Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Athlon Cronus Binocs

I am real interested in this new Athlon bino/rf unit coming out this year. Lifetime warranty on everything.

Has anyone seen the regular Cronus binocs, and what would they compare to optically? Thanks.

JG you aught to know better as an optics snob like myself. dude seriously, SWARO el range!

I do love great glass for sure, but I'm not going to spend $2500+ for this niche bino purchase. I sure wouldn't give up my 10x50 SV's though regardless.

I am interested in the Nikon Laserforce unit. I don't know of anyone other then CL that handles the Athlon lineup .

JG, I have the Athlon Cronus 8.5x42s. I bought them for a few reasons - first, I wanted to support a hometown company. I have been to their headquarters in Lenexa, KS and the first thing you notice are all the game mounts. These guys are hunters. In addition to being hunters, they are all shooters too. Many of them shoot at our local gun club. Secondly, I wanted a good set of binoculars for glassing from my truck. A pair I could throw around in the cab and not be worried about them. And lastly, I read some good reviews on BirdForum.

I'm either blessed, or cursed, in the sense that beyond $500 bucks, or so, I cannot notice a discernible difference between glass. I think when it comes to optics there's a lot of hyperbole and snobbery. I have owned, or still own, Leica (Trinovid, Geovids and Ultravids), Swarovski (SLC and CL Companions), Vortex, Steiners, Nikons, etc., etc.

My go-to binoculars are my Nikon SE and Nikon Premier LX Ls. For whatever reason my eyes really like the view through Nikons. And they fit my face just right too.

To my eyes, the Athlon Cronus are a great binocular. I'd rank them right up there with Leica Trinovids. For $500 bucks they are a great value.

I will probably buy the RF version.

JG they should not be niche binoculars, they should be your ONLY binoculars. once you have hunted with RF binoculars for any length of time they will be all you ever want to use when hunting. when I don't care to RF anything I have some cabelas euros I use for vacations and situations that don't ever need RF. every hunt I go on needs RF capability.

accept you are an optics snob, I take you as the type that enjoys heirloom high quality stuff and good stuff is satisfying to you. give them a try, since you would be buying alpha high end stuff, if you don't like them just sell them for pretty much what you paid for them. if you are careful it looks like the el ranges can be had for about 2k on ebay used.

I am sick of junk optics and junk stuff, its got to be made in japan or europe or I am not buying it.

I only hunt with my Leica 10x42 BRF's. Not much of an optics swapper.

I used to carry Swaro 8's when bowhunting, but have not done that for many years. I gave them to my wife to carry when tagging along, and to keep in her vehicle to look at stuff.

What is the projected price of these binos/rf?

MSRP $1559. Doug is taking pre-orders now for $1299.

https://athlonoptics.com/product/cronus-10x50-rangefinding-binocular-p/

Just buy the Nikons or Swarovskis. They will likely both be around in ten or twenty years if there's a need for repair. A lifetime warranty isn't much good if Athlon goes out of business.

^^^^^^ and they aren't made by people that want to destroy us ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What does that mean Oldelkhunter? The Nikon's are Chinese, and I bet Swaro's electronics are too. Skeen, keep up the intel on those Athlon's if you don't mind, since you see those guys around home.

prariegoat, that is certainly something to consider for sure.

So these are made in the US, with US made components?

JG no doubt it’s a serious investment, but with Swarovski you are buying something that is going to hold its value, yes some of the electronics might be chinese but remember when these came out the technology didn’t come from China. The best rf tech has came from Germany or right around it. Your bino/rf is used way too often to not treat yourself with high end stuff. Athlon is just like vortex over seas garbage that will be discontinued and blown out at a discount 5 years from now. These companies don’t maintain the value of the brand even if the product is decent. What about the value of the brand? I pay big money for swaro knowing I will get most of my money back when it’s time to upgrade I think I paid 2600 for my el range 6 or 7 years ago. They are still worth 2200. I have 2200 to upgrade to something else if I want to. How much value does a 7 year old vortex skyline spotting scope have? Yes I know someone that paid 800 for one. Probably lucky to get 50 bucks for it now, why? Chinese garbage, athlon=more of the same

It means I am tired of having phugging Chinese Crap pushed on us. Can you prove the Nikons are not made in Japan or the Phillipines where they have always been made and especially their high end stuff. Swaros are not made in China, they might use some componetry but not made in China. You want to support those fuggers go right ahead.

The Nikon Laserforce bino box says so, printed on the box.....Made in China. It's stamped on the underside of the binos by the serial # too. I did not say the Swaro's were made in China, I said the electronics MAY be, like all electronics stuff nowadays.

Well I guess that I wont be touching the Laserforce and will look at Leicas. Thanks for the clarification.

What does this mean? Either some or all of the unit is made in China, or it isn't. Assembled in China is another thing, but doesn't matter much if you're worried about where your products are made.

Nikon is made entirely in China and I am not interested in it or an Athlon. I will spend more money on something that is made elsewhere even if it might have chinese components. I do not want buy anything entirely made there.