Looking to upgrade binoculars (1 Viewer)

[JOC1]

Hello everyone, I’m looking to upgrade my opticron Explorers 8x32 and wanted some opinions on some Binos I was looking at in the $500 range. My use for them is mainly backyard birding, nature watching, and occasionally
hiking as well.

Just some background on my current search:
I Recently traded the Explorers for the new Verano 8x32, and I’m almost certain I got a bad pair. The eyecups were loose, and I think there was something wrong with the optics. My eyes had a hard time adjusting while viewing and were uncomfortable. (don’t know how else to describe it).
But I tried to assess what I could from them and was alittle disappointed. I was hoping for a big enough jump in sharpness to offset the smaller fov. Sadly, It was only a minor jump, not enough for me to justify losing the fov. (Although they did have good glare control.)
So overall I wasn’t happy with them.

So I’m planning on returning them and exchanging it for the 8x32 Traveller. I’m hoping the travellers will be a more immersive experience and have no blackout issues (like there were on the explorer).


But I have also seen other options in the traveller price range and wanted to get some opinions on those binos vs the traveller.


I was looking at:

-Vortex Viper 8x42
I saw a 10x42 at the store and the optics seemed really good (better than the Verano IMO) and surprisingly immersive

-Meopta Meopta HD 8x32

-GPO passion Ed 8x32

-Hawke frontier Ed x 8x32

I also really value warranty.
( I know vortex and Opticron have really good warranties). So if all the binos are relatively the same, I’ll probably just go with the traveller. But if there is one clearly better, I’ll take that into consideration.

On a side note I am starting to really consider the 8x42 vortex viper , so if you can share any experience and comparisons with those that would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Welcome to BF

The Kowa BD II Series is excellent quality with the widest FOV of any other binocular

The GPO Passion ED's are also excellent quality, with a wonderfully streamlined design that fits great in your hands

Athlon has the Midas G2 Series which is probably the best value in a quality binocular

As a long standing supporting vendor here on the forum it is our pleasure to assist in discussing different options and opportunities with you. Please give a call, 516-217-1000, when you have a few moments

 

[[email protected]]

At the $500 price point, I would recommend a porro because it offers a "better bang for your buck" than any of the roofs you are looking at, plus you get the bonus of the 3D effect porro's are famous for. The E2 will match most roofs optically up to about $1K. I would recommend a Nikon E2 8x30 for the huge FOV and the excellent build quality. Most roofs under $500 are MIC, but the E2 is MIJ. Some of the roofs under $500 are pretty good optically like the Viper, but the build quality and inconsistent quality control often times is their weak point. I had the Kowa BD II 6.5x32 XD when it first came out because I was attracted by its big FOV and relatively low cost. I used it birding in the Everglades in Florida, and I felt something was wrong with them. It turned out it was just because they have such a small sweet spot and fuzzy edges. I think you really have to spend about $1K to get into the decent roofs. Then you can start looking at the Nikon MHG, Meopta Meostar, Kowa Prominar and Zeiss Conquest HD or better, yet you can get into a superb porro like the Habicht. I really think under $500 your best bet is a porro for build quality and optics. It may be true that there is no warranty on the Nikon E2 if you buy from Japan, but I have never needed the warranty on the E2 because every one I have had has been perfect, and I guarantee you I have returned a lot of sub $500 MIC roof's for quality problems. The E2 only weighs about 20 oz. so it is actually lighter than most 32 mm roof's. My recommendation is based on actual experience with all these binoculars, and I have had a lot of them.

Nikon Binoculars E II Series CF WF Porro prism type 8 times 30 caliber 8X30E2N | eBay

â Multilayer coating on the entire surface of the lens and prism to ensure a bright view. â Lightweight body using magnesium alloy. Compact Heavy Duty Type. â Bird watching with a wide field of view full of realism with apparent visibility 63.2 ° Standard model.

www.ebay.com

 

[qwerty5]

I haven't owned either the Viper or the Traveller, but I've researched binoculars in this price range a lot. If I were to buy one, I would buy the Viper. That said, QC may be a bit of an issue since they are made in China, but with Vortex's warranty you can get a new pair if they turn out to be bad. One thing the Viper has that most other binoculars at that price don't is a locking diopter. Here is a review of the Viper you might find interesting.

As far as blackout issues, you will find that a binocular with a larger exit pupil than an 8x32 will be better. Personally for a main binocular I would go for a 42mm, but some prefer the low weight.

In the end I would suggest that you buy both the Viper and the Traveller, and keep the one you like best.

