Need binocular advice

I'm another fan of the Nikon Monarch, 10X42. My primary use was Prairie Dog hunting. You can spend all day scanning fields from 50 yards to 800 yards for the little 12" to 16" critters. The Nikon was up to the challenge. Very clear optics, sufficient magnification, and your eye's didn't get strain from the hours looking through them.
 
Picked up a Pentax Binocular at a yard sale (best yard sale that I have ever been to). They are 8-20X in power. There is a knob if it is set to the left the binos are 8X, if set to the right they are 20X.They do not make them anymore , but they work well for me. For just a small binocular I use a Zeiss 6X made in the 1930's.
 
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I bought each of my kids a set of Redfield Rebel binoculars. They seem to be of quite good quality for the price. I’d recommend those and a spotting scope for what you have described.

Mine are Leupolds and costed much more. I’d be just as happy with the Redfields.
 
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I've got a bunch of Binoculars including a pair of Nikon, Minolta wide angle, and I recently sold a pair of Zeiss. My all time best and favorite is my pair of Canon IS Image Stabilized Binoculars! Push the little button on top and you can easily watch a Bee in flight crystal clear with no shaking. I never even use the others any longer and should sell them! I HIGHLY recommend the Canon Image Stabilizers!!!! BTW they make a bunch of different IS models - do a search or go on their website.
 
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Consider eye relief. In particular if you wear glasses or like me, you have Neanderthal brows AND wear glasses. Without adequate eye relief I'm unable to get my eye close enough to see the entire field. It's suprising how little eye relief some binoculars have. And those with generous eye relief don't advertise it as such.

For my needs. Fujinon binoculars are best. They've catered to the marine market and aren't as well know as some brands. Their higher end models are great for land use. I wouldn't bother with the entry level models though.
 
If the binocular doesn't have "image stabilization" it is like driving a model "T"

I have a set of German FLAK binoculars like this:

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But the Canon image-stabilized are SO MUCH better!!
 
Take the power (first number) and divide it into the front lens diameter (second number -it is in mm) the the number you get should be less than 5.5! That number represents the area of light entering your eye, and your pupil can only open to 5.5 mm. 8x42 is about perfect for general use Binoculars.

You already said max price is $300

I like to take all the candidates and line them up with the big lens looking at me, You will see your reflection. Due to coatings the mildest reflection, means the most of the light went into the lens. (this is what you want!)

35 years ago I did this at K-Mart and found their brand (Focal) was the best deal and quality compared to many well known "affordable" brands.

For bird watching we use inexpensive binos that will fit in a coat pocket, for glassing hillside for deer and other wildlife, I use 10x50. They are bulky, so when possible I use a camera tripod, and have a "camera clamp" that works the same way on a half rolled down car window. For very long distance I use a camera with a monster lens or a 60x88 spotting scope on a mount of some sort.

Video Cameras have some pretty good electronic magnification and you can make a record of what you saw.

About 20 years ago I went into a pawn shop, and got some 7x50 binos that were from the 1960's and very cheap and some of the best glass I have ever seen (probably better than my 1990's Stiner's!), they are great for road trips, and horrible for walking/hiking, as they weigh several pounds!

Between the wife and I, we have 8 sets of binos, so we don't have to share! They cover from back yard all the way to the moon. Don't try to do too many different types of usage with only one pair!

Ivan
 
As mentioned by Krogen eye relief can be a major factor. The OP did not mention if he wears glasses or contact lenses, but without trying out a particular pair of binoculars one does not know how they work with ones individual eyes and face. In my case I take my glasses off for viewing to gain maximum field of view and to minimize side light distractions. I keep my binoculars set for viewing without glasses so the settings do not work for my wife without readjusting.
I have 8X21, 7X35, and 12X50, and as previously stated by others the higher magnification is wiggly when viewing unless supported!
 
You might also want to consider a spotting scope for the longer ranges.



