Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics WTB: What 8 x 32 Bino

I have had most all glass out there. Best glass I ever had was Swaro el but cant swing that anymore. Is there a good 8 x 32 that wont break the bank?

Recommendation #1--Call Doug at Camera Land NY. He knows his stuff and will make you a deal on a bino that meets your needs in the budget you have established.

Recommendation #2--if you don't call Doug right away, go to the nearest place you can that has some selection and try as many models as possible. It's the little things that make or break each person's preference. (focus knob sensitivity, eye cup position and retention, etc)

Recommendation #3--after you do recommendation #2 and have something picked out, go back to recommendation #1.

It's our pleasure to assist. Please give me a call, 516-217-1000, and we can discuss what you should look at for above suggestion #2, then of course go with #3

Happy New Year

I bought these this summer for a truck/backpack/kayak bino. Reviews are quite good if you research them:

RINK

There are plenty. Good news is , at least to me, competition and dielectric coatings have raised the bar on what you can get for the money.

The Sightrons are very well regarded. I'm a Sightron fan and really considered them, but ultimately chose the 8X32 Hawke Endurance ED from Doug. I now own two pair. They ain't Swaro but bring a lot to the table for the cash

Yep, that's a good one.
A great deal more FOV than the 8X32 Hawke Endurance ED.

Those Sightrons sure don’t get good reviews on the birding forum. Several posters sent back ones they purchased for malfunctions or defects. I’ve been itching for a 8x30/32 Bino for a while now , been considering something like a Monarch 7 8x30 , really don’t want to spend more than about $350 and they seem to get the best overall reviews in the sub $400 price range. The Monarchs can be had for about $315-$320 on eBay new.

Been tempted to try the 8x32 GPOs from Doug, but just got a deal on some Swaros

You must be talking about a different bino than this one.......

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=211793

Take a look at Swaro CL Companions 8x30s.

That's the thread that sealed the deal for me.

I am not sure of your budget, but the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 is a very nice binocular, bright and very light, with a wide field of view.

The Swarovski is good too, but not worth the extra. I have both. The Sightrons mentioned had
lots of love, but a step behind, poor handling, I had one, it had dust inside.

This is one of the threads I read

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=338166

I can vouch for the Sightron mentioned in this thread as being a great optic for the money. Being that I was looking for binos at the time I quickly found out I had a champagne
appetite but only a beer income. The Sightron SIIBL832 solved my underfunded problem and I can't say enough good about them.I give them three thumbs up!

As always, with cash being the caveat and not wanting to go as spendy as Swaro; I'd not hesitate to have a look at either the Monarch 7 8x30 someone mentioned above or the Leupold BX-4 8x32 Pro Guide. Both sub $500 and both excellent lightweight glass IMO.

I’d watch the classifieds for some lightly used alphas. Or perhaps meostars or even a zeiss conquest. Have seen some really good deals on all of the above recently.

One more vote for the monarch 7 8x30. I actually bought a set of viper HD 8x32 for comparison. The nikons are just as good and easier to pack around. I think it’s the best $300 Bino when size/weight is a consideration. The companions are nicer in every way, but I prefer to have the extra $700 in my pocket

Meopta Meostar(Cabelas Euro) 8x32

Hands down the best 8x32 out there if you’re not going alpha. Yes, they are a bit spendy but worth it, IMO. If you’ve had Swarovski in the past you won’t be impressed with a lot of what’s been mentioned above, IMO. The Meoptas will still give you that Wow! factor.

Occasionally you’ll find them used for around $500. Be patient, they are worth the wait.

Good luck,

Leftybolt

Anybody try the Sig Zulu 3