Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best hunting binoculars under 600??

I agree 100%. An Athlon Midas UHD can be had for under $300 and it is amazing for the price. Easily on par with Viper HD's and many other $500 binos.

Have your buddy go look at a pair of Zeiss conquest in 8 and 10 power not HD/ have 2 of each new in box from awhile ago that I bought in closeout from a big camera store in NY/ I was going to gift them to friends but forgot about them/ either one $400 each/ at the time they were discounted down from $659.00

All this started happening pretty long ago. Was on a mule deer hunt in eastern Montana with a friend from Minnesota around 20 years ago. He was VERY proud of the brand-new "alpha" 10x40 he bought for the hunt--until I started seeing stuff he didn't through my Japanese 10x40. Eventually we switched binoculars, and he was disappointed to find my glass (which cost considerably less) also allowed him to see a little better....

I am not very knowledgeable about binocular glass, but I will say this. My old Pentax 10x42 DCF WP binocular with phase coating that is made in Japan has kept me from experimenting. I bought these from camerland about 15 years ago (or more) I think.

The 10x42 DCF WP was about as good as it got--and still ranks right up there.

Did an experiment some years ago with several friends. Covered up the names of a few binoculars with tape (including one "Euro Alpha") and had them look through 'em all, then choose the best. A 10x42 DCP WP got just about all the votes.....

That is pretty amazing. I even got a rebate when I bought them. I don't remember what I paid for them, but it was probably around 300 bucks??

My son uses a Pentax 8x32 DCF WP with phase coating and made in Japan binocular. I bought those used (here I think) after being pleased with mine. His is a nice compact design being 8x32.

Thanks for the feedback JB

You're welcome!

Actually Pentax (like a lot of optics companies, including today) didn't actually manufacture stuff. Instead they contracted with manufacturers. I would bet the DCF WPs were made by Light Optical, one of the finest optics factories in the world. They've been making optics for various companies since the 1950s--in recent years including some "alpha" companies.

Another example would be the Pentax rifle scopes that appeared around 20 years ago. They were actually made by the Colorado Burris factory--and in fact except for slight variations in bell-shape shape were obviously Burris Fullfield IIs, including the Ballisitic-Plex reticle--which Pentax called something else. This was admitted to me by one of their marketing guys, after I measured the length of a 3-9x40 Pentax and a 3-9x40 FFII made then--and compared the reticles on a target at 100 yards.

John, are the Nikon Monarch 7 10x42 still rated highly among the sub $500 class.

Mine have certainly been nice.

Take the time to call me or Neil and let's discuss what would be best for you, 516-217-1000

I have the C1s also. Second this recommendation. Low light performance is pretty amazing. I felt they were a bargain at $400 (occasionally on sale 10% off).