Cabela's Guide Series 8x32 (2 Viewers)

[NDhunter]

I want to give some thoughts about the Cabelas 8x32, that was recently
mentioned on the bargain optics thread.

I recently received one of these, and it took me a few days to get to
know the binocular as our weather has been mostly rainy, and now have
some sunshine for some better evaluation.

This Cabela's model, has been on clearance, so sale priced, and I wanted
to find out more. It seems to be a very similar model to the Leupold BX-3
Mojave 8x32. There is a long thread on the Leupold subforum, about this
model started by SteveC, and FrankD also contributed, very strong marks,
and now I can agree with their findings. Those guys are one reason I went
ahead with my purchase.

This is a Japanese made model, with a very nice wide 8* FOV, and with nice
fit and finish. The armor is much to my liking, a smooth focus, and the optics
are very good.

I have compared closely to others in this size, the Nikon Mon. 7 8x30, and
the Swarovski 8x30 CL.

I don't wear glasses, and the eye relief is very good for me with all 3 of these
with the eyecups full out. The FOV is 8* with the Guide 8x30, the CL is
7.1* and the M7 is 8.3*.

Some strong points about the Cabela's model are a large sweet spot, and a
very nice, bright, and sharp image.

These binoculars all are very good, and they all have some features
that need to be appreciated.

I will not rate any of these binoculars above another.

Someone may want to link the Leup. BX-3, thread, I am not able.

In summary, this Cabela's guide model is a very good value.

Jerry

 

[Pinewood]

Hello Jerry,

Did you mean this thread?

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

 

[NDhunter]

Thanks Arthur, that is the review, I was referring to.

Jerry

 

[adhoc]

Can anyone here give a comparison of the Cabelas Guide 8x32 and the Leupold Mojave BX-3 8x32, in use, or even only of construction details: for example do both have the same lens and prism coatings?

How does the extent of the field of view seen by those who wear glasses compare in either/both and the Zeiss Victory FL 8x32?

Thank you.

 

[BruceH]

Adhoc ... I did a quick side by side compare of the Leupold Mojave 10X32 and the Cabela's Guide 10X32 last week and both the sales rep and I thought they were the same other than the armor and labeling. I would expect the same to be true for the 8X32. I then compared the Guide 8X32 with the Guide 10X32 and found them to be the same except for the differences of a 10X vs an 8X and the 8X was noticeably brighter.

 

[diesel79]

I just ordered a pair of the 8x32, and the 10x42. Not sure which ones I will keep.

I already have a pair of 8x42 so the 8 power might be redundant. These are good prices if they are an equivalent to the Leupolds.

 

[BruceH]

Excellent write-up Jerry!!!

I am glad to hear you got it before the first sell out. I hope you do not mind me tagging on to your review.

I also purchased the Cabeia's Guide 8X32 during the same sale as mentioned by Jerry, but I got mine directly from the store. It happened to be the last one and was the case model. I agree with Jerry that it is not only a good value but it is also a very good binocular.

It is an easy and enjoyable binocular to use. Part of the ease comes from the relatively light weight and the very easy eye placement when using without glasses. Easy eye placement is not always the case with small binoculars, or even large ones for that matter.

The prisms are silver coated so I was expecting the usual overly warm color bias but that was not the case. Looks to me like it has a very slight red/pink tint, but it is very mild and not a distraction at all. It is also quite bright and as Jerry said, a nice large center view to go with the large FOV of 420'.

The mechanics are solid. Hinge tension is firm enough to hold the setting yet light enough to change without using a vice grip. The focus is near perfect smooth with just the slightest feel of sticking in a few spots. This is a big improvement from when they first came out. Some of the early units were to me, unusable. The firmness seems about right and there is no free play to speak of. I doubt if many would have any complaints about the focus on my unit. Focus rotation is counter clockwise from close focus to infinity. There appears to be almost 40 degrees of over travel past infinity in the focus knob rotation. That is much better than some other models I have.

The weight is listed at 17 oz, but my postal scale shows 19.4 oz without strap or lens covers.

There are a couple of areas that might be of concern to some. The close focus is just under 8 ft, not bad, but not great. Also, there is always the potential for CA. It looks about average to me but I am not the best judge since I usually see CA only if I look for it. None of the marketing material I have seen says if it uses ED glass or not. The Leupold version sells for $350 so that may be in the price range of an ED glass binocular. It is part of the BX-3 line with is high end for Leupold.

I have been using it around the house since getting it and yesterday I did some field time at the Gilbert Water Ranch Riparian Preserve to get a feel for how it does under various conditions. It came through like a champ. Eye placement was always easy, focusing was no issue and it handled glare without any noticeable issues. I got some great looks at the resident birds and enjoyed using the Guide. Overall, it is a great little binocular with nothing for me to dislike. I am happy to have it.







The Cabela's Guide 8X32 is currently on sale for $149.88. Someone told me that prices ending in 88 cents indicates a close-out sale. They were all sold out the end of last week but then more showed up online a few days later. Right now Cabela's has an online coupon code of 16BONUS10 good till October 2 that gets $10 off and free shipping on an order of $100 or more. The binocular comes with a padded but somewhat narrow strap, lens covers, a small blue cleaning cloth and a vinyl case with a Velcro flap. The case will hold the binocular with the eye cups extended and the strap wrapped around the body, but it is a tight fit.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/hunt..._SEQ_104217480?WTz_st=GuidedNav&WTz_stype=GNU

The current low price 8X32 champ on this site is the Sightron Blue Sky II which sells for around $170. I had one for a month but returned it for lack of focus over travel. Going by memory only, I think the Guide wins out (Sorry Frank!).

