Best binoculars to replace my current optics (1 Viewer)

[lgonz1008]

Wasn't sure where else to post this so I'll post on here, Swarovski and Zeiss, if possible I want a recommendation without limiting to one company.

A little background, I have a pair of Nikon Monarch 5 10x42 binoculars that I've used ever since I began birding, they were a gift given to me by my parents when I was 17 and I still use them to this day, while they still work great for the most part, I am starting to notice some minor issues when using them long term, in particular when birding in low lighting environments and when comparing that I can get a better detail from my camera which is in Auto mode only as opposed to the binoculars.

As a result of that, I was recently looking into getting a new pair of bins, but not sure which one to go for, especially since the really good companies like Zeiss and Swarovski have plans that make the monthly payments pale in comparison. So if I'm going to make the commitment, I want to know if there is any good model to look out for and is there anywhere I can get them with a payment plan (located in the US)?

 

[Gray C]

If low light viewing is important to you Swarovski 8x56 SLC is a good option. You need to try them first though to make sure they suit your needs as they are quite heavy.

As a general all round binocular 8x42 is a good choice and you cannot go wrong with options from either Swarovski, Zeiss or Leica

 

[lgonz1008]

If low light viewing is important to you Swarovski 8x56 SLC is a good option. You need to try them first though to make sure they suit your needs as they are quite heavy.

As a general all round binocular 8x42 is a good choice and you cannot go wrong with options from either Swarovski, Zeiss or Leica

Thank you for your input, I will be further researching into this, but at least I have a suggestion to go off of

 

[PeterPS]

I suggest you consider the Nikon MHG (Monarch High Grade) 10x42, they sure will be a significant step up from your current M5.

 

[PeterPS]

I have read again your post and thought it was a bit funny that you posted a question about Swaro or Zeiss and in my answer I mentioned the Nikon....My point was that for the MHG 10x42 you probably won't need a payment plan. But if you are willing to pay (much) more then my suggestion would be the Zeiss Victory SF 10x42.

 

[dries1]

Are you satisfied with 10X magnification, or are you looking for something else? Perhaps 8X? and do you do a majority of low light viewing?

Andy W.

 

[edwincjones]

I see that you are from Miami, FL, so I would suggest that you take our recommendations
and go to a store that stocks the brands of binoculars you are interested in and see how they feel in your hands,
which ones you like better. The choice depends a lot on one's personal preference.

edj

 

[[email protected]]

I just picked up a Kite Lynx HD + 10x50 and it is excellent in low light because of its bigger 50 mm aperture. It still only weighs 28 oz. which is about the same as most 42 mm binoculars and it has a very large 6.9 degree FOV and 90% light transmission. A Swarovski 8x56 SLC is excellent in low light if you are young but if you are over 60 years old your eyes will probably not dilate enough to take advantage of the 7 mm exit pupil, and they weigh over 44 oz. so they are going to get heavy if you hike or carry them very far, so they really are not a good birding binocular. The 10x50 has a 5 mm exit pupil which birders of any age will be able to use. Any good 10x50 or 8x42 would be better in low light than your 10x42 with more apparent brightness but if you want to stay with 10x you have to get at least a 10x50 to see a noticeable improvement in low light performance. A 10x50 has a better Twilight Factor than a 8x42 or for that matter even a 10x42 does so even though both binoculars have the same apparent brightness the 10x50 would show you more detail in low light because of the higher magnification.

Kite Lynx HD + | Kite Optics

The world’s leading combo in optical and ergonomical performance.

www.kiteoptics.com

Kite Lynx HD+ 10x50 Binoculars Review

High-End 10x50 binoculars with s superior quality view with an image brightness and low light performance that matches many 8x42 binoculars...

www.bestbinocularsreviews.com

 

[jring]

Hi,

first of all, targeted advertising gets scary at times... I just got an add on this page from a german manufacturer of thermal imaging units to pop on to existing optics... astonishingly they are available to private persons (albeit export limited) and less astonishingly, if you have to ask for the price, you can't afford it - as in two Swaro NL and change for the cheaper version.

And I agree that a 10x50 or even 10x56 from the upper midrange (around $1000) will probably help more in low light than a pair of alpha bins in 8x40 or 10x40. If you can take the added weight.

I would look at the Meostar S1 in 10x50 or maybe even a Zeiss Conquest or Swaro SLC in 10x56 (the latter probably used as it is closer to 2k than to 1k new).

Joachim

 

[lgonz1008]

Hi,

first of all, targeted advertising gets scary at times... I just got an add on this page from a german manufacturer of thermal imaging units to pop on to existing optics... astonishingly they are available to private persons (albeit export limited) and less astonishingly, if you have to ask for the price, you can't afford it - as in two Swaro NL and change for the cheaper version.

And I agree that a 10x50 or even 10x56 from the upper midrange (around $1000) will probably help more in low light than a pair of alpha bins in 8x40 or 10x40. If you can take the added weight.

I would look at the Meostar S1 in 10x50 or maybe even a Zeiss Conquest or Swaro SLC in 10x56 (the latter probably used as it is closer to 2k than to 1k new).

Joachim

Probably a weird tangent but I avoid targeted ads by using browsers without cookie tracking, if you want one that's free and it's a better version of Google Chrome, try Brave, it will 100% get rid of any ads.

Also thank you for the recommendation, I will look into it, I might do what Edwin recommended and do some testing between models at a store before making a purchase.

 

[PhilR.]

For payment plans, look at Paypal. No interest for six months, as long as you pay off the balance by the end of the six months. A great number of internet vendors will accept paypal.

B&H Photo has their own credit plan that eliminates the sales tax when you use it. I don’t know what the interest rate is.

Eurooptics has some sort of payment plan too. They, along with B&H, are very reputable vendors to deal with.

 

[jring]

Probably a weird tangent but I avoid targeted ads by using browsers without cookie tracking, if you want one that's free and it's a better version of Google Chrome, try Brave, it will 100% get rid of any ads.

Hi,

yeah, tried a few adblockers / privacy enhanced browsers. At least over here a lot of pages won't work with them (as in showing a page "We have detected you are using an ad-blocker and thus you cannot use the site) and defining exceptions for those is getting tedious...

I just tend to delete all cookies from time to time in the normal browser and use a different browser with a private window when I really want not tracking...
I try to avoid searching for stuff that would mandate extreme paranoia mode as in using a separate hardened linux image with a TOR browser...

Joachim

 

[yarrellii]

I just picked up a Kite Lynx HD + 10x50 and it is excellent in low light because of its bigger 50 mm aperture. It still only weighs 28 oz. which is about the same as most 42 mm binoculars and it has a very large 6.9 degree FOV and 90% light transmission.

Without wanting to hijack the thread. Dennis, I've been extremely interested in that particular model of the LynxHD+ series since they were launched. I'd be grateful if you could spare some time once you've tried them and open a thread with your impressions on the Kite subforum. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Thank you

 

[[email protected]]

Without wanting to hijack the thread. Dennis, I've been extremely interested in that particular model of the LynxHD+ series since they were launched. I'd be grateful if you could spare some time once you've tried them and open a thread with your impressions on the Kite subforum. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Thank you

Yes, I will write a review on the Kite Lynx HD + 10x50 after I have had it awhile. So far it is stunning! I don't know of any other 10x50 binocular that weighs 28 oz. and has a 6.9 degree FOV.