Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Binoculars for Namibia

I am planning a trip to Africa. I have a set of 10x43 Pentax DCF SP, which are neat, my wife is travelling with me, and she may do some sightseeing, no hunting.

My question is
Is it worth to upgrade binos for me and let her have mine or get her a pair of decent 6x32s or even 8x40s? She probably doesn't know one way or the other and I know PHs will be doing the judging and scouting and I will be behind the gun when it is time.

even though in the grand budget of things it seems that a pair of binos is not much, it would significantly increase the overall cost, or that money could go to taxidermy or to hunt another specimen.

Thanks

If your current binocular works for you, I would suggest buying a glass for your wife and spending any additional money on equipment, clothing and other gear that might make the hunt more enjoyable for both of you.

One trip we made had the whole family, my wife and three sons, going. I had two of my own so bought each of my sons Leupold Yosemite's that I gave $65 for (2012). They were fine.

Exactly what I was thinking, wanted some input from people who have been there and done it.


The Leupold Yosemite was just the one I was thinking about, small enough to be comfy and good enough that will eventually be helpful for me too and when my kids start hunting.

For just general purposes don't overlook the Nikon Monarch series. Very fine glass for the prices. If I didn't have several sets of Zeiss Classics in 10x40's and 8x30's, I'd be using the Nikon Pro Staff 7 8x30 or next step up Monarch 7 8x30.

As you stated, your PH will be responsible for the "judging" so your 10x are more than enough. May want to look at 8x for additional sets. 8x will give a wider field of view and if you're hunting in the brushier areas, the lower magnification can make it easier to define brush from horn and hide.

what works for you now will work great for your wife.

i have been told by PH'S you job is to shoot, our job is to find you a trophy and get you close to shoot it.

so i have been leaving mine home. pocket camera with a lot of zoom works great. and you get pictures.

I wouldn't even consider leaving binocs behind. There's too much to see over there. I had the PH drop me off at a water hole after lunch while the crew liked to take a nap. I saw more birds, animals, etc to gawk at I can't imagine leaving them home. Sponxx, any good 8x42 or 8x32 would be my choice, and that's what I took. Not much long distance glassing really. Jacques and Danie both used the Swaro 8x30 SLC, older version with the focus ring on the wrong end.

I took a pair of Vortex Diamondback HD in 8x28 to Namibia last summer and was very happy with the performance.

Another vote for the Yosemite. It's lightweight and the 6x is really easy to hold steady

I used 10X42 EL Swarovski. Namibia is very open and a lot of animals were spotted at long range.I wouldn't take less than 10 power.

Yes the Yosimite for your wife and your current pair for yourself. Go to Etoshapan Park if you have the time extremely beautiful and you can see all of the big five although Leopard are rarely spotted. The birding and wildlife viewing is part of what makes Africa unique. It is not a bad idea to have a back up but it is seldom needed. I have also loaned binos to the trackers who almost always spotted the game first with or with out binos.

I’d try the Kowa YF’s version of the Yosemite.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/brand...0130-8841-20cf30bab63e?variation=1237110

The Pentax 10x42 you have is a GREAT binocular, no reason to change.It will work great.

Would also follow the advice of others on the Kowa vs. latest Leupold Yosemite.

I’ve been real happy with my 8x Monarch 5’s.
Lots of reasonable priced glass out there now.

When hunting the only thing I use binoculars for is to make sure the PH and I are on the same animal. I have a pair of 8x20 Zeiss that fit in my shirt pocket and are just the ticket. Mrs Blacktailer carries my 10x so those are nearby but I have honestly never used them when hunting. As others stated I would not go without binoculars but your PH is going to judge trophy size and you are there to get on the sticks and pull the trigger. For sightseeing and photo safari you and your wife can share the 10X.

Your Pentax will serve you well there. If I were to change, it would be for something a bit more compact, but there's really no reason to deviate from what you have.

