Binoculars

Sac Arrow

Sac Arrow

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Snorting his way across the USA
After bequeathing my eighties vintage Bushnell 10x rubber armored binoculars (long story), I dropped the dime on a set of Vortex 12x50 binoculars.

Don't get me wrong, I liked those Bushnells, but I really like the Vortex. What I've learned is that pretty much every modern binocular of decent quality uses roof prisms, vs. traditional Porro prisms, resulting in a narrower, more compact unit. I was kind of waffling between a set of 10x42 and the 12x50, but I'm glad I chose the higher power. My mission is viewing far out objects, not close in bird watching. It's a little bit tricky holding them for a stable image, but 10x isn't much better, and I wanted more than 7x. They are light and compact enough that I can toss them in a small day pack for hiking.

The optics are awesome - I viewed the partially full moon this morning, and could make out terrain features that I couldn't see with the older Bushnells.
 
I tend to favor Leopold's and have both a set of 10x42s and 12x50s. The key to holding them steady is to tuck your elbows and brace them against your torso. It also helps if you can avoid having a death grip on the binoculars - hold them between thumb and forefinger (like you would a plane's yoke)
 
I still have my Bushnell 7x35 Sportview. They are OK for daylight use but I ran into limits when looking at something like Jupiter’s moons. The optics are just not sharp enough for a crisp image.

I then got the Nikon Action Lookout IV 10x50. Those 50mm diameter objectives really pull in a lot more light and the lenses and prisms are better quality.
 
Another trick that helps hold them steady (hard to describe):

Hold your hands together in front of your face, palm to palm like praying. Then bend them away from each other but still maintain contact near your wrists. This makes a flat area to hold the binoculars, go ahead and curl your fingers over the barrels. Then, your thumbs: separate them from each other by a nose-width, then the tips and down to the first knuckle get pressed against your cheekbones just below each eye. That makes a pretty solid connection so you don’t have to jamb the eyecups into your eyes or try to hold the binoculars away from your face too carefully.
 
I bought dad a set of the Vortex 12x50's with the tripod for elk hunting. I have a set of Steiner Merlin 10x42 I bought at Oshkosh probably 20 years ago. For the money, vortex ain't bad. The larger objective lens in the 12x50s helps in lower light conditions

Dad actually likes my Steiner's better because the of the contoured eye cups.

For a steady image, I'm usually glassing and sitting down. Elbows on knees. But the vortex has a clip and tripod that works great.
 
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IMO optics are an area where brand name and reputation means something.

I have a pair of Steiner Marine 7x50 for boating. Navy studies determined 7x was the highest mag that could be used effectively on the water because of the movement. They have excellent optics, especially at night, but are heavy and bulky.

I've been shopping for a pair of more compact binos for ski touring. Have my eye on Zeiss 8x42.
 
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No doubt that brand name means a lot for optics quality. Vortex is a semi off brand, so they are quite a bit less expensive than the top names for the same spec.
 
Sac Arrow said:
No doubt that brand name means a lot for optics quality. Vortex is a semi off brand, so they are quite a bit less expensive than the top names for the same spec.
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They actually span the range from value to premium. I know some very, very high end government organizations who use Vortex rifle optics.
 
I got my wife a set of Nikon 7x35's for birding. They're really nice.
 
Sac Arrow said:
After bequeathing my eighties vintage Bushnell 10x rubber armored binoculars (long story), I dropped the dime on a set of Vortex 12x50 binoculars.

Don't get me wrong, I liked those Bushnells, but I really like the Vortex. What I've learned is that pretty much every modern binocular of decent quality uses roof prisms, vs. traditional Porro prisms, resulting in a narrower, more compact unit. I was kind of waffling between a set of 10x42 and the 12x50, but I'm glad I chose the higher power. My mission is viewing far out objects, not close in bird watching. It's a little bit tricky holding them for a stable image, but 10x isn't much better, and I wanted more than 7x. They are light and compact enough that I can toss them in a small day pack for hiking.

The optics are awesome - I viewed the partially full moon this morning, and could make out terrain features that I couldn't see with the older Bushnells.
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A year or so ago I bought a pair of 8X32 Roof Prism binoculars with a brand name of Svbony - after reading glowing recommendations from other buyers. IIRC I paid around $80 for them -
and found that they live up to the hype. I would compare them to a pair of Nikon Monarch M7s that I also own - which cost about three times as much. A quick check of eBay indicates
that they can still be had for $75 - $80.

Dave
 
I just upgraded from vortex diamondback 10 by 50s to Leopold BX-4 pro guide in 10 by 42.I love em,much crisper and clearer out to the edge
 
I have a pair of 7x50's that I love, because they are so bright that they work great at night.

But they're bulky. So before my last trip I bought a pair of Pentax 8x35 waterproof for about $100, and absolutely love them. Very compact, fine brightness for the daytime, and sharp.

If I want more magnification than that I break out the spotting scope, which is a 12-40x60. Because it took that for me to be able to spot 22 sized holes on paper targets at 50 or 100 yards. That goes on a tripod. Handheld, I don't like anything past an 8 or 9, but that's probably me just being wobbly.
 
I use Zeiss because wife gave them to me. If I was buying? I’d buy Swarovski. I can stare through them for hours with no eye strain. Leica is also good but they don’t fit my eyes as well as Swarovski.

Buy once, cry once. Good glass doesn’t come cheap.
 
Swarovski is good. I had a dealer willing to setup one of their spotting scopes and a Leopold side by side, and then borrow the Leopold over the weekend for a shoot. I liked the Leopold better. Better eye relief and was sharper to my eyes. But this was 25 years ago, no idea what either is like now. Part of the reason I was so careful with the purchase was because I didn't think zooms would work well, and part because those were a lot of money to me. I'd never want a cheap zoom scope or pair of binoculars.

