Hunting Optics?

[Stickbow Hunter]

In one of his posts Mick Smith mentioned binoculars so I thought I would start a thread about this very subject.

Binoculars are an important part of my bowunting kit. They have saved me many miles of walking over the years – which is a real advantage when you have any kind of physical limitations.

Quite often a stump or a bush can look to the naked eye like your intended quarry. A quick look through the binos can soon reveal what it really is and therefore save you time and energy.

After quite a few years using a couple of pairs of cheaper compact binoculars I had the opportunity to obtain a quality pair of Swarovski optics. All I can say is what a difference!!!

With the cheaper binos the construction and optic quality left a bit to be desired and the former subsequently lead to warranty claims. Being compacts they caused eye strain if you had extended time glassing for game. Also because the exit pupil was small they weren’t the greatest in low light when quite often game is most active and therefore the very time you want to use them.

When the opportunity presented itself to get a pair of Swarovski’s I decided to go for the 8 x 30’s rather than a compact pair. The 8 x 30’s, whilst certainly not compacts, aren’t full size either. They are mid sized and I find them just right. I have my bino strap rather short and carry them up under my bow arm where they don’t interfere with my shooting and are easy to get when I want them.

The construction and optics are world class. Their light gathering ability is terrific – it can be virtually dark and I can still see through them.

Another thing I have found with good optics is that their clarity makes objects appear closer than with the lesser quality optics - even when the lesser quality ones have a much higher magnification.

The one disadvantage with high quality optics though is their cost. I have had mine around 10 years now and they were priced at about $1,300.00 back then. They cost more now days.

Anyway, I just wondered what optics you carry when hunting and any thoughts about them that you would care to share.

Thanks

Jeff

[Wareagle]

I have a set of Leica 8x50 which I bought for 3D, although a bit on the big side, I intend to use them for hunting, crystal clear, I have never looked through a better pair.a little bit on the pricey side, but worth it.

[Tuffcity]

I have a pair of Zeiss 7X42. after years of hunting with a set of Pentax compacts the difference is night and day. Although a little bigger than the compacts I wear them in conjunction with a "bino-buddy" style holder. It's a set of straps that that holds the bino's close to your chest but is made of elastic so you can grab them and hold them up to your eyes and then they go back in place when your ready to move on. The beauty with these things is that you can lean over, crawl under logs, or what ever and they don't dangle down in front of you.

RC

[Buford]

I have a pair of Gerber 8 x 40's
wouldn't leave home without 'em. I used them for 3D when i shoot my evil bow and they make picking arrow holes to aim at a cinch. super clear.

buford

[Mick Smith]

Jeff you've made me feel envious yet again. I'd love a good pair of 8x30 binoculars. Your Sawarovski's are about the best there is.

I reckon you've made the best choice for size. The old 8x30 are a nice balance between good clear optics, a good field of view and physical size.
The smaller compact binoculars are a bit like toys, are hard to hold steady and have only small fields of view. The "full size" binoculars are just too bulky to cart around in my opinion.

I notice all the people who have posted replies so far, also have excellent binoculars such as Leica, Zeiss and Gerber. I haven't heard much about Gerber's though. Anyway they make my current and only pair of binoculars seem downright pathetic by comparison. I've got a beat up old pair of Pentax 8x24 that have been dropped one too many times. Actually the last time I dropped them all the lenses from one side fell out onto the ground. They've been Araldited back in, complete with glue smears. I really need a new pair of binoculars!

I'd be more than happy with a good pair of 8x30's. I've just about settled on a pair of Leupold 8x32 "Katmai's". They sell for a bit over $500.00 here in Australia. All I've got to do is stop buying new bows for a while and I'll be able to afford a pair.

Interesting thread Jeff, wish I had thought of it.

Mick

[jindydiver]

Mick

I wouldn't use Gerber bino’s as a paperweight. I have a pair here I am taking back under warrantee as the collimation of the tubes is up to **** and you can’t get a good focus out of them.

For the last 12 years now I have been using a pair of Jason auto focusing 8 x 40’s and they are great. They are clear to the edges and they have no moving parts so they are sealed up good and tight and I have never had any problems with them. I have used them a lot too.

[Hood]

I have a pair of 8X40's and a pair of 8X24's only cheapies but they do teh job will invest in a good pair at a later stage when she lets me.

