ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

I'm wondering, why don't the higher brands ie.. Swarovski, Ziess, Leica,Nikon etc... have the higer powers more available. They may have some that I have'nt found butit seems for the most part they only go up to 10X42 and 12X42. I have a pair of Bushnell Powerviews that are 16X50 and some older Simmons that are 20X50 and I just bought a pair of Barska compacts that are 20X32. Now I know they are probably more expensive to makebut they can't be that much more, and if I had the choice to go for a pair of Nikon Monarchs at 16X50 for another 100 bucks or so I'd jump on it.

Metro...

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

For starters, and to touch on your last comment, Nikon did just introduce the Monarchs in 12x42s this year.

As for why you don't typically see higher power binos...I think there are several reasons. As you already mentioned they are more expensive to make. Any mistakes in the manufacturing process are more "magnified", no pun intended with the higher the magnification you go with. When you start with a pair of 8.5x42 Swaros that are already listed at $1600 then it is very realistic to believe that you could be pricing yourself right out of your customer base should you consider manufacturing higher mag/more expensive versions of the same model.

Second, higher magnification, at a certain point, doesn't really benefit the user as much as one would think. Once you start getting above 8x or 10x then the shaking that the user transfers to the binocular under handheld conditions usually renders any gain in detail because of the higher mag. insignificant. A tripod is typically needed for most folks with binoculars in the 12 power and higher range.

Third, higher power binos are usually heavier and less convenient to carry because they are typically coupled with larger objective lenses to allow adequate light levels to reach the eye....in order to produce a relatively bright image...again so that you can actually utilize the greater detail.

One comment I have often seen made in reference to folks who issue similar questions to your own.....a moderate power binocular, 8x or 10x, usually provides all the detail that you can utilize. Going to a higher power does not necessarily give you more detail. Actually, going to a larger objective size will usually result in more usable detail as more light is allowed to reach your eye thus giving you a brighter image and more contrast.

Also, the quality of the glass and of the chemical coating applied to the glass and the prism usually are more important in rendering detail than the size of the magnification. In other words, an 8x Swaro SLC will give you a more detailed image than a 12x Leupold.

Hope this helps.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

Sure does help Frank, I was just out this morning comparing the 20x32's to the 16x50's. I was reading the lettering on a dry dock at a Naval base near here about 1/2 t0 3/4 of a mile from me. I could read the lettering with the 16x50's but not the 20x32's plus the 16's were brighter. I am into into astronomy and I have a Meade 10 inch Shmidt Cassegrain and 5 and 6 inch refractors so I know it's all about gathering light, I just have to believe that if Bushnell and Simmons can put out 50 mm objectives at 16 power why not the high end guys. Maybe it's just me but I don't see 16 power optics being too dificult to hold steady. Regarding the size issue though you're right,I bought the Gladiators that are 12-60X70 and those are just way to big and bulky to put in a pack and hike with.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

I personally find that 10x is the maximum magnification that I can hold steady,especially after climbing or running.The other factor is that the high magnifications would result in binoculars that were not bright enough in low light conditions if a reasonably sized objective lens is used.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

I personally find that 10x is the maximum magnification that I can hold steady,especially after climbing or running.
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Ya know that makes a lot of sense actually, I'm just a poor city boy that hasn't done a whole lot of hunting so you'll have to excuse me. But now that you mention that I can see how things change at the end of the day after a long hike with gear,you've been up for 14 hours and you're so hungry you could eat the ass end of a skunk thats been dead for two days. You might get the shakes just a tad.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

I wouldn't got over 10x in something I'm holding.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

Agreed 10x for binos, anything larger IMO a spotting scope and pod is required!

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

Now you are bringing back some memories. :) I was very much into amateur astronomy back in high school though sports eventually took up much of a my time after that. My only remaining legacy of that time is the 6 inch Meade Reflector I have sitting behind me in the basement. I try to take it out at least a few times a year though it needs some repair work to the controls.

As for the reason why Swaro, Leica, etc... haven't put out 16 power binos.....I cannot say for sure. Not to sound condescending but my guess is that many folks, that aren't necessarily educated in optics, tend to believe higher power is better regardless of other considerations such as light transmission, quality of lenses, chemical coatings, objective diameter, etc... Bushnell and Simmons can get away with selling 16x32s and 20x50s for $50 or $60 but when you get into the price range that a 16x70 Swaro would cost then the potential consumers might be a bit more discriminating...and demanding of quality results.

Just my guess.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

Yeah, high power binos are quickly losing their appeal to me. After learning about the value of high quality glass here and looking through some nice binos today at a marine storeI am now wavering between 10 and 12 power. After returning the Barska Gladiators, I looked through some 7x50 Nikons today that were just a joy to use, they were so easy to hold steady and the longer exit pupil made them soooo comfortable to viewthrough.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

I live and hunt in Arizona. There is a lot of wide open space here and one thing I learned from a successful hunter out here is this: A good hunter will wear out the seat of his pants before he wears out the soles of his shoes.....i.e. spend a lot of time glassing. Out West, I have glassed Coues and Mule deer from over 2 miles away. Depending on where you hunt, the type and qualitie of glass required could be different.

