Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics The Big Three in Binoculars?

I think he meant vortex was junk.

I agree on the Pentax DCF SP 8x42 being extraordinary. I have the SP in 8x32, 8x43, 10x43 and 15x55 along with the DCF ED in 10x43 and the WP in 8x42. All are good but the little 8x32 is just different - it hits an undefinable optical sweet spot.

I have the HD Cabelas version of the Meopta Meostar and they are very good but come up shy of the Pentax.

I remember about 12ish years ago members on long-range-hunting praising the Pentax 8x43. Some people went and checked them out - bought them - compared them to their high-end bino - then sold their 'big three' bino.

Never looked through kowa glass. At what price point do they begin to shine? I see on dougs site they range quite a bit. Thanks

Genesis/Prominar line

Before I purchased my Leica Geovids, I had been using a pair of Minox HG that I bought from Doug many years ago.....excellent glass for it's category.


Frog----OUT!

My Minox HG 10x52s are good glass... but when I fell and broke my leg on an elk hunt I landed on them, bent the twist out eyecups bad, broke one strap ear off and they won't hold open, just close up if not held with two hands. I used pliers and bent the eyecups back to be able to twist them in and out, but it's a pain with no strap and holding them an exact tension and both hands. Replaced them with Leica 10x50 ultravids.

I will say if you are hand holding binos, 8s, 10s... you will not see much of a difference from something like a Minox HG, Razor, maybe a Tract from an alpha. Put them on a tripod and it's a discernable difference. Usually that's the higher magnification 12s and up. But even with the lower magnification unsteadiness takes away something in all glass.

Kent

Zeiss has tried the "budget/high-volume" at least one other time with the Diafun in the mid-late 90's. I was in college and working at a gun shop at the time and when that 1st set arrived I was elated and tore into the box to check them out. Good lord they were awful, the outer ~25%-33% was unusable. My new/closeout Redfield Aurora at the time whooped those Diafun abominations.

I had a pair of Minox 8.5x52's that were nice. I remember they seemed very light for their size...but they were just bulkier than I wanted to carry.

Very true on hand held, at least for me. For much of how I use a bino, user characteristics of the bino ranks right there with glass. It plays into why I moved from 8x to 7x42's and 6.5x32's with a larger/deeper depth of focus and more eye relief for use with glasses. If I'm set and have a solid rest I can adjust to the characteristics of what I'm using. If I'm standing or at an odd angle, eye relief, depth of focus, and exit pupil that allow easier use become important. Still, it's nice to have good glass to go along with good "specs" for how it will be used.

They are not THAT bad, but they are exactly worth their price point when they were on deep-discounted sale.
Not "alpha" but useable.

Beats squinting.

Any bino is better than no bino, even a Tasco.

I just don't see the value of Zeiss dropping down into the Anthon, Monarch, Diamondback, Leupold market... except people seeing a Zeiss for 399 and jumping on it.

They really aren't very good and a huge disappointment when you think you are getting a Zeiss, with the others you know what to expect.

It dilutes their entire product line and about knocks them out of the Top 3 status, definitely solidifies them at 3 at best.

Kent

Go to the (home page) of this site.
Then go to the (archives) section.
Then look for an old article entitled ( big eyes ).
Look at the date, then read it.

Based upon that article, i bought a set of the 15x58 Minux from Doug on a close out price of $500.
They still make them in 15x56.
We did the same test using Leica, Swaro, and the Minux.
The guy owning the Swaros thought his were a bit better, but admitted that he would have bought the Minux due to the major cost difference.

Snarky remark. You should know Zeiss top of the line binoculars are made by Zeiss themselves.

Snarky? Any company you do exactly the same thing to? Over and over again?

My main glass grab is a 8X42 Swarovski

But on the kitchen window sill in back, I have an old set of 7X50 Minolta's. I like them a lot too. Can't remember what I paid for them as a teenager.

Yes, I was only speaking of Vortex of which I've owned many models of all genres.

Ok

Steiner eye relief is excellent

I miss my MINOX 8x43 APG’s, bought Swarovski 10x42 Pures and sold them last week. COntinue to look for another pair of MINOX.

Unless you wish to spend the rest of your life upgrading each time a new model appears you would do well to pick the level of technology you think will comfortably last you out.
I do not have enough coin or inclination for the former so settled on a pair of Zeiss 8x32 Victory FL, should they fail or I need a second set for some obscure reason I shall immediately purchase a pair of Kowa binoculars.

Current set.