Mick

[TRASH]

Yep ya gotta give it to the quality of them swaheeli glasses eh jeff !!!!!
They are just the greatest at turning Wedge tail eagles into trophy goats out here in the west... hhehehhe. And dont say you dont remember as it was when wind blown was blowin wind man.....

[Stickbow Hunter]

Mick S,

Mate I was fortunate to get my binos from Austria where they are made. They were cheaper there than here. I was making some bows for some fellas over there at the time and I took the binos as part of the payment for the bows. It was the only way I could have afforded them.

Strowie,

Can't remember Ol' Mate.

Tuffcity,

Have you got a photo of that "bino-buddy" ? It sounds like a good idea.

Jeff

[Poppy]

I have a pair of Zeiss 7x50. I purchased them new 6-7 years ago.
They are the soft outer case & claimed waterproof properties.( today's price $950) I thought they be tough & good in the rain.
Wrong, they fog up not waterproof & fallout of tune.
My brother in law owns a optics instrument business & recommends any of the up market Japanese made binos, fair price & good quality optics
Sorry for the Moan
Paul

[Hood]

Sorry for the Moan

Why Paul that is what these post are about is finding out what is good bad and or just plain ugly in the way of equipment.

Mick

[stace]

Jeff
I now have a pair of GERBER (sorry Jindy) 6-12x25 which are ok but after having a peek through a set of Swarovski's at Easter (can't for the life of remember the power)I want a set BAD .
Clearrrr and great in low light as you stated
Can't remember the power but I did remember the owner bought them and a Leica range finder for something like $4,000.00
The 8x30's like yours would do me fine
And like Mick S I just gotta stop buying other things to be able to afford them
cheers
stace

[Mick Smith]

I've just sold off an item that I don't use much and I've got a lazy $400 to $500 to spend on a pair of binoculars. The trouble is, I don't really know what I want, well I sort of know but I need help.

I was thinking that a pair of 8x30's would be the go. I like that fact that they're small, yet still have good light gathering capacity for use on dusk. I've had a couple of cheaper compact binoculars and they've been OK in broad daylight, but pathetic in late afternoon.

I don't really want to lugg around a pair of full sized binoculars, ie 8x40 or 10x40's. I just don't use them enough to justify the trouble of having to pack such a large item.

I thought that for $500 the world would be my oyster, but after an evening of research on the net, I've discovered that all the top quality binos sell for more than twice this figure. However there are still some possiblities.

I could buy a pair of Zeiss 8x30 Diafuns for US$330, but the shipping is US$114, so the total still goes over my budget. The reports indicate that these binoculars aren't actually made in Germany. They're made in Hungary. They still have excellent optics, but are built to a price and have some shoddy features like the bracket where the straps fits on break off and the focus adjustment is fiddly and hard to adjust.

I really like the look of the Leupold Katmai's. These are available in 8x30 too. These are a good quality brand. They sell for around US$300, but once again all the sites I can find want well over US$100 for shipping. It annoys me because I know they could be sent by airmail, fully insured for less that US$40, but they won't do it.

I've been looking at Australian web sites hoping to be able to overcome the ridiculous shipping fees, but I can't find any that deal in these brands. I found one site that sells Bushnell Legends 8x30 binoculars for $545. These are supposed to be very good, but it's a lot to pay for a brand that you would usually associate with cheap optics. Maybe I'm just bigoted.

Have any of our members been down this road, looking for binoculars and found the answer to my problems? I would like either a site that sells binoculars cheaply and ships them cheaply to Australia, or even better, an Australian site that sells Leupolds (or Zeiss) at a reasonable price.

I better buy these binoculars quickly, otherwise I'll end up with yet another bow. I know this is a real danger because I've been in this position before without ending up with the binoculars.

Mick

[Mick Smith]

Of course there's always good ole eBay. I'll keep checking there. I might get lucky and pick up a pair cheap, maybe even second hand. I should be able to get them airmailed to me. Overall this would be my cheapest option, I would say. Only thing is, I've got to wait until they come up. It seems that most sellars on the so called "world wide" eBay will only ship to the US. I don't know why they call it world wide.

I could buy a pair of Leica 8x20's in Australia for $545. I think these may well be the best brand in the world. I don't know about this size though. Too small, I think. Not enough light gathering capacity. Then again, I'm used to my Tasco 8x20's and they couldn't be further distant in quality to a pair of Leica's.

Surely someone must have been in a similar situation to me. What did you do?