I have had two really decent pairs of binoculars.

First was a late 1960's vintage Tasco 8x40 set. Tasco may get short shrift now but these were excellent ( My eyes were much better then though)

My current ones are Leupold first generation Gold Ring 9x35 hunting binoculars from the mid - 1980's. They meet all my current needs

I really like the 8 x to 9x more powerful and they get heavier and the higher powers accentuate movements
 
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Binoculars with 7-10X magnification are fine out to 700-800 yards for general viewing and big game identification. Viewing at 2-3 miles can be an entirely different thing. If you just want a closer look at the mountains, binoculars should be fine. If you really want to have a good look and be able to spot game animals at long range, you’ll want a good spotting scope and tripod.

With a proposed budget of $300, I’d look for a pair of binoculars and forget the spotting scope for now. I recommend something with 40-42mm objective lenses. I’d also suggest buying used, provided you go with a manufacturer who offers excellent warranty coverage and good customer service.

I’d start by visiting a local sporting goods store and comparing all the binoculars they have, even those above your price range. Cabela’s would be an excellent choice, if you have one nearby. Figure out what you want, then watch the online auction sites.

In your price range, I can personally recommend the older Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 7x42’s that were made in Japan. Unfortunately, they’re long discontinued and you won’t find them in stores. Later versions of the Discoverer binoculars were not made in Japan and aren’t the same, so you need to be careful. They provide a crisp sharp image, are waterproof/fog proof, rugged and have excellent eye relief. They’re my go to binoculars for Michigan deer hunting, even though I have more expensive optics to choose from.

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I have a pair of Swarovski 10x42 SLC’s that were rebuilt by Swarovski USA after over 10 years of hard use by the previous owner. I just wanted the rubber armor replaced, but they completely went through them and replaced the prisms and hinge, the lenses and the armor, at no cost to me. They came back looking like a brand new pair! I later picked up a nice pair of Leica Trinovid 10x42’s at an estate sale, but ended up selling them. They were every bit as good as the Swarovski’s, but Swarovski has much better warranty coverage (25 years, no questions asked).

For western hunting, I use a pair of Leica Geovid 7x42 BD laser rangefinder binoculars that I also bought used. They’re an early generation and are fairly big and heavy, but it’s much more convenient than using standard binoculars and a separate laser rangefinder. They have superb optics and range out to 1300 yards, which is way more than I need.

As others have mentioned, viewing with quality optics will spoil you; especially if you do it for any length of time. You can take some of the sting out by purchasing used, bet there’s a reason people spend between $1000 and $2500 for a good pair of binoculars.

I’ll save my thoughts on spotting scopes and tripods for another time.

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Binoculars with 7-10X magnification are fine out to 700-800 yards for general viewing and big game identification. Viewing at 2-3 miles can be an entirely different thing. If you just to want a closer look at the mountains, binoculars should be fine. If you really want to have a good look and be able to spot game animals at long range, you’ll want a good spotting scope and tripod.

With a proposed budget of $300, I’d look for a pair of binoculars and forget the spotting scope for now. I recommend something with 40-42mm objective lenses. I’d also suggest buying used, provided you go with a manufacturer who offers excellent warranty coverage and good customer service.

I’d start by visiting a local sporting goods store and comparing all the binoculars they have, even those above your price range. Cabela’s would be an excellent choice, if you have one nearby. Figure out what you want, then watch the online auction sites.

In your price range, I can personally recommend the older Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 7x42’s that were made in Japan. Unfortunately, they’re long discontinued and you won’t find them in stores. Later versions of the Discoverer binoculars were not made in Japan and aren’t the same, so you need to be careful. They provide a crisp sharp image, are waterproof/fog proof, rugged and have excellent eye relief. They’re my go to binoculars for Michigan deer hunting, even though I have more expensive optics to choose from.

