Leupold BX-3 Pro Guide HD or Endeavor ED II (1 Viewer)

Hi, I'm a newbie here. After spending several days for doing homework, I am on the fence about choosing Leupold BX-3 Pro Guide HD or Endeavor ED II. My budget is max $500 for 8x42 bin with general use (bird and wild animals watching, sightseeing, etc).

Is there anyone experienced both these models? Which one is better?
If you have used any other bins that better than these models and under $500, please recommend.

Thank you all.

txhousa said:

Hi, I'm a newbie here. After spending several days for doing homework, I am on the fence about choosing Leupold BX-3 Pro Guide HD or Endeavor ED II. My budget is max $500 for 8x42 bin with general use (bird and wild animals watching, sightseeing, etc).

Is there anyone experienced both these models? Which one is better?
If you have used any other bins that better than these models and under $500, please recommend.

Thank you all.

Click to expand...

Hi!
For me...the Endeavor ED II is hard to beat. It's a great binocular. One other binocular I've had for about seven months that I REALLY like is it the Sightron S-III ED 8X42. GREAT binocular! It's one of my favorites in this price range. I'd probably pick it or the Endeavor ED II... Both have their pros/cons in different areas.

One more thing...
ROLL TIDE!

chill6x6 said:

Hi!
For me...the Endeavor ED II is hard to beat. It's a great binocular. One other binocular I've had for about seven months that I REALLY like is it the Sightron S-III ED 8X42. GREAT binocular! It's one of my favorites in this price range. I'd probably pick it or the Endeavor ED II... Both have their pros/cons in different areas.

One more thing...
ROLL TIDE!

Click to expand...

ROLL TIDE, Chuck. I like Endeavor ED II but it is heavier than Pro Guide HD. I can find a deal for Pro Guide HD which is $100 cheaper than ED II. I'm not sure if ED II's build and optical quality are worth for paying more.

I tried Pro Guide HD from my friend yesterday (he has just bought it) and do like its. However, I feel something cheap about its build quality. For example, the finishing surface at the 2 hinges is not good, as you can see on photos. I also see some cracks there. I'm not sure it is manufactured as design, or a fault. I put a high expectation on the finishing quality for $500 binos.

Is it normal for binos at this price range? If you have Pro Guide HD or any bino in this price range on your hands, please check these points.

I don't know the Leopold, but do know the EDII very well. The aspects that make it different from silmilarly-priced opposition are the edge-to-edge sharpness and the application of field-flattening, the resolution and the fast focus. It's the latter that you'd want to make sure you can used to, because it is VERY fast....

I know very little about the 8X42 BX-3, only what I've read here. Basically everything I've read has been for the most part positive. So how was the binocular optically? If you like the optics maybe you could pick out one without what looks to be machine marks maybe? I DO have have a BX-3 8X32 and it looks to be made quite well especially considering what I paid for it. The best MADE binocular in this price range I have experience with would be the Vortex Viper HD 8X42. It's a VERY well made binocular with a great warranty and support and while it does give up a little optically to the Endeavor ED-II it's still a nice binocular.

Chuck, could you check at the locations I took the photos ? I want to know the surface there is smooth or not. What I saw isn't and also has some cracks.

txhousa said:

Chuck, could you check at the locations I took the photos ? I want to know the surface there is smooth or not. What I saw isn't and also has some cracks.

Click to expand...

The Mojave BX-3 8X32(the only Leopold binocular I have) looks to be by all accounts perfect in it's construction from what I can see.

I compared the Pro Guide to the Endeavour ED 1 and both were great to my eye optically but the ergonomics were way different. The Endeavor was way to uncomfortable to me and the Pro Guide felt great.

Hi, long time lurker here, first time poster. I'm in the market for new binoculars and have been reading lots of opinions here and everywhere and looked at a small handful of <$500 models.

I just received the Pro Guide HD 8x42 and thought I'd quickly post my impressions on this thread. They are priced very attractively at certain retailers since they've been discontinued.

I'm no expert, but to my eyes I thought they were very clear and bright with very good edge to edge clarity. Colors seemed natural and accurate. Overall I think they are very good.

My one major criticism is that I found the fit and finish somewhat lacking. The eyecups seemed to have a lot of "slop" when rotated into position and one was slightly off center to the ocular lens. The armor didn't quite line up on the bridge nearest the objective lenses. The surface felt smooth and almost slick. The black Kryptek camo looks pretty cool though, if you dig that sort of thing.

I really want to like them but in the end I just don't. The Monarch 7 I recently had in my hands in my opinion are better optically and tactilely and will very likely be my final choice. I know the Vortex Viper is highly touted in this range, but while I thought they were very good, to my eyes the M7 is preferred. I do have the GPO Passion ED ordered and look forward to what they have to offer.

Update: Well, I ended up going with the Pro Guide HD’s instead of the Monarch 7. After I futzed with them for a while, I really started to like how they handled due to the open-bridge and once I figured out that the camo film or finish applied to the armor caused the smooth, almost slick feel, I swapped them for a plain black pair. Much better! The eyecups do have a little play in them, but I think that’s by design and the fit and finish on this pair is fine. Except for the narrower FOV, I couldn’t really tell the difference between these and the Monarch 7 and given the excellent price I paid at Cabela’s, I kept them.