Best bang for buck mid priced bino
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Bowfreak
17-Jan-18
In your opinion what is the best mid grade optic in say an 8x42/10x42? Take into account performance for cost, warranty and any other factors you find pertinent.
From: Jaquomo
17-Jan-18
Styrka S-7 10x42. Lifetime warranty. Or the Leupold Mojave HD guide. Great glass for a moderate price.
From: Wood
17-Jan-18
According to the guys on optics talk, the Tract Torric is hard to beat.
From: CAS_HNTR
17-Jan-18
I looked at a bunch and just couldn't justify a really pricey pair.......I ended up with a pair of Vortex Diamondbacks. I looked real hard at the Vipers too but I'm a cheap ass.
From: 4blade
17-Jan-18
might be best to put a dollar figure on what mid grade is to you. to me it would be a 1000 dollar bino. Trinovid Hd, Meopta Meostar, Zeiss Conquest,
I would go look through em and see what your eyes like
From: Bowfreak
17-Jan-18
The Mojave HAD is discontinued. The BX4 seems to be a downgrade from the Mojave HD and the BX2 is more costly. I'm curious why no Mojave HD now?
From: Paul@thefort
17-Jan-18
my mid grade bio for me is the 10x42 Nikon Monarch 5. I scratched the lens and they sent me a new pair--no questions asked. Good low light and they work for me under many conditions.
From: jims
17-Jan-18
I would keep my eye open for a top of the line Swaro or Leica almost new on one of the classified sections, Craigslist, Ebay, etc rather than paying the same price for a mediocre bino! It will likely be the only bino you will ever buy. If you use them as much as I use them they are definitely worth every penny!
From: Mrwizard
17-Jan-18
Vortex diamondbacks lifetime warranty and very excellent quality and glass I've had mine for 8 yrs never a issue and price point at 250 for 10 x42 is a excellent value
From: Mrwizard
17-Jan-18
Loom through the swars and the vortex and you won't see a dif for the money. I agree with CAS. I use mine for 3D, hunting just about everything you would use them for they are a excellent product for a quarter of the price of zeiss or swars. You won't be disappointed!!!!!
From: sitO
17-Jan-18
Alpen
From: midwest
17-Jan-18
Vortex. My Razors are 8 years old and I don't have any desire to upgrade. Lifetime warranty.
From: Ben
17-Jan-18
I really like my Leopold Yosemite 8 x 30's and my Barska 10 X42. Both are good binos for the money. I like my Nikon's too.
From: WV Mountaineer
17-Jan-18
Pentax DCF. Money was no object when I traveled 200 miles just to look at optics. I looked at everything Cabela's had 10 years ago. Took 4 hours to do it. Made the optics guy crazy as I'd look at 3 or four pairs, in all sorts of situations, pick the best of those, move on to another 3 pairs or so, and eliminated them down to a pair of Swar's, Lieca's, Zeiss, and these. But, I chose the Pentax's in the end. They simply gathered light better, showed Crisper, and simply displayed a Vivid image. Best thing was back then, they only cost $320. The rest were well into the thousand plus range.
They weren't the lightest, smallest, or ergonomically perfect. But, they aren't bad to carry either. I roll them in an outdoor vision medium harness for reference of size and shape. And, I don't know that I have went to the woods seriously hunting without them since buying them.
Everyone's eyes are different. Glass pedigree is better in a lot of them I'm sure. I'm not saying these are better than the top dollar Night force, Swar.'s or any of the others that some like. But, for me, they are the best I looked through and I have no doubt about that. I've tried replacing them with Cabela's euro models, leupold's, vortex, and Leica. But, I always sell them or return them. I quit trying 3 years ago. It's done as far as I'm concerned. God Bless
From: Thornton
17-Jan-18
I too bought the vortex diamondbacks in 10x42. I compared them to everything else Academy sold and they seemed clearer. I did spot two herds of elk that guide didn't catch with his Swarovskis one time. This said, the Swarovski are much better in low light
From: Buffalo1
17-Jan-18
Buffalo1's Link
Steiner Predator 8x42 or 10x42
From: OkieJ
17-Jan-18
Have the Vortex Diamondbacks 10X42 and the Vipers 10X42. Vipers are better at low light. I have used their warranty and it's what the say.
From: PushCoArcher
17-Jan-18
Another vote for Vortex diamondback 10x42 Leupold make a couple models in the same price range that would be just as good.
From: bad karma
17-Jan-18
Define mid-priced? Some may think it as $250, some $500, some $1000 or more.
From: JakeBrake
18-Jan-18
Just looked thru some vanguard endeavor ED II’s...very impressive. Better than the Zeiss terra ED’s for sure
From: Glunt@work
18-Jan-18
I had pair of the Pentax DCF WP from about 10 years ago like WV Mountaineer. They were fantastic. A few years later they were ran over the current version had changed.