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I have a pair of Swarovski 10x42 SLC’s that were rebuilt by Swarovski USA after over 10 years of hard use by the previous owner. I just wanted the rubber armor replaced, but they completely went through them and replaced the prisms and hinge, the lenses and the armor, at no cost to me. They came back looking like a brand new pair! I later picked up a nice pair of Leica Trinovid 10x42’s at an estate sale, but ended up selling them. They were every bit as good as the Swarovski’s, but Swarovski has much better warranty coverage (25 years, no questions asked).

For western hunting, I use a pair of Leica Geovid 7x42 BD laser rangefinder binoculars that I also bought used. They’re an early generation and are fairly big and heavy, but it’s much more convenient than using standard binoculars and a separate laser rangefinder. They have superb optics and range out to 1300 yards, which is way more than I need.

As others have mentioned, viewing with quality optics will spoil you; especially if you do it for any length of time. You can take some of the sting out by purchasing used, bet there’s a reason people spend between $1000 and $2500 for a good pair of binoculars.

I’ll save my thoughts on spotting scopes and tripods for another time.

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I admire your appreciation of quality optics. That trait doesn't happen overnight. A truly quality product isn't achieved by cutting corners and reducing manufacturing costs. Like the older Smiths.
 
I tend towards Steiner and one year my birthday and Christmas present was their 7x50 Military, non compass, no focus needed. My wife loves the Swarovski 8x42 I got her years ago.
 
This has been an interesting thread to see the various optics used by the members. For years, I used a pair of Leupold 7x35 from the early 1990s, then my best buddy and hunting partner purchase a pair of Leica's. Comparing was similar to a black and white TV and a color TV. Wow. I upgraded to a pair of Swift 8.5x44 that the birding folks said were 90 % of the high end stuff. Yep, major improvement. I picked up a set of Nikons with the HD glass a few years ago, the Monarch 7s, some improvement over the Swift. And now I have a set of Swarovski binoculars slc 8x30s. The Swarovski are amazing but the Nikons are not far behind. Those old Leupolds are junk as far as optics. They did me well for decades but the Swarovski are on my neck when I go afield now. Life is too short to use poor optics if you use them very much during the normal course of a year.
 
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The only one I have is a Steiner Firebird T 8X30. I guess it´s now long discontinued ,but is a good piece.
Regards, Ray
 
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Of the 6 or 7 pairs of binos I own I find myself only using my Carl Zeiss Jena EDF 7x40
 
Got a Pair of Vortex Diamondbacks on the truck.
Have Nikon 10x42, pretty beat up Canon 8x30 that I bought in Guam.
And Cheapie Bushnell in SUV.
These will be car Glass, always hanging over passenger seat.
 
Consider eye relief. In particular if you wear glasses or like me, you have Neanderthal brows AND wear glasses. Without adequate eye relief I'm unable to get my eye close enough to see the entire field. It's suprising how little eye relief some binoculars have. And those with generous eye relief don't advertise it as such.

For my needs. Fujinon binoculars are best. They've catered to the marine market and aren't as well know as some brands. Their higher end models are great for land use. I wouldn't bother with the entry level models though.

I wear glasses. The Nikons I bought have adjustable eyepieces to give the proper relief if you wear glass. Monarch 8x42. They are also waterproof and fog proof. I think I paid less than $300. I reccomend.
 
Yesterday Had a weird sighting event.
I was up in Santa Fe County heading West on a dirt road about 2 miles E of I-25.
Saw an object in the sky.
Straight in front, not real high.
It appeared to be sort of circular but kind of bumpy.
No apparent movement.
The road turned N, I stopped.
Reached over the back of the passenger seat and got my Bushnells.
Looked out the open drivers window.
It was gone! Looked hard with and without Binoculars.
Couldn’t find it ! It was gone.
‘There are Strange Things Happening Everyday.’ Sleepy LaBeef.
Got the Vortex’s coming.
Not sure they would have helped.
 
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