Who uses the "big eyes" type binocs? Are they worth it? What makes are good? What's your favorite tripod?

I do. Yes. Swaro and then swaro.

Lots of good tripods.

I have the 15x Swaros. Bought them last summer. I was worried about their low light performance, but I was still able to make out deer antlers at 600-800 yards up until the end of shooting light. Off the tripod they were more comfortable to look through for longer periods of time then my spotter.

I have a Swaro, too.

Haven't the "long" experience the West guys have, so defer to them. Used mine for 3-600 yards looking over whitetail racks....no tripod. They hold up well into low light despite the smaller EP. Wife absconds with them for stargazing on a tripod.

It seems that every other post on 15x is that they are too much to be used w/o a tripod, so was shopping for a 12x as the upper end--but got an excellent price on the 15x HD SLC.

They are certainly not a replacement for 8x/10x glass but they do show you some detail. Yesterday using them standing up, hand-held I could see the stamen in a plum tree flower that I could not make out with a Swaro 8.5x .

I use them a lot. I looked through swaros etc and ended up with the Vortex Kaibabs...they just worked better with my eyes. Before you buy, I would suggest looking through a few different brand/models and, if at all possible, for extended periods of time so that you can decide which are the best for you.

They are essential (IMHO) for Coues hunting down in AZ and a lot of Western US hunting. Take a look at RickBin's Coues hunt on the homepage and read about the hunting style and how the "big eyes" helped. Oh, and give GregW some credit as the outfitter on the hunt!

Edit: I find that a tripod is an essential piece of kit for the big eyes. Otherwise they are too difficult to steady.

The choice of a tripod should be tailored to what you will use it for. Light weight for backpack hunting, heavier tripods for closer to the road or for use standing.

I should have clarified my comments on tripods above--as the distance increases a tripod becomes necessary for me. Handheld they worked very well for me right out to 600yds to judge horns. Longer distances the tremors start to get out of hand...

It seems I am rarely glassing at less than 600 yards for elk, coues, bear, etc. Thus, I always use a tripod with my 15s. Even if I do glass at short distances, I find that picking out bedded animals is much easier on the tripod, as the steadiness of the view allows for picking up on small movements (such as a ear flicking, leg moving, etc.).

Having said that, I don't have any experience with 15s back in Michigan. I can see how they would be beneficial being handheld to judge antlers back there, even without the tripod.

Thanks guys. These will be for finding game in big country and I'll use a tripod.

Looks like the Swarovski SLC 15x56 WB's are Swaro's latest and greatest. Do these need an adapter for tripod use or does the stud from a ball head screw in directly?

The hd's are latest and greatest and are fantastic.

Using 15's without a tripod is like mounting a pair of 6's to a tripod.

Gotta use a tripod or you are not even close to utilizing the glass.

On my Kaibab 15s (the Vortex HD glass) I have a quick attach plate. I would highly recommend getting the plate as it makes setting up quick and very easy. Also, I would recommend looking and trying to use not only different 15s to see what your eyes like the best (remember you will be staring through these for hours and hours) but also different tripods.

As an example, I have found that I do not like the pistol grip ballhead tripods but some of my hunting buddies love them. This is probably due to the fact that they seem to glass in a vertical grid pattern, where I like to go back and forth in a horizontal manner. IMHO a glassing setup is like a rifle, customizable to the users preferences and very rarely will two users love the same setup.

I'm a horizontal gridder too. I work elevation usually down to up and for the same reasons I do not use a pistol grip head either.

I don't either. It was in Kansas...:) Daughter and used it in CO with tripod.

Gents, I'm not advocating not using a tripod to glass, just saying the 15x is more flexible than it gets internet credit for. Glad to have one.

I have the Leica 15x56 Geo's. I will carry these on a spot and stalk western hunt in lieu of a spotter. When I find something with my 8x32's, I switch to these. They are a balm to the eyes in all-day spotting hunts compared to a spotter IMO. For picking apart a mountainside in comfort a spotter is not comparable.

