Need new compact hand held optics. Bino vs Mono?

[Fast14riot]

My current compact binos are done. They're just not up to the task of my hunting, so I'm now looking for something new.

Budget: not much, $300 absolute max, would strongly prefer less, unless it can be justified by getting into next level clarity/coatings/etm.

Size: I really prefer a compact size. They ride the dash of the truck, but then get stuffed in a pocket if I need to walk a ridge or creep up on a clear cut.

Power: absolutely no more than 10x. 8x is preferred and even 7x would be nice. Where I hunt anything beyond 400y I would not be able to recover the animal anyway as its lots of steep hills and valleys.

Light conditions: should have good ability to resolve information in low light, as I am commonly looking from a clear cut into edges of forest or dense canopy/temperate rainforest looking across hillsides and or valleys. But absolutely can not have any chromatic aberration.

So, that being said, bino vs mono? I suspect I can get a slightly better monocular for the same price as a binocular. I know my budget isn't much, and I don't expect to be able to read a book a hundred yards away either, but where I currently hunt its not a spot and stalk or spending hours glassing a hill situation. I have a pair of nice Steiners and spotting scope just for that scenario, so these will not be my only handheld optics. I would also prefer a longer eye relief as I do wear glasses and would not want to have to take them off everytime I need to stop and glass my route.

I know I may be asking a lot, but what better place to get real world advice than here. Looking through optics at the counter in the very well lit store just doesn't cover what I need to test.

Picture is representative of what I hunt. Might be looking into the far woods line, or might be looking across a clear cut.

 

[jpx2rk]

I've had a pair of the Athlon Midas 10x HD bio's for a couple yrs now, they stay in a plastic coffee tub on the back porch year round so the wife can watch the deer wander thru the pasture behind the house. I've hauled them across country 2x's for sage rat shoots, sharp and clear no matter the temps out on the back porch or rat field. I believe they come in 8x as well but not sure. I just ordered another pair of the same item for $300 as I'm tired of having to wipe all the makeup off the eyecups, so.... I hid the new pair in my gun stuff, she'll never find 'em. LOL

 

[Knotwild]

I take care of a coastal island and I often see something I want to take a quick look at. I have a couple of pairs of the Vortex Solo 10 x 36 monoculars. I have one in each vehicle I use and I stick one in my pocket when I hunt. Much handier than binoculars to me. They are pretty cheaply made. I use them so much they are adjusted for my naked eye and I simply push my glasses up with the monocular and tweak the focus - quick and easy. However, they would not be comfortable for a longer session of glassing.

Vortex makes a 25mm objective and a 36mm. I would opt for the 36mm

Vortex makes a 10x and an 8x. And I also see Bushnell has an ED glass 10x42 on Ebay for $124.99 (might be my Christmas gift to myself).

If I had to have binoculars, the first place I would look is Eucrooptics Used/Demo page. They've got a couple of some Leupold Alpines for less than $300.

Bushnell 10x42 Monocular

Vortex 10x36 Monocular

Vortex 8x36 Monocular

 

[kochie]

I take care of a coastal island and I often see something I want to take a quick look at. I have a couple of pairs of the Vortex Solo 10 x 36 monoculars. I have one in each vehicle I use and I stick one in my pocket when I hunt. Much handier than binoculars to me. They are pretty cheaply made. I use them so much they are adjusted for my naked eye and I simply push my glasses up with the monocular and tweak the focus - quick and easy. However, they would not be comfortable for a longer session of glassing.

Vortex makes a 25mm objective and a 36mm. I would opt for the 36mm

Vortex makes a 10x and an 8x. And I also see Bushnell has an ED glass 10x42 on Ebay for $124.99 (might be my Christmas gift to myself).

If I had to have binoculars, the first place I would look is Eucrooptics Used/Demo page. They've got a couple of some Leupold Alpines for less than $300.

Bushnell 10x42 Monocular

Vortex 10x36 Monocular

Vortex 8x36 Monocular

Check out pocket size steiners no there not that expensive and work pretty well.

 

[DumpHollow]

I hunted in the mountains of PA where you went from big timber to pipe lines in a few steps. I spent most of my time, on my feet still hunting. My first pair of good binoculars was a pair of 7x35 Leica’s. I hunted with those glasses quite a while. They were small enough to carry nicely but the glass performed above its’ dimensions. At some point, I decided that I needed more power. So, I stepped up to a pair of Zeiss’s 10x40’s. After a couple of deer seasons, I realized a lesson in optics. Study terms like exit pupil, twilight factor and depth of field. Although the glass was equal between the Leica and the Zeiss, I had lost field of view and depth of field. That took me to a pair of Swarovski 8x42’s. I still have. Those binoculars and the Zeiss’s.

Since those purchases, I have looked at lower level [cost] binoculars for my wife. She refused to spend the money on Swarovskis. We spent <$300 for a pair of Nikon Monarchs. The optical quality punches above the price point, They are 8x40’s, compact and easy to carry. They are used daily about the house.

Go look at some offerings in the stores, focusing on ergonomics and portability. I would recommend something around 8x and no more that 42mm for the objective.

Last year I purchased a pair of Leica 10x42’s, looking for better resolution than the old Zeiss glass. I still tend to prefer the Swarovski 8x42’s. Yes, all above your price point, but the message is power alone is not the answer. Today, there are a number of very good glasses available at lower price points. Look at the Nikon Monarch series.