Conquest HDX (1 Viewer)

[Maljunulo]

Around here I see 90% or more <$1000 bins. Occasional ‘expert birder’ will have Zeiss or Swaro. Rarely Leica.

Can you define “expert birder”?

 

[jan van daalen]

I guided hunts for 16 years, about 160 hunters. The vast, vast majority had Swaro's around their neck.

I assume in the USA?
Were those the ELRange or the SLC56?

 

[jgraider]

USA. A couple handfuls of EL Range, some goes for the SLC, the EL SV's dominated and it wasn't even close, and 95% of them were 42mm's. The only Leica's I ever saw were a very small sample of Geovid's. Zeiss was practically non-existent.

 

[jan van daalen]

Can you define “expert birder”?

I understand him completely.
You can be an expert birder without top glass, but.......

What you don't see, you don't see so you miss nothing. That is, 'till you go on a birding trip an the guide has 'one of the best'. He say's things like color differences etc what makes the difference between bird A or B.
Your 'middle of the road' bin can't deliver that color nuance but his can. Looking through his bin you see the difference because you can.
For us a blessing for the user the curse. From that moment on he/she realises what he/she missed in the past and enters the shop for a 'better' bin..

There are plenty of birders who bird with their ears and only use their bin (quality or not) to get visual confirmation. Those are the experts!!
Other experts enjoy the view their top notch bin offers them.

Jan

 

[Dennis Mau]

I guided hunts for 16 years, about 160 hunters. The vast, vast majority had Swaro's around their neck.

Probably somebody that is going on a guided hunt is more affluent than the normal birder and can more easily afford the alpha glass like the Swaro's.

 

[jgraider]

Probably somebody that is going on a guided hunt is more affluent than the normal birder and can more easily afford the alpha glass like the Swaro's.

The obvious point was that Swarovski dominates the "alpha" market, just as Jan said. I never saw one single Nikon binocular, not even the often spammed how great it is Nikon MHG.

 

[Maljunulo]

Thank you, Jan.

 

[lmans66]

Not sure on a guided hunt as I am not in the hunters hobby camp.... but on normal 'bird walks' I do see an entire range of bins....mainly Swaro and Zeiss and then Leica/ Nikon being about the same. Swaro does have that 'gotta have' characteristic about it as people gravitate to it as they see others birding with them.

 

[MiddleRiver]

Can you define “expert birder”?

Most birders - in my local club and social circle - are people who love to go out and see winter birds, migrating warblers, etc., often as part of a 1/2-2mi walk. They might or might not keep a life list and I’d wager that most do not eBird. I’m guessing (by those that DO eBird), that they’ve seen 300-400 species and maybe birded during a vacation to Europe, or perhaps Costa Rica or similar. They seem to have a lot of often well-used, middle-of-the-market bins. I used ‘expert’ really in terms of the more driven, competitive, hard core birders, who bird a lot, travel a fair bit (dedicated overseas guided bird trips, and consequently have >1000 species. They are also more likely to bring along a scope. That group (very much a minority around here), has Swaro or SF’s, etc. Very seldom Leica…
The are gross generalities, and categorizations, but the main point is that I see a LOT of $300-1000 bins. Other regions may be different and of course if you were to tally at a notable birding site (e.g. Magee Marsh), I’m sure the $$ of kit would go up.

 

[MiddleRiver]

Probably somebody that is going on a guided hunt is more affluent than the normal birder and can more easily afford the alpha glass like the Swaro's.

I think the fact that western (US) hunts as well as international birding (guided) trips are both relatively costly, means that you’ll see more expensive gear. An AK goat or sheep hunt is the trip of a lifetime for a hunter. A 10day trip to central/South America will run 6-10kUS. So it’s unlikely to be something a casual birder is doing and likely means they’ve invested in top-drawer gear (camera gear as well often).

 

[MiddleRiver]

Not sure on a guided hunt as I am not in the hunters hobby camp.... but on normal 'bird walks' I do see an entire range of bins....mainly Swaro and Zeiss and then Leica/ Nikon being about the same. Swaro does have that 'gotta have' characteristic about it as people gravitate to it as they see others birding with them.