Mick

[Mick Smith]

Well, I've been doing heaps of research on binoculars. The computer and Google make doing research a breeze. I've checked out just about every binocular site period, from individual manufacturer sites right through to binocular forum sites (yes they actually exist).

Like most things, the more you delve into it, the more complicated it becomes. You have the strange situation whereby prestigious optical companies, who rely almost totally on their good name and reputation are bringing out cheaper models made in countries where labour it cheap. So you could thing you're buying a top quality binocular made in Germany by and famous company. You could be forking out literally thousands of dollars and getting a product that is inferior to some of the better models from Asian companies. You could end up paying heaps for the logo stamped on the outside of the binoculars.

It's a bit hard on the net to actually read the small print on the box to see which country the binoculars were actually made in. A good case in point, many of the newer Zeiss binoculars aren't actually made in Germany. Some are made in the USA (they still cost well over a grand) and some in Hungary. If you're not careful you can pay too much. Or you might decide to by a nice pair of Burris binoculars. Burris are a relatively prestigious US optical company. You might be a little surprised at how cheap they are. They certainly look good, but I don't think they're still made in the US. China maybe? I don't know. What I'm trying to say is, if you rely totally on the product name, you might not be getting what you think.

I've come to the conclusion that the Steiner range is probably the best value for money, quality optics available. If you happen to go for the older and less compact dogleg type design you might end up with excellent optics at a bargain price. Steiner make a really nice porro prism 8x30 called the Merlin (USA) or called the (Skyhawk) in Australia. I think they are actually the same binocular. They retail here for AU$645. You can buy them on eBay for US$385. I believe the entire Steiner range is still being manufactured in Germany.

The front runner for me at the moment are a pair of Steiner Predators 8x30's at AU$275. This will leave me with some change from my $500.00, maybe even enough to buy another bow, or at least enough for a deposit. Nah, I'm only joking. I don't need another bow. Maybe some new arrows.......mmmm.

I'll let you know when I do the deal.

Mick

[Mick Smith]

What about these Zeiss 8x30s. They're ex German military. They're in good shape too apparently. The bloke in Germany has (or had) 50 of 'em for sale on eBay at a "buy now" price of AU$127 plus around $30 postage. I'm seriously considering buying a pair. What do you think? Or would I be better off buying something new?

Sorry to keep boring everyone about binoculars, but I'm sort of fixated on them at the moment.

Mick

[Stickbow Hunter]

Mick,

The price is right it would seem and one would imagine they would be quality glass. Could be worth a try. Decisions! decisions!

Sorry I couldn't help ya any really.

Jeff

[Mick Smith]

Jeff

I suppose it really comes down to personal preferences. These Zeiss glasses sound like a good buy though. The sellar reckons that if they were brand new, they would sell for 900euros. That must be a lot of money, I'd say? Well, at least he could speak english, that's something.

They are rubber armoured and a good colour for hunting, but I can't say that I like the look of 'em much though. The thing is, if I buy these binoculars, I won't have enough money to buy another pair as well. I reckon I might as well spend more and buy something I like.

You're right, decisions decisions......mmm.

Mick

[NCArcher]

Mick, have a look here.
I bought a spotting scope for FITA from here and their service was excellent.
Bushnell have some good quality binos at reasonable prices. Worth a look.

http://shop.centre.net.au/index.html?ns ... t=specials

[trash one]

I'm trying to find good quaility monocular ,dose anybody any ideas.
CATCH YA
BUTCH

[Mick Smith]

BUTCH

Steiner make an interesting little 8x monocular. I don't know how much they are though. This one was on ebay and the bidding was still only around a couple of dollars and the seller will only ship to the US, but they should be available through Australian sites such as www.binocular.com.au .

Steiner make excellent binoculars and you could bet these little monoculars would be of good quality.

Mick

[Mick Smith]

NCArcher

Thanks for that. Their prices seem a bit steep compared to other Australian sites, but if their service is good.......well.. maybe.

Mick

[Stickbow Hunter]

but I can't say that I like the look of 'em much though.

Mick,

Yeah, they don't look pretty and they look a bit bulky also. I think I would prefer to buy new myself unless you could actually try a set before you buy.

The new Steiner's you were looking at seem to pretty good. It might be worth finding a place that sells them and taking a looksee.

Jeff

[trash one]

Thanks Jeff, I check it out.
CATCH YA
BUTCH

[Mick Smith]

I'm a happy boy tonight.

