Your recommendations - compact and convenient high quality binoculars

[Longwalker]

I have a superb pair of Swarovski EL 8.5x42's that I use for almost all my hunting. I like them a lot. Wonderful quality, very capable in all situations but quite big and a little bit heavy.

I find my self wanting a smaller, more convenient pair for situations where I will not be using the binoculars so intensively, like close cover / dense bush, or hunting where a lot of walking is likely and glassing not as much. Something that doesn't weigh very much, fits in a large coat pocket, and isn't noticed so much hanging around my neck. I wear eyeglasses. So a good field of view while wearing glasses is imperative. Perhaps 18-20 mm eye relief? I don't think the ultra small folding binoculars will be a fit for my purposes, I've tried a couple models and they just don't perform well enough in low light and dark bush. My other criteria are less than 10x magnification, Waterproof, shock resistant and useful while using only one hand during viewing.

I am considering the Swarovski EL companion, 8x30. Anyone with experience with these please let me know what you think, or any similar smallish/light and convenient models I should consider. My budget is approx. $1000 US.

 

[Andrew Short]

I have the SLC 8x42 which weigh in at 27 ounces. I too am looking for a lighter pair for Namibia. I’ve looked at the 8x30 CL and Natchez had them for $830 last week.

 

[WAB]

I use Steiner 8x30’s in the bush. Not the quality of the Swarovski’s but a very good pair of bino’s.

 

[ActionBob]

I have a pair of Swarovski 8x30 CL and a pair of Swarovski's 10x25 Pocket binos. I have come to really love the 10x25's. The 8x30 tends to just ride in the truck for times I want a closer look at something.

Also have 10x42 EL Range for when they are needed.

 

[Longwalker]

Bob, are the 10x25's any good while wearing glasses?

 

[flatwater bill]

The Swarovski 8X30 Companions are the best compact bino I have ever owned. I have also had the 10X25 but they were not as good for me. When even a little fatigued, as I often am at this age when hunting hard, the FOV was dancing on me. Natchez does indeed still have them on sale for $838 but they are demos, and black, and they would not guarantee the inclusion of any accessories. It is still a good deal. I bought some from another AH member for $950 opting to pay a little more for green, NIB. I have a friend with a pair of Luxx Optica bino's ($80,000), proving that there is no upper limit to price ....or sanity. But for people over 60 who wear glasses, the Swaro Companions are hard to beat...................good luck..................FWB

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I coincidentally looked at a few this week. The Swarovski pocket binos were superb, they have the high definition lenses, as do Leica, but the Swaros just have the edge I think. They are around the R18k mark, so about your budget in the USA I should think. Then came the Zeiss, not quite as good and less compact. I dont even look at economy optics any more, call me a snob, but eyes and vista are worth the investment.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hello Longwalker,

I had the same question some years ago to complement my main 10x42.
Having had an 8x20 high quality binocular, in spite of being small and light weight, it falls short in optics. So, I end with a 8x32 one. I would do the same today. I bought a Meopta Meostar 8x32 for a very good price on offer then. To me, small enough, light weight enough and with a really top quality optics and mechanics. A truly serious and close to all around carry all day binocular. I have read very good reports on the Sw. 8x30 but I didn´t see one yet.
Good luck!

CF

 

[Ridgewalker]

I have two pair of heavy binos, Swaro and Lieca. Both are 10x42 and both are too heavy for me to carry all day. I picked up a Nikon 8x30 Monarch 7 and the compactness has worked out perfect for all day carry. Haven‘t compared their glass to a higher price model yet, but so far they have worked well in Africa and timbered areas in the USA.
I would definitely consider upgrading to a Swaro if they showed any real advantage over the Nikons, but so far they have worked well.

 

[ActionBob]

Y

Bob, are the 10x25's any good while wearing glasses?

Yes, I wear glasses. You might consider the 8x25's.