One brilliant move for Swaro imho, is the color of the armor. It’s VERY easy to scan a group and know who’s got the Swaros.

 

[adhoc]

…Around here I see 90% or more <$1000 bins. Occasional ‘expert birder’ will have Zeiss or Swaro. Rarely Leica.

MR, is that level of $1000 deliberated or a mistake? This puts Leica Trinovid and Zeiss Conquest below it.

 

[MiddleRiver]

MR, is that level of $1000 deliberated or a mistake? This puts Leica Trinovid and Zeiss Conquest below it.

I was speaking in generalities, but yes, I do see an occasional Conquest. Not sure if I’ve seen Trinovids (locally). The point was simply that in my birding experience (locally), representing say, 50-75 birders, I see mostly the $300-600 (??) bins, an occasional higher end - usually older, like an FL perhaps), and precious few ‘alpha’ ($2000-3000). In fact, one of the challenges is knowing WHAT people are using as they are often brands/models I don’t keep up with. There’s a lot of <$1000 bins that I don’t even recognize, Opticron, low/mid end Vortex and Nikon, etc.).

It would be REALLY interesting to be privy to what some of the big retailers see. E.g. B&H stats by model/brand. Or even a bird specific store such as opticsforbirding…

 

[Dennis Mau]

I was speaking in generalities, but yes, I do see an occasional Conquest. Not sure if I’ve seen Trinovids (locally). The point was simply that in my birding experience (locally), representing say, 50-75 birders, I see mostly the $300-600 (??) bins, an occasional higher end - usually older, like an FL perhaps), and precious few ‘alpha’ ($2000-3000). In fact, one of the challenges is knowing WHAT people are using as they are often brands/models I don’t keep up with. There’s a lot of <$1000 bins that I don’t even recognize, Opticron, low/mid end Vortex and Nikon, etc.).

It would be REALLY interesting to be privy to what some of the big retailers see. E.g. B&H stats by model/brand. Or even a bird specific store such as opticsforbirding…

I bet the big retailers like Sportmans Warehouse and Scheels sell more Vortex's than anything else.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

If anyone from Zeiss is reading this thread, I'd be happy to put one through its paces in Zambia next week, comparing directly with my FL and HT (and my wife's Opticron Traveller 8x32) 😎

 

[tenex]

I wasn't aware of that. Thx, I'll look it up.

Found it!

Binocular Sightings

I’ve been thinking about starting this type of thread for years. Many of us like to count and report bird species or other wildlife. When I’m out I usually notice what binoculars people are using. Why not report what ‘species’ of binoculars we see out in the field; It could be fun to see what...

www.birdforum.net

 

[kwikstaart]

Although I like the direction this thread has taken a lot, it started about the Conquest HTX. Shall we move our thoughts about market shares etc. to the thread mentioned above "binocular sightings"? I leave my thoughts about shares there.

 

[Patudo]

What you don't see, you don't see so you miss nothing. That is, 'till you go on a birding trip an the guide has 'one of the best'. He say's things like color differences etc what makes the difference between bird A or B.
Your 'middle of the road' bin can't deliver that color nuance but his can. Looking through his bin you see the difference because you can.

Can anyone who has gone birding with a guide tell us how often this actually happens?

 

[Dennis Mau]

Can anyone who has gone birding with a guide tell us how often this actually happens?

I have never seen that. Most guides I have had in Mexico and Costa Rica have had old beat up Leica Trinovids 8x42's. They usually carry a spotter over their shoulder and when they spot a bird with their binoculars, immediately put the spotter on it for a positive ID. Maybe it is different if you go to different birding areas.

 

[jan van daalen]

Can anyone who has gone birding with a guide tell us how often this actually happens?

Intell coming from customers why they buy A brand optics as a birder in our shop versus intell from BF birders what made them buy an A-brand.
I'm curious about the outcome.

Jan