Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Doug - 15x56 update

Doug,

I was perusing CamerlandNY's 15x56 binos. There are some newcomers to the game.

The offerings are:

-Steiner HX
-Athlon Cronus
-Zeiss Conquest HD
-Leica Geovid R
-Meopta Meostar HD
-Sig Zulu9
-Swarovski SLC

Assuming tripod mounted in the field, do any challenge Swarovski for 1st place?

Looking for opinions from Doug and anyone else that can shed light on the above options.

There's a reason that everyone says "How does it compare the the Swaro SLC" as it has earned the reputation of being at the top of the 15x56's

Running up right on it's heels is the Meopta Meostar

Below that I would put the Zeiss and Steiner, then the Athlon

I am not including the Leica Geovid as that's a different product. I'd say optically it is between the Meostar and SLC but the addition of a rangefinder makes it a whole new entity

I've never used the Sig so I have no opinion

All you mentioned are good. Is the Swarovski 3 times better than the Athlon? No.
If I was glassing for an hour would I want the Swaro over the Athlon, Yes.
If I was using these to identify a mile away would I feel the $ difference is worth it? I would have to say no.
If I wanted to get the best and have it for 20 years and always be happy with my gear then get the Swarovski as over a lifetime of use the cost won't make a difference.

The most expensive way to buy gear is to buy and upgrade and buy and upgrade and constantly lose money each time you do this.

Doug, thanks for the detailed response!

Sounds like #1 and #2 haven't changed in the last couple years.

Doug-
I have absolutely no need for 15x56 binoculars. But I sincerely appreciate this kind of detailed no bs response. For example, declining to offer an opinion on stuff you have not used is not a practice observed by all vendors!
Thanks. I look forward to doing business with Cameraland in the future.
Mark

Doug thank you for the information. How does Bushnell Forge; Leupold Santium BX5 HD and Maven B4ED stack up to the list above.

I have never seen a Maven anything as they are a direct to consumer brand and aren't at SHOT so I have no opinion.
I can say I did learn a valuable lesson with ZenRay though. We were a ZenRay dealer for over a decade, however, ZenRay was owned by a guy named Charles. Charles was a great guy and he knew where to source product in the Pacific Rim. ZenRay sold competitive quality optics below the costs of other brands which sourced from the same places (Let's face it most of the optics today are coming from the same factories). Unfortunately, as I said the entire time we were ZenRay dealers, "If anything happens to Charles I have no idea what will happen to ZenRay". As some of you know ZenRay basically fell off the planet one day in October of 2017. No phones or e-mails were answered after then and nobody knows what happened to ZenRay. Either something happened to Charles or he retired but a brand that was there in September was gone in October.
Many of these new start up, direct to consumer brands, are brought by guys who have been in the industry for years and either lost their jobs or left their jobs. They know where to source optics and have spent their lives in the industry and know optics so they have started their own brands. I wish them the best of luck.
With my lesson learned with ZenRay I have 2 questions.
1) What happens to these brands when something happens to the owner?
2) What happens if business is slow and a major brand offers the owner a national sales position with a good salary and benefits?

As far as the Bushnell and the Leupold. I have checked both out but not in a side by side with any others and only inside of the bldg. at SHOT. They seem good but this is no way to judge any optic so I have no comparative opinion.

Thanks Doug. I have bought from you in the past and will in the near future. Always a pleasure.

I'm here if you have time to call to discuss options

I think Doug makes a great point, regarding the longterm viability of some companies. I suppose any company can go under, but when the success hinges on one or two people, there seems to be more risk.

I remember when Zen Ray hit the scene. They seemed to change the perception of low cost binos, from certain PacRim countries.

I once met Charles, at Zen Ray, when I had a problem with one of his binos. He took the time to meet at his office, after business hours. Great guy to talk to. He explained what was wrong with my bino, why he started Zen Ray, the overseas connections he had, etc. Just seemed like a very nice and genuine guy.

I was, and still am, impressed with those binos for the time period and cost. Just when it seemed like Zen Ray was on a roll, Charles disappeared like Doug mentioned.

Jason

My name isn't Doug, but I did get the chance to compare tripod mounted Leupold BX5 HDs against Meopta 15x56. Very similar price tags, but to my eyes, Meopta was superior in brightness, clarity, and edge to edge sharp image.

Saving my dimes for Swaros!

With 15Xs, I've got experience with the Steiner HX and the Meopta Meostar, as well as the Swaro SLC...The two underdogs both compare very favorably. They're not quite as clear around the edges as the SLC....but their reliability in freezing cold and rain put them over the SLC in my opinion.

I bought a Meopta 15x56 open box special from Doug a little over a year ago, and have zero regrets about that decision.

What issue does Swaro have in the cold/rain? I have the SLC HD and have hunted them down to 0F ambient without any issue but I haven't had them out in any really wet conditions.

Every pair of Swaros I have owned (to include ELs and ATM spotters) have frozen solid on me in negative degree weather. The focus adjustments and (on binoculars) the hinge adjustment too. Absolutely no adjustments could be made until they thawed out. My Steiner Peregrines worked flawlessly through those conditions.

The Swaros have also fogged up on me, badly. It has to be REALLY wet for that to happen, but it has/did. Again, my Steiners worked just fine there (Steiner Peregrines mind you....not the 15x56 HXs). I have not had my Meoptas in that kind of wet weather yet, but I have in the cold and they were fine.

Swaros are THE best IMO for somewhat warm, dry hunts but when the weather gets nasty, they stay home.

I've had three sets of Swaros fog internally on me in foggy conditions...

I've adjusted accordingly on all potential conditions. That means I don't use Swaro optics any longer...

Never had a problem with my 2 pairs of Swaro EL10x42s. Have hunted sheep in N BC for 2 weeks were it was raining about 30% of the time. Just used the bino strap and eye-piece covers.

Same with some very wet, cold and snowy caribou and moose hunts up there...no issues with the ELs.

For the ultimate in cold weather I was on an 11 day February Polar Bear hunt. Doubt it was ever warmer than -30* F outside. I did bring the Swaros into the tent with a Kerosun heater and Coleman 3-burner stove running each night. They would get condensation on the entire bino but never gave me an ounce of trouble.

It bums me out every time you post about your Swaro issues.

Can't think I'm alone in saying that you are the last guy on 24hcf Swaro should be schitting on in regards to warranty repairs.

They pulled a Leupold in my book!

GregW,

What 15x56 binos did you switch to?