Binoculars

[Gem99ultra]

Nikon monarchs are made in china now?Glad I bought mine about 6 years ago,mine are made in japan.

Dang! I was all set to order the Nikon Monarc's and you've shattered my dream Maybe that's why they've gone down a hundred dollars since Travelover bought them? Here's what I found on Amazon:

Nikon 7548 Monarch 7 All Terrain Fog and Waterproof Binocular with 8X Magnification and 42-Millimeter Objective Lens, Black Finish
by Nikon
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List Price: $849.00
Price: $396.95 & FREE Shipping. Details

So, while the Monarch 7's look like the best deal so far, I think I'll do some hands-on shopping first. Thanks!

 

[coobie]

Dang! I was all set to order the Nikon Monarc's and you've shattered my dream Maybe that's why they've gone down a hundred dollars since Travelover bought them? Here's what I found on Amazon:

Nikon 7548 Monarch 7 All Terrain Fog and Waterproof Binocular with 8X Magnification and 42-Millimeter Objective Lens, Black Finish
by Nikon
----------------------------------------------------------------
List Price: $849.00
Price: $396.95 & FREE Shipping. Details

So, while the Monarch 7's look like the best deal so far, I think I'll do some hands-on shopping first. Thanks!

Sorry about that.Like I stated before I love my Nikon monarchs but the Pentax DCF models with the Phase coated roof prism lens have much more clarity.

 

[bullbreaker]

Bass Pro had some kind of special and or promo, anyhow one of my sons and I bought these Leupold BX-2 Acadia Binoculars
for $145 plus tax. We each bought one. They usually sell for $230 plus tax. We liked and still do how they perform and thought at that price it was a no brainer ! This was purchased at FT MYER'S FL store (Estero) and not on-line.

 

[coobie]

Dang! I was all set to order the Nikon Monarc's and you've shattered my dream Maybe that's why they've gone down a hundred dollars since Travelover bought them? Here's what I found on Amazon:

Nikon 7548 Monarch 7 All Terrain Fog and Waterproof Binocular with 8X Magnification and 42-Millimeter Objective Lens, Black Finish
by Nikon
----------------------------------------------------------------
List Price: $849.00
Price: $396.95 & FREE Shipping. Details

So, while the Monarch 7's look like the best deal so far, I think I'll do some hands-on shopping first. Thanks!

I see that model Monarch 7 has the phase coated roof prism.IMHO that's one heck of a buy.

 

[Tollster]

I used my Cabelas points and Got a pair of 8 X 42 Steiner Peregrine years back, but there was another pair I had it narrowed down to, Canon 10X30 IS, I found them a year later on sale at gun shop for 239.00, so I got them immediately.
I actually use them more than the Steiners.

The image stabilization is very nice, I use them mostly for Wildlife viewing, birds and such, and an occasional sporting event. The Canon glass is crisp from center to the edge, and they use the same coatings you find on the camera lenses.

B&H has them for 479.00

 

[Fossil Farm]

A good pair of binocs. will last a lifetime. I like lightweight for hiking and hunting, weighing less than about 12 ounces is best. Easy to carry and you can keep them up to your eye for longer periods of time. 8 power to 10 power works best for me. The larger the objective lens (lens pointing away from you) the more light can be pulled into the glass. 40 years ago, I purchased a pair of Tasco 8x20 which weigh less than 10 ounces. They still work great today, but Tasco quality is not what it used to be. I recently purchased a pair of Nikon Aculon A-30's, 10x25, weighing less than 10 ounces and they are excellent. They are multicoated, which helps with both light and glare. I believe they are waterproof too. Best part, they were in the 70 to 80 dollar range. Most of the very cheap binocs will go bad the first time you bump them. The glass moves and goes out of sync and you get "double vision." While you may want cheap, do not go real cheap or you will be buying another pair very soon.

Most of the regular size binocs (40 mm diameter or larger objective lens) will weigh 20 ounces or more. Many of the online retailers like Cabela's and Gander Mountain usually have buying guides to give you a decent amount of information on what is important in a good pair of binocs. Good luck on your purchase.

 

[BethelHntr]

I bought swarovski slc 10x42's a few years back and can say they are by far the best glass I have put my eyes to, I used them for elk hunting but have since given it up.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Bought a Sears 10x50 about 30 years ago, still work fine. Pretty sure they were made by Bushnell. We used them a lot for a long time. Still keep them in the truck but these days they seem too big and heavy to hike with. When we retired and started doing some camping, I bought a Zeiss 8x32 for birdwatching and hiking. Pricey but very clear and lightweight.

 

[MortalWombat]

Besides wildlife watching and sporting events, don't discount the use of binoculars for amateur astronomy. You'd be amazed at what you can see on a clear night with just binoculars. Take a look at the moon through them if you haven't before and be amazed.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm a bit of an optics snob and consider the quality of glass to be more important then the rifle or caliber used when hunting. If you are spending thousands of dollars on a hunt, and sometimes several weeks of your life out there, you don't want to rely on poor quality glass. I have Swarvorski 10x50 binoculars and on my .338 win mag, I have a 1.5-6 Swarvoski scope and on my 30-06 a Zeiss scope. Add Leica to that list and those are about the best you can get. In most daylight, fair weather conditions, you will never realize how good European glass is. But when the temps change 50 degrees, from warm to freezing, from wet to rough, and in low light, nothing compares.

For just watching wildlife and hunting where you live, or maybe a trip to someplace where you don't have a lot of money involved, look at just about any of the camera brands. They are the best bang for the money and you get some very clear glass.

Never buy anything for under $200. Those are all junk and not worth what you pay for them. A good pair of optics will last decades. You will be able to look through them for hours and hours without fatigue or eye strain. For most people, 10x power is all they can hold steady without a rest. A few people can handle 12x power, but that's rare. 8x power will always be more steady, and if you get a large lense, you are in theory supposed to be able to gather more light and be able to see later into the evening and earlier in the morning. A buddy of mine bought the same model Swarvoski binoculars that I have in 8x56 because of this rating, but out in the field, we where both able to spot deer well after dark, count points and evaluate them. His where heavier and mine had higher magnification, which allowed me to see points on a rack that he couldn't. When using his, I couldn't see all the points on those bucks either. He returned them and got the same as mine.

Don't buy from Cabela's or any of the big hunting stores. Go look at them, compare and read reviews, but then once you find the brand and model that you want, go to Amazon and get a price there. Then search online for a better price. Amazon almost always beats the big stores, and sometimes you can find a better price from somewhere else, other times, Amazon is the best.

Eddie