Bushnell Excursion EX 10x42 (or just Excursion) or... (1 Viewer)

Hi there!

I'm buying a new binoculars and a need your opinion to help me decide. I'm looking for something in 200£-250£ (max. 300£) price range and for now, Bushnell looks like offering the most for that kind of money (Pentax don't really have anything in that price range). On the web I did a research and find out that Bushnell Excursion EX 10x42 (some are suggesting that no-EX Excursions are better?) are the best in that price range. What about other Bushnell models? And what about Nikon? Heard that they are quite good to

Thank you for your help!

Tjulen said:

Hi there!

I'm buying a new binoculars and a need your opinion to help me decide. I'm looking for something in 200£-250£ (max. 300£) price range and for now, Bushnell looks like offering the most for that kind of money (Pentax don't really have anything in that price range). On the web I did a research and find out that Bushnell Excursion EX 10x42 (some are suggesting that no-EX Excursions are better?) are the best in that price range. What about other Bushnell models? And what about Nikon? Heard that they are quite good to

Thank you for your help!

Click to expand...

Have a look at Opticron too. They have a huge variety of excellent mid-price range binoculars.

Hi Tjulen,

I had a look at quite a few 10x42s earlier this year, but I don't think the Bushnell was amongst them. In your price range the Nikon Monarch has long been well regarded. The price has appears to have dropped a little recently and is good value. However there are others I personally prefer. The Opticron Verano is at the top of your range. I liked the high contrast and colour rendition, but for some reason I couldn't get comfortable using them. The more expensive Imagic BGA SE suited me much more. One I didn't get to test but hope to do so is the Hawke Fontier ED which should be available in your price range, and the Vortex Fury sounds like it's worth a look. There are lot of similar threads in the gereral section, where you should find other recommendations.

David

The optics are pretty good for low end roofs. If you get these, make sure it is a good store and has a return policy. Put it thru lots of field testing in the return period. Make sure the diopter works and stays put...mine was faulty (8x36 model). Make sure the eye cups go in and out as many times as you use it.

Mechanically it has some potential weakness. But this and Vortex Diamondback are pretyy much it in this price class here. Opticron may have some models.

The Nikons and Pentaxes are your next step up, there are reliable models there. But again, watch for poorly made eye cups or a bad unit. If they are bad, they fall apart in a month. Nikon Trailblazer is not phase coated, so optics a bit worse.

Note, the same brands that offer ED glass in a 300-400 dollar pair have also put out low end roofs that in fact are phase coated. In the UK, there are a few brands like Hawke. Here is the Atlas cheap end pair for US birders.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/atlas-optics/atlas-optics-radian-8x42-binocular

I read some more reviews and I am not convinced any Bushnell Excursion EX is a good deal. Bushnell makes all kinds of models and they are not related, so I recommend you look at other models of Bushnell, even porros. You did not say where you are shopping, on line or stores. Give us a few more models you are finding to compare, they might be a safer bet.

Thanks all for your help! I've recently done a lot of research for bionoculars of any brands..there's thousands of them!! And I read a lot of reviews, ended with mixed feelings about binos. Looks like Nikon Monarch is good and there are some others to consider.. (yeah, i tried to narrow down the selection, but its kinda hard with soo many new binoculars I have found ) so for now are in the game: Pentax 10x42 DCF HRc WP, Bushnell Legend 10x42 and Nikon Monarch 10x42.. what do you think? And I am shopping online (Amazon & Ebay mostly) because stores in my country are poorly supplied with binoculars (you can buy only Nikons and some other neverheardabout brands...).. If I don't find anything really worth that money, I'm considering to wait a little more and buy something good in higher price range (Pentax SP, etc..)..

Thanks again, I really appreciate it!

Nikon Monarch, Pentax, Bushnell Legend, those are OK. There are still a number of 8x42s that were perfectly OK for us in the early 2000s. I got some 200 lifers with a Nikon Monarch. The eye cups, which tended to go in on their own, are now improved, I am told.

Take a look at the Bushnell Infinity 10.5x45 as it is much better than the Excursion or Excursion EX. Before Bushnell discontinued them in 2009 they were one notch below the Elites and a step up from the Legends. They can be had on ebay for $200 or less, and are one of my favorite mid priced 10x's along with my 10x42 Zen Ray ZRS HD's.

tom

Okay, thank you all for your help! Right now I'm mostly into Nikon Monarch! I'll decide what to buy soon and let you know.. Also I'll review the binoculars after I test it on the field.