In my recent search for a good pair of binoculars, I've been checking out eBay every day. The other day I saw a pair of Steiner 8x30 military marine binoculars advertised. They were second hand and looked to be in great shape, and best of all, the seller would ship worldwide for US$12.95.

I wacked in a bid of US$90 on them without a second thought. I thought I wouldn't actually win them for this small sum, but I could bid later on if necessary.

It was only after I had placed the bid, that I read through the description of the item with any thoroughness. My botton lip started to quiver when it began to sink in, to my over eager brain, that in fact these binoculars were broken and didn't work.

Luckily there's someone else out there that's even more stupid than me. I've just been outbidded. YIPPPPEEEEE!!!!!!!

Mick

[piggy]

Lucky mate, I use the Steiner 8 x 30's and there great.
I was looking at them in a camera shop for about $400-$500 i think and walked out of there and into cash converters two shops away and they had the same pair for $80.00. After a bit of haggling i got them for $60.00 great optics

[Mick Smith]

piggy

Well done mate!! For $60 you couldn't go wrong. Lucky bugger.

I'm going to buy a brand new pair of Steiner 8x32 Skyhawk binoculars. These binoculars are the more compact roof prism type. They're $649 Australian. It's a lot of money, but they are exactly what I want. My recent scare on eBay has brought it home to me. I'm better off spending a bit more and buying something I know is going to be good and worthwhile.

Mick

[Paul]

G'day all

I too am looking for a decent pair of binoculars for a good price and have been conducting a bit of research for the last couple of weeks on the subject and thought that someone might find my results useful.

I am looking for a pair of mid size binoculars in the mid price range and have come up with the following requirements:

Between 8 and 10 power
40 to 42mm objective lens for good light gathering capabilities
roof prism, bak-4 glass, phase corrected and fully multi-coated lenses
100% waterproof nitrogen purged
rubber armored, shock proof
under 30oz in weight
under 6 inches in length
good reputation and warranty
under $500 AU

Not much to ask for aye.

Here are some of the ones that meet the requirements:

Nikon Monarch ATB
Opticron BGA Imagic
Leuopold Wind River Pinnacle
Celestron Noble and Regal
Eagle optics Ranger PC
Leupold wind river Olympic
Bushnell legend

After reading only good reviews about the Nikon Monarch ATB I have decided to purchase them.

Reputable people in the business say that the nikon Monarch ATB performs well above it's price, only slightly inferior to optics like Leica and Swarovski which sell for 4 times the price of the Monarchs. In several reviews the Monarchs came out on top in there price range, beating much higher priced binoculars like Stieners, which surprised me.

The Nikon Monarch ATB are quite small and light, weighing only 21oz and the dimensions are 5.6inches long and 5 inches wide.
They have a 25 year limited warranty with a no fault policy for just $10, meaning if the damage was your fault Nikon will replace or repair for just $10+return shipping and handling.

The price is fantastic for such high quality feature packed optics at $249US for 8*42 and $259US for 10*42. I will be buying some off an Ebay store at that price and the postage is $25US.

There are several reviews at Binoculars.com, Binoculars.org and the Cornell lab of ornithology has a review of all high quality binoculars conducted this year which is very interesting.

I will let you know how they go when I finally get them.

[Mick Smith]

Paul

Thanks mate for letting us know about Nikon Monarchs ATB. They are a nice looking binocular. I've done lots of research too and the Monarchs have a strong following. Many knowledgeble outfitters, etc, use them exclusively, so they most be good.

For me, I've decided on a pair of 8x30's. I like the fact that they're a bit lighter and a bit smaller. I haven't seen any Nikon 8x30's, they probably make them though, I suppose.

I'm pretty well set on buying a pair of Steiner 8x32 Skyhawks. They will be AU$649.00. Yeah, I know I could buy them cheaper on the net from the US, but they're not that much cheaper and anyway with my luck I'd end up paying import duties, etc and then they would be about the same price anyway, plus the warranty would be more useful to me, if I buy locally. I'm just waiting for some money I've got coming and then I'll place the order.

Mick

[ssga]

well as a mostly rifle shooter i have two sets of steiners, 8x30 now called warriors and 12x40 predators....they both come with the autofucos, invaluable if you need one hand to hold the bow and the other to hold the binos. I can tell you for value for money they would be hard to beat.....i haven't had an issue yet and they are 4 yrs old but dropped so many times you'd think that they were hot potatoes!!! Once you go steiner you cant go back, hehehehe

SSGA