Extending out to rifle scopes, I'd take a cheap any brand 4 or 6x over any "good" brand zoom scope any day of the week. Especially the old 3-9s...I think they are better used as a makeshift hammer.
 
Albany Tom said:
Extending out to rifle scopes, I'd take a cheap any brand 4 or 6x over any "good" brand zoom scope any day of the week. Especially the old 3-9s...I think they are better used as a makeshift hammer.
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That depends on the use case. My competition rifle optics are 10-60x or 10-80x. When using my March Majesta, I have it maxed to 80x more often than not until mirage gets nasty….then I may pull back to 40-50x. For hunting, I preferred a fixed power when shooting under 300yds but valued variable mag for varmint hunting at further distances.

As far as Vortex optics, they offer a lot of value for the money. I see many of them on rifles at long range target competitions with plenty of Vortex spotting scopes as well. Nightforce and March dominate though, but require a substantial investment in capital.
 
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1694735dc2e3e79b1134ed2ecfba1548.jpg
 
I'm a Leupold guy for hunting scopes too. A field gun needs a rugged, simple, and reliable optic. Leupold is proven and American made.
 
Racerx said:
'Merica!
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I know you're joking around, but side by side I picked Leupold over Swarovski. Contrast appeared higher, don't know if it was the design or the coatings. But I like my Pentax binoculars, and my old Nikon camera lenses, too. If the scopes track like the camera lenses do, every top manufacturer has some really great ones, and some that are kind of 'eh'.
 
Ed Haywood said:
They actually span the range from value to premium. I know some very, very high end government organizations who use Vortex rifle optics.
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Yep. The breakpoint I’ve found is the Razor HD series. I’ve got a Strikefire 6-24x50 FFP that’s been surprisingly good for it’s sub-$500 price. Low light gathering isn’t the best, but for that kind of work, I’m expecting to use a different setup anyways.

As for OP’s binos, he needs a set of L3 BNVDs.
 
TCABM said:
Yep. The breakpoint I’ve found is the Razor HD series. I’ve got a Strikefire 6-24x50 FFP that’s been surprisingly good for it’s sub-$500 price. Low light gathering isn’t the best, but for that kind of work, I’m expecting to use a different setup anyways.

As for OP’s binos, he needs a set of L3 BNVDs.
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As cool as those would be, I would look goofy wearing a tac helmet with flip flops and a Hawaiian shirt.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I dropped the dime on a set of Vortex 12x50 binoculars.

Don't get me wrong, I liked those Bushnells, but I really like the Vortex. What I've learned is that pretty much every modern binocular of decent quality uses roof prisms, vs. traditional Porro prisms, resulting in a narrower, more compact unit. I was kind of waffling between a set of 10x42 and the 12x50, but I'm glad I chose the higher power. My mission is viewing far out objects, not close in bird watching. It's a little bit tricky holding them for a stable image, but 10x isn't much better, and I wanted more than 7x. They are light and compact enough that I can toss them in a small day pack for hiking.

The optics are awesome - I viewed the partially full moon this morning, and could make out terrain features that I couldn't see with the older Bushnells.
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We are lucky to have neighbors that claim to like to see my plane landing at the farm. At a minimum they don't complain about it. So we try to stay on good terms with them. One of them likes to hunt, but only has about a two acre lot. So I let him hunt my land. He always says he feels bad about not paying a hunting fee and brings me a token of appreciation each fall. A couple years ago it was a vortex binoculars. I never would have bought them myself, but they are a really nice addition to my home office. Nice to be able to grab them when I see something off in the distance. Very crisp image quality too!
 
Racerx said:
I've been eyeballing the sfl 12x50's. New bow or new binos. Decisions.
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A new bow won’t really make you shoot better,buy the bino’s:p.Unless of course you’re upgrading 15 years or so haha.Jk.For myself I like to find a bow that I really like and just keep it,right now I’m shooting a 2021 Elite Enkore and have absolutely no desire to upgrade for a very long time
 
DJTorrente said:
Those look almost exactly like the pair I inherited from my grandfather. His primary use for them was watching the back stretch at the track.
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they are my fathers, and I remember looking thru them as a kid. he (obviously) still has them and thankfully doesn't use them in a creepy way like I probably would.
 
My grandfather was an amateur photograph hobbyist. He had all kinds of lenses for his ALPA 35mm bodies, ranging from 300mm to 18mm, all Swiss made, bought new in the 1950s. He also bought a 7x50 pair of binoculars made by Kern, one of the best quality lens manufacturers at the time. I still have it. Nothing fancy, but wonderful optics!

-Skip
 
Received my Zeiss binos today. They did not disappoint. I bought them mainly for backcountry skiing in CO, so I wanted light and compact. 8x32 is a nice compromise between full and pocket sizes. Will come in handy for Oshkosh too, and perhaps Backcountry flying.

Does anyone fly with binos in the cockpit? I'm curious how usable they would be.

PXL_20250625_153633026.jpg
 
I'm sure binos in the plane would be similar to binos on a boat, you probably wouldn't want more than 7x. And unless you have a window that can open (172 or 182, ect.) those probably wouldn't be of much use.
 
Jaminky said:
A new bow won’t really make you shoot better,buy the bino’s:p.Unless of course you’re upgrading 15 years or so haha.Jk.For myself I like to find a bow that I really like and just keep it,right now I’m shooting a 2021 Elite Enkore and have absolutely no desire to upgrade for a very long time
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Bow is due strings and cables. Elite gt500. An older model from 2010. Would like to get something more compact and lighter for those 8 mile morning hikes in the mountains.
 
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