OT: Advice please re binoculars for Christmas

[RFC]

Hi all,

I want to buy my two adult sons binoculars for Christmas. I'm looking for the best buy for solid binocs, not milop with Zeiss lenses.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks

[Ken Robb]

You have to know how you think they will use them to make a good choice.

[eddief]

Just got em. Love the feel, the compactness, the warranty, the carry case and I think the optics suit my birding needs.

Newest model SKU: DB-204.

http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-diamondback-binocular-8x42

https://shop.opticsplanet.com/vortex-diamondback-8x42mm-binoculars.html?_iv_code=VX-BI-D204&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=plusbox-beta&gclid=CjwKCAiA0uLgBRABEiwAecFnkyvvdqjtvAyd2j8QCKmq PmkkMTcKzBbAbkzpYZeTgnGz5aS4QvTGcBoCkG8QAvD_BwE

The newer model and the previous model being sold all over the net.

Review older model:

https://www.opticsden.com/vortex-optics-diamondback-10x42-binoculars-review/

[Ozz]

Hi all,

I want to buy my two adult sons binoculars for Christmas. I'm looking for the best buy for solid binocs, not milop with Zeiss lenses.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks
What are they going to use them for? Backpacking, birding, astronomy, etc?

This will help determine size...lots of good brands for decent price (Nikon, Bushnell, Vortex). I've had good luck with Optics Planet, although Amazon carries most the brands too.

You might look for some used binoculars. I have a pair that my grandfather bought in 1925 (Zeiss Deltrintem) that are fantastic (still). No fancy coatings but great optics.

[jamesdak]

Well, I'm not expert but I opted for a pair of Nikon 10 x 50 bino's years ago. Mainly used to quickly glass over areas as I look for wildlife to stalk and photograph.

After having them for several years my young son fell carrying them and snapped the body in half. About 2 years after that happened I finally reached up to Nikon about them since they had a "lifetime" warranty. Long story short, Nikon replaced them free of charge with no questions asked. Maybe this will help in your decision process.

[NHAero]

German Precision Optics
http://gpo-usa.com/german-precision-optics/
A lot of binocular for the money. Mine are the Passion ED 8x42 (I think - might be 10x)

[Kirk007]

sleeper - Leupold. Made in Portland, lifetime warranty. I have the McKinley HD - no longer available but similar ones are. I went through quite a personal comparison - ordered 7 different pair from all the well regarded manufacturers of 8x42 glasses with retail between $500-$1500. Compared them in all sorts of light conditions getting ready for a safari game watching trip in Africa. Lots of nice glass but these were the best combination of what I was looking for - clarity, ease of use, hand feel, build, warranty, service options. Luepold really stands out in customer service rep.

[PeregrineA1]

Take a look at Xen-Ray. Swarovski knockoffs. Very good quality and durable. Our pair is comparable to my Leica’s and has been knocked around for 9 years with no ill effects.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ozz]

sleeper - Leupold. Made in Portland, lifetime warranty. I have the McKinley HD - no longer available but similar ones are. I went through quite a personal comparison - ordered 7 different pair from all the well regarded manufacturers of 8x42 glasses with retail between $500-$1500. Compared them in all sorts of light conditions getting ready for a safari game watching trip in Africa. Lots of nice glass but these were the best combination of what I was looking for - clarity, ease of use, hand feel, build, warranty, service options. Luepold really stands out in customer service rep.

These look pretty nice for under $200: https://www.leupold.com/binoculars/bx-1-mckenzie-8x42mm

[rnhood]

Nikon Monarch 5, 8X42. The Vortex Diamondback is also a bargain but that Nikon is superb. Neither one qualifies as being inexpensive though.

[Frankwurst]

Vortex. I own Vortex, Nikons, Bushnells, Cabelas and have used Leupold and for me Vortex takes the prize dollar to dollar. You can throw more money at Swarovski, Zeiss and a couple of others but the average person doesn't want to spend that kind of money. Not to mention unless it has changed Vortex has a warranty and return policy that is as good as it gets. Optics is one area where you pretty much get what you pay for IMO. Just my two cents worth.:beer:

[saf-t]

Another vote for Vortex

[douglas]

I have Vortex Hurricane 8 x 28 and I'm very happy with them.

