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Need some new Binoculars, what do you like?

Second on the Vortex Diamondback HD 8x32. Awesome small size, awesome detail and clarity. Sucks in light well. 8x makes hand shake almost nonexistent.

I’ve also found that the less magnification you get the more crisp and detailed the view is. That’s probably the case with all optics though.

I’ve been curious about Mavin optics’s too, but a lot more $$$.
 
@Bigterp I had the Vortex 8x42 Viper HD's for a bit. They were awesome and great at gathering low light while on stand. I felt like they are a bit bulky if you want to wear them on your chest getting in and out of the stand, scouting, etc. (just my personal preference).
With that being the case I picked up a cheap pair of Diamondback 8x28's I liked these for scouting and they worked hunting as well but I did miss some of the light gathering ability with the 28's. They were awesome and light to wear scouting or slip in a large pocket or small pack. I have since compromised and split the difference with the Diamondback HD 8x32. A nice middle ground for scouting (low weight and bulk) but still do a little better glassing from the stand around first and last light. Happy so far.
 
Not Nikon, worse customer service ever. Lost a cap to an acculan ranger finder and can not get a replacement
 
I went to buy 8 x 42 Vortex but instead purchased 8 x 42 Leupolds. Very impressed w/the quality. Called Leupold to buy a strap and covers for another older pair and a couple days later they arrived, NC.
 
gameflogger said:
Whatever you decide for the magnification I would stick with a 4x objective to magnification factor.
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You’re hunting mostly back East. I agree with @gameflogger you want the brightness of at least 4x I would recommend 5x as none of our eyes are getting any younger. 7x35, 8x42 ideal back east IMO. @OspreyZB is very knowledgeable with optics he helped me score a deal on a great spotting scope for significantly less than something brand new this summer.
 
The Athlon Cronus Is highly rated for the $$ and no questions asked warranty etc. Look up reviews on them on Rokslide and/or Backwoods Pursuit.
 
diamondbacks are good. I broke mine and got some crossfires after, they suck in comparison.
 
Athlon Optics Neos G2 8x42 Gray HD Binoculars for Adults and Kids, Waterproof, Durable Binoculars for Bird Watching, Hunting, Sports, BAK4 Prism FMC LENS-CASE-STRAP https://a.co/d/b3ZF6k7

These are fairly good for cheap binoculars. I Wear glasses and they have a long eye relief so that works out for me. I have heard some complaints that if you don't wear glasses that eye relief is a little bit too long.

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I have ran through the bino steps. I started with a $25 pair of Redfield and slowly worked through $200-$600 binos. I then saved enough points and bought the Swarovski SLCs. Yes, there is a real difference and they are expensive. I’m also about to trade up to the NL Pure. Binos are a real tool that gets undervalued by many. I would by the best you can or wait until s you can. You should be able to find Meopta Meostars for a decent price and even the Nikon HGs or Zeiss Conquest. With all that I realize I use my glass much more than a typical eastern hunter and binos may not be something that interests you. Try out as many pairs as you can at low light. That will probably help you make a decision. Cabelas will let you go outside with an associate to try glass and do it at dusk. Good luck in your search.
 
Try and look through as many you can before deciding. I won’t name brands, but I purchased a pair of 10x32 last year and they have become my favorite set of binos. Small enough to stuff in a pocket on my cargo pants, I can get them and my range finder in the pocket of my chest rig together. Their size has really surprised me to how much I like them.


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Hillbillyfab said:
Try and look through as many you can before deciding. I won’t name brands, but I purchased a pair of 10x32 last year and they have become my favorite set of binos. Small enough to stuff in a pocket on my cargo pants, I can get them and my range finder in the pocket of my chest rig together. Their size has really surprised me to how much I like them.


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You should name the brand.
 
Just to lay some groundwork (I'm sure most will already know this, but maybe some don't) the first number of a binocular configuration is the magnification, the second number is the objective lens size. So an 8x42 is 8x magnification, with 42mm objective lenses. The exit pupils are the bright circles you see in the eyepieces when you hold the binoculars away from your face. You can calculate exit pupil size by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification. So for a 8x42 binocular, 42÷8 gives you a 5.25mm exit pupil. For hunting crepuscular animals I would recommend something with at least a 5mm exit pupil.