Plus, in my locale, fox and some coyote hunting is done by driving winter roads on a sunny day and glassing in a NW direction (prevailing winds are northwesterly). The big bino's work very well on a window mount and again, compared to a spotter, you can "hunt" large landscapes comfortably without eyestrain or headache.

Edit: I defer on the best tripod. I'm still not satisfied after three or so.

This^^^. I use my Zeiss 15s off my shooting sticks and do a lot of looking at 150-500 yds for mulie racks sticking up into scattered short prairie mesquite where the love grass blocks any chance of seeing a body on a deer beded down.

I do.

Yes!

Swarovski, Zeiss, Vortex, and Minox to name a few.

There are a lot of tripods out there. I examined a dozen, easy. The Swarovski Traveler with four-piece legs blew me away. To me it is head and shoulders ahead of the pack for Big Eyes use that includes packing.

It's a happening topic what Mr. Bin shows up!!!!!!

Can't imagine hunting without my 15X Swaro. Haven't found the one tripod for everything for me, so I switch between the 3.

I can't imagine hunting in open country without 15s. And you forgot to mention the budget, to be specific -- can you afford the Swaros or not? Pretty much the only question. I could not, so I got the amazing Minox special from Cameraland. Outstanding. I use a Slik tripod (carbon) and a manfrotto head, no pistol. For the buck I think the Minox can't be touched. My friends report that the Kaibabs are good, but not Swaros.

I have the Minox. When and a couple friends compared them to the Swaro and a Nikon, one guy who can see pretty good with one eye couldn't tell any difference. The other prefered the Minox and I prefered the Swaros. But the price differece swayed me to the Minox. To my eyes they were only a 97 if the Swaros were a 100.

Swaros whoop the minox, no if ands or buts..

That said, for 1/3 the price, not too bad. They are my backups...

Thanks. I'll try to look at different 15's but am not sure how many flavors I'll be able to examine. Quick detach plates are going to happen for sure.

I usually pan horizontally when glassing too.

Thanks to all, and thanks, Rick.

I'm on board with buying some 15X's now. Just need to figure out which ones.

I know a lot about tripods/quick detach plates. I was just hoping someone had a suggestion about something cheaper than the Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and Arca Swiss bullhead I was already contemplating.

Thanks for the pic, SLM. No one answered the question about if the Swaro 15's had an integral female receiver (for a plate or ball head), but it must judging from your photo.

I can come up with the scratch for a pair of Swaros if they're worth it (and they seem almost universally recommended). I used Swaro 8x42's SLC's last year and they're fine glass.

Thanks again, Greg.

Btw, I'm fishing in a couple of weeks with Tx270. He's been trying to get me out to AZ. Hope to see you out there one day.

Thanks again to all!

HUH?


Nothing compares to the Swaros.

Gitzo tripod is the way to go.

http://www.gitzo.us/product/0/GT1542/_/Mountaineer_Tripod_Series_1_Carbon_4_sections

Unless you are tall then you will have to spend more money to stand up and glass- I glass standing a LOT. I also glass sitting a LOT. I glass a LOT; hundreds and hundreds of hours a year. It pays to have good stuff for long term glassing-

Last year Greg was telling me how great the 15's were. I was hesitant to drop over $2000 on Swaro's so I took his advice and got the Minox's and a tripod. Took them on my dad's elk hunt in Nevada. LOVED THEM. Absolute game changer. I barely even touched my spotting scope.

Not in agreement at all that Swaro is the way to go if you want the best. However, Swaro and Leica are the only 'Tier 1' 15x bino. All others are 'Tier 2' or less. Buy the best you can afford cuz any 15x is better than none.

I use the Leica Geovid 15 x 56 HD. Used to use Leica Ultravid, Swaro, and Doctor. I've whacked quite a few big animals that I first spotted at looooong distances using 15's from a tripod or the top of the window glass when glassing from the truck. They do indeed need to be rested on something.