[jmoore]

1. What is your budget?
2. What are you going to use them for?


Lots of good suggestions already. But the rec's will be vastly different if you have a $200 budget vs $800.



Also, you can never go wrong with Leupold.

[wgp]

Read this review on Wirecutter; I did, and bought their top-rated binoculars (Athlon Optics Midas ED) and am very happy with them.

link: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-binoculars/

I've found Wirecutter's reviews of items I'm interested in purchasing but know nothing about very, very helpful

[buddybikes]

How about stabilized? Need about 10 or 12 power for shore birding.

thx

[2metalhips]

Another vote for Vortex, I have a monocular that I take on gravel and mtb rides. Had an issue with the eye cup, my fault. They repaired it in a couple days, free, no questions asked. Top notch service.

[skiezo]

I would say anything that has either German,Austrian or Japanese glass.
They seem to have the glass and coatings down pretty good.
I own Steiner,zeiss,leica,nikon,leoplod and a set from Austria that my grandfather brought over when he migrated to the states in the 1930.
All are great for there intended purpose.
The old Austrian 10x44 are great and are super clear and sharp in the daytime but once dusk sets in they fade.
The Steiners are boat/kayak mil/marine waterproof 10x40. Not that great in the clearity dept. but great for the wet conditions.
The Leica,Zeiss and Leopold really shine in lower light setting like dawn and dusk settings.
So many options and price points out there. No need to spend any more than $300 for some great glass.

[eddief]

about 4oz less than Athlon.

[Hawker]

What others have said; what will they use them for?

I'm a long time birder (40 years) and as a young man made the mistake of buying binoculars that looked good and fit my price range. Turned out to be a bad purchase and frustrating experience. Not saying you have to spend a lot of money at all...but ideally at least $100 per pair. And if you can spend a bit more the optic quality these days is waaaay better than even twenty years ago.

If either of you boys wear glasses...that needs to be considered. It's called "eye relief" and it's very important. Try to buy waterproof if you can afford it and more than 8X is hard to hold steady for any amount of time. But again, birding is different from auto racing, from back packing.

Take a look at Celestron, Kowa and Vortex here. I know these people and they don't carry any junk and really know there stuff. Just because they are birding people does not in any way mean they aren't also a good general purpose binocular...unless you think they will be thrown around in the car or used for backpacking. In that case, you may want more armor, etc.

https://redstartbirding.com/collections/binoculars/vortex

[gasman]

How about stabilized? Need about 10 or 12 power for shore birding.

thx


I like birding on the coast and find that a spotting scope is necessary in addition to my binoculars.
I haven’t tried image stabilization binoculars in years but I’m sure the optics are better than they were 15 years ago.

[RFC]

Thanks all for the great advice. As a former photojounalist (very long ago) I love optics.

I ended up with the 10x50 Nikon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001HKIK4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[gasman]

Great choice
My wife loves her Nikons

[bikinchris]

Thanks all for the great advice. As a former photojounalist (very long ago) I love optics.

I ended up with the 10x50 Nikon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001HKIK4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Good choice. Nikon makes very good binoculars in a wide range of prices. Everything from moderately priced ones (like the ones you chose) on up to binoculars that compete with the very best.

[froze]

Binoculars have a wide range of prices and sizes. It would be helpful if you tell us how you are going to use it, for example, do you want to go bike touring or pack packing with it? do you want to see a wide view, or is zooming in to see birds is more important, does it need to be waterproof, is it for hunting, do you want any nighttime ability, do you need rangefinding abilities. Some binocs can be used for space viewing too but those have a lot of power and are very expensive plus you'll need a tripod. Also it's very important you give us a price range because you can get small pack packing binocs from $20 to $1000 and maybe more.

Here is a site I found that could be helpful to you: https://www.opticsden.com/reviews-of-the-best-binoculars/

[Louis]

Too late now for the OP, but I would recommend something with a roof prism, not a Porro prism. Also, BAK-4 glass.

[RFC]

I've shot a lot of cameras, including Nikon and Leica SLRs. Honestly, I preferred the functionality of Nikon and never saw a difference in photo quality.

Now moving on to mirrorless.

[shoota]

Another happy Vortex owner here.