From: Bou'bound
18-Jan-18
10x42 Nikon Monarch 5.
From: Trial153
18-Jan-18
Zeiss conquest HD
From: Charlie Rehor
18-Jan-18
Take a look at the Maven’s from Wyoming.
From: ELKMAN
18-Jan-18
You need a price point to make this thread effective. To me mid would be 1K. If that is the case I would look hard at the Meoptas and steer clear of the Vortex options. Mavens and Cabelas upper end are some other very good ones to look at.
From: longspeak74
18-Jan-18
Another vote for the Nikon Monarch, that's mid-range for me.
From: drycreek
18-Jan-18
More questions than answers now ! I agree with putting a $ figure on it. Mid-grade to you might be high-grade to me, but I like my Nikons also. 8x42 bowhunting and 10x42 gun hunting (or antelope hunting). Actually could get by with the 8x42s all the time.
From: yooper89
18-Jan-18
Vortex Diamondbacks. Price point, warranty, and overall value. I picked up a pair this summer from one of my vendors and haven't looked back.
From: Bowfreak
18-Jan-18
Actually......not putting a dollar figure on it is more helpful to me. I am interested what others see as mid priced or mid grade binos. I think it is a perfect example as to where some put preference on a certain piece of gear that others don't.
From: Scar Finga
18-Jan-18
I really like the Vortex Razor 12x50. Awesome glass for the money, and in my opinion, the best warranty in the industry! These are upper mid priced. If you can through down the coin, just buy Swaros or Leicas and be done with it.
From: bighorn
18-Jan-18
Vortex great product for price. Great warranty!
From: Trial153
18-Jan-18
Vortex needs a great warranty because more then likely you have to use it. Mid priced to me is about 1000. The only two Binos in that price range that I think are worth it are the Lecia trinovid or the ziess conquest HD’s. If can step up a bit I think the swaro SLCs are worth the increase to.
From: APauls
18-Jan-18
In the $1,000 range I landed with Cabelas Euros which are essentially Meopta's. Outstanding. Selling my Swaro 10x42 EL's.
From: Kodiak
18-Jan-18
I think there's a lot of good mid priced glass these days.
Nikon would be my choice, they've been around for a long time.
From: SBH
18-Jan-18
I'd skip the mid price. If your going to spend that much I'd rather save more and wait tell I could buy the best. I had the low range, then bumped up to the mid range, then finally the high end. Over 10 years I've bought 4 binos........I could have saved a lot of money on the front buy just waiting a little longer and getting the best ones out the gate and be done with it.
From: Brotsky
18-Jan-18
Low grade to me is under $500, mid range around $1000, and high end is anything north of that. I like the Meopta Mesostar's in the mid-range. I'm at the lower end I run Vortex and have no complaints. My buddy's Meopta's are much better though in low light.
From: wkochevar
18-Jan-18
For $5-600 you can get a pair of Vipers and they will perform great for 95% of all yours and everyone's needs, and YES that is mid -priced. I will say though that there is a BIG difference between those and the high end Swaro's, etc. I never could really tell that big of a difference testing them in the stores and or outside mid day, but this past fall in BC at first light I could not believe the difference between my Vipers and the guide Swaro's in light gathering and crispness in those conditions....not even close and that is what you pay the big $ for. That said, I love my Vipers and probably will never upgrade
From: Buck Watcher
18-Jan-18
Buck Watcher's Link
I ditched the bino for a good monocular a few years back. Many times I would close one eye anyway. I am just a bowhunter and living the woods of the north, seeing more than 100 yards is far. They are very good glass, have a clip for belt/pack. Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42 - about $200 now. I have a Zeiss bino ($600) that misses most of my hunting, especially if I am hunting a tree stand. I have a Vortex monocular ($100) and it not close in quality.
From: ohiohunter
18-Jan-18
There is a very fine line between some "mid" range and high end binos, for most it is very hard to justify the difference in cost. Now if you spend 200+ days afield and have to determine if a bull or buck is XYZ score for your clients $12k hunt from 1500yds away, then you may see things differently.
WKO, do you think those Swaros give you $2k worth the improvement? Yes you said they are better, but again are the $2k better?
From: jmiller
18-Jan-18
I really like my Vortex Diamondbacks. If I lived in the West and used them a lot of long distance glassing I may use something different, but for mostly tree stand whitetail hunting they work fine.
From: Bowfreak
18-Jan-18
I'll never own anything above mid grade glass. It is not a priority to me. I hunt mostly deer and go out west to hunt elk and antelope. I don't need to count points on elk, just know they are elk. At this point I probably would spend $600-$700 max even though I realize that just gets you in something like a Viper. In reality I think $350 binos are more than I need.