Sounds like you have it figured out. Just a suggestion but forget the taxidermy. Take lots of photos. The money you would have spend on taxidermy use for another animal. Or better yet as a down payment on your next trip over.

Agree on the trophy advice. If you do take anything back it is best to just take the skull cap/base of horns and remove horns if they will come off or separate along the skull suture and see if it is legal to bring back as baggage. A full bag of trophies will equal the cost of another safari pretty quickly.

For any/all hunting trips, including Africa (especially for the open country in Namibia) get a very good range finding bino. Let your wife use the Pentax bino. If the cost is a stretch, then forgo the taxidermy AND the possible extra animal to fund the alpha bino/rangefinder combo. At least that's what I'd do. The Swarovski EL Range in 10x42 is excellent. Your PH may, or may not, have a range finder. His job is to find you a good trophy and get you close, but they don't always call out the range for the shot.

I ordered the 6x30 Kowa's. That was actually in the short list of small magnification binos I had perused a while back, when thinking what binos to get for my kids.

Good choice. If you are considering any other purchases a good camera would be on the short list for me. One trip I brought four cameras everything from a point and shoot type to a Nikon with a 600 mm lens. It was a hassle lugging all the equipment around but I am glad I did. I would let the trackers use the point and shoot camera and they took some remarkable photos. Their keen eyes transferred easily to photography.

I find it interesting that so many hunters seem to think more magnification is somehow better for finding game. I live in very open country, hunt open country a lot, and find 10x too much for searching and finding game in many circumstances. 10x or 12x is great if all you are doing is confirming the guide's choice, but if you are an active participant in your hunt, 6-8x is a good range. Spotting scopes are for verifying details, not rifles scopes or binoculars.

Don't mean to hijack this thread but unfortunately, you can't bring your "current" hunt's trophies from Africa back to the US as extra carry-on baggage for several reasons:
a) There are mandatory drying periods that normally exceed 30-days.
b) Have to obtain country export permits (and CITES permits if required) and those include veterinarian inspection/clearance cert and dipping/drying to kill pathogens and can't be applied for until 30-days before entry into the US.
c) Have to obtain US import permits before you try to enter the US and the US import permits require copies of the export country permits. You can do your OWN US import permits on-line and is free unless you are bringing back CITES listed species and that permit is a couple hundred bucks. You have to come in via an "Authorized Port of Entry". When you land and collect your baggage, you're met by a US Customs and USF&W agent, they look at your original export docs, your import docs and will open the boxes and make sure you only have whats on your permits. Close the boxes back up and your on your way. Fortunately, we live in an "Authorized Alternate Port of Entry" and by paying a $100 fee and any USF&W overtime fees, once the inspection is over we are out the door and in the truck home.
d) Can only be YOUR trophies. Can NOT bring anyone else's back. Doing so or trying to do so is crossing the line from being a "private party" to "importer/exporter. USF&W cross checks this via the copy of your hunting lic from the country you hunted. As long as the species in on your license your good to go, just don't try to bring back anything not on your license. You CAN purchase completed taxidermy either from the taxidermist doing your work and the export permits or from a retail location and have it delivered to the taxidermist and have it/them added to your export permits as long as you submit a copy of the receipt of purchase with your import permit application.

The reason I said "current" is because I have brought back completed European mounts (skull/horns on wood shields) and rugs and flat skins 8 times, but from a PREVIOUS year's trip. Even with just doing simple European mounts, it will take 6-8 months for a taxidermist to get them done. Yes, most horns come off except hartebeest and and wildebeest. Kudu and gemsbok horn sheaths slip off the horn bone and they cut the horn bone off leaving just 6-8 inches to hold the horn sheath when you get back home. The boxes they are packed in have to meet the max size weight limits the airlines you are flying on or the box will be be rejected as "baggage" when you check in and will have to go separate as freight and then your import docs and scheduled inspection when you land gets seriously screwed up.

