Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics $400 binos

I'm looking to buy a third pair of binos for a spare/loaner and don't want to spend over $400. Looks like the market is pretty slim in this price range. I've found quite a few under $300 and over $600 but not a lot in the $400 range.

What I've found so far around $400 are the Bushnell elite E2, Pentax DCF WP II, and Leupold BX-3 Mojave.

Does anybody have experience with these models? Any other models in this price range I should be looking at? I will be at Cabelas and Scheels this summer to compare and hopefully buy, but would like to already have an idea of whats out there.

Looks like Doug has some brands I've never seen in the price range. Anyone know anything about Zen Ray or Promaster or Vortex vipers?

Looking at 10X42s.

Go with the Leupolds, they are ALWAYS crisp and clear, and why wonder and buy another brand before looking through them? I personally will not buy a pair of Bino's until I've looked through them and your trip to those two places will solidify that. Look at the Leupold Cascades, check SWFA and click on their "Sample LIST" I have bought many items from their Sample List and they are usually show model that SWFA purchases and the manufacturer will recondition, with the same lifetime warranty. Here is a link to their brand new in box price, I have these and they are sweeeeeeet.
http://swfa.com/Leupold-10x42-BX-2-Cascades-Binocular-P48073.aspx

I'd take a look at Doug's closeout prices on the Vortex Vipers. I'm very impressed with my 6x32 aand 8X42 for the money he is selling them for, and below your $400 budget.

The Zen Ray ZEN ED 2 or the Theron Wapiti APO-ED are designed to be the answers to your question. You can't beat them at $1,500. Ditto Promaster. They don't have any competition in that price range.

Last Year a friend and I bought the Bushnell HDs like you mainly for spares. We both liked them they are very comparable to my Monarchs. Nothing fancy just good solid stuff.

I have a few sets of Monarchs my friend runs the gammit from Swars and down
They had a rebate at that time and they were pretty cheap.
Hey Gotta spend to save.

Hank

Get the Vortex Vipers and don't look back. All the bino you will ever need and then some. My PH's on the Eastern Cape of RSA couldn't believe them after trying them in the field.

I bought some Zen-Ray 8X43 from Cameraland and have been happy with them. I was pretty impressed when I compared them to mt Leica 8x32.

Can you tell me what you liked about them?I am not familar with these
Hank

My Zen-Ray 8x43 is sharper and brighter than my Swaro 7x42 SL.

This is the ticket. Fantastic glass. Don't give up on a used Leupold Gold Ring Hd, Meopta/Cabelas euro, or Bushnell Elite (not E2).

I used a set of these for work and play last year for a bit and was VERY impressed with them for the price.

Add the Hawke Frontier ED to that list. They are the same binocular as the Zen ED.

Even though I'm a bit jaded and biased (had one fail in Africa) I'd still have to say the ZenRay ED/ED2 is the best glass in that price range.

The optics are indeed very good, in fact, better than a lot of the competition at double the price.

I haven't seen the zen units but all they are going to be is a chinese unit that someone has decided to make a brand out of and market.

the nikon monarchs are a good unit but they are a little less money. for 4 bills I would look at the pentax DCF SP maybe a little better optically than the monarchs but the main thing is the focus knob seems a little better made on the pentax. its going to have a more quaility feel to it,

I would look into the Zen Ray ED2 or Theron, the Hawke ED is a little behind these as is the first Zen ED1,promaster infinity elx ed. The new Nikon diaelectric monarch is decent as is the Bushnell legend ultra hd..

Personally I prefer the superior build quality and function of the made in Japan $400-600 binos over these China designs.

The new Bushnell elite ED (not the discontinued e2) is great as is the Japan made Minox HG or APO HG

Only the new Leupold northfork or the golden ring hd are able to compete with any the binos listed so far, their cascade and pinnacle series have been outclassed in their price ranges.

The Vortex viper would be a good choice also.

Also keep an eye out for a good deal on the older/ original Bushnell elite (split bridge, not e2).

Don't forget about porro prism models.

THe Minox BD 10x44 BP is on sale at cameraland for $200-it is a bright as any roof on the market and as sharp in its sweet spot as well, though it has a narrow FOV its not problematic for me. Great build quality.

The Theron Wapiti APO is a remarkable piece of glass in this price range.

Randy

If it were me, I'd look at the Nikon Monarch X 8.5x45 that Doug has Demos of for $329.99. I've heard many people comment on the crisp image and I'd much rather have a pair of US/German/Japan glass than I would something from China.

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/nikon.pl?page=nikon7532

If you want 8x32, I'd suggest the Minox BD 8x32 BR ASPH that Doug has demos of for $179.99 which is an absolute steal. I was under the assumption these were made in Japan but mine were marked Germany on the box and GMBH on the binocs so I assume they are German.