For anyone interested, I posted some comments on a comparision to the Monarch 7 8X30 in this thread.....

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=332006

 

[NDhunter]

Bruce:

Thanks for your remarks, and your review adds much to what I said at the start.

I started this thread, because I thought this binocular really deserved it.

Jerry

 

[diesel79]

Has anyone tried the 10x42?

 

[PhilR.]

Has anyone tried the 10x42?

Yes. We have one.

 

[diesel79]

Yes. We have one.

Does it exhibit the same positive qualities as the 8x32, or would you pass it by for something else in its current price range of $199?

I've gone a little crazy and have a set of Sightron coming as well.

The bins will be primarily used for hunting snd I have a set of entry level 8x42 right now.

I will keep one of the three pairs.

 

[PhilR.]

Does it exhibit the same positive qualities as the 8x32, or would you pass it by for something else in its current price range of $199?

I would say for the most part, yes. The 10x42 might not be the standout in it's configuration class that the 8x32 is in it's class, but overall it is a very good bino for it's price. I have not seen a better 10x42 at the $199 price point.

 

[jgraider]

BruceH and Jerry, having the Mojave 8x32 for a few years now, I agree with what you've posted in your reviews. It is a very good performer. Thanks for the information, and nice write ups guys!

 

[Theo98]

BruceH and Jerry, having the Mojave 8x32 for a few years now, I agree with what you've posted in your reviews. It is a very good performer. Thanks for the information, and nice write ups guys!

I concur...our Mojave BX-3 (in the 8x32 iteration) is close in optical virtues and overall performance to our 8x32 SV (except price)! For travel, these are the 2 pairs we bring along for birding, wildlife and scenic observations!

 

[marinemaster]

I preorder the Mojave 8x32 years ago at B&H. They are great. Japan made. They are not as bright as the Victory 8x32 and they let too much light come in on the side. But for the $119 people been paying Cabela version Japan made they are very good. Yes there is CA but I ignore it. Is rare that I get a pair of binos in the 8x32 format that fits me. Mojave fits great. Btw Nikon Monarch 8x30 did not fit me at all. To me they are better compared to Sightron Bluesky II 8x32. Waiting for the same format in the ED glass if Leupold makes it


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[mtar925]

Just got my Cabela's Guide 8x32. They are very good - great for the price (currently $150). They're the first lightweight, wide field 8x30/32 I've tried in which I can see the entire field with my spectacles on.

Compared to Nikon Monarch 7 8x30....both have good central sharpness and a large sweet spot. Nikon field is a little larger but I can't quite see the whole field with my specs on. With specs off, the slightly larger eye cups on the Cabela's are more comfortable for me too. Contrast may have a little more punch in the Nikon; glare control may be a touch better in the Cabela's.

Build quality feels good in the Cabela's. The hinge is solid and the armor feels thick but not spongy, and has a nice texture. The focus knob is light, but smooth. Locking diopter setting on the focus knob is a nice feature. The eyecups on the Cabela's feel a little plasticky, but still adequate.

I'm happy with the purchase!

 

[pwjp2011]

Got Mine Yesterday

As they say the price was right - $150. I read those posts that its the same as Leupold BX3. After opening it, its a great little binocular. Extremely solid and well made. No squeaking or creaking. The rubber is dense and not spongy at all. The focus knob is smooth. The eyepiece rainguard is a bit loose but thats ok.

I was amazed at the view. Its very bright and close to my 7x50 Fujinons, very surprising. I was playing with them in the afternoon with a lot of light. Very wide field of view and its super sharp. What blew me away is the view relative to the size. These binoculars are much smaller than my Fujinons and the quality of the view is similar.

Considering that the Fujinons are porro style binoculars and these are roofs I was not expecting the view to be so good. Granted I am not super fussy but I know when I see a good image as I have used Canon SLR/DSLRs for years. These are definitely up there.

I am happy with my purchase and for the price its a real bargain in my opinion.

 

[BruceH]

Update

It is good to see several more members are happy with their purchase of the Cabela's Guide 8X32. Since getting mine, my brother bought one and was very impressed with it. I also told a friend who bought one and he was impressed enough to by a second one for his wife.

A question that comes up every so often about various models is how easy is it to focus in the freezing cold. I thought I would check it out and so I put mine in the freezer with the intention of testing it an hour or so later. Well, a day and a half later, I remembered that it was still in the freezer.

It was definitely stiffer than under room temp conditions, but the focus could still be rotated and was usable. After rotating it a couple of times, it loosened up about 20% but was still on the stiff side. I then stuck it in the refrigerator for a day and it loosened up quite a bit more, but was still slightly stiffer than room temp.

I do not think I would want to use it on a daily basis in zero degrees (F) weather, but it would be acceptable on occasion. Although a little stiffer than normal. I found it to be fine at freezing (32f/0c).

I am sure Jerry will get the opportunity to give it a real below Zero (F) field test in a few months. :eek!:

Anyway, I have been using it off and on over the last month and am still very satisfied with it.