I use the Leica tripod mount that is bulky but extremely stable and lightweight. It has a large rubber strap that wraps over the top of the bino.........similar to the expensive Zeiss one. I've tried several others.

Also use the large TOP NOTCH Outdoorsmans tripod (Phoenix) that is extremely expensive but tight and stable and ultra lightweight. Can either stand or sit. Just gotta hold it steady in the wind. Exceptional tripods!

I don't understand why anyone would intentionally set out to use the Leicas over the Swarovskis; The Swarovskis were purpose-built to be used with a tripod and come with a post to attach their adapter to that works beautifully. The Leica has some after-thought cradle and strap setup that defies logic. Both are good glass but the Swaro is so much easier to set up and use.

I have owned and used Zeiss 15x60s, Steiners, Celestrons, Fujinon 16x70 (actually a very nice binocular but big) and a couple of different Mil-surp porro prism glasses.

The best glass I have ever looked through is the Nikon Super Es. Porro prisms seem to have better depth perception than any roof prism I have seen.

For whatever reason we have shunned the porros in favor of the sexy roof prisms which are inherently inferior to start with. They have continually improved and created new lens, prisms and coating just to catch up with the Porros.

I can't imagine how good the Zeiss 15x60s would be with that kind of technology stuffed into them!

Dennis,

I will give you the short answer...because for some people the swaros don't agree as well as other brands.

Try them all and see what works best.

YMMV

Dont overlook the Leica, especially the Duovids. Top tier 10 and 15x glass all in one. I have had mine for close to a decade and love them!

I use a Velbon Chaser EFL4a tripod. It is old, and discontinued but I love it and have used it with a Jim White head for a long time.

Good luck this season firstcoues!

I think this is absolutely true.

Some time spent with a Swaro Habicht poro prism will have us wondering why we spent over twice as much for a high end roof prism.



The 15x56 Swaro is a great glass though.

Just got to spend about 15 minutes comparing the new Cabelas Euro HD (rebadged Meopta) 15x56 with a Swaro 15x. I literally could not tell a difference at all. The Meopta seemed way heavier but the view through both using a tripod was hard to distinguish and differences.

Might be a good option for those not wanting to spend the money on Swaro's.

Cabela's Euro HD

Well.......last time I checked the Zeiss tripod adapter is very similar to the Leica one with the strap setup. What does that tell you?

They do in front of the hinge. If you look at the Outdoorsmans Bino adapter it looks very similar to that setup.

I tried a pair of the 15x56 SLC's (not the current HD version the ones prior to that)and they wouldn't fit my face. They wouldn't close enough for me or my wife, if that make sense. It is a well know problem with that bino. The glass was excellent though. I haven't handled the new HD's to see if they corrected that.

So I ended up with a pair of Vortex Kaibab HD's. The glass is excellent. The ergo's are only ok. They have giant eye cups on them that make it hard to get your eyes lined up right. But since the Swaros wouldn't work and the price was right they work.

Glassed up this buck in SW Wyoming 2 days in a row from faarrrr away. He was hard to spot in the tall sagebrush. He's over 30" outside. Was using the original (came out in about 2000) Swaro 15's with the aformentioned Swaro tripod adapter. This bino did not have Swarovision or the new lens coatings for easy cleaning or the 'HD' status. But this bino was a dang nice upgrade from the 15x Doctor's that were popular at that time.



Here's a NW Colorado bull that I spotted and watched quite a bit from a long distance over several days using the Leica Geovids and Outdoorsmans Tripod I mentioned above.

I have the 15 x 60 Doctors Nobilems, which are a huge value. There was an in-depth review a few years back that had them barely nudged out by the Zeiss 15 x 60 B/GAT and also had them ahead of the Swaro 15 x 60s. I compared my Doctors to a 15 x 63 Optolyth and a 15 x 56 Minox (both of which I owned and both having fluorite lenses) and the Doctor was the superior glass. (I think the Doctor is also fluorite). If you want to go Cadillac, there is the 32 x 80 Kowas with fluorite lenses, which are simply awesome.