Exit pupils of 8x20 binoculars (top) and 8x56 binoculars (bottom). As you can see, the 8x56 let's in a lot more light.
Screenshot_20221124-085550__01.jpg

My favorite configuration for hunting in the timber is 7x42. Compared to an 8x42, a 7x42 will typically have a wider field (easier to get on target fast), better depth of field (less focusing required), less hand-shake (easier to hold steady, especially one-handed), and a brighter image in low-light thanks to the bigger exit pupil. The only problem is, there aren't many 7x42 binoculars being made anymore. I have the Leica UVHD, but brand new they would cost nearly 10 times what you're wanting to spend. There's the opticron discovery which is in your price range and gets good reviews. The discontinued 7x42 meopta meostar is a great value, but unfortunately they don't come up for sale too often. A pair did sell on here not too long ago for $500. They didn't last long though, I tried to buy them the day they were posted and someone beat me to it.
 
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OspreyZB said:
Just to lay some groundwork (I'm sure most will already know this, but maybe some don't) the first number of a binocular configuration is the magnification, the second number is the objective lens size. So an 8x42 is 8x magnification, with 42mm objective lenses. The exit pupils are the bright circles you see in the eyepieces when you hold the binoculars away from your face. You can calculate exit pupil size by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification. So for a 8x42 binocular, 42÷8 gives you a 5.25mm exit pupil. For hunting crepuscular animals I would recommend something with at least a 5mm exit pupil.

My favorite configuration for hunting in the timber is 7x42. Compared to an 8x42, a 7x42 will typically have a wider field (easier to get on target fast), better depth of field (less focusing required), less hand-shake (easier to hold steady, especially one-handed), and a brighter image in low-light thanks to the bigger exit pupil. The only problem is, there aren't many 7x42 binoculars being made anymore. I have the Leica UVHD, but brand new they would cost nearly 10 times what you're wanting to spend. There's the opticron discovery which is in your price range and gets good reviews. The discontinued 7x42 meopta meostar is a great value, but unfortunately they don't come up for sale too often. A pair did sell on here not too long ago for $500. They didn't last long though, I tried to buy them the day they were posted and someone beat me to it.
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Thanks for the education I appreciate speeding up my rabbit hole education
 
OspreyZB said:
Just to lay some groundwork (I'm sure most will already know this, but maybe some don't) the first number of a binocular configuration is the magnification, the second number is the objective lens size. So an 8x42 is 8x magnification, with 42mm objective lenses. The exit pupils are the bright circles you see in the eyepieces when you hold the binoculars away from your face. You can calculate exit pupil size by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification. So for a 8x42 binocular, 42÷8 gives you a 5.25mm exit pupil. For hunting crepuscular animals I would recommend something with at least a 5mm exit pupil.

My favorite configuration for hunting in the timber is 7x42. Compared to an 8x42, a 7x42 will typically have a wider field (easier to get on target fast), better depth of field (less focusing required), less hand-shake (easier to hold steady, especially one-handed), and a brighter image in low-light thanks to the bigger exit pupil. The only problem is, there aren't many 7x42 binoculars being made anymore. I have the Leica UVHD, but brand new they would cost nearly 10 times what you're wanting to spend. There's the opticron discovery which is in your price range and gets good reviews. The discontinued 7x42 meopta meostar is a great value, but unfortunately they don't come up for sale too often. A pair did sell on here not too long ago for $500. They didn't last long though, I tried to buy them the day they were posted and someone beat me to it.
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I agree with this. A friend of mine has a pair of 7x42 Leika and they are superb and really hit the sweet spot for functionality, size and magnification. These are older binos and I think he bought them used but they are very nice.
 
The friend who has these Leika binos and I were talking just yesterday about them and the new pair of Meopta 8X25 I bought. I told him the only pair of small binoculars I had looked through that were better than the Meopta I bought were a small pair of Leika but as I remember, they were $1400. Yesterday was the first time he got to look through the little Meopta I bought, and he said he was impressed.
 
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