Thread: BINO'S Decission

I'm in the market for some new Bino's. About the 1k mark. Narrowed it down to Leupold BX4 Pro guide & Vortex Viper. Both 10x42 HD. Anyone out there got real time experience with either? Both have great warranty,only one comes with chest pack.

I don't rate the Vortex bino harness, if it's the same one as comes with the Diamondback. Better than nothing, but it's uncomfortable and the binos fall out.

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

you could spend half that on good bushnells and would struggle to pick difference in quality,I really rate mine.

@SL600 I rate the leupold bx4 binos. My eyes like them. I can bino for hours with no eye strain etc
Also any issues the guys at Nz Asia are real good to deal with.
The Leupold warranty is worth every cent

+1 for the Leupold BX4 binos - pretty nice Japanese made binos, easy on the eyes, and nice and compact

Look at konus, beat Bushnell hands down in my opinion and less pricy

Nice pair of Sightrons on trademe currently that might fit the bill.

Go to stores where you can try the glass outside, look down the road. Go late in the day at lower light. Compare how different binos work with your eyes. Yes you do need to set them up later for your exact eye line but still worth it. Try as many as you can. Glass is an investment. Yes more expensive brands often have more expensive marketing to cover. But more times than not the glass quality and performance at low light will be worth it. Try some swaros, leupold and zeiss binos. They are worth holding off and saving up for in my view. The amount of times I've spent more upgrading than biting the bullet up front on a quality investment.

You might even be able to pick up some good condition Swaro ELs as there has been a range revision. The Swaro NL Pure are even better but $$$. Some people will ve upgrading so keep an eye out (excuse the pun).

My eyes like the vipers better. Plus I like the no questions asked warranty on vortex gear.

Originally Posted by TimC

My eyes like the vipers better. Plus I like the no questions asked warranty on vortex gear.

You need that warranty on vortex gear.
The pain is you have no binos while they are getting fixed or replace.
Buy once cry once!

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Originally Posted by Snoppernator

Go to stores where you can try the glass outside, look down the road. Go late in the day at lower light. Compare how different binos work with your eyes. Yes you do need to set them up later for your exact eye line but still worth it. Try as many as you can. Glass is an investment. Yes more expensive brands often have more expensive marketing to cover. But more times than not the glass quality and performance at low light will be worth it. Try some swaros, leupold and zeiss binos. They are worth holding off and saving up for in my view. The amount of times I've spent more upgrading than biting the bullet up front on a quality investment.

You might even be able to pick up some good condition Swaro ELs as there has been a range revision. The Swaro NL Pure are even better but $$$. Some people will ve upgrading so keep an eye out (excuse the pun).

I'm not sold on the NL's being "better" than EL's, have owned EL's for quite a few years now, the older model and now the latest WB model and a friend has the NL's, I find zero difference in the quality of the glass however the NL does have a noticeable wider field of view (which is what Swarovski are toting as the "improvement") however I actually don't like the wider field of view as in your mind it just makes you think you're looking at a picture that is further away and I felt myself straining with them, also if you do the "horizon test" with them and look at the horizon out to sea there is noticeably more distortion cramming that wider field of view into the same magnification range

That's really good feedback Ryan. Thanks for that. I've had a bit of new product envy when the Pure's came out, heard they were so much better. But they don't (yet) have a model with the built in range finder. I've got a pair of EL10x and they are great, particularly at last light. It can be dark and I can still see both through the EL and the Z3 scopes. Quality glass makes a difference. Be interesting to compare to the Pures, and wouldn't mind looking at the Sig image stabilising binos (uses software to stabilise the image - good buy tripods). Ah, to be content with what I have.

meopta

Are you sold on buying new? I picked up a second hand pair of Zeiss conquest HD off here a couple of years ago for $800, they work mint for me.

I like my stieners