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im just wondering if there are brands / models to avoid or are really good, im looking for 10x42 and want something with a decent garrentee, vortex and highend bushnell have garrentees where even if its your own fault they fix them anyway ( apparently no questions asked ) has anyone had problems with warranty claims?
thanks
My Bushnell Legend ultra HDs I had a few years back fogged up on the inside and they wouldn't honour the warranty, told me they had "been abused" yet there's not a Mark on them, I still have them sitting here in my hot water cupboard a few years later and they look great but as soon as the temperature changes they fog up again.
Funnily enough I'm now using the new model legend HDs because I got a good deal on them, great glass for the money but I wouldn't rush out and buy them as my first choice.
Had very good after sales service from Minox and will look at buying them again when money allows
I can vouch for Steiner, awesome back up, I bought a pair from a Cash Converters in South Africa when on holiday, brought them back here and the diopter was playing up, took them to H&F who sent them to the agents and they were immediately replaced with a brand spanking pair, no questions asked!
i see in the latest h & f mag they advertise bushnell new "yes " warrantty, what are they like in low light? ledgend hd verses minox?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst
I have had excellent back up from both Minox and Bushnell, but from the companies themselves, NOT the NZ distributors.
As for Brands/models. Depends n how much you want to spend. Also google Binocular reviews. Some interesting reading there.
I wouldn't put much between the two, both are very good glass for the money, even @sambnz who uses Leica Geovids had a look through them as we sat spotting chamois on Friday evening and seemed suitably impressed, fair comment Sam?
As far as warranty issues I had a lot better experience with my minox binos though, they took a bit of a dive off a bluff and the two sides wouldn't focus in unison, sent to minox in Germany and they were back in my mailbox a few weeks later all refurbished.
Another negative for Bushnell. Ampro (nz agent) are a bunch of wankers. I had a set of ledgend HDs that had the eye cup call off. Again they said they had been abused when they hadnt even been on a hunting trip. The most extensive thing they had done was at the range. They fixed them but not without calling me a liar and saying they are doing it out of good will. When they came back "repaired" i checked them with the team at Hunt Fish. The same eye cup fell off in store in the guys hand at the counter.
Long story short: dont touch bushnell - nor deal with crap agents who over charge and provide a horrible service like Ampro
T
More than suitably impressed. They were bloody gold for the money. Slightly different colouring to the lenses which I think actually helped make the Chamois "pop" a bit more than the geovids on last light. Really impressed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst
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I spent quite a bit of time at last years Sika show looking at various bino's from bottom end to top end in terms of name and pricing.
While my review was only subjective, and based on what I would see in the distance from the vendor stands [so low light comparisons were not possible, but clarity, brightness, colour fringing etc all were], I came to the following conclusions:
1. there is some silly money to be spent out there!
2. some of the high end models were actual some of the worst optically, particularly with colour fringing
3. excluding the very bottom end junk, the mid range binos are actually very good
4. ergonomics of the different brand/models can make a world of difference to your viewing comfort during long glassing sessions. What fits someone else, may not fit you. Test the binos for fit before you hand over your money.
5. after looking at everything on offer at the Sika show, I would have laid my money on the Leupold counter. Bang for buck, you could easy buy 2-3 pairs of Leupold's for the price of the top end offerings and lost nothing optically [...... now patiently waiting for the barrage of flaming comments from high end bino owners who have spent big money on their glass ....... :burnt:]
The leupold warrant is as good as anyone's out there in the market.
Just to add qualification to my comments while grabbing the fire extinguisher, I own binos from Leica, Nikon, Canon and Vortex. I really look after my gear, so things get used, but not abused. I have never had to return a scope or a bino for repair in my 35 years of hunting.
so @hotbarrels how do you rate vortex against leica ( the best binos ive ever looked through were $1000 worth and theres no point me looking at anything above that because i cant afford them anyway haha )
I have a pair of Lecia Ultravid 10x25 which are my go to light carry bino's. They were $1,000 when I bought them from Reloaders. I see they are currently $1,189 Leica Ultravid 10x25 Black Line - Binoculars - Optics - Reloaders Supplies Ltd
For me the form, fit and optics are excellent for such a small package, and I couldn't find anything in the market that beat them at the time. Minox were more expensive and by my eyes were not as good optically. The will fit in the top pocket of my polar fleece top or rain coat.
The Vortex are the Diamondback 10x42. I bought these just recently for rabbit spotting in the hills for my 12yr old because he was hogging my Lecia's. They were bought sight unseen, were low cost and I want expecting great things. They are actually quite nice, and at the moment I would say they are value for money [they will be getting their first work out in a week's time as we will be spending 5 days hunting rabbits in the hills]. That said, if I hadn't purchased them prior to the sika show last year, I would probably put the money towards a pair of Leupold's.
