FieldSurveyor
Member
Hello all. I’m hoping to get some binocular advice/opinions.
I am looking to buy a pair of binoculars either in 8x42 or 10x42…I’m leaning toward 10x42 just for a little more reach. I will be mostly looking at birds and I especially love looking at raptors.
My current binoculars are Brunton Lite-Tech 8x42 that I got at a deep discount (I paid $29.99 shipped in 2009!) I am novice at best, but I have been using binoculars for most of my life dating back about 40 years. To my eyes, though the Brunton build quality leaves a bit to be desired, the glass is sharp out almost to the edge. I focused on some blades of grass poking up high about 60 feet away (~18m) and they still appeared sharp as I moved toward the edge. Perhaps there is a better way to test edge sharpness?
My budget is maybe $450 USD. Possibly a bit more if I am at a critical mid point in prices. I went to a nearby store and took a peak through the following (all in 10x42): Nikon Monarch 5 ED, Zeiss Terra, Carson JR Series (they did not have the 3D line), a Bushnell Legend HD, and a Vortex Diamondback.
The Carson was not a fair comparison price-wise and they felt cheap. The Bushnell was a turn-off likely due to my feeling that they are junk (unfounded?) The Vortex felt cheap and I could not get it to focus perfectly even after adjusting the diopter. The Zeiss and the Nikon both felt and looked very nice. Both looked clear and bright (in the store.)
They didn’t have everything I wanted to try. I am curious about the Nikon Monarch 7 with its larger FOV. I’m also curious about the Carson 3D ED, Meopta MeoPro, the Hawke Frontier, and the Vanguard ED II. While I’m curious about these brands, I also wonder how long they will be around to service the binoculars should they need warranty support. I know Nikon will be there as well as Zeiss and I was very impressed with the Monarch 5 in the store.
One thing that bothers me is all of these are made in China. I’m not trying to ruffle any feathers here. I know many items are made in China, and I know they can do an excellent job. I just have this vision of all of these different binoculars coming out of the same factory with slightly different externals. I know that’s not the case, but in some cases maybe it is (I know it can be in the bicycle industry.)
It is my understanding that Meopta is US made with European glass. I’ve heard build quality is great but glass is not always up to par. There is nobody locally that sells these.
Just one last comment. My dream binoculars when I was younger was the Zeiss Dialyt 10x40. I know they can be had used for close to my price range. Is that something I should consider? I suspect coatings have come a long way since then, and possibly glass (I’m not sure when ED glass became available.) I know in their final years of production they had phase-corrected prisms…marked T*P*, but many fetch $700-ish prices.
This is not a need by the way, just a want. If you say I should wait and save double my budget then I just might.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
I am looking to buy a pair of binoculars either in 8x42 or 10x42…I’m leaning toward 10x42 just for a little more reach. I will be mostly looking at birds and I especially love looking at raptors.
My current binoculars are Brunton Lite-Tech 8x42 that I got at a deep discount (I paid $29.99 shipped in 2009!) I am novice at best, but I have been using binoculars for most of my life dating back about 40 years. To my eyes, though the Brunton build quality leaves a bit to be desired, the glass is sharp out almost to the edge. I focused on some blades of grass poking up high about 60 feet away (~18m) and they still appeared sharp as I moved toward the edge. Perhaps there is a better way to test edge sharpness?
My budget is maybe $450 USD. Possibly a bit more if I am at a critical mid point in prices. I went to a nearby store and took a peak through the following (all in 10x42): Nikon Monarch 5 ED, Zeiss Terra, Carson JR Series (they did not have the 3D line), a Bushnell Legend HD, and a Vortex Diamondback.
The Carson was not a fair comparison price-wise and they felt cheap. The Bushnell was a turn-off likely due to my feeling that they are junk (unfounded?) The Vortex felt cheap and I could not get it to focus perfectly even after adjusting the diopter. The Zeiss and the Nikon both felt and looked very nice. Both looked clear and bright (in the store.)
They didn’t have everything I wanted to try. I am curious about the Nikon Monarch 7 with its larger FOV. I’m also curious about the Carson 3D ED, Meopta MeoPro, the Hawke Frontier, and the Vanguard ED II. While I’m curious about these brands, I also wonder how long they will be around to service the binoculars should they need warranty support. I know Nikon will be there as well as Zeiss and I was very impressed with the Monarch 5 in the store.
One thing that bothers me is all of these are made in China. I’m not trying to ruffle any feathers here. I know many items are made in China, and I know they can do an excellent job. I just have this vision of all of these different binoculars coming out of the same factory with slightly different externals. I know that’s not the case, but in some cases maybe it is (I know it can be in the bicycle industry.)
It is my understanding that Meopta is US made with European glass. I’ve heard build quality is great but glass is not always up to par. There is nobody locally that sells these.
Just one last comment. My dream binoculars when I was younger was the Zeiss Dialyt 10x40. I know they can be had used for close to my price range. Is that something I should consider? I suspect coatings have come a long way since then, and possibly glass (I’m not sure when ED glass became available.) I know in their final years of production they had phase-corrected prisms…marked T*P*, but many fetch $700-ish prices.
This is not a need by the way, just a want. If you say I should wait and save double my budget then I just might.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.