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Best Buy for $250 |
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Slick
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/29/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Posted: January/29/2008 at 13:36 |
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Any suggestions on what the best bang for the buck would be for the $250 price range? I am purchasing a scope for $600-$700, and just can't afford to spend that much for Binoculars as well. I would like to get something around the 8X42 or 10X42, somewhere in that range. thanks in advance for your responses!
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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These are pretty good, I checked them out in a store the other day and was impressed. They are not up to par comparing them to some good Euro glass but for the price they looked pretty good.
http://www.swfa.com/c-2130-vortex-diamondback-binoculars.aspx |
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anweis
Optics Master Joined: January/29/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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go to fleabay,
and find a Celestron Regal LX 8x42 for $170. Those binoculars originally sold for $500. They are stunningly sharp from edge to edge, very bright even in low light, excellent binoculars, and are covered by no fault warranty. Made in Japan.
I have a pair, and they are light and well ballanced, excellent quality.
The only differences between them and a pair of Zeiss or Swarovski are
1. the field of view is less
2. they have a bit more color fringing in bright light, but not too much.
Celestron appears to have discontinued them, and they are now on sale.
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Slick
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/29/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Thanks for the info, I will check them out.
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mwyates
Optics Master Joined: June/15/2004 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1196 |
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I'd change your budget. You're getting close to $1000 for a scope and binocs. Spend $450 on a scope and $550 on binocs. I use my binoculars about 50 times as much as I use a scope.
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No man on his deathbed ever said "I wish I'd made more money".
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Bird Watcher
Optics Master Joined: August/30/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1523 |
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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+1
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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anweis
Optics Master Joined: January/29/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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What lucznik and mywates suggest is actually wise. You will use you binoculars waaaaay more than your spotting scope.
Still, the Celestron Regal LX 8x42 is in the Minox/Kahles/Pentax $500 class and much better than, say, Leupold Pinnacles.
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12VMan
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/10/2008 Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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I can't find these any cheaper than $348? I would love to buy 2 pair, but not at that price.
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Bird Watcher
Optics Master Joined: August/30/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1523 |
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I sent you a PM. |
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12VMan
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/10/2008 Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Just got it, thanks! Not sure why that did not show up in my search this morning.
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Klamath
Optics Master Joined: May/20/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1308 |
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Slick,
I'm one more vote for reversing your budget. Get at least a $500 binocular. For this price there is nothing better than a Vortex Viper. Never used one but they are sure clear enough to try, look at the Vortex Viper line of scopes. You will use the binocular far more than you will use the scope. You will buy a much better $250 rifle scope than a $250 binocular. If you still insist on more scope than binocular,is the Nikon Monarch series or Vortex Diamondbacks (a little less than the Nikon), and are a pretty usable binoculars. Another option is the Leupold Yosemite porro binoculars at about $100.
Steve
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Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron |
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Slick
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/29/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Thanks for all the input, I did adjust my budget a little bit. I put an order in for the Leupold® Wind River® Cascade Series Bino 10-42. I looked through them at the store and was very impressed with the clarity and the fit/feel of them. They were about $320. There are so many choices out there in this price range, I don't really know if I made good decision or not.
If anyone has had any negative experience with these please let me know, I have not received them, because the store was out of stock. So I can always send them back, or just not pick them up, as I have not paid for them yet.
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Bird Watcher
Optics Master Joined: August/30/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1523 |
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Slick,
Look for my PM. |
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medic52
Optics Professional Joined: October/05/2006 Location: Missouri Status: Offline Points: 893 |
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The next pair I buy will be alot better, I spent more on the scope than the Bino's should of spent 500-600 on each, oh well lesson learned. My wife enjoys the Leupold Mesa 10x50 to look at birds in the back yard. I am saving up for a new pair now. So for about 750.00 is all I can REALLY afford to spen what would you look at? Thanks guys.... |
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"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." G.K. Chesterton
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DAVE44
Optics Journeyman Joined: November/11/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 652 |
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For $750.00 Ive been told the new VORTEX RAZOR is the one to look at. I am thinking about buying some Vortex Viper for around $500.00. I have no experience with either but the reviews are very good. Vortex have a great lifetime warranty.
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Bird Watcher
Optics Master Joined: August/30/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1523 |
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I agree with Dave44, start with the Vortex Razor/Viper models and do some comparisons.
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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The Leupold Gold Ring HD typically sells for $750. The non-HD version can still be found for under $600. Leupold Pinnacles sell for under $500.
Refurb Bushnell Elites can be found for under $500. Vortex does seem to be getting a lot of really good press lately - at least their binoculars do. Personally, I found the Razors to be a bit too big for me but, they were very nice otherwise. |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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You could have bought this same binocular for $280 from SWFA, saving yourself $40. That would be enough motivation for me to cancel my order. In this price range you also would really be better off getting the 8x42 version. 10x is really hit-and-miss (mostly miss) in budget class optics. Not only will you get better optics with the 8x but you'll save even more $$$. Edited by lucznik - February/23/2008 at 10:55 |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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Dolphin
Optics Master Joined: October/05/2006 Location: North Carolina Status: Offline Points: 1795 |
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Personally, imo, I do not believe you need to change your budget at all. One of the most under appreciated pair of binos is the Olympus Magellan EXWP I, roof prisms, phase corrected, water proof and made in Japan. They are 10x42. I have owned a pair for almost 2 years and they have accompanied me bear hunting on multiple occasions. Tough terrain and dense woods to scope which is much more demanding of a bino than that of flat long distance scoping were resolution is of primary importance. I have directly compared these to many high end expensive binos and can either tell no difference or thought the Olympus binos were better. The color rendition is uncanny and the clarity is perfect from edge to edge. There is no significant color/chromatic distortion and the depth of field for any given focus point seems deeper than other binos, which when scoping woods, is important. They are built tough and I have not had a problem with them at all. List price is 389, but I just did a check for medic52 and found them as low as 169.95, may be gray market, but around 200 or a little more should get you a USA pair easily. I would not trade them for any other pair even up. Where I hunt, binos take alot of abuse and invariably somebody forgets them and asks to use yours. I have not had anybody who used mine who did not believe they were not incredible, regardless of what they owned (from cheap Bushnells to some high end models that I cannot recall the names and models, as I would be guessing). At least, look through a pair. Could not hurt. I sure I will get alot of flack recommending this pair, as they are not in the mainstream for a hunting binocular. But, when I set out to buy a nice pair of roof prism binos, I researched the topic thoroughly, looked through alot of them and found that I did not have to spend 1000 dollars on a pair. This pair is made in Japan, which is also reassuring. One caveat, get flip up lens covers as they come with standard non-attached lens covers. |
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