Contributors to this thread:
I realize the last thing we need here is another Bino thread, but here I am to start another one anyway. I live And hunt in Michigan’s UP, which is not exactly open country for those of you who haven’t been there. I’m looking to buy my first pair of serious binoculars to use primarily for whitetail and turkey hunting/scouting. I decided on 8x42 and was originally planning to spend under $400. I have access to pro deal discounts for vortex, zeiss, and Leica. Even with reduced prices most of the Leica and zeiss are well over my budget. So I was trying to decided between the Maven C1 ($325) or the Zeiss terra ED ($359) or the vortex viper HD ($383). After some thought I’m not sure if shouldn’t reach a little more and get the Leica trinovid HD ($660).
I’m mostly looking for opinions on the models listed above if any of you guys have handled them. I know you get what you pay for. I generally don’t have a problem paying for good gear, just ask my wife. It’s the whole “buy once, cry once” mentality that has me considering the Leicas. I would be open to other recommendations. I was looking into styrkas but was having trouble finding them with the features and price to compete with the others after the discounts. I tried my cousin’s vortex diamondbacks at low light last weekend and wasn’t too impressed. Thanks in advance.
I bought a pair of maven B1 this last fall. Without going into all the fancy-smancy technological terms for alpha glass optical quality, I can tell you that they are very nice in feel, and image. I've looked through all the binos and was set on a pair of used swaro ELs for about $1500, but when offered the Maven for $700 (practically new) I had to try try them. So far I can't see how the used swaro are worth twice as much. I will definitely be getting my wife a pair of the B3 8x30. Good luck, optics shopping is always fun.
Small world ground hunter, I’m in iron river. I also know mike at hardcore. I grew up a few miles down the road from the Pelletier’s. I looked into 8x32, I like the idea of smaller binos. But I kind of wanted something a little more versatile.
I have a 20 year old pair of 8x32 Leica Trinovids and they are awesome. I dropped them out of a tree and bent the hinge/frame so bad they wouldn’t even move. Leica fixed them for free. They are still my go to glass for everything except the wide open country out west. Well worth the extra money IMO, especially if you can get them in the $600 range you mentioned...
Get on ebay and buy a pair of used Swarovski 8 X 30. Once you receive them send them into SONA in Cranston, RI. They will go thru them and fix anything that needs attention.
Sometimes they do it for free. If they do charge you it is usually $150.00 max.
Link is for a pair that's on there now. Keep an eye on the listings last pair I bought was $400.00.
