Binocular upgrade (1 Viewer)

[Steve C]

I really hope that I can stick with just one pair of binoculars...browsing this forum really opens ones eyes.
I'm going for a onetime upgrade that will last 15+ years. The only thing I will see myself ending up with is a spotting scope next to a pair of binoculars.

Part of me dislikes saying this. This might be a place to avoid once you have done your due diligence and made the selection. There are several reasons for this. I have long thought that one of the ways to achieve satisfaction with a binocular is to just be quiet and go use it. Besides that it really takes a year or so of use to really let it tell you its story. If there is something that bothers you right out of the box, that is one thing. However if you start paying attention to the myriad of posts revolving around the basic topic of "which is better, this one or that one" and start wondering if your choice was a good one, you will find faults you never knew were there and you will fall into that rabbit hole. I have come to the conclusion that there is nowhere near the differences between this one and that one that one would think there are from a perusal of internet forums. The important thing is to look at the best optics you can afford then concentrate on how well the binocular fits your hands, face, and eyes.


All this can make for some interesting discussions, but there can be pitfalls.

 

[Woen]

Part of me dislikes saying this. This might be a place to avoid once you have done your due diligence and made the selection. There are several reasons for this. I have long thought that one of the ways to achieve satisfaction with a binocular is to just be quiet and go use it. Besides that it really takes a year or so of use to really let it tell you its story. If there is something that bothers you right out of the box, that is one thing. However if you start paying attention to the myriad of posts revolving around the basic topic of "which is better, this one or that one" and start wondering if your choice was a good one, you will find faults you never knew were there and you will fall into that rabbit hole. I have come to the conclusion that there is nowhere near the differences between this one and that one would think there are from a perusal of internet forums. The important thing is to look at the best optics you can afford then concentrate on how well the binocular fits your hands, face, and eyes.


All this can make for some interesting discussions, but there can be pitfalls.

This is a great post and many thanks for posting. For one I never thought to get this many reactions. I really appreciate everyone's posts. When the choice is made it's a done deal for me for sure. It all comes to me liking what I see, I just miss the opportunity to really field test the difference between a 8 or a 10x. But whatever it's going to be, maybe even no new bins for a while, I will be happy with the choice made. And stick with it.

 

[Maljunulo]

Part of me dislikes saying this. This might be a place to avoid once you have done your due diligence and made the selection. There are several reasons for this. I have long thought that one of the ways to achieve satisfaction with a binocular is to just be quiet and go use it. Besides that it really takes a year or so of use to really let it tell you its story. If there is something that bothers you right out of the box, that is one thing. However if you start paying attention to the myriad of posts revolving around the basic topic of "which is better, this one or that one" and start wondering if your choice was a good one, you will find faults you never knew were there and you will fall into that rabbit hole. I have come to the conclusion that there is nowhere near the differences between this one and that one would think there are from a perusal of internet forums. The important thing is to look at the best optics you can afford then concentrate on how well the binocular fits your hands, face, and eyes.

Bravo! well said

 

[Bentley03]

I really hope that I can stick with just one pair of binoculars...browsing this forum really opens ones eyes.
I'm going for a onetime upgrade that will last 15+ years. The only thing I will see myself ending up with is a spotting scope next to a pair of binoculars.

So, up until this post, I felt you were treading a similar path to myself (over the last year). And a later post saying the Victory SF was your favourite so far, seemed familiar too, but ease of use, for me, just wasn't there. I did truly love the wide field of view and immersive image once settled, though. And this post is about ease of use, really.

At the point of making the decision to use binoculars 100% of the time with my glasses on, I purchased a pair of cheap Bushnell 8x42's to experiment with, before purchasing a pair with all the ergonomic and optical attributes I would really like. I reckon that process has taken me a good 10-12 years, maybe more...!

Having found myself walking/viewing in ever more open landscapes in recent years (plus I have family living in Kenya), I decided a 10x was the way to go. Maybe. So, I acquired a cheap pair of 10x bins with sufficient eye relief to test side by side with my 8x, and after several months concluded 10x was indeed the way to go.

In the end, I settled on a pair which don't have quite such a wide field of view as the Victory SF, but have incredible ease of use and an image I actually prefer to the Victory SF. I was a very happy chappy for a while, convinced that I had purchased THE binocular for me.

