Which top end binocular?

I am very interested to see what you find out on sf vs ht

I'll let you know, I am too.

Ok guys here is the real deal from somebody that sells them everyday. Bottom line a range finder bino will never be as clear and bright as a stand alone bino, period, (until they improve). RF binos have to be detuned to receive the laser back through the glass to calculate the readings.

There are two major glass manufactures in the world, one being Schott, a (Zeiss company) and another in the Pacific Rim. All the European glass is Schott glass. The first difference is the grind/polish, the second is the applied lens coatings. One manufacture is not the same as the next guy. Most production bino's are different than the next guys. Zeiss for example manufactures in Europe and the Pacific Rim with different qualities of glass! and different prices.

If you want bright bino's, buy 10X50's. A little bit heavier and bulkier. Why? The exit pupil is determined by dividing 10 into the size of the objective end. So an 8x50 would be brighter than a 10x50.Get the picture.

Clarity/quality of the glass along with lens coatings is what most of us are seeking in premium binoculars.

Now consider the warranty. run over every bino out there with a rototiller. Pick up the pieces and send them back to the original owners, the guy who made them. Guess what you get - a brand new pair back from Zortex, no questions asked. There are some places in the world that ask you to leave your Swaro's home, Leica only, thank you. The new Leica Noctovids are awesome and very pleasing to my eye. Seldom do I look through the glass at the edges. So field flattening is of little concern. Many of my customers don't like field flattening. Some say it makes them sick, especially after extended use. Some say the EL's are the best glass ever, your call!

Lecia as of yet does not have a 10x50 Noctovid. My hunting is done with the 10X50 Leica HD-Plus. My previous bino's were the Vortex Razor's in 10x50 and they are at a fantastic price and superior warranty compared to the slew of other high end bino's out there. The Leica's are a tiny bit brighter and a tiny bit clearer than the Razors. Is Leica worth the extra bucks? You'll have to check your wallet.

To each his own. My two bits worth. The EL's are very good but for my bucks the Leica's are a little bit better. The Zeiss, well to each his own. Sorry for being so windy.

Smokepoles said:

I have a pair of the victory sf on the way, when they show up later this week I'll do a side by side between what I have here and post my opinion for you op. I'll compare-
Vic ht
Vic sf
Razor hd

The sf has a new version of the fl glass with some other changes over the ht. The ht is 95% with the sf at 92% light transmission but the contrast in the sf is said to be noticeably better. I'll let you know what I think if any of those models are on your short list

Click to expand...

That would be great. I'd really like to know what you think between the HT and SF, especially at dusk. I wish you had the SLC laying around to compare that to them haha. I figure on at least looking through one bino with the field flattener lenses, whether it's an SF or an EL will probably depend on what's in stock.

Glad I can help. hopefully they will show up tomorrow

a lot of guys make a big thing with scopes and binos being able to see better at dusk but around here if a warden sees your car after sundown he will be waiting for you and a lot of talking to prevent your gun and license taken away. I said a couple of times I fell asleep or got lost. so I never cared about having night vision in optics I bought

we can hunt 30 minutes before and after sun up/down. It can be black in the timber by then and more often than not the glass in my hand was the direct reason I did or did not pull off a shot. That doesn't mean it has to say swaro or zeiss on the side but you better have something that works for you when the time comes if you don't want to eat your tag..

Smokepoles said:

we can hunt 30 minutes before and after sun up/down. It can be black in the timber by then and more often than not the glass in my hand was the direct reason I did or did not pull off a shot. That doesn't mean it has to say swaro or zeiss on the side but you better have something that works for you when the time comes if you don't want to eat your tag..

Click to expand...

amen brother . I'm in my stand about 30 - 45 minutes before shooting time ,this allows things to calm down after me walking in , or I'm on stand when other guys walk in and push deer to me . I don't climb out of my stand until after the close of shooting time .if deer come in right at quitting time I try to wait them out , so I don't spook them out of my spot . the first few minutes and the last few minutes of hunting are important to me .

Smokepoles said:

we can hunt 30 minutes before and after sun up/down. It can be black in the timber by then and more often than not the glass in my hand was the direct reason I did or did not pull off a shot. That doesn't mean it has to say swaro or zeiss on the side but you better have something that works for you when the time comes if you don't want to eat your tag..

Click to expand...

yes I can see your logic but what I always figured that if you hit a big animal as it is getting dark even with a good hit they can run 600 yds or more before they pile up. if you can find it by then will be real dark and you have to field dress it. I cant count the times I took my dog to help guys find deer the next morning they shot at dusk. If you in grizz country you have to be careful

Would like to hear more when sf and ht are out side by side. Thinking next year will be looking at a new pair of binos.

I'm staying with Vortex, comparable glass and better prices by far.... plus I love the military discount they give me.

i own a Zeiss Victory SF. i will recommend this if you need something with high vision qualify and easy handling.

blumboss33 said:

i own a Zeiss Victory SF. i will recommend this if you need something with high vision qualify and easy handling.

Click to expand...

Have you by chance ever had the opportunity to compare it to the EL or Noctivid, particularly in low light conditions?

NWmissouriman said:

Have you by chance ever had the opportunity to compare it to the EL or Noctivid, particularly in low light conditions?

Click to expand...

No i havent thought about but now, i sure will.