My 1st binos were Nikon Monarchs. They are an okay set of binos at best. But a good value for the money. Before I bought my Nikons, I looked through Swarovski and Lieca binos in broad day light and thought there was not a $1000 difference. The key being broad day light.

Then I went hunting with some buddies, one had Leica and the other had Swarovski binos. They routinely glassed up Coues bucks that I could not even see through my binos. This was all during low light (early morning/early evening hours). I had to look through their binos just to see what they were talking about. That is when I 1st saw the $1000 difference.

After that hunting season, I saved and saved until I could get some top of line binos. I just wish I hadn't spent the $300 on the Nikons. Please do not take this as brand bashing. I put Nikon scopes on all my rifles. I don't spend all day looking through my scope and I don't use my scope to find game. I use my Swaro's to find game, once I find them....I use a very reliable and capable Nikon scope to finish the job.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

Same thing was happening to me. I'd go out glassing whitetails with my uncle. He had an old pair of Swaro's........and I didn't. The deer wouldn't get real active until late in the evening, and by then, I couldn't see them with my binoculars and would have to borrow his. I had thought they were too much money until I started seeing the diffence his made. It wasn't long till I was sporting a pair and keeping up my end of the spotting. My only regret has been not getting a pair sooner.

PLB, I'm in the same boat. Swaro's to spot, and Nikon to finish.

P.S.-The only time I have had to use their customer service, it was great.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

I hear what you guys are saying and I would be going for the Swaros ifbinos were a tool of my trade or I was real hardcore and I made twice as much moneyas I do. But the truth is I do more upland gamebird hunting than deer hunting andmy diposable income is'nt quite up to 1700.00 bucks a pop.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

:) I use my Nikon binos to find game and my $40 Tasco Pronghorn to finish...:D. I say that somewhat to be a smart-alleck but also to point out something important. Comparing the $300 Monarchs to any of the $1000+ binos is somewhat unfair in my opinion. They (the Monarchs) aren't designed to be compared to such high end pieces of glass though even at dusk I would be hardpressed to believe a $1300 price difference. However, I will agree that you get what you pay for and all of the $1000+ binos that I have owned and/or tried have been worth their weight in gold in terms of both performance and durability.

My primary binocular for hunting and birding are the Nikon HG 8x42s (also known as the Venturer LX or Premier LX). Top of the line binos that provide some superb images. I was out scouting a bit yesterday with my wife's grandfather. We bought him a pair of the 8x42 Monarchs for Christmas last year. He is tickled pink with them. He honestly cannot believe that binoculars could provide such a nice image (when considering the quality level of his previous binos). He loves them and is always looking for an opportunity to go out and use them.

While walking down a logging road I asked him if I could peek through them again as I always like to compare binos to what I am currently using (even if I have owned them before). I was still impressed with the image they provide...not as bright, flat or colorful as the HGs but all in all very satisfying for the price. I would definitely give them an 8 if the top end brands are judged as 10s.

Just my thoughts.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

The Nikon Venturer LX is a top of the line binocular, I believe them to be in the same class as the Swarovski and Leica glass. But why does Nikon not make them water proof?

My dad use to use a Tasco scope on his Browning 30-06. Then onemorning on a late Nov. Elk hunt, he pulled up to shoot anice 6x6 bull andfoundthat his scope was fogged and the crosshairs were gone!Needless to say, he didn't fill his tag that year, and our family stays away from Tasco.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

Met I'm not exactly sure what you are looking for but have you looked at the 12x45 and 15x45 Zeiss Conquest binocs? I bought a pair of 15s last summer before a muley/antelope hunt in WY and they absolutely are GREAT! The 15s are about as large as I am comfortable holding without a tripod or prop of some kind. I continue to use them anytime I am sitting in a deerstand where I have long shots. For the woods I use a 9x40 Steiner Bighorn that works great. Ihave a compact pair of Optolyths that I use for bow and turkey hunting.

The Conquest series is VERY affordable for what you get and I am thrilled with mine. The Nikon Monarch series is a FANTASTIC set of optics as well, among the best for the money. As for the marketing wheres and whys, the market for binos over 12 power is many many times smaller than the more common ranges of 7-12xso it's just not in a makers economic interest to jump squarely into the higher power rangesfor such a small shareof the market. You might also want to checkinto Steiner, they also have some reasonably priced higher powered binocs.

Check em out,
RA

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

Hmm, the Venturer LXs are waterproof...nitrogen purged and all that. Is it possible you are thinking of the Nikon Superior Es? Or E2s? Both of those models are not waterproof and are thought of very highly for the image they provide. To answer that question I would say that both of those models are of the porro prism design and it is typically difficult to waterproof them considering the style of focusing mechanism.

As for the Tasco, don't put too much stock in my commenting on them. I am not as much a rifle hunter as I am a bowhunter. My rifle, a 40 year old Remington 336C chambered for the 35 Remington cartridge, really only gets taken out of the case 5 times a year. Twice to practice before the season and usually only on our opening day and the two subsequent Saturdays. Work and the short length of our rifle season prohibits its use more than that. I have had that Pronghorn on that particular rifle for about 6 years now. No problems whatsoever. But when you consider the caliber and the limited amount of usage then you can probably see what it continues to stand up so well.

RE: ANOTHER BINO QUESTION
 

I was thinking of the Superior E....my bad.