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What I’ve Learned..

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mwyates View Drop Down
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    Posted: May/15/2006 at 10:14
A few months ago I boought a pair of Leupold Katmai 6X32.  I was impressed at first by their brightness, contrast, and sharpness.  After using them a few months, I'm even more impressed.  What I've learned that surprised me is that I prefer 6X binoculars to 8X in almost every situation.  I am in East Texas, so I'm not using them at 500 yards, but I often use them at 250 or so.  I've spent a lot of time comparing them to Pentax DCF SP 8X43 and Swarovski 8.5X42.  The image from the Swarovski is occasionally better, but in every case, I preferred 6X.  This including birds in full sunlight to deer at 250yds at dark.  I've always liked 6X binoculars for bowhunting, but I never realized they were better for everything else.  They are easier to use, work great with my glasses, focus easier, are smaller and lighter, and don't give up anything in marginal conditions.  The Pentax's are gone.  I can't sell the Swaros; they belong to my brother  
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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/15/2006 at 11:39

There is a lot to be said about lower magnification binoculars.  The binoculars I use the most are 7x40.

 

ILya

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mwyates View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mwyates Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/15/2006 at 12:10

7X binoculars used to be "it".  Zeiss rubber armored 7X42's were the first really good pair I ever looked through.  7X50's were common.  When did somebody decide that 8X or even 10X was better?  One thing that I forgot to mention above was the greater the viewing distance, the smaller the noticeable difference between 6X and 8X.  This was another surprise.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/15/2006 at 13:32
I feel the same about a pair of Steiner Whitetail's in 6x30 that I have had for quite some time. You can use them with one hand. Great for thick stuff when I hunt for whiteails in the East.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Stud Duck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/17/2006 at 07:23
Good deal yates....I believe we all get caught up in the bigger is better mindset in everything. Just look at some of the cars that are on the road. I've always kinda liked a lower magnification binocular, but I've never went below 7x or 8x.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crispycritter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/06/2006 at 03:58

mwyates,are you still liking the little 6x Katmais ? Can you give a little more detail on the "deer at 250yds at dark" ?

 

We have a 30 min. after sunset and a 3 point rule where I hunt.Would they be up to the task ?

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FrankD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FrankD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/06/2006 at 06:47
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:

There is a lot to be said about lower magnification binoculars.  The binoculars I use the most are 7x40.

 

ILya

 

I tend to agree. My "go to" binoculars now are the 7x42 Leica Trinovids. I use an 8x version and the 8x Meoptas but tend to pick up the 7x more often when I am unsure of the conditions I am going to run into.

 

Back at the beginning of archery I was using the 6x30 Leupold Yosemites and was reasonably impressed by their performance for that application. They are a great glass for that price. I wish Leupold would come out with just a slightly higher quality version potentially with ED glass and maybe an internal focus design like that of the Cascade porros.

Frank
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucznik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/06/2006 at 16:11
Originally posted by FrankD FrankD wrote:

Back at the beginning of archery I was using the 6x30 Leupold Yosemites and was reasonably impressed by their performance for that application. They are a great glass for that price. I wish Leupold would come out with just a slightly higher quality version potentially with ED glass and maybe an internal focus design like that of the Cascade porros.

 

Of course, all of these things (if implemented,) would result in the binocular costing more, which kind of defeats its primary purpose for existing in the first place.

What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FrankD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/07/2006 at 06:54
Originally posted by lucznik lucznik wrote:

Originally posted by FrankD FrankD wrote:

Back at the beginning of archery I was using the 6x30 Leupold Yosemites and was reasonably impressed by their performance for that application. They are a great glass for that price. I wish Leupold would come out with just a slightly higher quality version potentially with ED glass and maybe an internal focus design like that of the Cascade porros.

 

Of course, all of these things (if implemented,) would result in the binocular costing more, which kind of defeats its primary purpose for existing in the first place.

 

True, if the purpose for buying them was low cost. I was looking at it more from the perspective of compactness and the 6x magnification.

Frank
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jonbravado View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonbravado Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/07/2006 at 07:24

yep - 7x50 fujinons here - very bright, very stable image.

 

J

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mwyates View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mwyates Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/07/2006 at 07:48
I've used the 6X32 Katmais a lot since October 1.  I take them when I'm hunting in the woods, which is most of the time.  They have been great.  I haven't felt like I needed more power or more light.  It's gets dark quite a bit earlier in the woods; there doesn's seem to be that lingering light that is in fields or right-of-ways.  I just gets dark quickly.  In open areas, I'm able to hunt about 20 minutes longer.  I've been taking my Nikon Premier SE 8X32's.  Next week, I'll have a pair of Minox HG 8.5X52 to try out.  This late in the season around here, the rut is mostly over, and if you see a good deer in an open area it's going to be right at dark.  They still come out earlier in the woods.
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