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Stokes 10x42 on sale (1 Viewer)

C

CMB

Well-known member
United States
Not sure if anyone has seen the recent sale price on Stokes 10x42 binoculars. They are a very good price right now and well worth a look.

I checked a pair of these out recently and was very pleased with the optics.

The build quality on the sample I was looking at was top notch. One of the features that really stood out to me with this line was the feel of the focus knob. It simply glides. It is quick, smooth, and very responsive.

The diopter adjustment is a click adjustment, but it turns smoothly and stays in place.

The body is a metal alloy so there is a solid feel to the binoculars, and they are well balanced.

Well worth a look if anyone is in the market for 10x42 bins.
 
Yes, the DLS. Sorry for not stating that.

I went to a local dealer and they had them priced at $599 too. They said it was a temporary price drop from the manufacturer to clear out over stock.
 
The 10x42 Broadwings have also been on sale for awhile now at $199(same price as the Talon), at least from EO. Vortex Vultures are $80-90 off, too-edit: actually it's all of the coyote brown Vortex binos that are on sale, apparently.
 
Bob A (SD) said:
Stokes DLS @ $599.99 at EO
Click to expand...

The 8 x 42 Stokes DLS is a wonderful binocular, very much a modern version of the last model B & L Elite and worth every penny of the asking price. The 10 power version shows a somewhat narrow field of view (308 feet at 1000 yards), but if its optics are comparable to the 8x version, it's a steal at the price you quote.
 
How about some more comments from people who have used and/or compared the DLS 10x42?
I fell in love with the Swarovski EL, but the price is too much. For $1000 less, and in a range I might be able to afford, the Nikon SE 10x42 isn't waterproof, and is bulky compared to a roof prism-whose handling I also prefer.
The DLS would be $599 well spent for me if it is at least comparable to the SE, etc. I would need a definite step up from the Pentax DCF SP line to justify the purchase, regardless.
Thanks.
 
For what this is worth, my observations of the DLS are that they are pretty much optically like the Vortex Razor and the rest of the up to $1,000 or so binoculars. The main practical difference is the DLS is smaller than the Razor and has the different ergonomics of a standard type single hinge binocular. Additionally the fov is not quite as big as the Razor.

At at least one hunting forum I frequent, there is one very well known and widely respected Alaskan hunting guide who hunts in wet, coastal Alaska, that lists his two all time favorite binoculars as the Nikon 8x32 SE and surprisingly enough, the Leupold Yosemite 6x30. He uses them hard and says neither have fogged up on him. He has listed experiences with other glass that have that have fogged, including one particular very high end Euro glass that has fogged numerous times. I tend to think that there is really no such thing as a truly waterproof porro binocular in the sense of a waterproof roof prism. Nikon recognizes that as a simple fact of binocular life and just states the SE is water resistant. I'd bet that the SE's are, for all practical purposes, waterproof.
 
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I would need a definite step up from the Pentax DCF SP line to justify the purchase, regardless.
Click to expand...
I think you are pretty much talking Big 3 here, otherwise the change is minute.
 
Yeah. I just meant that if I'm not going to see the difference between a $500 10x42 Viper, or 10x43 SP, then there's no point in spending more.
I've compared the 8x32 SPs to various models from 2 of the "big 3"(how I fell in love with the EL!) and sadly skipped the opportunity to do so with all 3, but I've seen statements from review sites that some Japanese binoculars like upper end Nikon models and also these DLS models compare to, or even outperform similar binos from the big 3.
Then I see some people say that their less expensive Viper isn't outperformed by the DLS. And the Pentax SPs I've seen compared favorably to more expensive binos, while sometimes being rated higher than models like the Viper, and sometimes a bit lower.
It's confusing to shop for binos without being able to compare them all in person, and I know it can be subjective, but I'd rather hear the firsthand accounts of people here than read a review site that makes all binos sound equal-just a little different, without coming out and saying "I like XXX better because...".


edit: btw, thanks Steve
 
OwenM said:
The DLS would be $599 well spent for me if it is at least comparable to the SE, etc. I would need a definite step up from the Pentax DCF SP line to justify the purchase, regardless.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

The store where I test drove the 10x DLS was selling the 10x Pentax DCF SP for the same price so I compared them... and Minox, Brunton, Kowa (pretty nice glasses), Burris, Swift, Vortex Vipers and Razors, etc., and just for fun a top of the line pair of Zeiss.

To my eyes the optical quality of the Stokes DLS and Pentax DCF SP were more similar than different. I wouldn't trade one for the other simply based upon optics.

Honestly in this price range I found that all the optics were very close. Sure some were slightly better than others, but by a very small amount. I found that because the optics were so close, the fit and feel of the bins became the major deciding factors for me. I didn't notice the optics when a pair of bins wasn't comfortable. I just noticed that they didn't line up with my eyes, smashed the bridge of my nose, made my arms stick way out, felt very unbalanced in the hands, couldn't find the focus knob, etc.

It wasn't until I started looking at glasses in the $1,000+ range that my eyes started to see noticeable improvements in optical quality.

I ended up getting a pair of 8x42 Vortex Vipers because they had the combination of fit, optics, brightness, feel, and price worked for me.
 
The Nikon LX series is marked down, it may be up there in Big 3 league, but is of less value now for resale, as they have new Nikons.

I have not gotten hold of any Nikons lately to test.
 
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CMB, thanks very much for your reply. I think I will continue to save with an eye toward the EL until I find something that I personally think is better, though there's always an urge to try(and buy!) something else.
 
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