x42. I use them for different things, but all of them are good quality at their respective price point and have a phenomenal warranty. I don’t know what kind of hunting you do, but if it’s traditional Whitetail hunting in the Midwest or East Coast I would think hard about a 10 x 42. When you go up from there magnification it can be difficult to see clearly if you don’t have them on a tripod or window mount. they also become bulky and challenging to carry around all day. If I need more magnification than that, I highly prefer to just use a spotting scope versus binoculars.
I have Vortex 12x50s (can't remember model right now; either the CrossFire or Diamondback) and I like them but not anywhere near as much as I like my 10x42 Steiner Merlins. The Steiners are...amazing. Steiner apparently discontinued the Merlins (I bought them over 10 years ago) but this appears to be the new model. Doesn't have quite as good a FOV but it's sorta close. Asides from the glass quality and quick focus, I really appreciate the oversized adjustable eyecups- much more comfortable when glassing, you get a lot less arm fatigue because you can press it against your face; and also it keeps light from coming in the sides. Something I never thought about until I bought the Vortex which doesn't have that feature. The Steiners also have deeper-set exit lenses compared to the Vortex, which provides more protection to the glass. It's hard to beat the price of the Vortex though, even if it is Chinese built it's still got a 100% lifetime warranty and the brand isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