You will have to pay for the export docs and dip pack whether you bring them back yourself or pay to have them shipped back, but the money we save on freight by bring them back as extra luggage pays for one r/t airline ticket. On the front of it, sounds a bit complicated and the first time you do the US import permits takes a little extra time to create the account on their website and fill out the form(s). Usually, takes a few days for them to be approved or a message sent that you need to go back in and make corrections. But, after you do it the first time, it's pretty easy.

Tejano,
We have a Nikon D7000, for which I am debating what lens to get. It currently has a 18-270, but the aperture range is a little wimpy for poorly lit environments. Since I guess most pictures of game and nature will be taken in brighter light I may get a 100-400.
I have also thought about getting a smalles point and shoot camera. Nikon Coolpix W300 or the Olympus Tough TG6 seem like they would fit the bill, plus both are waterproof which is a plus for when I finally catch "that record fish that got away"

M3taco - Thanks for the insight on trophies. I am still undecided on if/what I'd bring. But I think I may only bring the capes skulls horns and have taxidermy done here in the US if I bring anything back,

Sponxx:

There is a good chance the outfitter you're going with uses a taxidermist either close to where you're hunting or possibly in Windhoek. Might be a good idea to ask your outfitter if they can take you by the place they use either on the way in (preferred) or on the way home so you can see the kind of work they do and decide if you want the work done there or back in the US. You do have to decide or at least have a very good idea if you want just head mounts, shoulder mounts, full mounts or European and flat skins before the animal gets to the skinning shed as it will determine how the Skinners make the cuts.

For example, if you want a flat skin/rug from a zebra, they skin it with a belly cut up along the underside of the throat. If you want it as a head or shoulder mount, they make the main cut down the middle of the mane because it makes the stitches harder (nearly impossible) to find/see on the finished mount. A bit of thinking ahead now can save you a lot of heartbreak. Once something is skinned, it's pretty much too late to change your mind.

M3.

Yes I would get the point and shoot so your wife can have a camera to use too. The 100 - 400 would be a very useful lens for wildlife photography. At 400 though you will want a rest or tripod if possible. Your 18 - 270 should be fine as the light in Namibia is ample and can be spectacular. Only if you wanted to watch water holes at night would you need something more specialized.

I could use the 600 on a vehicle window with foam pipe insulation but a mount would have been much better. The same pipe insulation worked with the tripod gun rest the type made of wooden poles but a real mount on a shooting type tripod would be better if you are not bringing some kind of tripod. My Primos tripod has an adapter for cameras, but a dedicated tripod that folds down compactly is much better. The types designed for both cameras and spotting scopes are nice.

M3Taco - Thanks for the clarification, I didn't want to get anyone in trouble. I always had the booking agent and outfitter handle any processing so I was forgetting all the steps and wait periods. Not the good old days anymore when this was possible.

We had this problem in Mexico, we had done all of the Mexican and US Fish & Wildlife forms but didn't realize the FDA also had limitations on animal products which required the Veterinarian certification.

Ten Power Binoculars will help with judging Trophy Quality. I have yet to see a P.H. carry a Spotter in Africa.

They run a tad over $100 now and they are surprisingly good.

Young eyes, no big deal. Older than 40, spend some money.

What if I am just at 40??? Post a question in the Optics section about the best $300 binos?

Treat yourself to some decent glass now and enjoy it longer. I spent enough on mediocre glass to have gotten an alpha pair twice over. Even though optics are constantly being improved good glass is good glass no matter when it was made. There are more good choices in the medium range than ever before and they are as good as binos costing two or three times as much from 20 years ago. I would save up and get a good used or refurbished pair, or just ask Doug and tell him what you want to spend and he can tell you in about a NY second. Also Camerland sometimes has deals that aren't listed yet so you may get a bargain.

I ended up leaving my binocs in camp after the first or 2nd day. The PH and trackers spot game before I do anyway and I don't need any more dead weight to carry. It's not like out west where you glass to find game.

