longbowman

I have been going through the same delima myself for the past couple of years. The local "big boys" around here have all gone to Steiners but I just didn't want to pay that kind of price for binoculars. I want waterproof and fogproof but not bank nreaking. I finally found some called Barskas. They utilize the BAK-4 lenses and they are as clear as the most expensive ones I've ever looked through. They are reasonable in cost and I love them.

wideone

I have a set of Cabela's 10 x 42 Alaskan Guide Series Binos. About $500 and worth every penny.

bnhcomputing

I did a lot of comparisons. I'v been to too many places and looked at too many different bino's. I ended up getting two(2) pair of the Alaskan Guide Binos from Cabela's. I purchased a 12X50 and then the smaller 10X28. They aren't the swaro's, and there is a difference, but that are 1,000 times better than my $70.00 tasco.

I will take all three elk hunting in about a week, and then I will have a real world comparison.

The one thing I know for sure, there is so much out there that the longer you look, the more confused you will become(JMO).

Justin

I still haven't made up my mind what I want to do yet. My digital camera just bit the dust on Tuesday night, so I'm in the market for one of those too! The little lady at home certainly isn't too happy about the prospect of me spending a ton of money on a camera AND binos, especially after she found out how much I spent on my new bow setup this year. So I think for the time being I'm going to hold off on the binos and focus on the camera. I've been looking at a Nikon Coolpix 5400 for around $450-$500, so there goes by bino budget. [&:]

My biggest problem right now is that Todd let me look through a pair of his Swarovskis and now I think I'm hooked on getting a pair. The clarity and low-light quality was absolutley amazing. Unfortunately I'm gonna need to sell some vital organs, or win the lottery, to afford a set right now. I plan on visiting the Cabela's in Prairie Du Chein, WI this weekend to check out more of a selection before I really make up my mind though.

HAZCON7

Anyone else use or have compared the Burris 8x42 Landmark II binoculars? Looks like the best value vs quality. I'm in the market also, but would like to know other's opinions.

Fool4TheCity

Justin,

You beat me to the punch, I was going to advise you not to look through the Swarovskis. Too late, now you've done it and you want them. The same thing happend to me. However, I could not spend that kind of cash, I just couldn't justify such a purchase.

So I picked up a pair from Nikon. The Travelite model with the zoom feature, which is nice to zoom in and judge a shooter. They do not compare to the Swarovkis in low light, but it's too dark to shoot anyway at those times. Wait 5 minutes and during legal shooting hours, they work great for under 200 dollars. Spend your money on something else, unless you plan on hunting out west in the mountains. Then maybe you can justify spending over a grand on a pair of binoculars, but for Whitetail hunting in the timber save your hard earned money.

jg154

Just purchased the 10X42 Monarchs and love them. Got them online at Ebay for 260.00.

PABowhntr

Two comments. One, if you still are looking for some decent binos but don't want to spend the $300 for the Monarchs or similar models then the next step below that are the new Carson XM series binos. They are about the same size as most of the other 10x42/8x42 roof prism models and they are phase corrected just like the Nikons, Bushnell Legends, etc.. The reason I am suggesting them is because they are selling for right at $200 at Cabelas. They just started carrying them which is why I did not mention them earlier.

Which brings me to another point. I went back to Cabelas this week as I had some gift certificates to spend and some time to kill. I ended up back at the binocular counter (as I knew I would) and decided to give their selection the once over again. This time I decided I wanted something in the 30-33 mm objective range and an 8x magnification. I went with this because I was trying to look for a good compromise between a compact model and "full size" binoculars like the previously mentioned Monarchs, Legends, etc.. I ended up looking at a variety of models from Browning, Bushnell, Pentax, Burris, (and I even peeked through the Swaros). After alot of deliberation and an opportunity to take them into some "dark places" to compare I ended up with the Pentax DCF-XPs in 8x33.

What really sold me on them was the brightness level. They were brighter than all the others save the Swaros and even then the difference was only noticeable in the darkest of conditions. I will have to provide some pics of them when I get home. They are an excellent compromise for those looking for full size binocular features in a more compact package.

Rickmur

Justin, did you buy anything yet?

russelllaw

Well Justin, I like pretty much everybody here have gone through the same dilema. I looked at all the expensive stuff, the Leica's the Swarovski's etc. Ended up with a pair of Minox 8 x 32's. Gotta tell you, they are every bit as clear as my buddies 8 x 32 Leica's and for a fraction of the price. Anyway, take a look. I know I'm happy. I don't use my spotting scope any more. Just the Minox bino's.