I have had most all glass out there. Best glass I ever had was Swaro el but cant swing that anymore. Is there a good 8 x 32 that wont break the bank?

Recommendation #1--Call Doug at Camera Land NY. He knows his stuff and will make you a deal on a bino that meets your needs in the budget you have established.

Recommendation #2--if you don't call Doug right away, go to the nearest place you can that has some selection and try as many models as possible. It's the little things that make or break each person's preference. (focus knob sensitivity, eye cup position and retention, etc)

Recommendation #3--after you do recommendation #2 and have something picked out, go back to recommendation #1.

It's our pleasure to assist. Please give me a call, 516-217-1000, and we can discuss what you should look at for above suggestion #2, then of course go with #3

Happy New Year

I bought these this summer for a truck/backpack/kayak bino. Reviews are quite good if you research them:

RINK

There are plenty. Good news is , at least to me, competition and dielectric coatings have raised the bar on what you can get for the money.

The Sightrons are very well regarded. I'm a Sightron fan and really considered them, but ultimately chose the 8X32 Hawke Endurance ED from Doug. I now own two pair. They ain't Swaro but bring a lot to the table for the cash

Yep, that's a good one.
A great deal more FOV than the 8X32 Hawke Endurance ED.

Those Sightrons sure don’t get good reviews on the birding forum. Several posters sent back ones they purchased for malfunctions or defects. I’ve been itching for a 8x30/32 Bino for a while now , been considering something like a Monarch 7 8x30 , really don’t want to spend more than about $350 and they seem to get the best overall reviews in the sub $400 price range. The Monarchs can be had for about $315-$320 on eBay new.

Been tempted to try the 8x32 GPOs from Doug, but just got a deal on some Swaros

You must be talking about a different bino than this one.......

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=211793

Take a look at Swaro CL Companions 8x30s.

That's the thread that sealed the deal for me.

I am not sure of your budget, but the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 is a very nice binocular, bright and very light, with a wide field of view.

The Swarovski is good too, but not worth the extra. I have both. The Sightrons mentioned had
lots of love, but a step behind, poor handling, I had one, it had dust inside.

This is one of the threads I read

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=338166

I can vouch for the Sightron mentioned in this thread as being a great optic for the money. Being that I was looking for binos at the time I quickly found out I had a champagne
appetite but only a beer income. The Sightron SIIBL832 solved my underfunded problem and I can't say enough good about them.I give them three thumbs up!

As always, with cash being the caveat and not wanting to go as spendy as Swaro; I'd not hesitate to have a look at either the Monarch 7 8x30 someone mentioned above or the Leupold BX-4 8x32 Pro Guide. Both sub $500 and both excellent lightweight glass IMO.

I’d watch the classifieds for some lightly used alphas. Or perhaps meostars or even a zeiss conquest. Have seen some really good deals on all of the above recently.

One more vote for the monarch 7 8x30. I actually bought a set of viper HD 8x32 for comparison. The nikons are just as good and easier to pack around. I think it’s the best $300 Bino when size/weight is a consideration. The companions are nicer in every way, but I prefer to have the extra $700 in my pocket

Meopta Meostar(Cabelas Euro) 8x32

Hands down the best 8x32 out there if you’re not going alpha. Yes, they are a bit spendy but worth it, IMO. If you’ve had Swarovski in the past you won’t be impressed with a lot of what’s been mentioned above, IMO. The Meoptas will still give you that Wow! factor.

Occasionally you’ll find them used for around $500. Be patient, they are worth the wait.

Good luck,

Leftybolt

Anybody try the Sig Zulu 3

Side by side anyone? Nikon Prostaff 7 8x30 and Sightron SII 8x32? Which one did you like? Nikon is more compact. How's the focus knobs?


Nikon, China. Warranty for original owner only. This has always pissed me off!
Sightron, COO? Philippinrs. Warranty does not require proof of purchase.

Leupold BX3 Mojave..

What do you want to use them for?

Tell us about yourself? Age? Glasses? Astigmatism?

What are you looking for relative to other glass you've owned?

This. ^^^

and




This. ^^^

I purchased these binos several years ago based on the thread above and they have delivered.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...0/Sightron_Blue_Sky_SII_8x32#Post5650310

I used the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30's all season and I like them very much. The field of view is very wide and if one wears eyeglasses I don't think eye-relief will be a problem. Small and light.

Got the same Monarch 7 series binos. Think very highly of them.

Got my hands on a pair of 8x32 Vortex Diamondbacks this morning for truck binos. Very pleased with them. Very wide FOV and crystal clear with a close focus.

+1

I have owned many, many binoculars and usually have 4-5 sets around to choose from. My 8x32 Mojave gets used the most, by a long shot. I snagged a pair when they were first released so they've been around a while, too.

The thing that I like best about my Leica 8x32 BN's is the 442' fov at 1000 meters in a somewhat compact size bino. That is within a couple of feet to the wife's heavier 8x42's plus those BN's focus closer which I like for our birding. I usually carry my 10x25 Swarovski's along too when a 2x better look is needed, but those sure don't have anywhere near the fov of those Leica's.

There are plenty of really good 8x32 bino's on the market for less than $400. The best thing to do is go to an Outdoor World or Cabela's if you have one near you and try what they have in stock. What you like might be different than what someone else likes. It depends on your eyesight and how you're going to use them. So someone's opinion here doesn't mean a specific make & model are going to work for you.

The Swaro's and Cabela's Euro's were among the best that I tried but I didn't like the location of the diopter and it didn't lock on the model I tried. I don't think you need to spend that kind of money though. There just isn't that much difference to warrant the extra expense in my opinion. If you're considering buying some used "alpha" glass I'd make sure it's the current model not 2 or 3 models prior. Optics technology is changing fast. A guy I met in Idaho last fall had a pair of Swaro 8x42's that he bought used. We were comparing our bino's in camp and I know he thought he something superior but no one else thought so.

Great bino and the light gathering isn't too shabby either.

Finally caught up with my new Sightron Blue Sky SII 8x32s.


First impressions. Excellent. Would be a mistake not to grab a pair. Made an offer on Ebay and got them for $152, but I'd pay more if I had to. I don't think I'll need anything more.


Clear with huge amounts of depth in focus. Perfect speed on the focus ring. Perfect. For me, they're very much better in use than the MeoPro 8x32s I tried. I like the ergos and size so far.

Cheap basic un-padded strap. I won't use the lens caps but might keep them in the soft case. YMMV

I got the monarch 7 8x30 for my daughter. When she's not with me... I use them.
in market for my self now.

Swarovski EL
Meostar

Buy once & be done for life. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn until 80; life is short!!!

I don’t know how much the swaros cost but i was patient on eBay and bought some ZEISS victory 8x32 binos for roughly $1000