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To add to this, for those who may read this in the future, I just read a Cornell University review of 128 binoculars from several years ago. It rated the Celestron Granite as being in the top 5 of 8x42 bins in the $400-600 range. According to the review, the Granite model used to retail for $440...

Excellent, I'm Sure I won't be terribly surprised if those Hawkes are fantastic. But 1), my wife and I finally decided on a budget of under $300 per set of binoculars. And 2), the Celestron Granites are so good, that they're more than good enough for us. The Granite 7x33 is wonderfully...

For value and great optics, I have found that the Celestron Granite 8x42 is the way to go. It's brighter, images pop more, and it's sharp. However, I'd like to try an 8x32 or thereabouts. The problem is, I don't see any good deals that are equal to the Granites. Granite has a 7x33, which my...

6.5x is on the lesser side of power than we'd like. The difference between 7x and 8x isn't a TON, but we're wondering whether we'll appreciate the 42mm on the other side. We haven't really stretched them out, so to speak, to see. But I think we're leaning toward the 8x42. And even at that, the...

A Followup For Advice In case anyone is interested and wants to chime in, I have some further thoughts on choosing binoculars given what I have tried thus far. The priorities I am looking for have shifted a bit. In the end, I'd love to know whether there are any others in the price vicinity...

The Carson, The Granite (and versus the Trailseeker ED) So I could either send the Carson 3D ED back or I could get them exchanged through Carson. I talked to someone in their office and she was terrific in supporting me and them. She did say, given my description of the problem, that it likely...

Looking For More Than Mere Value I saw some mixed reviews on it. In this forum, I saw many cite the reddish cast. It might be fine for the money, but we're looking at higher priced, possibly higher performing bins at this point. The Granite 8x42 model was about $380 and the 7x33 was $320...

I have not. I have never heard of Pro Guide as a brand. I'm pretty sure I want more magnification than 6.5x. We played around with the Prostaff 7S and the Granite, both 8x42. The Granite provides SO much more of an engaging image than the 7S. We were looking at a bird today, and the...

Bill, thanks for your thoughtful post. At this point, I'll give up some FOV for the other stuff. As I mentioned, with both Prostaff, I locked onto the image easily, eye relief is great, allowing me to see the whole image, and they're balanced and easy to use. I have a feeling I'll like the...

No, of course I wouldn't use the diopter for focusing. But I had to check and recheck to make sure I was dialed in properly. The fact that my right eye aches when using it for a bit tells me that there's either something wrong with it, or a mismatch with my eyeglasses.

I thought I'd make a separate thread for this. I have been able to bring several binoculars into my home (and a couple go back out) to try. My first attempt at purchasing a couple of bins for my wife and I. As I try a few out, and have taken out onto trails, a few criteria have popped out as...

I just got in a pair of Carson 8x42 3D ED. They get raves, but I can't get them to focus with extreme sharpness. The Granites and Prostaff 7S are sharper and render much finer detail. As much as I try playing with the diopter, I can't get it to focus razor sharp. I'm wondering if this pair is...

Right now, a couple of 8x32 options to try are Hawke Endurance ED at ~$200, and Carson 3D ED at $255. Notice I'm trying a pair of a blemished 8x42 Carson 3d ED for $158, and the Athlon Midas UHD for $200.

Zeiss Warranty Man, is a company's warranty reflective of the confidence they have in their product?? Their warranty on all of their binoculars is two years. Big deal. From reading various reviews, I'm not sure that their Terra ED Chinese-made line is worth the dough over some others out...

Thank you. Wonderfully thoughtful post. I can tell you that we're not going to justify spending >$400 for our first binoculars, particularly that I can predict getting something satisfactory with some Chinese made ones. For example, I could probably be happy with the Prostaff 7S (and I'm...

Sure. But does it help when you get a "no fault" warranty when the company will fix the bins for life, no questions asked?

I'd also consider bringing in a more compact model such as the Carson 3D ED 8x32. It would offer a lighter weight, similar magnification with excellent eye relief and wide FOV.

Sorry. I'm new at this. But, yes, that's what I meant (writing late at night). They're all phase coated aside from the 3S, and aside from the Prostaffs, all the others I am now considering use ED glass and dielectric coatings (along with phase coating).

All but the Prostaff are roof coated prisms. The Monarch 5, Granite, and Athlon Midas UHD all have ED glass and use dielectric coatings. I have certainly seen a few really good images thus far. Even the Prostaff 7S is decent. And the Nikons weigh in at about 20 ounces. But I'm wondering if a...

The affect can be dramatic, more like watching the real thing.

Thanks much. I don't wear contacts that often. It's a pain to take off eyeglasses to have to use binoculars. If I spot something with my bare eyes, I want to be able to quickly catch them with the bins. Speed can be important. I also have a slight astigmatism, so eyeglasses help. There...

Thank You Thanks everyone. I posted a new thread regarding my search for bins in case anyone wants to chime in about that. Jeff

After having some real cheapo Nikon binoculars, Sprint III 7x21 binoculars, my wife and I have decided to splurge on his and hers, not necessarily the same. I wrote in another post about going to Cape May last September and seeking out a wildlife sanctuary there (and there are a few). We went...

Hi - My wife and I are new to birding, per se, but not new to cheap binoculars. It's funny, we like taking nature walks. And we bought a pair of really cheap bins at a camera store in Hawaii about 15 years ago, a couple of $25 Nikons (retail $50?). Nothing special, but better than the...

Differences In 3D Effect Between Various 8x42 Bins Hi All - My very first post ever here. For the first time, my wife and I are considering a good pair of binoculars, primarily for birding. Many years ago, we picked up a couple of cheap, small Nikons (on sale for $25 each). I also picked up...