Budget of $1500 - 2000...recommendations? (1 Viewer)

First off, I'm very, very new to alpha binoculars. Actually, I'm rather new to binoculars, period (about two years). I've been using a $130 pair of Eagle Optic Radians but have recently become more serious about ornithology and would like to invest in a really high-end pair that will last me for the next ten years or so. I'm a big believer in putting money into a high-quality product, but that said, my budget is around $1,500, or $2,000 tops. (Those Swarovski's are sadly out of reach.)

It seems that MSRP Swarovski, Lecia, and Zeiss are all above this price range, although I see that Eagle Optics sells demo versions of some that do bring the price down slightly. I'm not opposed to buying secondhand, but the problem is that you've got to try them in person!

About myself: I wear eyeglasses (always), have slightly smaller hands, and don't want something terribly heavy (nor do I want compacts) because of Fibromyalgia (the harness has helped a great deal with this). I mainly bird during the day.

I've heard some good things about Zeiss Victory FL and Conquest HD, so am looking into these a bit more seriously. I read that 7x and 8xare very nice, and yet most brands only seem to carry 8x42s! 10x will be too large and heavy for me.

I wondered if anyone had recommendations for something within my price range?

Below your budget but I would get a Zeiss conquest HD

AJP said:

I read that 7x and 8xare very nice, and yet most brands only seem to carry 8x42s! 10x will be too large and heavy for me.

I wondered if anyone had recommendations for something within my price range?

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Actually, most of the better brands also carry 8x in 30 or 32mm as well. Leica, Zeiss, Swaro, Kowa, Meopta, and Nikon all carry these.

If I were to buy a "really high-end pair" in that price range, it would be a 32mm Zeiss FL. The nice thing about these, besides the view of course, is that they weigh just under 20 oz.. Since weight seems to be a concern, you should seriously consider these.

But -- before you buy, try to look through a Zeiss Conquest HD 8 or 10x32. These come surprisingly close to the alphas. After looking through one, you may well think to yourself why would I want to spend 2x the money, for such a small amount of improvement.

Check Camera Lands Demo listings for Leica and Zeiss. You might come up with something you can use in 32mm. Also you should check out Leica's 8x42 Silverline and Blackline (black leather) Demos which are are surprisingly compact and cost under $1500.00 although they do not have HD glass.

http://www.cameralandny.com/demos-leica.html

Bob

AJP,

I'd probably put the Swarovski SLC at the top of list in that price range. I actually prefer it to the ELSV. However is is over 28oz and the latest (cheaper) version has a close focus of about 10ft which may not work for you.

One that might be more difficult to track down is the Kahles (a Swarovski owned company). I'd rate the view as bright and sharp as the SLC, but it's only 24oz. It does have a bit more CA than the best but worth trying if you can.

Rather easier to find would be the Vortex Razor HD. Another 24oz binocular and more compact than some. View's a bit narrower than the best but but what you get is very good.

The Conquest HD has been a bit of a hit with forum members. Personally I didn't feel the view was quite the match for the others I've mentioned but I'm splitting hairs, it's very good. I enjoyed using the 8x32 more than the 8x42 though. There is certainly some speculation that there will be x32 equivalent of the Zeiss HT out sometime soon but who knows if or when?

There are certainly other very good candidates as Phil mentioned. They are generally a bit heavier but definitely worth trying for size if you can find them.

Good luck,

David

Possibly Conquest HD and Alpha-stim to be within budget.

Best wishes

Have you checked out the Vortex Razor HD's? They are pretty much the best bang for the buck IMO.

All good advice and lot's of options already given here, especially Phil's to "try before you buy". I find my Zeiss Victory FL 8X32 as good as any, I was out with it last weekend and when not using it I hardly knew I had it with me it's so light. The 7x42 FL is also good, discontinued, but they still come up now and then, both are just within your budget. Good luck.

If you 'must' spend $2000, then it must be the HT. It's really the only thing out there actually visually better than the rest in terms of quality of view - IMO.

My thoughts mirror some of the other posts here. Unless you can find a killer deal on a demo/used/open box Zeiss HT or Swaro SV then I would certainly opt for the Zeiss FL in either 8x32 or 7x42. There definitely have been demo units available from places like CameralandNY and Eagle Optics in recent months. I have owned both of those configuration in the FL and find them to be very, very good. I certainly wouldn't feel the need to upgrade any time soon.

james holdsworth said:

If you 'must' spend $2000, then it must be the HT. It's really the only thing out there actually visually better than the rest in terms of quality of view - IMO.

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IMO, I disagree I was able to compare the 8x ht to the sv's to my eyes the Swaro had a better sweet spot and was the more neutral of the two.
Splitting hairs I know either are excellent.

Bryce...

stereotruckdriver said:

IMO, I disagree I was able to compare the 8x ht to the sv's to my eyes the Swaro had a better sweet spot and was the more neutral of the two.
Splitting hairs I know either are excellent.

