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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Should I upgrade to higher end glass or give myself some room for the future? (1 Viewer)

In the USA you can take advantage of the BH Photo promo prices for many Vortex binoculars. You request a price be sent to your email box and it often shows a 25% discount from the price showing on the website.

With Vortex they have 4 different product tiers and I would avoid the bottom tier Razorback binos and scopes. The Viper are very good and the Razor are exceptional. With BH Photo if you don't like them it is easy to ship them back to BH Photo.

If you have local birder groups in your area their outings provide a good way to check out a dozen binoculars first hand. It also provides an opportunity to determine if a 8x or 10x works best for you. I like 10x but my wife will only use a 8x binocular.
 
Everyone's journey is different. So much depends on your individual requirements, character and temperament. My brother has always bought the best he could - his very first binocular was a 8x30 Swarovski SLC and his second ever, which he still uses today, was the 8.5x42 Fieldpro, which is a truly superb all-rounder and which he has been very happy with. I, on the other hand, have never been willing to spend that much - I have always been keen on "value", and as I got more interested in binoculars, found that trying different models and formats from different eras was interesting in itself. So I now have a range of binoculars, from an old 7x35 extra wide angle to a 12x50. None is as modern, advanced or in outright optical quality really equals the 8.5x42 Fieldpro, but as a collective I probably find more enjoyment in using them than I would one single binocular, however good. I get a lot of pleasure from the immersive, straight to my eyes view of the old porros (their wider fields of view contribute to it too, no doubt) and I value the extra magnification of 10x and 12x on distant difficult targets. I've also, by trying a wide range of different binoculars, learned something about the strengths and weaknesses of different designs and manufacturers, and improved my sense of what suits me best, and what I like.

So, I suppose, if all you wish to do is observe birds, or whatever other targets take your fancy, as well as you can, buy the very best binocular that you can afford - but do make sure (by comparitive testing etc) that it really suits you. If on the other hand binoculars and what they can do interest you in themselves, there can be plenty of enjoyment embarking on a longer and more roundabout voyage of discovery.

Good luck whichever path you take!
 
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Everyone's journey is different. So much depends on your individual requirements, character and temperament. My brother has always bought the best he could - his very first binocular was a 8x30 Swarovski SLC and his second ever, which he still uses today, was the 8.5x42 Fieldpro, which is a truly superb all-rounder and which he has been very happy with. I, on the other hand, have never been willing to spend that much - I have always been keen on "value", and as I got more interested in binoculars, found that trying different models and formats from different eras was interesting in itself. So I now have a range of binoculars, from an old 7x35 extra wide angle to a 12x50. None is as modern, advanced or in outright optical quality really equals the 8.5x42 Fieldpro, but as a collective I probably find more enjoyment in using them than I would one single binocular, however good. I get a lot of pleasure from the immersive, straight to my eyes view of the old porros (their wider fields of view contribute to it too, no doubt) and I value the extra magnification of 10x and 12x on distant difficult targets. I've also, by trying a wide range of different binoculars, learned something about the strengths and weaknesses of different designs and manufacturers, and improved my sense of what suits me best, and what I like.

So, I suppose, if all you wish to do is observe birds, or whatever other targets take your fancy, as well as you can, buy the very best binocular that you can afford - but do make sure (by comparitive testing etc) that it really suits you. If on the other hand binoculars and what they can do interest you in themselves, there can be plenty of enjoyment embarking on a longer and more roundabout voyage of discovery.

Good luck whichever path you take!
Hi, my name is Tom. Im a recovering gearhead...
 

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