The Nikon E II is not waterproof, and being a porro it will be heavier than a 30/32mm roof.

 

[PhilR.]

For your purposes, a good 32mm is fine. I like the 8x30 Nikon Monarch 7. It does have a rather short ER, but it provides a very nice view that is bright, wide, and sharp. The Traveller seems to be a very similar binocular, but according to B&H's website, has a lot more ER. If you wear eyeglasses, taht might be the one to get. Another 32mm to consider is the Leupold Pro Guide HD. I haven't tried that size, but I can say that the other PG HD's perform quite well.

If you are going to go with a 42mm bino, then the Viper is a good choice, especially if you can find it for around $300 which is what they were priced at the end of last year. If however you have to pay full price, then also consider the Meopta Meopro HD, Leupold Pro Guide HD, and Monarch 7. All are very good, with no one model that stands out above the rest. Also, the Athlon Midas G2 (2nd generation) comes very close in performance to these binos, but for a much reduced cost. Lastly, you can find the Zeiss Terra 8x42 in black/orange color at Midwayusa for $315 and free shipping. These usually compete in the same price level as the Pro Guide HD/Monarch 7/Meopro. If you don't mind the "safety orange" color, it would be a pretty good buy.

 

[PhilR.]

One other thing - about the Nikon EII. Extremely good binocular, but as Nikon USA does not import them, you would have to buy from another country, and that means you would most likely have zero warranty support from Nikon. This could be quite important to someone who "values warranty" such as yourself.

 

[Binocollector]

I second the suggestion of the Kowa BD II 8x32 XD. I tested the 6.5x32 and 8x32 for quite some time in a store today. In the end I got the 6.5 because I wanted a bit less magnification but in fact I will get the 8x32 also as it was even slightly more impressive. The sweet spot is larger as is the AFoV. Less blurry edges. For the money they are awesome. Build quality seems very nice. Eyecup settings are firm and secure, strap is comfy and they even seemed to have improved the ocular covers as people have complained they are too hard to get off. No problem with the one I got whatsoever.

 

[DrewskiMT]

My Traveler is excellent and fairly close to the the performance of my Zeiss conquest in 8x32. Sounds like you got a bad Verano.

 

[JOC1]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I’m doing some more research and saw that there is a new M7 8x42.

Has anyone tried it? Is it better on glare than the 8x30? And how does it compare to the Viper 8x42? (Specifically Vipers optics vs M7’s FOV)

 

[Rg548]

Get the best Opticrons you can afford.
Always superb value for money, great optics that punch above their price.
Thats just my opinion

 

[qwerty5]

Has anyone tried it? Is it better on glare than the 8x30? And how does it compare to the Viper 8x42? (Specifically Vipers optics vs M7’s FOV)

Vortex Viper HD vs Nikon Monarch 7 vs Maven C.1: Battle of the HD binoculars - Baxter Bowman

Detailed comparison of the Vortex Viper HD vs Nikon Monarch 7 vs Maven C.1 from an elk hunters perspective. Learn which one wins and which one to avoid!

www.baxterbowman.com

This is a review of the old Monarch 7. I think the upgrade was mostly build quality and cosmetics?
Both the M7 or the Viper are very good binoculars.

 

[William Lewis]

Another vote for the opticrons, great value for money although I'm not a huge fan of the travellers, the pair I've used a fair bit has had to go back for a re alignment despite relatively light use. Second hand options are tempting-at that price you should be able to get a decent set with some warranty remaining and the option to send them back for a fix if it's run out from the European brands.

 

[JOC1]

Update: the Opticron Traveller 8x32 came in. Did a quick view of them in the late afternoon and wanted to share some quick initial thoughts.

Positives:

-I was impressed with the upgrade in sharpness, in comparison to the explorers. (I can’t really compare to the Verano’s because I had such a tough time with them but it seemed the same.)
-The FOV boost was nice, but was quickly forgotten about after awhile.

Negatives:
-I was hoping the eyepiece/blackout would be a non-issue since they have a larger eyepiece lens - but that wasn’t the case. The eye placement seemed pretty finicky to me. I’m sure this is normal for 32s but was a let down for me. (on a side note, I did not have any blackout issues with Verano’s so that’s a plus for them!)

-I also noticed that the focus seemed off, it was like the lenses fogged up a little but when I checked the lenses, they were fine. My wife noticed this issue as well when she looked through them. I’m hoping this is the result of another bad copy and not what comes with extra wide fov because it really affected the viewing experience. (I never experienced this issue with the Explorers)


Other thoughts:
- I did notice quite a bit of a drop in sharpness as the sun was starting to go down. It seemed like there was plenty of light still but it just didn’t seem as sharp as it had earlier. I don’t remember this happening with my explorers.