Sponxx,

On all of my Africa safaris, one to Namibia and three to SA, my Leica Geovid 10x42 rangefinder binos have gone along- and were used daily. I found the rangefinder to be useful for hunting plains game, like springbuck, wildebeest in open country, and Vaal Rheebok and Mtn. Reedbuck, where ranges were long. Sitting on a kopje, glassing for game, sometimes for long periods of time, a quality glass is not only essential, it really adds to the enjoyment of the hunt.
Also, when hunting in heavy cover, sometimes a good glass lets you 'see thru' the cover and help identify your target.
There are lots of binos that would probably fill the bill, just my 2 cents worth.

Not a chance in hades' I'd leave mine at camp, home, or anywhere other than around my neck. Too many cool things to see besides what animal you're fixin' to shoot at.

I would never take more than 8x. The distances just don’t warrant more. Field of view is more important as is light weight.
I have used 6, 7, 8, and 10 so this isn’t theoretical.

The Yosemite are much better than the price indicates. I would take two pair in 6-8 and leave them as tips. Good optics are very expensive in Namibia. The native trackers will be able to judge the animals without glasses better than you can. So just get something that allows you to take it all in. No worries.

I am a 10X slut, but from my limited experience with plains game in Africa I feel there is no need for anything more than 8X, in normal situations at least. With that said if you're comfortable with the 10X you already have, then I'd go for it.

I'd be willing to bet if you laid down $ for another set of binos, you'd wish you had spent it on another trophy fee instead, once the hunt is done.

I will keep my Pentax DCF SP 10x43s and actually got 2 pairs of Kowa 6x30mm. Will be useful for the kids too as they grow.

I've been to Africa a couple times, including a month hunting in Namibia, and here is a different perspective.

At least some of your equipment should be the least expensive functional stuff you can bear purchasing and using. Your wife should have a set of binocs she can use well, and a good camera will keep her busy, but you'll barely need any binos yourself but for the cocktail hour around camp for some light birding. Honestly, with a PH and tracker at your elbow, they'll do all the spotting and judging, and will mostly want you to keep out of sight until the shot. In a fair chase hunt a lot of stalking will be on your knees, and you'll be relieved to not be struggling to keep alpha glass out of the sand. Bring good knee pads and leather gloves instead.

Visit a few pawn shops before you depart and pick up three or four knock-off Leatherman multi-tools you can find for $15. That might be where to find cheap-but-decent binocs too. With your PH's guidance (he'll know the hierarchy and you don't want to start a feud), plan on giving all these as "tips" to your trackers, skinners, camp kids, cooks, as you depart.

Great idea, regarding knee pads/gloves. I was thinking about plain knives (Morakniv is a lot of knive per $, btw), but maybe the multitools will be better, and less suspicious through customs.
I'm happy with the Pentax and the Kowas will do for my wife. she likes photography too, so will get a new lens for the camera.
Looking into June 2021 - as my dates for June 2020 got messed up

A a few comments on the overall thread:

First, Sponxx has had his Pentax DCF SP's for a while, and is evidently quite satisfied with them. I am not surprised, because they are REALLY good binoculars. In fact, when they first appeared in the early 2000s, they were considered one of the best values, because they matched or even beat the optics of some "alpha" glass.

I know this partly because of Pentax sending me a 10x43 to field test, and it was good enough to be the binocular I chose to use when a good friend from Back East booked a guided mule deer hunt in eastern Montana with an outfitter I knew. I was invited to come along, and my Eastern friend's binocular was also new, a 10x42 from the alpha company many considered the best of all. After we started glassing, the outfitter and I were often spotting deer my friend did not, usually when only part of the deer was visible, and also seeing a little more detail (such as antler conformation) when he did see the deer.

This might seem to be due to my friend being from the East, so not being used to glassing for mule deer in the Missouri Breaks. No doubt some of it was--but we started swapping binoculars, and all three of us came to the conclusion that the Pentax was slightly better than my friend's new alpha. In fact, he got a little depressed, because he'd spent about 50% more to buy them than the real-world price of the Pentax.