Jordan

B & C NV pronghorn first spotted with my Leica Geovid.



180" NV muley first spotted with my Geovid.



The aforementioned Kowa Highlander Prominars 32x.......REAL Big Eyes!

Could have spotted those above critters with a tube of toilet paper. Just saying....grin

Would that be Charmin or Cottonelle? Single or double roll?

Cuz.....nobody ever spotted an animule with magazine pages or big green leaves....

Never skyline yourself when hunting.



Gotta love road hunting on a cold morn!

When I road hunt, it's Kowa time!

I have been using the 15's for about the last 15 years, once I bought the Swaro SLC's about 10 years ago I quit looking at the rest. tried about every tripod and head option out there and much prefer just a ball head for bino use.

Just how big is this Utah pronghorn buck?



Another victim of my fondness for long distance glassing.

My friends report that the Kaibabs are good, but not Swaros.


What that means is that the Kaibabs are better than Minox but not as good as Swaros.

My friends report that the Kaibabs are good, but not Swaros.


What that means is that the Kaibabs are better than Minox but not as good as Swaros.

Oops.

Nothing really comes close to Swaros really, especially if you spend hundreds of hours a fall behind a pair -

The new HD's are even better -

I have the "new" SLC 15x56 and really enjoy it.


But, if you really want big eyes, I would suggest the Docter 40x80 ED. Its the better of the three models ( 30x80, 40x80, 20-50x80 ).

HUUUGE AFOV, perfect optics, and a porro design.

I am saving up...

page 2...backpack hunter's solution:

[img:left][/img]

Problem for some of us is the Swaros don't close up enough to use them. So it's porros. Just make sure the swaros fit before buying.

Second, glassing is about training the mind to 'see', not the easy animals, I can see elk at 2 miles with 8s handheld and tell if they are bulls... but the hidden ones.

It's like the where's Waldo picture, first time you search forever and may never see him until shown, then next time you find him sooner, and after awhile your mind understands the pattern and it becomes easy'-er.

Elk are like lightning bolts, easy to see, antelopes also, deer get harder and coues deer are gray ghosts.

This isn't a big coues, but one of my best glassups. I packed in solo after a week of elk hunting with my dad and brother's hunt, my dad killed his elk wed and I packed in the wilderness for coues thur afternoon. By saturday I hadn't found a big shooter, was wearing out and decided sunday to shoot the first 3 point with eyeguards and head out.

Hiked to a high ridge before light, was glassing an opposite face that had multiple fingers and draws, nothing. Decided to glass the face I was on, still in shadow. Lots of high yellow grass, at 250 yards, in the middle of the grass I see a black spot, and maybe an antler mixed in with the bush branches behind. For five minutes I'm locked in on a possible eyeball and antler but it never moves. I'm about to end the stare down and an ear flicks.

Sun comes over the ridge, buck stands up from the grass, licks his hind leg and I shoot him.

Kent

Here's another example of glassing.

Jr deer camp sponsored by G&F and my buddy. I stayed in camp sunday morning to breakdown the cooking area and my own stuff. But still got up early and decided to glass around while drinking coffee.

Started way out on slopes miles away and worked in to a low ridge 800 yards away. Looks like a buck head in the shadows, another long wait and finally it moves, smallish muley 4 point. My buddy wakes up, gets his swaro spotter and yep, ok buck, plus another fork horn.

One of the game wardens come in with a father/son that he was trying to get them a deer, and we send the father/son out after them. Unfortunately the bucks stood up and gave a great opportunity at 80 yards but the kid couldn't get comfortable enough to shoot.

First picture is from camp, the low ridge is 800 yards.

The second is through my 15s putting my cheap camera up against the eye piece, but the picture isn't as clear as actually looking through the binos.

the last is with a spotter. The buck, laying with his head up, hardly moved a muscle for the couple hours we watched him.

Nailed it Kent.

Agree that Coues deer are hard to spot. I've been on several hunts in SE Arizona, and they are a great, neat animal. I have whacked one, and passed on a number of them that I prolly shouldn't have while holding out for a true whopper.