-oddly enough, I actually like the armor of the explorers compared to the traveller.


Overall I’m a little disappointed, but I’m going to continue to check them out tomorrow, maybe even stop by the store and compare them to the Vortex Vipers (hopefully in 8x42)

 

[William Lewis]

Hi JOC1. The focus on the travellers should be good and sharp, the pair I use are good in that regard, overall other than a bit of glare and a touch of ca they really shouldn't have any significant optical vices - maybe collimation?

I'm not sure where your based but if you could stretch the budget a little you may be able to get into something like a new victory pocket 8/25 and have yourself a proper mini alpha?

Ive never spent too much more than your budget on bins and always had a very useable pair, whether it's been the used 10x42 leica trinovid hd's, nikon 10x35e c's or current 7x42ga habichts. You should still be able to get a reasonably flawless experience without many optical distractions for the money.

 

[JOC1]

I suppose there might be a slight collimation issue in the left barrel. I just tried it again and it’s like part of the image on the side can’t get into focus all the way. The best way to describe it is when the binoculars start to fog up. It definitely affects the viewing experience.

On a side note - I am starting to see the benefits of the larger fov and the larger eyepiece lenses. I can now look around the image without fear of blackout. Where as with the explorers you pretty much had to look straight on and that was it. So that’s a plus for the travellers!

Overall though, what’s turning me away from the traveller (and maybe the $500 8x32 range) was the dip in performance once the sun started going down. (Which might be why the Verano’s didn’t seem all that impressive when I tried them. I tried them after work around the same time) For me, it would be understandable if it was almost dusk, but it was the equivalent of a cloudy day. Which if that is the case, makes these a lot less useful. If I can only enjoy the upgraded sharpness during a certain part of the day and in certain conditions, then it defeats the purpose. 🤷‍♂️


So I’m going to give these another go today, but I’m almost certain I’ll jump to the Vortex Viper 8x42. I’m not sure about the jump in weight (15.5oz vs 24.5oz) but I’m hoping the 8x42 will be a lot more user friendly in terms of eye placement. And will be able to retain its performance even in lower light.

And now that I think about it, I may look at the 8x42 Verano as well. Does anyone know how those stack against the Viper 8x42?


however if all else fails, I’ll probably just go back to the explorers 8x32. I paid $250 for them and was pretty satisfied for the price.

 

[Dyrlege]

Perhaps slightly over budget, but at least have a look at the new Swarovski Curio 7*21. Reads small, looks great. Fabulous optics.

 

[William Lewis]

I'd definitely try some binoculars with porro prisms before settling, they can't be beaten optically for the ammount you want to spend. I popped into a binocular shop today for a new strap and had a quick glance through the aurora 8x42 and a zeiss fl 8x42 to see if my habichts were missing much and they weren't othet than fov and some ergonomics.

 

[becksnyc]

My first pair of binos, purchased during the pandemic, was GPO German Precision Optics Passion ED 8x42. I am very, very happy with the purchase. (under $500)
The only slight disadvantage is that the eyecups don't lock and sometimes change position if held with too much pressure on my glasses.

 

[JOC1]

i haven’t heard much about the GPO. I was considering them, would you know how they compare to the Viper and the M7?
The only knock on them I heard was the lack of eye relief.

also a quick question on ER to anyone who knows, if you don’t wear glasses and prefer to put the Bino right to the eyes, is it better to have short or long ER?

I ask because my wife has had only one pair of binos that I’ve owned had that works for her eyes and it was the Prostaff 7s 8x30 Which has a 15.4 ER.

 

[JOC1]

Update: I took the travellers again today. It was a nice sunny day and they look nice and sharp, better than yesterday. But I honestly didn’t enjoy the overall viewing experience. Not necessarily because they are bad but I guess my eyes really couldn’t relax and enjoy the view. (possibly due to an issue with my copy)

So I’m thinking of trading these in for either the Viper or the Nikon M7 8x42.

I’m alittle torn, I can get both for the same price in the low 400s.

I’ve heard great things about the Viper optics and of course the warranty. But I heard the negative is that it does give some eye strain.

While the M7 I’ve heard had better sharpness across the FOV and has more of a relaxing view.

So while I do want the Better optics , I do see the appeal of a more relaxing view.

Any opinions?