Binocular Recommendation?
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This is not a fishing question, so I hope that it is appropriate here. After a trip to Yellowstone, I have really been wanting a decent pair of binoculars. Here’s the catch, I don’t want to break the bank, I just can’t spend $1000+ dollars on binoculars. I am looking at the Nikon Monarch in 8X42 for around $200-$250. So, does anyone have any recommendations in a similiar price range. I didn’t know this till I started looking at them, but Nikon has a warranty policy that reminds me of the fly rod industry. $10 + shipping “no fault” lifetime warranty. Thanks for any response.
MikeI have those exact binocs and am very pleased. I am no expert but did some research when I bought them and the 8×42 was the cream of the crop.
During my last binocular purchase I found this link especially helpful:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/Winter2005/Age_Binos.html
Glass is glass. The better the optics, the more its going to cost.
I think as long as you stay with a reputable maker (such as Nikon) you’ll be happy. I might suggest finding 10 x 35/40ish if you can. At 8x you might find them a little weak, although at 42 they will let in a fair amount of light, so not a bad trade off if you stick with 8 x 42.Actually as of about 4 years ago (give or take) the image clarity of the 8x was noticeably superior to the image clarity of the 10x.
Checkout the Audubon Swift.
8.5 x 44. Fantastic build quality. Incredible durable. And, are you ready for this….waterproof. Fishing, birding, sightseeing, hunting…you are bound to encounter rain.
The folks at Audubon know what they’re doing.
You can find them for under $300.
Also take a look at Leupold stuff, they have some different offerings in the $200-350 range. I would highly recommend going to a local gander mtn, bass pro shops, etc. that has a decent selection and looking thru them. The test i always give them is pick some text on the other side of the store, start with it in the center of the frame, and move it towards the edge of the frame. The closer you can get the text to the edge before it loses sharpness, the better the glass. Also, 8x’s are typically brighter than 10x’s, especially when the diameter of the glass is the same. I would lean towards 8x if you are in the woods alot, since you lose light quicker in there, and 10x if your in more open country with longer light.
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