New Binos

[adgunner]

Thinking about picking up a pair of VORTEX binos 10 x 42, anybody using them? Any opinions, the good,the bad and the ugly.

 

[enysse]

Vortex is adequate binocular. They are fair priced. Depends how young you are and how much you hunt? And how much money you have? I bought a pair of Swarovski on sale and have never regretted it. You will see things that will no one else will see and in greater detail. About 10 years before that I bought a nice pair of Nikon 10X40 and I keep them in the car or truck for viewing stuff....they can't even remotely compare to a Swarovski. I like Leupold scopes but don't like their binoculars.

Leica, Swarovski, and Zeiss make the best stuff. My advice is take the pair of binoculars and try to view objects far away once....the great brands and price differences will stand out. Just my 2 cents.

 

[gillettehunter]

I have been on several different forums when questions like this have been asked. Right now it appears that Swarovski is making the "best" binocs. Not all will agree. Different eyes see things differently. Vortex are decent for the $. The new Zeiss HD's just introduced this year would be another good one to look at.

 

[tim416]

I am not familiar with the Vortex brand so cannot comment. I have been hunting Africa for seventeen years each year and have come to realize that the best pair of binoculars you can afford are well worth buying. I started our with a pair of Steiners, still have them and was very happy with them. The next year my luggage was lost with my binos in them. I spent the first three days using a PH's extra pair of Swarovski's. When my luggage showed up and I started using my Stieners again I could not believe the difference. I have not used the Ziess but the Leica's and Swarovsky's are worth thier price. Keep in mind that they will probably last you a lifetime as well. As I have gotten older and my eyes have weakened I appreciate and notice the difference of the higher quality even more.

 

[Just Passing Through]

A good friend got the Razor 10x42 HD binoculars this summer. Vortex had imported them from somewhere in Japan. The are OK, but for $1,200 my friend is somehow not very excited about them. He liked the Meopta HDs better, but thought they were a bit too heavy. What he really wanted was a pair of Swarovski SLCs but he was looking for a bargin. He is aware that Vortex is just an importer, and that makes him a little uneasy. I have used his Razors and thought they were well built, adjusted well, and had good glass - but they are quite not Swarovski quality.

 

[adgunner]

It seems Swarovski is coming out consistently on top here, it is just really tough to swallow those price tags, even if you know it is the right way to go as indicated by the posts above. I too have a very old pair of Steiner, which are due for replacement, but wasn't to fond of the new Steiner that i looked through.

 

[Just Passing Through]

If you don't mind a few extra ounces the Meopta HDs are great binoculars. Cabelas has them for $999. They are very clear and apparently built tough.

 

[Cliffy]

At the risk of starting a war, I use the Bushnell Legend Ultra HDs They have been all I need for my last 2 African hunts and for anything here in the states. If you don't like them they'll buy them back! And they're not $1000

 

[adgunner]

I will have to take a look at the Bushnell. About ten years ago i smashed a 2-7 Bushnell scope on a hunt in Alberta and completely dislodged the crosshairs within the scope. Scope was at least ten years old at this point and i sent it back to Bushnell to see if i could get it repaired with a note asking for an estimate. About three months later a brand new scope 2-7 arrived in the mail. They stated they couldn't fix the older model and here was a new replacement. Something to be said for a company that stands behind their products like that.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

I know it doesn't answer your question, but I've never regretted my Swarovski ELs. There are two kinds of people: the kind who own Swarovski, Zeiss, or Leica and the kind who say they are a waste of money and the xxxx that they own is good enough for their use. What you never hear is a person who owns one of the three top brands saying he wished he has saved the money and bought something cheaper.

 

[spike.t]

kahles are good as well.

 

[35bore]

I have owned three (upper end) binos and side by side I can tell you that I could not tell the difference. Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42, Leupold Acadia 10x42 and Kahles 8x32. All were very nice and clear, but let's say I wished I had saved my money and bought another Leupold. The Acadia's are the only ones I still own. I am a little more than bias of the leupold's, I love everything they make, and the warrenty is second to none. I have no experience with Swarovski (besides the scopes) and again I don't own that anymore. So as previously mentioned, buy the best quality you can afford.

 

[Cliffy]

I have owned a set of Bushnell Custom Compact binos for over 30 yrs. These are highly sought after in the birding world. I have sent them back twice in 30 yrs for cleaning and collomating and each time they came back in perfect condition FREE. That says a lot to me about the company.

 

[BRICKBURN]

If you can find a dealer that has a few high end brands and compare them in LOW light, not a nice bright store or day light you will find where the real quality exists. (find a dark corner in a closet in the store and check them all out)
Anything can get by at noon on a bright day.


I ended up purchasing Pentax 10x50 DCF ED (That affordability and quality crossroads)
The straight comparison with between ED glass and non coated is amazing.
Just discernable in very low light.

They are not small and you need a harness to hunt with them but when you need to see the bushbuck in the thick cover on the other side of the river at sunset they pay off.
Twin fawns and a doe, no buck.
Everyone took a turn viewing though.