New some help (binoculars)
 

Hey guys I am looking for a new pair of binoculars. I know you get what you pay for but, I am looking into something around $300 or so. I have read about the Nikon Monarch ATB and Bushnell Legend Ultra HD. What do you guys think, I can't look through these crap binoculars anymore. Let me know what you think or what you guys are using in that range. Thanks Mark

Mark, you'll probably get an overwhelming vote for the Nikon Monarchs.

I heeded that advice myself prior to last year and I am so happy I did. I have the Monarch 8 x 42's and that's exactly what I'd recommend. I went with the 8X's not only to stay legal in all sanctioned shoots but (and forgive me) a member here posted a very in-depth study on why to choose 8X over 10X's and it made perfect sense to me. Again, forgive me if I cannot repost what he said.

Good luck.

I, too, was in need of some binoculars so I did as everyone else stated. I looked at the monarchs, the trailblazers, and the dinaci or something from Leuphold. After I checked all three it was clear that the monarchs were the clearest, but the price was too much for me. The clerk told me to have a look at the Leuphold Yosemites, and I was really suprised at the clarity and depth of field. To me, they were as clear as the monarchs. I came back a few weeks later and bought the Yosemites for $99. Theyre extremely clear, work well in low light conditions, and the price was great for what I got.

The pair I bought was 8x30's BUT the field of view is comparable to the bigger roof prism binoculars like the monarchs. (the monarchs are 8x42) I think the Monarch field of view at 1000 yards is something like 420 feet, and my Yosemites are 380-390 @1000yds. So you dont seem to lose much. The only thing I would say is that the monarchs will most likely be a bit better in low light conditions, but I was very impressed with how well the yosemites worked in low light anyways.

Another plus to me was that the yosemites are fairly compact, whereas the monarchs were a bit big for my liking.

Not taking anything away from the other binoculars, but I felt like I got a steal with the yosemites. Check them out when you check out the monarchs and stuff and see what you think.

To add to Rob's post, I have heard that when looking at binoculars you want to have the objective lense to be 4-5 times the magnification. So like 8x32 or 8x40 is best.(or 10x40, 10x50) I had a real old pair that was 12x25 and it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack in the woods. Keep that in mind when buying as well.