But, I still hankered after a more compact instrument to work alongside my 10x (not in my original plan, same as you), so decided to try some (non alpha) 8x32's to see if I could find a pair which fitted me really well, and with decent optics. And that is when I spotted a pair of compact 7x42's in a cabinet, and asked to try them. The ergonomics, incredible ease of use (6mm exit pupil helps), wonderful depth of focus, and the calmness and steadiness of the image was like nothing I had seen in a binocular before. In a split second, I knew I had to have them.

Since purchasing those 7x, I've hardly picked up my 10x, I enjoy them that much. And, so far, there is nothing I have missed or would have enjoyed more if I'd been viewing through my 10x, so haven't regretted leaving my 10x at home.

That said, once we get towards Spring, Summer and early Autumn, I know I will be in environments where, for me, I will most certainly want to take the 10x with me instead, for just that little bit more detail at distance. But, if you are considering adding a spotting scope (something I will never do), maybe you owe it to yourself to audition a 7x, it may change your perception of what you need, and it may even change your life! (Mine is a Leica Ultravid 7x42 HD Plus)

Good luck with the search, and definitely take your time over it (which I know is what you are doing anyway).

 

[WJC]

Part of me dislikes saying this. This might be a place to avoid once you have done your due diligence and made the selection. There are several reasons for this. I have long thought that one of the ways to achieve satisfaction with a binocular is to just be quiet and go use it. Besides that it really takes a year or so of use to really let it tell you its story. If there is something that bothers you right out of the box, that is one thing. However if you start paying attention to the myriad of posts revolving around the basic topic of "which is better, this one or that one" and start wondering if your choice was a good one, you will find faults you never knew were there and you will fall into that rabbit hole. I have come to the conclusion that there is nowhere near the differences between this one and that one that one would think there are from a perusal of internet forums. The important thing is to look at the best optics you can afford then concentrate on how well the binocular fits your hands, face, and eyes.


All this can make for some interesting discussions, but there can be pitfalls.

An "UPGRADE" to one person might not be an "UPGRADE" to another. I bought a good binocular at a good price. And I'm so glad I never got caught up in this expensive "upgrade" lunacy.

 

[Woen]

Small update:

Haven't bought or tested anything in the meantime due to closed shops and, now that everything opened up, I got infected. But that did give me ample time to think.
I haven't tested any Leica's, so that's something I have to do. I will also test the conquest series and see if the difference with the sf is worth it for me.
And, I'm going to look for a lightweight pair to have on me all the time, victory pocket reviews made me enthusiastic about the idea that I could have a decent pair of binoculars on me even while out fly fishing or climbing/hiking!
So that's it for now, will update in the (near) future

 

[Bentley03]

Small update:

Haven't bought or tested anything in the meantime due to closed shops and, now that everything opened up, I got infected. But that did give me ample time to think.
I haven't tested any Leica's, so that's something I have to do. I will also test the conquest series and see if the difference with the sf is worth it for me.
And, I'm going to look for a lightweight pair to have on me all the time, victory pocket reviews made me enthusiastic about the idea that I could have a decent pair of binoculars on me even while out fly fishing or climbing/hiking!
So that's it for now, will update in the (near) future

If you're going to test the Victory Pocket, try to test it side by side with the CL Pocket. I found I got on with one of them infinitely better than the other, for ease of use in particular. That said, it didn't lead to a purchase, I find 'the type' too small and fiddly (maybe because I wear glasses).

Good luck! 🙂

 

[Rg548]

Of all the binoculars I have tried until now, the Zeiss Victory SF was my favorite, second being the Swarovski EL. But there is a huge price difference between those two. They where both 42's. I compared them with a larger x50 from vortex (a razor hd I believe) and that one was also very impressive. I kinda skipped the part where I tested the Zeiss or Swarovski cheaper models. And 0 Leica's. But still this is more of a question for myself to answer, the main question is 8 or 10x with a large fov compared to my present binoculars.

The problem there lies in the fact that if you bought the EL, you will always feel it's second to the SF.
As you are looking long term 1 binocular ownership, which is a great idea by the way, then I think you need the SF's because the substantail money spent on the EL's could be wasted, however the higher price of the SF's could be well worth it.
You need to buy with zero regrets.

 

[Rg548]

If you're going to test the Victory Pocket, try to test it side by side with the CL Pocket. I found I got on with one of them infinitely better than the other, for ease of use in particular. That said, it didn't lead to a purchase, I find 'the type' too small and fiddly (maybe because I wear glasses).

Good luck! 🙂

I preffered the Swaro CL's to the Victories, as an all round package.
The case, the strap, the smaller folded design.
They are both optically amazing, especially for the size.