 

[ActionBob]

The Swarovski 8X30 Companions are the best compact bino I have ever owned. I have also had the 10X25 but they were not as good for me. When even a little fatigued, as I often am at this age when hunting hard, the FOV was dancing on me. Natchez does indeed still have them on sale for $838 but they are demos, and black, and they would not guarantee the inclusion of any accessories. It is still a good deal. I bought some from another AH member for $950 opting to pay a little more for green, NIB. I have a friend with a pair of Luxx Optica bino's ($80,000), proving that there is no upper limit to price ....or sanity. But for people over 60 who wear glasses, the Swaro Companions are hard to beat...................good luck..................FWB

Bill, I agree any 10x will "dance around" more than an 8x. To be fair, you'd need to try a pair of 8x25's. But of course the ultra small 25's cannot be as good as similar quality glass in 30's. However the little 10x25's i have are amazingly good and I can see what I need with them and carry them in a pocker without any bother. My 8x30's i carry with a bino harness. I did use the 8x30's on my elephant and buffalo hunts. I bought the 10x25 set after carrying my old 10x42 Zeiss pair hunting mountain goat.

 

[Berettaco]

Good morning, I have a set of the zeiss victory 8x25 and they are really good. However, I used a pair of the Leica ultravid and I have a bit of buyers remorse.... wish I had those - the seem a bit brighter. I haven’t done a sxs comparison of the Leica vs. swaro bit you couldn’t go wrong with either of those.

 

[Nevada Wapati]

I have Leica's in 8x32 and 10x32. Both are great but I've always taken the 8x32 to Africa.

 

[Rubberhead]

I'm a pretty serious birder (bird watcher) in addition to being a hunter so I spend a lot of time behind a set of binoculars. I have a pair of compact ZEISS 8x25 Terra ED Binoculars that I bought to keep in my deer pack. But, they turned out to be the sharpest binoculars I own so I use them for birding a lot too. The small exit pupil makes them not as good in low light situations but they focus very close, are extremely light and compact, and sharp as tacks.

 

[cal]

I have been using the swaro 10x25 for ages and I am a huge fan of them. The glass is really good for a tiny pair of binos. I wore them slung over right shoulder onto left hip for a while but have recently been attaching the pouch onto my hunting belt, so strapless use which I quite like. I used a friends 10x42 EL range binos on a hunt last week and they were obviously noticeably better but a bit too heavy to carry all day comfortably. He is a PH and says his clients often ask for the range even in close bushveld conditions, also something I do not need. I have been looking at the new swaro NL 10x32 for when I need a bit more performance than what the 10x25's can offer.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

I’ve got the 8x42 EL. My wife had the 8x32EL. I used those on stalk whenever I could and got my son the 8x32 for his graduation gift. Unquestionably better than the x42 on the stalk. Fantastic binocular. I know there are other brands that have close, maybe even equal quality but when it comes to binoculars the simplest and always correct answer is to figure out what size ELs fit your need and get that. There may be other correct answers but ELs are never the incorrect answer.

That said, there is now the NL line. Not sure how they could possibly be better but no doubt they somehow are. So don’t try them! Get a used EL32 and live happily ever after.

 

[375Fox]

I’m really impressed by my Maven B3 8x30s. In my opinion the glass quality is approaching the German brands, but not as costly. $500 for binoculars assembled in USA (B series) and an American company.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Just another thought…service just in case. From reading on AH, it seems to me that Swarovski has the best of the European binocular companies.

 

[Vashper]

I do not recommend it in any way, since I have not hunted in Africa, just information. I purchased a Nikon Sportstar EX 8x25 a few years ago as an add-on to the same manufacturer's 8x42 binoculars. It ended up being the only thing I use for hunting and hiking. I just don't feel the difference in the quality and brightness of the image. Technically, the Sportstar has a smaller exit pupil diameter, which should make a difference at dusk when our own pupil is dilated, but I personally didn't feel the difference. Of course, I have no right to advise when the question of life and death is at stake, that is, the success or failure of the safari, but it seems to me that it is worth trying the 8×25 option. Swarovski, in particular, offers such a model-CL Pocket 8x25.
and from experience, so to speak, of a related kind of activity: 10X does not increase the amount of information compared to 8X, when the observation is conducted from the hands. This seems to have been known by the military as early as World War 1, and it was independently confirmed later.

 

[Muskox]

I am 46 but I have 20-450 vision in one eye and 20-400 vision in the other. I can only see that a person is a person at 10 feet without glasses I can't see who it is.

With glasses I am 20-15 in both eyes.

I agree, you need 18-22 mm of eye relief.

There isn't a 10x25 made that will have enough eye relief for me.

I would try every pair of 8x32's I could find.