Justin

Okay guys, I'm looking at picking up a new set of Binoculars but I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for, or how much money I want to spend for that matter. My current $40 Bushnells just aren't cutting it anymore. Right now I'm looking at a set of Nikon Monarchs, which look like a pretty nice set of binos. I was just curious what everyone else is using and how they like them? What about cost? How much do you guys generally spend on binoculars? Some of them can get pretty expensive!

So fess up fellas, your wifes aren't on here watching so I want to know how much you REALLY spent on them.

GR8atta2d

I guess i'm like you. I have a 40$ pair of Bushnells. My cousin has a $500 pair of Zeiss binoculars. I can't see a difference when looking through the two. I'm not against paying top dollar for things but I want to be able to tell a difference.

rybohunter

My main pair of binos are a set of Nikon Egret II. They are nice, a little fuzzy towards the edge of the field of view. Not sure what they costs, they were a gift. My compact set is from Bushnell. They were regularly somehwere around 150$ but got them cheap, 60% off. They are really nice for a small set. Optics planet.com has some interesting deals and prices you may want to check out in your shopping.

Rob/PA Bowyer

I went through a couple pair of the less expensive Bushnells. They were great but when it come down to it, fogged up, got wet or broke....I didn't want to spend an absolute fortune but I wanted waterproof, quality at a reasonable price. I went with Brunton and carry a pair of 10X50's....love them.

finner

I used to have the 50 dollar bushnells too until a couple weeks ago, when i ordered the Burris Landmark II...8x42 man i love um heck of alot clearer then the bushnell's and the best thing about them is there fog and waterproof (main reason i got them). I paid $125.00 for them and i think there worth every penny!

stretch

I just purchased a pair of Leupold 8x42 Windriver Cascades. I spent just around $260 for them. Believe me I've owned the cheaper glasses and I think there is a good correlation between $ spent and quality of optics with probably the biggest gap being in the low end to the mid range prices. Eye relief, clarity and low light conditions sold me when I had the glasses side by side. The Cascades I purchased from Scheel's and they had glasses in all the price ranges. This allowed me to compare them all side by side. I will say this that when I put the Leupold's up against the Swarovski or other high end glasses the only difference I could see was that light gathering ability of the higher end glasses seemed to be slightly better. As far as eye relief and clarity it seemed negligible. I don't think you need to spend a fortune on the high end glasses but the more you can afford the happier you should be.

shhhh

HNIJustin, My folks live in Cary, Il. I grew up in Barrington and now hunt the elusive Ohio whitetails.

As far as binos go, I have tried them all! The advise on the Leupold Wind River series is very good. My 2 buddies have been to upper Canada and Nova Scotia in the last 2 years in some harsh conditions with their Wind River binos and they reported great performance. I have stepped up last year to the Swarovski 10x42 SLC models.
They are really expensive but I can tell a difference and everyone that looks through them can as well. For last light in the deer stand I have been able to see charactaristics
of specific bucks that are out of range for that evenings hunt. I was not able to see much of this with less expensive binos.

If you are considering spending the $$ for the best, I highly recommend the SLC model over the EL models. The ELs fit the hand a bit better but the glass is the same and they only weigh 10% less, not enough to justify an extra $400.

The SLC is around $1000-$1100. AND a good tip is to buy a PERSONAL ARTICLES insurance policy and put this type of investment on the policy. It will cover damage, loss and theft. See your Insurance agent for more details.

If you see a lot of hunting shows, you will notice a majority of successful guides have made the investment in Swarovski Binoculars.

I am not one to believe the more $ spent means a better product. I have been burned before. BUT, with rifle scopes and bioculars the extra cash is worth it.

JeramyK

I just bought a pair of Bushnell Scout binoculars 10x42 last week. $79.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods. MSRP $159.99. Very good pair of binoculars for the price IMO. I had been leaning towards the Leupold Wind River binos but I found the Bushnell on sale. They are waterproof/fog proof and have a FOV of 305' @ 1000 yards. 15mm eye relief and 4.2mm exit pupil. Weigh 28oz. Uses a center focus system and a BaK-4 prism system. Multi-coated lenses. Comes with lens caps and neck strap as well as carrying case. So far I've used them on 4 trips to the stand and I've had no problems with rain or fogging.

PABowhntr

Justin,

I like your choice so far.

Last year, after prodding from several members here, and an admittance on my own part that I needed brighter, higher quality binoculars I began doing research on the different types of binoculars out there in the various price ranges. I wanted better quality than the sub-$100 bushnell, simmons, tasco models but couldn't afford $1500 Swarovski or even a $700 Pentax model.

I knew I wanted roof prism in either 10x42 or 8x42 as I tend to prefer that magnification versus objective diameter lens range and the overall streamlined design of roof prism binos (as compared to porro prism models). $300 sounded about right, give or take $50. In that price range there were plenty of binos to choose from. For me it came down to the Nikon Monarch ATBs, Wind River Cascade/Olympic models and the Bushnell Legend series. Several others were close in terms of price and features but these three appealed to me the most because of their field of view, overall length and overall weight.

After looking through all three at the local Cabelas I decided to go with the Nikons as they were the shortest and lightest 10x42s that I could find. Though the difference in brightness and clarity was minimal compared to the other two the overall dimensions is what really sold me. They are also waterproof and Nikon has a "No fault" policy on repairs.

I have used them extensively over the last year and have nothing bad to say about them. Their ability to make some areas appear brighter at dawn and dusk makes them invaluable to me in those conditions. I paid $299.99 at Cabelas last year for them.

If I were looking to spend a bit more then I would go the route of what Matt/PA uses. I believe they are one of the Pentax models that sells for between $600 and $700 most places. I forget which model designation they are...DCF or something similar. They are phase coated just like the Nikon Monarchs but reportedly have better glass. I cannot verify that as I have never looked through them but I do trust Matt's judgement.

Lastly, if money is not an issue then the Swarovski SLCs, Brunton Epoch, etc... would be what I would eventually consider.

Justin

LOL

Keep in mind where I work.

I think $300 is more in my price range.