Buying Advice High Power Binoculars

[accordionman]

HELLO,
never heard of 20X70s, but i have a pair of 20X80s, that
i bought many years ago. however you must used these on
a tripod, and it has an adapter for this. they are heavy, and
difficult to use. i prefer my simmons 7X35 wide angle, model
1103. a good all around glass.
good luck to all.
accordionman
wlbrown
wright city, mo.

 

[scoutcub]

Mostly curious, certainly no authority on the subject, as I don't have a quality set of binos right now.
My BIL (and the rest of the family) just bought my FIL a set of Steiner 8X40's for his Bday......we just tried them out after giving them to him, I was very impressed with the clarity and focus at long distances. I could see ground hogs very clearly from 50-200 yards out that I just couldn't even see any movement with the naked eye. They were around $500.
Just curious because....no one has mentioned them yet....? Is Steiner a quality brand? (BIL did the purchasing)

 

[TripleR]

Mostly curious, certainly no authority on the subject, as I don't have a quality set of binos right now.
My BIL (and the rest of the family) just bought my FIL a set of Steiner 8X40's for his Bday......we just tried them out after giving them to him, I was very impressed with the clarity and focus at long distances. I could see ground hogs very clearly from 50-200 yards out that I just couldn't even see any movement with the naked eye. They were around $500.
Just curious because....no one has mentioned them yet....? Is Steiner a quality brand? (BIL did the purchasing)

My father in law had a pair of Steiner binoculars and they were really nice, but I don't know how much he paid.

 

[Scooby074]

Isnt Stiener the current manufacturer for the military's binoculars? I always liked their Commanders. Seemed "reasonably" priced for the product.

 

[EddieWalker]

Just curious because....no one has mentioned them yet....? Is Steiner a quality brand? (BIL did the purchasing)

They are middle of the road. Much better then B&L or any of the cheapy brands. They coatings and seals are good. I've hunted with friends who have them, and they lack light gathering ability compared to Swarvoski or the other high end optiks. I can see animals moving and can tell if they are male or female at a couple hundred yards when my friends with the Steiners couldn't even see anything through his.

You cannot tell what a good pair of optics can do in the store or during the day. You have to be outside at first light to see why they are worth the money. If I can see a bull elk walking across a ridge before the sun is up, and I can watch where he goes to bed down for the day, then I've more then justified spending the money for them. I've done this too many times to count.

I have also used them to see in the dark. I came off a mountain well after dark with just moonlight and the stars to see anything. I knew I was close to my truck, but couldn't see where it was. I used my binoculars and found it off to the side of where I was standing, about a hundred yards. Too far for my flashlight to go, and it was too dark for my eyes to see it, but there was enough light from the moon for me to see it with my Swarvoski Optiks.

It comes down to what you want them for, and how important it is to see as much as you possibly can. If looking at a bird on your porch during the day is what you want, then just about anything will work. If you just hunt during daylight hours, then the middle of the range is very good. If you push it and need the very best, you will pay over a grand for them.

Eddie

 

[Arky217]

Here's my take on binoculars.

I have owned some of the higher price brands, but my current one is made by Simmons; probably cost $20-$40. The Simmons give me as clear a view as any I've ever looked through.

I believe that the main reason for this is that the two halves on the Simmons are right on with being parallel to each other.
I have looked through some expensive binoculars that gave a fuzzy image because they were not quite parallel.

When looking through a pair that seem a little out of whack, try putting a slight pressure with your hands as if you were trying to make the two halves point away from each other, and then in the other direction. If the image changes for the better when any pressure is applied, the pair is out of parallel.

It's kind of like selecting a level. I've seen some expensive levels where the vial was off. Easy to tell, just turn it end for end on the same surface to see if the bubble is different.

A general rule of thumb when selecting a binocular for the optimum amount of light transmission (which makes a big difference in the clarity of what you're viewing) is to choose a pair that has an exit light of at least 5mm to match the opening of your pupil.

Of course, in low light conditions, you pupil opens up to about 7mm, so if you do a lot of viewing in low light conditions, choose accordingly.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

So Davey4000 did you find anything to magnify with yet?

 

[tcreeley]

At a birding convention 5 years ago I tried out a bunch of binocs. The sharpest was the 7x35 leica. After that it was the Bausch Lomb Elite and the Zeiss. The swvarski- nikon, pentax were ok but not for birding, not binocs I would want for birding- good for large animal use or looking across at a landscape - just not sharp through and through. I've birded a lot and like an image with a brilliant clarity, just as sharp on the edge as it is on the inside. I don't want to play around looking to see something. Stationary/tripod allows less clarity than hand held because you can keep looking until you get it- spotting scopes on the ocean, etc.. But for hand held instantaneous viewing I'd go with the Leica, BL Elite, and Zeiss. The others were just not productive for birding- ie why bother to look. I tried them all at the convention, just wanted to see the best that was offered. It doesn't matter to me if it is camo/armored, etc if the image is not just what I want..