Swarovski all the way! i have had many and 8x30cl always come with me.
Best Binoculars up to $800.00...?
- Thread starter daniel brothers
- Start date
shoot4fun
Gold $$ Contributor
I have an older pair of Leica 10x50BA binoculars that are great, especially later in the day. Only downside is the weight. By the end of a hunt they feel like a 25 pound weight hanging off my neck.
Just bought a pair of Tract 10x50 at a vey nice price. They are extremely close, if not equal, to those $3,500 Leicas in overall performance yet weigh quite a bit less. Hard to beat for features like HD Schott glass and quality construction without breaking that $800 ceiling. They MSRP at $784.
Just bought a pair of Tract 10x50 at a vey nice price. They are extremely close, if not equal, to those $3,500 Leicas in overall performance yet weigh quite a bit less. Hard to beat for features like HD Schott glass and quality construction without breaking that $800 ceiling. They MSRP at $784.
Delta Optical Titanium HD 10×42 ED
they are top just like there scopes.
they are top just like there scopes.
My buddy went ahead and bought TORIC 12.5X50 Binoculars SCHOTT HT after hearing a lot of great reviews. thanks so much for you input.
I looked 1000 yds across our lake with my Friend's Toric 12.5x50 Binoculars... and all I can say is this..."THEY ARE TRULY AMAZING." There is NO way a guy can go wrong by having a pair of them... NO WAY!
ronsatspokane
Gold $$ Contributor
The first thing you need to ask him is, porro prism or roof prism? Roof prism's are the most expensive especially if combined with high quality glass. Porro prism's with BAK4 prism's and ED glass can knock the socks off mid-range roof prism's at half the price. The cost is higher weight. The next question would power. Generally anything over 7 power is difficult to hold steady enough to be useful unless tripod mounted. That is the reason boating binoculars are generally limited to 7 power unless they are electronically image stabilized. There are people who would disagree. They are not optics snobs like I am. The next question would objective lens size. The larger the objective lens, the greater the resolving power or the ability to see fine detail. A larger objective is a better light bucket as well. They will perform better in low light conditions. The next question would be coatings. Fully multi-coated is the only thing you want. It means that every glass/air interface surface is coated. The coating prevent internal light reflection so more of the light makes it to the eye. Coatings are an optics makers magic sauce. Finding out what that sauce is is almost impossible. The other thing to consider is exit pupil diameter. Smaller exit pupil diameters mean dimmer image and are usually associated with higher power and/or smaller objective lenses depending of the F Stop of the tube.
You have more research to do. That said, the best pair of binoculars I've ever looked through are a pair of Zeiss 7x50 roof prism's owned by my brother-in-law. Those are expensive pieces of glass. After significant research I bought my wife a set of Pentax ED roof prism's for roughly 500. They are not as good as the Zeiss but they are relatively aberration free with superb resolving power. Lot of good glass out there if you know what you are looking for. Lot of crap out there if you don't.
You have more research to do. That said, the best pair of binoculars I've ever looked through are a pair of Zeiss 7x50 roof prism's owned by my brother-in-law. Those are expensive pieces of glass. After significant research I bought my wife a set of Pentax ED roof prism's for roughly 500. They are not as good as the Zeiss but they are relatively aberration free with superb resolving power. Lot of good glass out there if you know what you are looking for. Lot of crap out there if you don't.
Forum Boss
Administrator
The Steiner Military Marine binoculars are durable and have one huge advantage for rapid glassing near to far. Once you set the Left/Right diopters for your eyes, everything from about 20 yards to infinity is in focus, all the time. You are never constantly using the focus knob. When you try these for the first time you may be shocked at the benefit of not constantly fiddling with focus. The 8x30mm model is about $250. There is also a 7x50 Marine model for $250, and a 10x50 Military Marine for $470.00 (Amazon prices). My preference? For a hunt where you're carrying gear, the 8x30s are HALF the weight of the Steiners with 50mm objectives.
8x30 Mil Marine (green, 17.1 oz): https://amzn.to/2MujRcQ
7x50 Marine (black, 36.3 oz): https://amzn.to/2O3pxeu
10x50 Mil Marine (green, 35.3 oz): https://amzn.to/36G5rNF
Is there a negative? I found, when looking for P-dogs in grass, it was easier to spot them with conventional binoculars that have a short depth of field. I could set the focus to be sharp for about a 5-foot range, so nearby grass was blurry. That made the animals "pop" more when they were obscured by vegetation between critter and observer.
Also, there is no question that a high-end set of Zeiss or Leica or binoculars will have sharper glass and better edge clarity. If you want ultimate sharpness, contrast, and color fidelity, spend more money. But the "always in focus, all the time" quality of the Steiners is a big plus. At $250.00 I don't think there's a better option. But NOTE, the 30mm lens version will NOT have the low-light capability of binoculars with 50 or 60mm lenses. If you are doing a lot of night glassing, go with bigger lenses.
8x30 Mil Marine (green, 17.1 oz): https://amzn.to/2MujRcQ
7x50 Marine (black, 36.3 oz): https://amzn.to/2O3pxeu
10x50 Mil Marine (green, 35.3 oz): https://amzn.to/36G5rNF
Is there a negative? I found, when looking for P-dogs in grass, it was easier to spot them with conventional binoculars that have a short depth of field. I could set the focus to be sharp for about a 5-foot range, so nearby grass was blurry. That made the animals "pop" more when they were obscured by vegetation between critter and observer.
Also, there is no question that a high-end set of Zeiss or Leica or binoculars will have sharper glass and better edge clarity. If you want ultimate sharpness, contrast, and color fidelity, spend more money. But the "always in focus, all the time" quality of the Steiners is a big plus. At $250.00 I don't think there's a better option. But NOTE, the 30mm lens version will NOT have the low-light capability of binoculars with 50 or 60mm lenses. If you are doing a lot of night glassing, go with bigger lenses.
Last edited:
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.