 

[batho66]

And, I'm going to look for a lightweight pair to have on me all the time, victory pocket reviews made me enthusiastic about the idea that I could have a decent pair of binoculars on me even while out fly fishing or climbing/hiking!

Maybe you need two pairs, a lightweight beside a 8x32 or x42. I have the Victory Pocket besides an 8x32. I am happy with both, the Zeiss is comfortable for glasses and I would recommenf it.

 

[Maljunulo]

I have always favored taking the money I would have spent on two binoculars and spending it on one better binocular.

I remain unconvinced that if you have 8X you “need” 10X, or the other way ‘round.

Just my opinion.

 

[Trinovid]

I really hope that I can stick with just one pair of binoculars...I'm going for a onetime upgrade that will last 15+ years.

I'm of the same mindset and the main reason I bought more than one of essentially the same binocular was to be able to leave them in a couple of different places. One for the car and one for the house, which would be the ones I plan on taking traveling with me.
Having tried 7x, 8x, and 10x over the years, I've never found myself preferring 10x and always think of the sweet spot being the other two. Not only do you benefit from the natural stability advantage, there's also the upgrade in low light viewing as well, not to mention being able to get away with a slightly smaller package altogether.

 

[KevinL]

When I first started birding, I bought a pentax porro binocular in 8x40 which had a field of view of 330' at 1000 yards. I then upgraded to a 10x then went back to 8x and soon after I was wanting more detail again and discovered that 10x is my preference. Now I have a 10x with a 346' at 1000 yards which is a wider field of view than my original pentax. I still have those but only rarely use them. I can hold the 10x steady and my veiwing conditions are often on shorebirds or ducks at long distances so for me a wide 10x is better. I dont prefer compacts and instead would choose a full sized binocular any day for their better performance.

 

[KevinL]

All optics are a series of tradeoffs. I mean, thinking on this question a little more, whether the field of view is as important as magnification depends on how you might bird. If your birding is in brushy or forested habitats on small active birds, then a wider field of view is an advantage. If your birding is in more open habitats, on waterfowl where the viewing distances can be quite far, or on raptors where getting an up close view of them is tough, then the higher magnification is an advantage. Also keep in mind that your skills can compensate for some of the shortfalls of the different options. For example, if you are slower at getting on target then a wider field of view and lower magnification would help you. On the other hand if you are quick to target with your binoculars, then field of view is less important. Also, you should consider how steady you are. If you don't have very steady hands then an 8x is definitely an advantage. I think some people actually see more detail with an 8x vs a 10x, simply from the fact that the image appears more stable to them. A wide field of view can feel expansive though and is a really nice feature. On the other hand, a 10x will show you a bit more fine detail if you are more stable or use a tripod. I find I am stable enough to take advantage of the 10x. I am also really quick to target also so I find the trade off of more magnification against a wider field of view a tradeoff I am willing to make. Plus I'm in the western US where views can be very long and much of my birding is at those longer distances. So for me 10x is my preference, I just like the closer look, though I never felt like I saw anything more with a 10x that I didn't see with an 8x.

 

[Bphunter53]

Hello,

Lately I have been comparing a few binoculars because I'm planning to buy a new one but I can't really get to the point of a decision. At the moment I have a pair of Bynolyt Tern 8x45 binoculars that I use a lot for birding and watching wildlife in general. I have been comparing some binoculars (opticron, vortex, meopta and also kahles) but from the moment I was looking through the alpha brands I knew that it's going to be a swarovski or a zeiss.

But the thing is, I thought I needed a 10x to go with my current binocular. But the difference in quality is so big that maybe I should just replace this one with a 8x.

So the question in general is, do the newer 10x binoculars with an bigger fov give you the same ease of use as a older with a more narrow fov 8x? Any thoughts/experiences on that topic?

Which brand/type is going to be more of a budget/personal thing, the both brands are spectacular and there is not much difference.

I hope my question makes any sense, thanks in advance for any answers.