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/minox.pl?page=62122


One last pair in this price range I'll mention is the Leupold Katmai 6x32. They run $400 and I absolutely loved the pair I had. I actually preferred them to the Swarovski 8x30 SLC. Beautiful optics and they just fit so nice in your hand when used for hunting.

http://www.buy.com/prod/leupold-kat...sellerid/10001650/loc/111/211120691.html

I'm really happy with my Viper 10x42. Amazing glass for the money. Warranty ain't half bad, either...

The Zen ED2 8x or 10x is the best binoculars in that price range. order it from Cameraland, who is a sponsor of this site, and be happy

Several companies are importing high-quality roof-prism binoculars from the same factory in China. Zen Ray and Hawke are a couple, but the list is much longer. I would buy whichever one you can get cheapest, as there isn't enough difference between them to spit at, at least in my experience.

As for quality and toughness, I hunted bears two years ago in August in Alaska, and took along my 8x43 Zen Ray. The guide was so imprssed with them that he immediately replaced his $1000 Euro-binocular with a Zen Ray, and has now gone through three guiding seasons (two fall, one spring) with the ZR with zero problems.

As for the whole Chinese/Japanese/Euro etc. thing, so many optical companies are either buying glass from other companies, or even getting complete optics made by other companies in other countries, that it's often a complete mystery about where parts or optics orignated. And believe it or not, some companies even lie about it.

The 8x43 ZEN ED is quite amazing. I had it for almost two years. It has gone through more than 6 hunting trips and numerous practice runs. It's holding up very well. They have a special of $295 with a discount coupon. I know it's not the latest ED2 version, but for the price, it's really hard to beat it.

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/binoculars/zened/zened-8x43.html

+ 1 on the Theron Wapiti. I tried a pair of 8x42 ED - was so impressed I sold my, Leupold, Nikon, and my Minox binos. I use mine as a backup/truck set, so I don't have to leave my Leica Ultravids in the truck. The Wapiti is so nice I hardly miss my Leicas, there is a difference, but its not much. They are defiantly worth a try for $350.

Pentax,I have had years of great service from my 8x42 DCF WP's.

Me too!

Should be able to find some here used. Good bang for the buck!

WN

I'm real interested in hearing about the 7x Zen ED2. I'd not seen them but from the specs they could have a lot going for them in the woods hunting I do... Anyone tried them?

Me 3! I liked them so much I sbought the DCF SP's and for under $400 you will not be dissapointed. I really would like to try the Zen's but with all the Chineese crap out there, I just can not do it. I am sure they are great, but....

REI sells the Nikon X online I was thinking with my divedends and 20% coupon they might be worth a try.

The Leupold Mojave's are very nice in the price range and light.

They are bright and clear, the depth of focus (don't know how else to put it) is not as deep as my leica but that is not that big of a deal to me. I think the resolution might even be a little better on the Zen-Ray than on the Leica. The Leica do "feel stouter" and better built, but the Zen-Ray do not feel cheap either. Not real good about putting things in writing but I hope this helps. The Zen-Ray kind of went against the "you get what you pay for" idea.

I'd love to hear more about the Zen Ray and the Theron. It appears these binos have the lenses and coatings of some of the more expensive brands.

Who all has used the Theron ED binos out in the field? Wondering how they hold up on tough hunts and in huge temp changes.

When I was looking for another set of binocs. I read some reviews that JB and SteveC99 had done and they were very helpful.

My Z-R ED binos hold up surprisingly well to my Leicas. My brother's Z-R ED2 could be better than the ED, but darn if I can tell. Another fave of mine is the Weaver Gland Slam because of the ergonomics, but the Z-R is a little better optically and a bit cheaper as well.

I'll add that my brother and I took our Z-R binos to northern Quebec in late September for caribou. The weather was mostly rainy and always windy. No problems with either glass.

I have only been using my Theron binos for about three months, mostly chasing yotes. We get 30-40 deg temp swings here, sub zero to around freezing, no problem. I can't say I've abused them enough to rate their toughness, but nothing stands out as being a weak point. They are about 4 oz heavier than my 8x42 Leica Ultravids. I can't say that I am real fussy about the ergonomics of binos, I seem to get used to most pairs I have owned w/o too much trouble. But I am VERY fussy about the optics. I get hate mail every time I say this (sorry Vortex lovers) but I sent back two Vortex Razor products, and kept the Theron Wapiti HD's.....because they were significantly better in the optics department, regardless of price.

You can also do a search for reviews on some of the "birding" sites - it seems they find the Theron binos worth a look as well.

Just thought I would update on what I purchased.

I decided to go with the Theron Wapiti ED binos.