This does not mean that a Pentax 10x43 DCF SP is better than any of today's alpha glass. But they were one of a few Japanese binoculars appearing around that time that forced the alpha makes to up their game. Even today it is still exceptionally good glass--which means that suggestions to Sponxx that he spend a bunch more money to upgrade his "cheap" binocular are not good advice, especially when he's headed to Africa where the money saved could be used on trophy frees.

The same goes for advice to drop down to 8x. Now, I like 8x binoculars for much African hunting, especially in thornbush, where you're usually glassing "offhand," and the slightly lower magnification helps SOME people get a steadier view. But it appears he's well-used to 10x, and I have also found 10x binoculars very useful when glassing in both timbered and open country, whether in Africa or North America, apparently partly because I have pretty steady hands. Apparently he is used to his 10, so it will serve him well.

I am astounded by the few posters who suggest not bothering to bring any binoculars when hunting, because the PH and trackers will do the looking and trophy judging. This may be true for some hunters, but I have often spotted game the PH and trackers did not, such as the bull my hunting partner killed in Tanzania on my last Cape buffalo hunt. It was one of a pair of bulls hidden in semi-thick thornbush, but I noticed an exceptionally dark "shadow" and glassed it, finding a buffalo's partially obscured head.

In the meantime, the PH and my friend kept walking behind the tracker, all their eyes were on the ground following the tracks leading to the bulls. By the time I ran past my friend and grabbed the PH, we were only 50 yards from them. They were starting to get suspicious, but hadn't gotten alarmed--yet. The PH and my friend then managed to very carefully maneuver behind a closer sapling, which was used as a rifle rest when my friend put a 500-grain .458 Lott bullet just under the bigger bull's chin, dropping it right there.

That is just ONE example of the animals I've spotted before the PH or trackers in safaris in several African countries. Granted, they spotted more game than I did, but by no means all. I also enjoy guided hunting far more when I'm part of the process, not just standing by waiting to shoot when a PH or guide gives the go-ahead. (I have also guided some myself, and also enjoyed it far more when my client was actually hunting with me.)

I am also a n avid wildlife watcher, including birds, and have seen a LOT of African animals and birds that I otherwise would not have--or at least not been able to identify--without glassing them, at all times of day. In fact, putting a binocular strap around my neck when heading outdoors is as natural as putting on my clothes, even when not hunting. This apparently may seem strange so some hunters, but I would never consider going on any trip, anywhere, without taking GOOD glass--but especially not on an African safari.

I'm with you Indy.

I didn't take binos to Zim this past August and did not miss them one bit.

I think a lot depends on what and where you are hunting...but for my PG in the Eastern Cape and DG in the BVC, I was fine not switching back and forth between binos and rifle.

My PHs were happy because that was less movement by me, to spook game. Plus I focused more on my rifle handling.

I can see what I need to see with the naked (62 year old) eye or through my scope when time to shoot.

Different strokes for different folks.

Thanks for that, Mule Deer and for the rest of your comments. I agree with them all. I am the one who suggested 8x vs 10x in this discussion. - but only for the following reasons. Most people are not experts. I was trying to bring more of us into the circle of hunters who appreciate finding game for themselves. Or who use glass instead of feet as an efficient strategy. I have no argument at all with those who have the skills or physical ability to use more magnification than 8x in their binoculars. But those "who suggest not bothering to bring any binoculars when hunting" are an unfortunately large proportion of the hunting public. I'm just trying to nudge them in the proper direction. Like any caring hunter would do.

I am somewhat flabbergasted at the suggestion that you don't need to take a binocular when you go hunting--especially in Africa. There is so much to see: new landscapes and habitats, strange critters and animal behaviors--things that you will see with a good binocular, some of which you may never see again.

Hell, I don't even go out to sit in the back yard or on the front porch without a binocular and a camera.

Exactly.

But apparently a lot of "hunters" are indeed out there just to shoot animals.

Ridiculous isn't it? I can't imagine......