Don't agree on the statement about other animals tho, and here's why. You cannot accurately judge the size of an elk or a pronghorn or a muley at a distance with an 8x bino. And to me, size matters! Also, you rarely can spot bedded or slow moving elk or muleys in cover at a mile+ with handhelds. Old animals usually don't just stand there in the open in the sunlight!

Also, classic grey muleys in sagebrush/PJ/rimrock country are dang hard to spot when they only move at daylight & dusk.......and bed down in the sage or rocks or shade the rest of the day. They blend in well. If an old buck doesn't wanna be seen......then he won't be seen.

Example.........how many animules are in this photo and what sex are they? How big are they??? I first spotted them with my 15's from a long distance and then moved in closer for this photo. They are only 500 yards away in this photo.

+1

Kent knows what he is talking about and invests countless hours to promote hunting to kids through the G&F camps. I have a lot of respect for him and those that give up their time for OUR good.

Thanks.

Since you're such an expert........please post your thoughts on Big Eyes (in case you missed the original topic of this thread).......plus some pics of your big animals or efforts that support your opinions and experiences.

This is not a thread about kiddos. Nor is it about tagging onto someone's opinions in order to make yourself look good. It's about the real thing.

Put yours up right here. For OUR good. You are welcome to do this. Nobody will stop you.

Cool pics krp. Kudos to you for helping the kids as well. SBH, in case you haven't figured it out, no one gives a crap what you have to say.

850 hits when I first posted here.

Why don't you post your thoughts and pics of 15x animals..........and leave your resentment and nasty comments to the Hunters Campfire part of this website?

I eagerly await your thread there.

You can do a search, if you're not too drunk or narcotic infested to pull it off, if you want to see my bucks.

Here's a little teaser for you tough....3/4 mile through a Kowa spotter.

[img:left][/img]

Not sure if I missed it in this thread, but has anyone compared the Monarch 5 to the Minox?

Kent makes a good point, the 56mm objective lens on the Swaros limits a fair number of folks from using them because their interpupillary distance is too small for the binos to accommodate them. The Kaibabs are a little better in this regard. I have to overlap the lens cover straps for them to work for me. I don't have the new HDs (yet) so can't comment on how close them get. Porros are always easier to use. Just bulkier. They also have on less prism per side so they are just plain easier to build right.

Daughter has a small frame and we have had issues with fit in the past. She can use the new 15HD w/o a problem. 3mm was enough for her-- fwiw...

from Swaros page:
Swaro

I have a question about the interpupillary distance. On your current slc 15x56 neu the interpupillary distance is 59mm. Will these have a closer/shorterinterpupillary distance?

Dear Jeff, the pupil distance of the new SLC 15x56 is 56 mm - 76 mm.

Editorial Team
Posted on September 05, 2013, 13:27
Dear Clint, the SLC 56 are completley new developed binoculars and have HD lenses. It's very hard to compare these two binoculars because between the old and new SLC are 15 years of develeopment. The main advantages are the field of view, transmission, edge-to-edge sharpness and the ergonomic handling. The perfect total package for viewing and hunting over long distances....

Yes - The HD's are more user friendly for the narrow faces.

Biggest upgrade with the HD's is the lack of or extremely minimal glarewhen I am glassing into the sun for hours -

This alone is a huge game changer -

Went to the local Cabela's last week and briefly looked thru some binos... 16x Monarch 5, 15x EuroHD/Meopta, and 15x Swaros. The young lady at the optics counter offered to take the binos outside but I was limited on time and wasn't ready to buy. Indoors is not a good test of optics but they had a goat display in the far end of the store, in a dark corner.

The Swaros were by far the brightest, with good contrast. The Euros were next best, with the Monarch 5 not far behind. The Euros and Nikons are much more comparable to each other and the Swaros clearly in another class as one would expect

The Monarch 5 was much better than I expected. I'd like to try them all again outside in low light, along with the Minox.

