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Recent content by Josh Exmoor

  1. J

    New Binocular Bargains Thread

    Sierra has the newer model Vortex Razor HD 27-60x85mm Spotting Scope Refurbished for $999, which is about $600 less than I've seen it elsewhere. I'm not sure how it compares to the older Razor or other scopes for the price in 2024...
  2. J

    Monarch M7+ 8x30

    Nobody's seen anything about this model in North America yet, I assume? I've been planning on buying a pair of M7 8x30s this year, but thinking I should probably wait to see pricing on the 7+ if it's truly a significant step up.
  3. J

    Bushnell Legend M sticky focus wheel

    I have to pairs of Legend M 8x42's. One has a decent focuser and the other is horrific. It takes both hands working at almost full strength to move it in colder weather. I'd never wanted to risk sending them in for fear of getting a "equivalent " replacement that was not at all equivalent, but...
  4. J

    new binocular wishes for 2022

    Yes, this. I generally feel like Vortex's reputation and warranty makes them one of the best brands, but it's lame that the only 32mm objective options are the Diamondback. Looks like they used to make Viper and Talon's in that size so perhaps that just decided they didn't get enough sales which...
  5. J

    Sightron "Blue Sky" II 8x32

    Hard to believe this thread has gone almost a year without a new post. I thought I'd bump it to say that the Blue Sky 8x32 has seen a price drop to $130 on a few sites (Adorama, Sightron's own site). It may just be a holiday season thing, but the fact that the Fuji and Sig Sauer versions are...
  6. J

    Bushnell Legend M sticky focus wheel

    I have two pairs of Legend M 8x42's and one is significantly stiffer than the other. It's actually the one I keep inside the house and sees a lot more use. It improves a bit when its warmer, but hasn't really changed in 3.5 years. I love the Legend M's and only wish they were a bit lighter...
  7. J

    Amazed at the Customer Care from Vortex

    I recently fell down a small hill in the snow and broke the tripod ring of my Razor HD spotting scope. I sent it in to Vortex and had it back in my hands about two weeks later. I had heard good things about Vortex's customer care, which is a large part of why I purchased this scope, but I was...
  8. J

    What brands (other than the big ones) offer quality repairs/servicing?

    The eyecup of my Vanguard Endeavor's (original version) came off a few years ago. Not just the cup itself, but the whole a assembly that connected to the body of the binocular. It was, of course, spring migration, so I bought another pair of bins to tide me over for what I assumed would be a...
  9. J

    Styrka Out Of Business

    Vortex is honestly one of the brands I'd be least worried about. They've done a great job of building a solid reputation, especially in the hunting and shooting world. They've become my default recommendation when I see random folks asking for binocular advice because they're widely available...
  10. J

    Styrka Out Of Business

    It's a crowded market out there, but as we've seen more and more optics companies fold in the last couple of years I have to think it will make people really hesitate to spend significant amounts of money for a binocular that may not be serviceable in a few years. When I used the Wayback...
  11. J

    Styrka Out Of Business

    Just a heads up since this will impact current and prospective owners of Styrka optics. A birding acquaintance informed me that he tried to get his binoculars serviced under warranty and was informed that Styrka has closed their doors and is no longer servicing warranties. Their website is still...
  12. J

    Best 8x bins for $200

    If I was buying for myself I'd pick the Sightron Blue Sky, but for the purposes involved I think the Diamondback 8x32 is the right choice. Compact, durable, waterproof, good warranty, widely available, and the brand is known and well regarded outside of optics nerds.
  13. J

    Bushnell Engage 10x42's

    I saw a pair of warehouse deals Engage 10x42's come up for $110 a couple weeks ago, so I decided to jump on them. I have two pairs of the Legend M 8x42's which are my main birding binoculars. One lives in my house, the other in my car. Comparing the 10x42 Engage's to the 8x42 Legend M's, I...
  14. J

    Binocular Advice Pet Peeves

    I've thought about starting this thread a few times. Well, actually any time I see someone ask for some advice on choosing a new pair of binoculars. Not here, where good advice is pretty easy to come by, but listservs, facebook groups, etc. It seems I see the same mediocre advice over and over...
  15. J

    Bushnell Legend M 8x42 focus wheel

    I have two 8x42 Legend M's. One has fine focusing, probably not as good as other bins I've used, but not terrible. The other pair is pretty stiff. Not unusable, but close. It's too bad that Bushnell can't get this right since the optics, as others stated, are pretty damn good.
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