Opinions on HD Binoculars in the ~ $600 range
- Thread starter Blueknight99
- Start date
Recenty did a look thru of many Binos in this price range and came to a similar conclusion...If forced to go on a strict budget I would look at used or demo glass from the ~$1k retail models...[eg. leica, zeiss, meopta etc]
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Steiner glass really looks subpar compared to other glass in its price range, including alpha glass.
They are a poor choice in any price bracket IMO. Same with Vortex binos/spotters.
Stick to Swaro, Leica, Ziess and Henny. Even their mid range stuff blows everyone else out of the water.
Nikon Monarch HG. Might be able to find a used set close to your price range. Or, for under your budget, the Nikon Monarch 7 is a decent bino. I have a 10x42 Monarch 7 and the ED glass that they use is really good! Not Big-3 glass (Swaro, Leica, Zeiss) by any means, but for the price, they’re tits!
No experience with the 8.5x Cronus binos, but I do have the Athlon Cronus UHD 15x56 Binos. So far, I think they are a steal for the $! I wanted to get into some “big-eye” binos to pack along my WY elk and mulie hunts, and something I wouldn’t mind getting beat up. I’ve had them out in the back country for 50+ miles of hiking and glassing during this elk season, and they haven’t disappointed. The glass is damn good for the $, but they do not compete with my Leica LRF binos, or my Zeiss Victory Diascope spotter. With that said, I’ll hang onto these as a beater bino, but eventually I will upgrade to some 15x or 18x binos of higher quality glass.
I love Vortex as a company and they really try to take care of their customers. It has been said 1 million times. Customer service costs money.
I use a lot of Vortex stuff. Yes, some of it has failed. Some multiple times. I honestly don't think I have owned a rifle scope that hasn't failed from any manufacturer. If you value customer service, Vortex does it right.
That said, I don't have many issues with binos failing. I also don't hunt out west. I tend to be satisfied with midrange binos. If you want the best image quality for the dollar, vortex binos are not it. I have a pair of viper HD 10x. They are comparable, but maybe not quite as good as the Bushnell and Nikon offerings in the $200-$300 range.
I have not played with any high end hunting binos. My nicest binos are bushnell forge 15x. I have looked through ton of 15x Swaro and Zeiss stuff at matches. During some conditions they are better than the forges. During some conditions you can't notice the difference. If you have the budget to spend $600, you can play in the high end used market. If you want viper HD IQ you can get it from other manufacturers for $200-$300. I hate saying that, because I feel like Vortex really values and takes good care of their customers, but it is what it is.
I use a lot of Vortex stuff. Yes, some of it has failed. Some multiple times. I honestly don't think I have owned a rifle scope that hasn't failed from any manufacturer. If you value customer service, Vortex does it right.
That said, I don't have many issues with binos failing. I also don't hunt out west. I tend to be satisfied with midrange binos. If you want the best image quality for the dollar, vortex binos are not it. I have a pair of viper HD 10x. They are comparable, but maybe not quite as good as the Bushnell and Nikon offerings in the $200-$300 range.
I have not played with any high end hunting binos. My nicest binos are bushnell forge 15x. I have looked through ton of 15x Swaro and Zeiss stuff at matches. During some conditions they are better than the forges. During some conditions you can't notice the difference. If you have the budget to spend $600, you can play in the high end used market. If you want viper HD IQ you can get it from other manufacturers for $200-$300. I hate saying that, because I feel like Vortex really values and takes good care of their customers, but it is what it is.
Vortex does take care of people but the fanboy following is getting old. I have a Cronus 20-60 spotter and the binocs. Very happy with both. They have the same warranty as Vortex. I had a Viper spotter and that went back right away. Not worth the money.
If you’re not on a time crunch, aaoptics.com gets refurbished Vortex glass quite frequently. I picked up a set of razor 10x50s for $660 a couple years back. Mine came looking like new, not a single thing weird or wrong with them.
I'll second this. I have the Cronus 15x56s and comparing them with the Kaibabs, I was very impressed with mine, less so with the Vortexes. At a match I got to look through a pair of Razor HD 12x binos, and they were sharper than the Cronus, but not by a ton. I want to upgrade to Meopta or Mavens eventually. The Exit pupil on the Cronuses are a bit smallish. Spotting 1000yd misses with my Cronuses at a match back in february was pretty easy.
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