Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Ranging binoculars: EL's, Geovid HD's, or Zeiss Victory's???

Saved up for a top-of-the-line rangefinding binocular. I have used Geovids for several years but was not blown away with the optics, rangefinding ability, or ease of reading the yardage. I was leaning toward the EL's but read the yardage was also often hard to read. Then I leaned toward the Geovid HD's but have read the optics are suspect, but maybe they range longer distances than the Swarovski's or Zeiss? I have not read anything bad about the Zeiss Victory's.
I use them for prairie dogs and for deer hunting, both at reasonably long ranges.
The usual recommendation is to look at each in the store, but I don't feel that I can evaluate them well in a store.
Anybody want to chime in as to what they would buy?
Thanks very much.
Alan

I've been running the Swarovski for over 2 years and it is simply superb. The knock on the hard to read display is easily remedied. The unit has 5 brightness settings, plus an auto brightness level, which I turned off. Set it at level 4 and you'll never not see it.

The optics are just terrific, the ergos very good, and the Swaro quality can't be beat.

Are you happy with the ranging ability. The Geovids I had, as well as Swaro's monocular rangefinder, would do prairie ground to about
700 yds but seldom further.

The aiming circle in the EL Range is much more precise than their monocular unit (which I still have and love but never use anymore-the glass is so good).

I easily get to 1200 yards on deer sized targets, and 1900+ on big rocks, trees, etc.

Real fun to know, but about 5 times further than I'd ever shoot.

On the other hand, it doesn't range under 30 yards, which might be a problem if you're a bad range estimating slow-arrow shooter....

I have been a long time geovid user. I have owned 3 pairs total over the years. I have the HD model and used and later sold 2 of the older geovids, not the huge originals though. after using RF binoculars I will never use anything else. I had been anxiously awaiting the new geovids but have been pretty disappointed in what leica put out. This sounds crazy but I don't really like the new geovid glass that much, its got more green tint AND less sharpness at the edges than the previous model which is the one I have already. They also did some hokey things with the ballistic program that showed me engineers in germany came up with the details of its function rather than input from real western hunters. the new geovids leave me feeling like the barrels aren't adjusted just right and I have an ever so slight uncomfortableness in the very middle of the view. they moved the RF button but for some extremely insanely stupid reason put the ranging botton on the inside of the 2 buttons. that means your finger has to go over the first button to push the range button. good lord leica are you guys crazy for once get this right!!!!

the ziess RF unit is very nice however they are pretty bulky and for me are a tad too short on eye relief. they don't offer angle compensation, which at least swaro does have. When the ziess unit came out I probably would have switched to them but they eye relief was just too short for me.

The swaro unit is what I am wanting these days. IMO the glass is the best and this is verified by a leica rep who told me himself swaro has 3% better light transmission. I get no green tint with the swarovskis. they have the best glass and are the most comfortable to hold. if leica had the view that swaro does I would have bought them last year. at this point swaro is on my wish list and NOT leica.

For little targets on the ground, like prairie dogs, what's important is beam divergence. You want the smallest beam divergence possible, height being the important thing. My rangefinder is an old Leica 1200. At that time Leica had by far the smallest beam divergence. That's what I'd be comparing.

Thanks for everyone's help. Right now I think the Swarovski's are the one.