Which binocular?

[Baylian]

I went to Cabela's yesterday. Chris kept stirring me toward Cabela's binocs. He was a former student of mine so I trust him. How would you compare the Euro and XT to other companies. Personally, The Elites seem about the same as the DCF SP's. The Pinacles were slightly behind but I didn't like the focusing mechanism. Too much play. The Discoverers had some bad distortion toward the edge. It this normal? The XT's and Monarch's seemed about the same. The Legends just a little behind them. Chris said he traded his Discoverers for the XT's and thinks they are better. The XT's are $260. If I had to choose a low end now, I would pick the XT's in 8x42. Would this be a mistake? If I were choosing in the midrange, I would choose the DCF SP's in 10x43. They seemed the brightest of that bunch. But I didn't want to spend $600! What to do? Help me out here, please! I need education but I realize you can't make the decision for me. Also, we were outside with the sun setting behind the hills. All of the binocs had a pink horizon distortion. Is this normal?



Thank you, TJ

[Talon]

Hello Again:)

Check out the Pentax line, They fit my eyes well, are affordable and a good optic. I've carried my Pentax bino's (12x) for 15 years now and have never felt that they were lacking in anything.


Peace
Talon
:cool:

[Brant Buster]

Hmmm ......


Was there a spiff your friend was going to get paid for selling the house brand above all others? Perhaps his supervisor gave special instructions to push the 'house brand.' Either way, when I lived in Utah and working as a sporting goods clerk, we would receive spiffs on certain products if there was a promotion underway. Of course we pushed those brands more than others.

But for binoes? Buy whatever you decide on that has a good reputation for honest, [Inon-Mickey Mouse[/I] customer relations and a good warranty!

For cheapos under a $100 I still look at Bushnell's, but my goto big game glasses are 8X Leupold Katmai's.

Look for brands that have a life-time warranty.

[Brithunter]

Distortion at the edge of the field of view is not normal and is the sign of poor quality :( sorry but you need to go and look some more. As I have never been to Cabelas the models you ask about mean Zilch to me.

Binos need to the tough waterproof and clear in optics :D Magnification is a personal thing but trying to hold more than 10X still so you can focus on detail like antler quality ;) well most folks find it impossible without Image stabilisation. So 8x is a very good choice for all round use. For higher mag and to see further I use a telescope which goes up to 60 times. Lens quality matters ;) :p .

Warrenty :confused: well never having the need to use one my personal opinion is to choose a good well known and RESPECTED name and buy the ones you like and that you can see well with. Though I really wanted some Swaroski SLC binos I simply could not afford them so brought a pair from the Bird watching reserve's shop where I could try them out first. Not such a well know name but the Birders seem to use them a lot and so far after 6 years or so of use I have no complaints ;) they are 8x44 Roof Prisims.

Birders are quite strict in their quality selection so it's often a good place to look and ask about binos!

[Swift]

Go to Betterviewdesired.com for some terrific optics reviews!

[Mike Moss]

You did the right thing by comparing the binoculars yourself. What you see is what counts and not what some book says.

When I compared bioculars at Cabelas I found the Cabelas "Euros" were way too heavy.

The best prices on those Pentax is at Cameraland.

[Jack]

Distortion at the edges is not a positive sign.
Technically, all optics have some, but it shouldn't be visible. If you can see it, stay away from those binoculars, unless you're shopping in the 25$ to 50$ range.
A really first rate pair of binoculars will last a long, long time, so don't scrimp.
26 years ago, it really was difficult to come up with the money I needed to get the binoculars I really wanted. I'm still using them today, and they are still in great condition- even after being dropped out of tree stands twice (don't ask).
So, you're making a long term investment- remember that when you think it costs too much..
The Pentax's get some very good reviews, and they have made good optics for a long time.
Trying them out in person is also a good idea- you may find one that gets great reviews but doesn't feel good in your hands or is hard to work.

[huntinbuddy]

You know i dont know much about binoculars being only 16 i have only been around a few pair. My dad bought me some Winchesters that were 99.99 and they have been great binoculars they are water proof and clear
Just go with your gut on this one

[BILLY D.]

Don't overlook the Minox brand. I have 9,5x42's and they are great. Individual focus eyepieces, good for us old blind folks. They are clear and bright with roof prisms.

Minox was a former Lithuanian optics company prior to ww2 when the German Army commandeered the plant and moved it to Germany. They have been a sister company to Leica since then.

Great glass at affordable prices.