From: wild1
18-Jan-18
Another vote for the Nikon Monarch 10x42 (ATB), or 5. Very good value at $300.
From: wyobullshooter
18-Jan-18
I have 12x50 Vortex Diamondbacks that I use for turkey hunting and 3D shoots, and 10x42 Vortex Vipers that I use for elk. They both serve their purpose great for what and where I hunt. If I did a lot of glassing, such as sheep and open country muley's, I'd guess that would most likely change.
From: midwest
18-Jan-18
"Vortex needs a great warranty because more then likely you have to use it."
That hasn't been my experience at all. What problems did you have with your Vortex?
From: greg simon
18-Jan-18
I bought my 13 year old son a pair of Vortex Diamondback 10x42's for Christmas. I think they were around $240. Not what I consider mid-range binos, but for the money I think they are great. For what its worth I use Swarovski optics and I have no plans to change!
From: FF
18-Jan-18
Vortex Viper 12x50 HD Best pair of binocs I've ever owned. End of story...
From: South Farm
18-Jan-18
Vortex Diamondbacks. Got mine after reading Birdforums reviews. Those birders know their glass and if they recommend them you know they're good binocs!
From: WapitiBob
18-Jan-18
Hunting partner bought the cabelas Euros on sale last year, just bought the same power Swaro's. He's young with stellar eyesight and says the Swaro "may" give him 5 more minutes in the evening but that's the only difference he has seen. Using them side/side on tripods looking for sheds.
From: huntabsarokee
18-Jan-18
Lots of good options today compared to 5 years ago. My vote goes to the Nikon Monarch 7 for around $500. I really like the Cabelas Euros and when they go on sale for around $800 or so they are a great bargain.
From: wkochevar
18-Jan-18
Hard to believe, but I would have walked right by this at about 200 yards
Hard to believe, but I would have walked right by this at about 200 yards
Ohio...to answer your question for me and my purposes? No, the difference does not warrant an additional $2,000, but as you stated, for those guys that depend on counting rings on a ram or having to really narrow down a score of an animal, or just depend on them to make a living, I would say absolutely! To go back to my example, in BC, my guide and myself were glassing a hillside well before legal shooting time across a lake. He gets up motions to be quiet and to follow...I'm just thinking OK, time to move. We sneak up a low ridge and he sits down and motions me to do the same....still pretty dark out and 15 minutes before legal. I'm glassing and glassing hard for several minutes when he leans over to me and whispers "175 yards"....I'm like, "what are you talking about, 175 yards?" He hands me his ranging swaros and it took about 2 secs for that bull moose to pop into my vision.... I couldn't believe it. drop the glass it was just a real dark smudge on the hillside and not clear enough from my Vipers to discern what is was either. I would have walked right on by it. That's when I was convinced that there is good glass, AND THEN THERE IS VERY GOOD GLASS! The value to someone is a personal decision
From: Shawn
18-Jan-18
Depends what mid range means to you. If you want to spend around $500 then a pair of Steiners in several models is hard to beat. Shawn
From: Kurt
19-Jan-18
Charlie X 2 on the Maven Binos from the WY company of the same name. I use Swarovision 10 x 42 EL, Leica Ultravid 8 x 32 (Pre-HD) but in studying the Maven line-up at the sheep show Thursday (friend needs binos) I’d give a thumbs up to the lower priced C1 or mid price B1 and B2. I especially liked the optics on the B2 11 x 45. At 33 ounces they compare to my Swaro 10 x 42 EL weight wise and from the indoor test, are dang fine optically, and and interesting power and objective lens size.
Maven is following the KUIU line of direct marketing with no store front. They will ship to your door with a return if dis-satisfied. Good luck with your choice!
From: 7mm08
19-Jan-18
Don't rule out the Burris Signature HD. I bought a pair for western hunts and they are great. Great price too.
From: Elkhuntr
19-Jan-18
i have owned and tried a lot over the years. recently I was disappointed with zeiss conquest HD. I learned that what may be best for my eyes, may not be the same for someone else. for me, the vortex razor hd's are better than the zeiss conquest, and for about the same price. I don't see a difference between the razor's and swaro's or leica's.
I also thought the zeiss terra line was better than their conquest line of binos.
sightron makes an 8x32 open bridge style called the blue sky II. it sells for $200-$300, and is good glass for the price point. I used them this past season on a mule deer hunt in Montana. I wished I had better but, they were adequate at the time.
I have owned and tried numerous leupold glass over the years, to include both bino's and scopes. their glass just doesn't work for me, for whatever reason. I always found a competitor's model to be better.
overall size and weight are important to me. we are lucky to have so many good choices.
From: wolverine
20-Jan-18
Leupold Acadia, great glass for the price!