One criticism of the pair I have is that the focus adjustment is a bit stiff in places, and a bit mushy in others. Not up to Leupold's standard.
If you check on bushnells website you will find that warranty is only applicable in usa and canada. H and f should not be advertising it unless they intend to honour it themselves.Quote:
Originally Posted by birch
+1 about Ampro. Bushnell on the other hand are great to deal with. If you have any issues go straight to their customer service department in the States.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcche171
ampro have always been good to deal with in my experience
however this question is a bit open ended , what is your $$ budget?
Thats standard with most nz distributors. Thats the local support that you pay extra for. You are better off importing and sending back to the retailer in the states for warrenty work.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcche171
budget is $1000, well budget is really $500 but if i was to get something substainaly better then i would go upto a grand
leupold warranty seems to take 10weeks plus. I was told vortex had a very good service but haven't had any personal experience myself
I read a lot into binos in roughly your price range and about everything I tried to compare with the vortex vipers were never rated as good. They seemed to have a lot of awards for best in there price range as well. Unfortunately couldn't find any in nz at the time but could import them from camera land for $600 ish on a demo model, which would be worth it even after import tax as they retail at about $1000 here. Ended up with a pair of minox BL and they are excellent.
I have vortex vipers and they're very good. H&f have them for i think 1100. Reloaders could probably get a pair. I got mine from Broncos in Tauranga. Only paid 800 about two years ago.
I bought some bushnell legends off trade me for $300 and they do everything I want. I haven't tried anything else to compare them to mind you.
IMO i would go to a local store and try them out, see what your eyes like.
in Q4 of 2016 I tried Steiner predators, Bushnell legends and Elite HDs, as well as leupy BX-3s. My budget was $1000.
took about 2 hours to see what my eyes liked, funnily enough i went there with the intent of getting the Predators but my eyes didn't agree. i was however fond of the Elites and BX-3s.
in the end just went with the BX-3s as i wasn't convinced by the Bushnell warranty + the store seemed to push them to much for my liking (like they just wanted to get rid of them).
my previous binos were vortex diamondbacks.
BTW i imported from the states got them for $498 to my door. Stoked!
I was talking to a bloke the other day about scopes & warranties I settled on a meopta it has a 10 year warrantee so I asked why don't they have a lifetime one like some of the other brands & was told its a European thing seemly it was questioned whats a lifetime is it the lifetime of the person buying it or the product what if its sold etc etc so now the EU trade union set it at 10 years ..just thought id mention it.iv had 2 pares of cascades over the last 10/15 years found them very good but the eye cups have both fallen out of the set I have now seemly I can get a new set if I send them away but don want to be without binos for a couple of months.
Leupold cascades are nice for the money in your price range at around 5-600 bucks.
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keep an eye on open box specials on camerlandNY and specials on optics planet something may come up that saves you a few $ but factor in customs. Zeiss Terra and Nikon Monarch 7 are another couple that could be considered for under 1K I would be tempted by the tract toric HD sold direct from the manufacturer they seem to have reviewed very well.
My best value for money find has definitely been a pair of Steiner ultra sharp safaris ( in the bigger form factor) from top gear.
I've been a bit hard on bino's and a bit of a budget recently so didn't want to spent too much money but after trying @northdudes ones I couldn't not buy a pair. For under $ 350 when I bought them mid last year.
They have a ability to stack the image so it almost looks 3D that has reall helped me with spotting game - they just stand out! It also allows you to sequntially scan different depth of field in your scan so I think I'm more disciplined in my scanning.
Well worth a look in my book!
Nikon or Canon, camera lens makers know a thing or two about optics
This is a very good review and ranking site. Binoculars rankings - 10x42 - AllBinos.com
I have a pair of the Vangaurd. They are excellent value and have a "lifetime" warranty. For the money, hard to fault.
A really good retailer is Jacobs on the North Shore, Auckland.
The comments on this review at the bottom are why I went with Conquest HD's 10X42 a while back $800 open box special from camerlandny Carl Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42 - binoculars review - AllBinos.com More than a grand landed but I really like them.
Link to warranty with models covered in New Zealand.http://http://ampro.co.nz/bushnell/warranty/index.htm
Couldn't see how to edit the post - fixed link here...
Yes, that's covered!
thanks for the ifo guys, ive settled for $350 vortex crossfires after all that , i cant beleve how good they are let alone the price, cheers for all your comments