Bryce...

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I wasn't really posting to debate the fact, just my opinion to the OP, even if [it appears] to be the wrong opinion.

The Zeiss FL 8X32 fits my small female frame and at less than 20oz it's very comfortable. Last year added FL 10X32...... physically identical to the 8X32. Both are demos from Eagle Optics........$1300.

The recently discontinued wb el 8x32 should be thrown into the mix as well as what has already been posted.
Bryce...

A nice pre-owned Nikon EDG 7x42 would fit the bill perfectly.

Lots of eye relief, staggering wide and bright view, and you can wield it with one hand so no need to struggle with a brick of a Zeiss if weight is an issue.

Good luck with your choice.

Best wishes,

Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 or Victory FL 8x32
Call Doug at cameraland

Do whatever it takes to try as many models as you can, preferably in field conditions, before making a final decision. At this level it really does come down to personal preference. I am fortunate to live close to a place that carries all the top brands and has an outdoor viewing area. So I spent several days and a couple hours each day just comparing. Even so, I still ended up purchasing many demo's and either returned them within the return period or kept them longer and then resold them for a small loss, but so worth the price to get the best fitting binocular for me.

I rarely purchase binoculars new. The majority of my purchases have been demo's and I have yet to be disappointed. It takes a little patience but you can find pretty much any alpha binocular out there in a demo within your budget. To give you an idea of the deals you can get, this is a short list of some of my better deals I got. I paid $1700 for Swarovski SV 8x32 demo (Kaufmans Knives and optics), first purchase of Zeiss 10x42 HT for $1950 (Amazon Warehouse), second purchase of Zeiss 10x42 HT demo for $1650 (Samplelist), $1000 for Nikon 8x32 EDG I refurb (national camera exchange, $1100 for Zeiss 7x42 FL demo (Cameraland), $750 for Meopta 10x42 HD used (Lost creek shoe store).

The first set of Zeiss 10x42 HT's I got were actually in like new condition and I really loved them. In fact I was sure they were probably the ones for me but spending this kind of money I wanted to try all I could first. So I hesitantly returned them and continued to try all I could, but for me I really missed the HT's. The other bins just did not do it for me like they did. So when I seen them on the SWFA samplelist for that price I immediately purchased them. I still had the Swaro SV 8x32's at the time and the Meopta 10x42 HD's. I used these three binoculars together for about 6 months and ended up selling the SV's and keeping the HT's and the Meopta for backup. To my eyes the SV's had the best micro contrast and thus appeared to be sharper. This is splitting hairs but true for me. What I didn't like on the SV's was I experienced a slight veiling glare in certain lighting that brought the stellar image down to just great. I have also found I am not a big fan of the flat field. I can see distortions when looking in foliage and have trouble nailing the focus in denser brush. Out in the open looking at deer in a field or hawks at the hawk watch they excelled. The HT's just hit all the right notes. Ultimate focusing wheel, best color bias, most vibrant and lively colors, very very immersive view, well balanced in my hands and of course bright. The only negative I can say I have is that I feel they do give up some micro contrast for brightness and I do feel myself wishing sometimes for that tiny little bit more of sharpness that the SV exhibited for me. But everything comes with compromises to a degree and I am very satisfied with this bin.

Hope this little rant was of some value in your pursuit, as it just reminded me of my similar pursuit and I thought it may be helpful to put it down here.

I would agree with John here. At this price point, it really comes down to "personal feel" as optically and mechanically the alphas are very similar with differences mainly coming down to ergonomics (e.g. size, weight, eye-relief) and design decisions (e.g. fully flat fields or fields with distortion to minimize/eliminate rolling-ball).

That said, my recommendation at that level is the newest incarnation of the Swarovski SLC. Fantastic in all aspects and the wonderful customer and warranty service of Swarovski backing them. My second consideration would probably be the 7x42 Ultravid HD since 7x binos are nice. At a lower price but not much lower perfomance, I would probably go with the Vortex Razor HD as it has awesome ergonomics and a clear, sharp, bright view rivaling the alphas. The Euro HD (especially if they had one in 8x42) or Conquest HD are other good "sub-alpha" options.

Good luck in your search,
Justin

So based on the comments in the post, which have been SO helpful (thank you for helping me navigate the complicated world of binoculars!) I've narrowed it down to three:

1. Zeiss Victory FL 8x32 ($1950)
2. Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 ($825)
3. Swarovski EL 8x32 ($2300, but would wait for a demo)

I did see a lot of complaints about the diopter in the Conquest around 2010--perhaps Zeiss has fixed this problem?

I'm going to speak with Eagle Optics tomorrow and see what they have to say. I'd like to order at least two pair to compare...are they truly open to customers doing this and returning one?

AJP.........EO has served me well and I wouldn't hesitate to have that conversation. Ben Lizdas posts here on BF and has helped me in the past. Ben can tell you if and when Zeiss demos might be available if you decide to go that route. Enjoy your new bins whichever you choose.