You will get a better view from a quality 8 than a 10 unless using a tripod or have very steady hands. Before you drop 2k plus though you need to know there are some binos in the $500 range that get pretty darn close to the alphas. I have been an avid hunter for 45 years. I have gotten very picky on binoculars and not wanting to have $2,500 hanging from my neck i set out to find the best i could afford. i have now tried a ton of sets and have lost enough money that i should have just spent the $2,500 years ago and been done. But i have now owned alot of binos in the $400 to $1,500 range and my 2 favorites can be found for $500 or less. New model Alpen Teton ED HD With abbe prism 8x42 (They also have a 10x42) and older model Snypex Knight D ED 8X50 (They have a 10x50 as well. If you want the best and have the money buy the Zeiss Victory SF And be done. You will be surprised though how close the 2 i mentioned above come to these for alot less money. You can buy both the 8 and 10 and have a chunk of money still left over. Some will bash me for my evaluation but i have had Nikon HG, Monarch 7 and M7, Zeiss Conquest HD, Steiner HX and Night hunter, Maven B2, Sig Sauer Zulu 9, Vortex Razor HD, Leupold Santiam and many more in the field under all conditions. A hunting buddy was shocked when looking through my Snypex Knight D ED that i bought on closeout for $379 They were as clear to him as his Swaro EL Which i felt they were close. I really want to pull the trigger on the Zeiss Victory SF but just don't think they can offer enough performance over my currents to justify the $2,300 price tag.

 

[dries1]

I would if going into rough country take a NL or a Conquest over the SF any day of the week.

 

[dries1]

Alpen is still around (company purchased), I have always wondered about the Rainer models in 8 and 10X42.

 

[Woen]

You will get a better view from a quality 8 than a 10 unless using a tripod or have very steady hands. Before you drop 2k plus though you need to know there are some binos in the $500 range that get pretty darn close to the alphas. I have been an avid hunter for 45 years. I have gotten very picky on binoculars and not wanting to have $2,500 hanging from my neck i set out to find the best i could afford. i have now tried a ton of sets and have lost enough money that i should have just spent the $2,500 years ago and been done. But i have now owned alot of binos in the $400 to $1,500 range and my 2 favorites can be found for $500 or less. New model Alpen Teton ED HD With abbe prism 8x42 (They also have a 10x42) and older model Snypex Knight D ED 8X50 (They have a 10x50 as well. If you want the best and have the money buy the Zeiss Victory SF And be done. You will be surprised though how close the 2 i mentioned above come to these for alot less money. You can buy both the 8 and 10 and have a chunk of money still left over. Some will bash me for my evaluation but i have had Nikon HG, Monarch 7 and M7, Zeiss Conquest HD, Steiner HX and Night hunter, Maven B2, Sig Sauer Zulu 9, Vortex Razor HD, Leupold Santiam and many more in the field under all conditions. A hunting buddy was shocked when looking through my Snypex Knight D ED that i bought on closeout for $379 They were as clear to him as his Swaro EL Which i felt they were close. I really want to pull the trigger on the Zeiss Victory SF but just don't think they can offer enough performance over my currents to justify the $2,300 price tag.

That is some impressive evaluation for sure, I'm intrigued by those two binoculars but unfortunately they are not for sale in Europe. I'll try to find and test them when I visit Canada later this year.

 

[Woen]

I would if going into rough country take a NL or a Conquest over the SF any day of the week.

I would if going into rough country take a NL or a Conquest over the SF any day of the week.

I would take them camping/hiking, with a pair of conquests I might not need bear spray anymore?

 

[KC Foggin]

You will get a better view from a quality 8 than a 10 unless using a tripod or have very steady hands. Before you drop 2k plus though you need to know there are some binos in the $500 range that get pretty darn close to the alphas. I have been an avid hunter for 45 years. I have gotten very picky on binoculars and not wanting to have $2,500 hanging from my neck i set out to find the best i could afford. i have now tried a ton of sets and have lost enough money that i should have just spent the $2,500 years ago and been done. But i have now owned alot of binos in the $400 to $1,500 range and my 2 favorites can be found for $500 or less. New model Alpen Teton ED HD With abbe prism 8x42 (They also have a 10x42) and older model Snypex Knight D ED 8X50 (They have a 10x50 as well. If you want the best and have the money buy the Zeiss Victory SF And be done. You will be surprised though how close the 2 i mentioned above come to these for alot less money. You can buy both the 8 and 10 and have a chunk of money still left over. Some will bash me for my evaluation but i have had Nikon HG, Monarch 7 and M7, Zeiss Conquest HD, Steiner HX and Night hunter, Maven B2, Sig Sauer Zulu 9, Vortex Razor HD, Leupold Santiam and many more in the field under all conditions. A hunting buddy was shocked when looking through my Snypex Knight D ED that i bought on closeout for $379 They were as clear to him as his Swaro EL Which i felt they were close. I really want to pull the trigger on the Zeiss Victory SF but just don't think they can offer enough performance over my currents to justify the $2,300 price tag.

I'm just going to jump in here and wish you a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum
We're glad you found us and please join in wherever you like