I see your into name brand optics! You are "Zeissman" !
No, not necessarily Savage. I just use what I like and I generally like Zeiss optics having used a Diatal C 4x for nearly 20 years with absolutely perfect performance. Also use some Zeiss camera lenses and my current 10x42 binoculars.
I use a Swarovski Z6 1.7-10 currently on my favourite hunting rifle but usually on about 2x in the thick stuff and 6-8x on long shots. It's a good scope but nothing exceptional, just versatile. I've had very reliable performance from many Leupold scopes in the past.
However, the cost of items like high-end bino's and scopes are really not that expensive when you think about how many years of use you get out of them. Look at cars in comparison; black holes for money.
I have a 26 year old pair of Steiner Military 8x30 bins which I got out of the cupboard this morning and scanned the neighbourhood. They're not bad but they lack crispness and light gathering. It's a case of diminishing returns with optics. The mid tier optics are pretty good and there's a huge increase in cost to go up a small level in performance.
One thing I noticed with the 8x Steiner's is that with the FOV being naturally greater than my Zeiss 10x less panning is necessary to locate what you're looking for. In reality, I don't need to count the hairs on a deer's hide, just locate it and decide whether to take it. If so, then close in or take the shot from where I am if it's within range.