First off, I am no optical specialist. I have good vision and have been happy with two pairs of Pentax DCF over the last 20 years or so. I have used leica, zeiss, and swarovski. They were definitely better than my Pentax, but never enough that I wanted to spend well over $1000 on them. I have used my Pentax extensively in Alaska and BC, and many other places as well.

When I first started using roof prisms, only the best and most expensive were phase corrected. Roof prisms were almost always a compromise compared to porro prisms. Not so any more. I have been surprised by the features on the mid priced binos that were only available on the top end just a few years ago.

Prior to starting this post, I had never heard of Theron. For the price (under $400), the binos have a pretty impressive list of features. Pat at Predator Optics was kind enough to send me a pair to look over. I was very impressed. Was I Zeiss or Leica impressed? No, but they were definitely better than what I expected.

The Wapitis were clearer, sharper and brighter than both pairs of Pentax. The Wapitis were not completely sharp edge to edge, but I've rarely seen a pair that was for under $1000. Field of view for the 8X was large enough that I don't think edge sharpness will be an issue. Both eyes were well collimated. For lack of correct terminology, I did not get the wave effect when panning the binos. The eye cups were easily adjusted but I do wish they were a bit stiffer or had a lock. They seem to want to adjust down to the lowest setting too easily. Only time will tell if this is an issue. The focus adjustment was slower than the Pentax, but the Therons had a good depth of field so little adjustment was needed at different distances.

Overall I was impressed enough to buy the Wapitis and will be taking them to BC this spring on a bear hunt. I will give them an extensive work out and report how well they do. If they hold up to the use and abuse that my Pentax binos have, I will be extremely happy.

Hello, Pat was kind enough to put me on the list to be next in line to receive one of the Theron Wapiti ED binoculars. I have to agree with other people's thoughts on how sharp this binocular is. I had the 8x42 Wapiti ED HD to try. I have a Swarovski 8x30SLC neu and a Nikon 8x32SE and compared the Wapiti to these 2 using resolution charts and with and without a 2 1/2x booster and found that the Nikon 8x32SE was a little ahead of the Wapiti and Swaro just a little back from the Wapiti. 2 1/2 power is really not enough power to get full boosted resolution readings. So I will not post readings. I have a field behind my place with pine trees starting about 125 yds. and it is a gradual grade away from my place. Looking through the Nikon 8x32SE and the Swaro 8x30SLC neu at the tree tops I have always felt a wow factor with both of these, like I am flying over the trees, the Theron binocular gave me that same feeling. It is best in the Nikon 8x32SE, the porro gives more of a 3D image. I have some other binoculars that don't give me that feeling, it is the sharpness of these other three that make the difference.


I liked the eyecups on the Theron ED HD very much, there were three stops and for me they would stay, in fact I could even put the eyecups anywhere in between and it stayed. I don't use glasses while using binoculars and found the eyecups worked good for me fully extended. I did try my glasses and could see the full field with eyecups fully retracted. I am not sure why OP had trouble with the eyecups on his sample. There were three stops on my sample.


I had all these binoculars out in cold weather, and the only one that the focuser got hard to turn was the Nikon 8SE, of which they are well known to do that. The LX/LXL Nikon series is a different story. Speaking of focuser all these except the Swarovski had the focuser in the wrong place it should be at the objective lens side so you don't have to move the bill of your hat to use it. Maybe it doesn't make a difference wearing a Cowboy hat.:)


I did try this Wapiti HD on the night sky and the Moon looked very nice with a lack of CA. I could get all three stars of the belt of Orion and M42 the Orion Nebula in the field of view. It was very cold out and didn't feel like staying out very long. Stars were pinpoint. My best estimate of sharp field was about 75%, during daytime you really don't notice much problem with the edges and the night sky is an extreme test IMO. From past use of the Nikon 8SE and the little Swaro they beat the Theron some for a sharp field looking at the night sky.


I really liked this binocular and would buy one if I didn't have the Swaro. I am conservative in nature and wish we could make binoculars and spotters in North America. I had a chance to check out the Theron 15-45x60mm Saker ED spotting scope and compare it my Nikon 20-45x60 non ED 60mm spotter both straight and will post sometime on here maybe.

>>> I forgot to mention and I have a picture showing the objective end covers. I found that they stayed when put into place, it did take a little time to push them in but once in they stayed. I liked the soft eyepiece cover as well.<<<<<

I am new to this site and will have to learn the photo part of it. One photo is a link and I had to keep resizing it and the other is a photo. ? I forgot to say I am a frequent reviewer and poster on Birdforum and found out about the Theron Wapiti from Steve's thread on Birdforum, and get on Cloudy Nights/ Cloudy Days and just like to check out optics. A few binoculars we were testing

Low light test of Nikon 10x42SE and Fuji 10x50 FMT-SX

BTW I do hunt and one reason I like the Swaro 8x30 SLCneu. Light wt. easy to carry.

Good stuff SteveWM. Thanks for posting that.