This is also true with the 12x50ELs... and made selling my 15x60 B/GATs that much easier.

I have used the last model of swaro 15's and now the newest model. It took me all of about 10 seconds looking through the new model to decide I had to have a pair. A buddy and I were sitting glassing the same hillside towards the rising sun. Normally wouldnt do this, but we were looking for a specific buck that liked to hang there. He had spotted spotted several deer and I had only spotted a lone doe so far. I was using my 65 hd swaro spotter set on 20x with the sunshade extended and was fighting a lot of glare. I went over and looked through his 15's and quickly realized why he was seeing more stuff than I had. There was hardly any glare. The other thing that really sold me on them was the pop of the different colors. I'm sure there is a technical term for it, but it just makes even slightly different shades of the same colors stick out to your eye. I'm excited about spending a lot more time behind a pair come September and October.

As a peasant I use Nikon 16x50's with a window mount. My specialized use is looking for blacktail bucks bedded within rifle range in brushy clearcuts, especially in rain or wet snow. For a serious examination of something farther, I pull out the spotting scope, but I search and find things better using both eyes.

If I spent hours looking through them, would upgrade the glass.

Okbow87,

What distance was the hillside you were scanning with the 15x and 65 HD? At what distance would you feel that the advantage would swing to the spotter over the big eyes?

Thanks,

Jason

Mike how do you like the 12x50's vs the 15's?

Bob - I bought the 12's when they first came out and after a couple of seasons I realized that for my eyes at least, the extra definition and wider field of view made up for the power drop from my 15s (which I never thought I'd sell).

I do have a 65mm non HD Swaro spotter that I pack along more often with the 12s than I ever did with the 55 oz. 15x Zeiss.Thinking about upgrading the spotter to an HD as well after using a few on sheep hunts.

Here's a blast from the past. Please no help from the guys who remember this set of pics. Find 'em gents, and then let's talk the value of 15x!

8x:






10x:






15x:

Looks like a rhinoceros facing away with its head down on the right side under the tree in the middle.

I have the Swaro 15s and an Outdoorsman tall tripod with the extension and a Velbon head for stand-up glassing. If using the tripod isn't fast enough I find a tree or rock to rest on or grab my hat brim. The Outdoorsman has a lifetime warranty, I wouldn't fork out the $ if it didn't. I also pack a Zeiss 85mm scope, either one doesn't replace the other, IMHO.

Another plus is Swaros' customer service. Buy once, cry once. I'll pack a cheap rifle, only the best optics.

Thanks Mike. A friend bought the 12x50 EL...has me thinking.

I was wondering how good they are.

4th,

It was prob 3/4 to a mile away. Im not really sure how to answer the other part. I use the 15's now to glass everything. It goes like this....

Sit down and pull up my 10x I wear in a chest harness and give everything a pretty quick run over to make sure there isn't anything just sticking out.

Set the tripod up and put the 15's on. Then I glass everything within reason with the 15's, because you will be able to pick up a lot of things a ways out with them. Especially if they are standing up or bedded in the open. Being able to use both eyes has way less fatigue and seems to make it easier to spot things to me.

Then I get out the spotter and start glassing from the point I felt I wasn't able to pick things apart the way I wanted to with the 15's and on out. I also glass on 40-50x most of the time with the spotter because I'm usually looking well over a mile with it.

One trick I use with a spotter as well. Go get you an eye patch to wear over your non dominant eye. It allows you to keep that eye open and you get way less eye fatigue in your glassing eye and your face will not get tired either from constantly holding your off eye closed. It makes a huge difference in the amount of time I can sit and glass.

BobinNH,

The 12x50 el is the best performing bino they make. While we were guiding last year, several employees from swaro were using them from a tripod. They would just start with the 12x on a tripod and then switch to a spotter.

Okbow thanks for the feedback on the 12x50's. Think there is a pair in my not-too-distant future.

Does anyone have a link to the original "Big Eyes" posts? It must be over a year old and the Search function is limited to one year. Or does anyone know how to search the older postings?