Help on some binoculars

[MJB]

I'm helping a buddy pick a good pair for hunting in the $500 range.

They are for hunting so low light is a must along with glare when glassing into the sun along with sharp images for seeing antlers.

Vortex is out he doesn't like them

Looking at Zeiss Terra 10x42 ED, Meopro or Meostar 10x42 & Minox BL 10x44 HD

[FiveSeven]

Owned quite a few over the years (mostly Zeiss) but the one's I like the most is Russian BPO 7x30, amazing clarity and good FV, independent or eye ocular adjustments is also nice. It has a slight yellow tint but it's done on purpose to eliminate eye strain under long (time in the field) observation.
I know it's not 10x but I find 7x to be more then enough for most things. They do come in 10x as well.

[Jeepergeo]

You can get $500 binoculars from Alpen for about half that amount.

http://alpenoptics.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=alpen&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=390SR

Costco will carry them now and then at great prices.

And what you save over the overpriced Euro stuff will almost pay for a hunting trip.

[lewdogg21]

Maybe try Zen Ray? They have a return/refund policy which I used and while it took a little longer than I think it should have, regardless I got my $ back and they were close to my Zeiss Conquests when looking up and down my street. I did not test them in the mountains or low light.

I bought a demo pair and they looked BNIB.

demo page with big discounts.

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/demo.html

[Divernhunter]

My Zeiss are really good. I have bought many different brands over the years but will not need to anymore.

[lewdogg21]

My Zeiss are really good. I have bought many different brands over the years but will not need to anymore.

Which model?

[roostersgt]

At that price point he could take a look at the Steiner Predator Pros. For hunting they are great. Clear bright glass and special coatings to make game animals "stand out". I have one of their armored pairs. Not light like the Swaros, but at around $300 on sale, they're hard to beat. The Zeiss in that price range are okay, but, IMHO, the Steiners (12x50) work better, are brighter and are clearer. I no longer carry a spotting scope.

[coueskiller43]

Good Bino's

I am a fan of the Meopta's for the money. They can hang in there with Zeiss and Swarovski for clarity. Keep an eye on eBay for the Meopta Meopros. I just saw some last week go for under $300 brand new. Also check ebay for swarovski 8x30 used. They regularly go for about $500 and even cheaper if you are patient and watch for awhile.

[goodlookin1]

I have a pair of Zen Ray Prime 8x42's. Other than rubber eye cups, I love them to death. They really glass like swaro's for 1/4 of the price. SUPER wide field of view, which I love. Extremely little chromatic abberation....almost non-existent. These are about $600. Here's a shot I took with my iPhone 4 through the Primes a few years back, and this picture does not do them justice.



That bald eagle seemed like it was zoomed in 3x more than the picture shows.

If you dont want to pay for the field flatteners of the Primes, you can go with the ED3's. They have a 70% sweet spot and have the same clean glass. All specs are the same albeit for a few body changes. Same massive field of view....also a great pair for the money. These are about $500

While I haven't seen them in person, if I were to get a new pair, however, I'd pay an extra $100 and go with the new Trijicon 8x42's. If their glass is the same as their scopes, they are bound to be winners. These are $700

[Sir Toast]

Check out the image stabilized binocs made by Canon. They are $400 at opticsplanet et al. You can see so much better with the image stabilized. Everything stops bouncing around and everything becomes very sharp and clear. They are fixed 10 power I believe. The 12 power ones are $800 I believe. I love mine. They are amazing.

[lewdogg21]

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/10931103/gonew/1/WTS_-_NIB_Zen_Ray_Prime_HD_10x#UNREAD

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[goodlookin1]

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthr..._HD_10x#UNREAD

Great find! And great deal...

Just found that Zen Ray currently has the Primes on sale for $100 through today...$509 for 8x42 and $519 for 10x42. Coupon code: PRIME

[MJB]

Talked to cameralandny about these....

The Zeiss terra are made in Japan so is that model of Minox.....hence the price

He recomend the Meostar for the price range and are made in the Zeiss CZ factory. The Zen Ray are just behind the Meopta in this price range

Thanks for everyone's help

[AlexHunter]

I recommend binoculars ATN BINOX-HD 4-16x (http://www.atncorp.com/smart-hd-binocular). This binocular has a night vision feature, can record video and has a number of other features. And most importantly - do not go beyond your budget.

[Divernhunter]

Lewdog---I got the Conquest HD 8X42 but they were more than the OP wanted to pay. They were also more than I wanted to pay at the time. I bit the bullet and sprung for them($899 on sale with free shipping) and am glad I did. They have been great in Africa, Wy (pronghorns) and here for sheep,deer,hogs. I could not get the more expensive ones but doubt I will need to replace these before I die. The Cabelas or Meopta one are also very good. Leica or Swarovski were just more than I could pay but excellent units.

I only wish I had bought them years ago instead of all the ones I wasted money on and did not do so well. At least I was smart enough to buy quality Leupold rifle/pistol scopes for my hunting rifles. Never had to keep replacing them. In my defense for many years I did not use/need very good binos where I hunted. I do now.

Go for the best you can afford ....then buy even better. You will never regret it.