Thanks John, I been meaning to join this site for quite a while. This site is more of what I am.;)

Your a very knowledgeable guy who's been around the block, with many fine optics that you have actual field time/testing with. That's a good thing for all of us here.

Add me to the list. Barsness reccomended these as a best buy in an article years ago. I'm sure the new ED version is even better.

Doug has some ZEN ED 8x43 for $295. It's one heck of deal for such a great glass

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics2/zenray.pl?page=zenray-zened0843

Steve,

I think I more or less have you figured out from BF . Welcome to the fire. It is sort of a touchy subject to get into hunting there. It is always good to have one more knowledgeable opinion.

Thanks for the welcome Steve!! Between you and JG you are going to make me blush.:) It is kind of hard to post bigger pictures on here, but other than that I really like this site esp. for what you say about the touchy subject on that other site compared to what is our views.

SteveWM,

A Welcome also from me.

I recognize you from the BF also; as I have conversed with you over there and you were always helpful. (I am stephen b on BF )

Good to see a fellow hunter come over and post here.

+1 and they are an American company. I have a set of 10x42 Viper's on the way now.

Hi Stephen, Sure I remember you and I remember you had some "crazy" trouble about some Nikon binoculars you were selling. I was thinking you had a Swaro 7x30 SLC, I had to get rid of some of my messages on BF, so forget. Statestat might be who has the Swaro 7x30SLC or both of you. Thanks for the warm welcome.

I followed directions by Sam Steele on how to post pictures on here.Thanks Sam.

Hi Steve,

Yes that was a "lil'crazy"

And yes it was me that was looking for a pair of 7x30 SLC's to replace the ones that I had regrettably sold off, and it was Statestat that sold me his yr. 2000 7x30 SLC's. Good memory! They are great.

I almost sold them this fall, but decided that I would kick myself again. So, I have the 7x30's and a fantastic sample of an 8x32 Pentax DCF ED and now I am set and content with my favorite class of objective size as optics go for hunting, or anything else for that matter.

-Stephen

I thought he was a little crazy about all that and felt you were within your right to do what ever you wanted.
I notice there are some more people on here that either like the Swaro 7x30 SLC or wish there were 7x32 offered by Leica etc. I have the little Leupold 6x30 Yosemite and it is really nice binocular in "woods" of Pa. This was my second 6x30, the first I had to sell to my brother-in-law after he looked through it. I have showed my BIL some of the high end binoculars and he brings out that Yosemite and says there isn't "that" much difference. I quit showing him other binocular, he is happy with that one.
I sometimes miss the 4.2+ exit pupil of the Swaro 7x30SLC I had compared to the 8x30SLC neu I bought.

heard that from multiple places. Maybe you are comparing newer ZEN ED to older version of SLC? I am sure the latest Swarovski SLC HD is better, and it'd better be better

Is he talking about the Swarovski SL series porro prism older models?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Swarovski-Habic...ar&hash=item27b95d35ee#ht_500wt_1156

After playing with the Vortex Viper 6x32's for a few days I have to say this is the way to go for me. The depth of field allows you to see from 75 feet to infinity with perfect sharpness. A very relaxed view for long periods viewing forof locating game. Outstanding.

I have to agree about 6x, relaxed view and depth of field. I have taken the Leupold 6x30 Yosemite when we took trips and it came in handy looking way ahead to read signs, well with my wife driving at that time.;) I tried 7x this way before and didn't work as good, bouncing around etc.

I forgot to say when I compared the Theron Wapiti 8x42 ED HD to the Nikon 8x32SE and Swaro 8x30SLC neu on a clear day in the evening with the Sun really low looking in that direction the Theron showed no glare, the other two showed a little glare. I was impressed with this.

The more I use my Therons, the more I like them. For the money I am really happy so far.

I'm just amazed at the quality of binoculars these days. I remember when only the premium binos were phase corrected. Now almost all are. ED glass was rarely seen on some high end photography lenses, but not binos. At least not advertised as such. Now most have some type of ED glass, plus better coatings. I wonder if the mid priced binos on the market today are better optically than just about anything on the market 20 years ago.

I believe they are, without a doubt.

They are certainly better than any roof prism binoculars made before phase-coating. P-coating started more than 20 years ago, in the late 1980's. Today's $350 roof-prisms are DEFINITELY better optically than any made in 1985.

Porro prisms have also improved, though not as much optically. But today we have porros that are actually pretty darn waterproof, something we didn't have back then.

Now, if we could just convince folks who read books from that era that Swarovski has actually learned how to make binos water/fog proof, we'll be getting somewhere...

Go with the Zen Ray's. I bought a pair a year or so ago. They blow my Monarch's out of the water. The Nikon's are now in my truck as my "beater" set and the Zen Ray's are my go-to's.