Bino Recommendation

chav0_12 said:

Idk, when I compared the two, outside in the evening, the SLCs had better colors. The Razor UHDs just seemed grayer, and I couldn't get over how big they were, so maybe that didn't help much.

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hmm idk, but I suppose I could see that.

The UHDs have a color trueness to them. They don't really pop the green colors like some other bino coatings do. Glassing into shadows and low light, it seems to penetrate well, but again, I have 50s…so it's to be partially expected I suppose, if we here are comparing apples.

No denying they are big. Way bigger than SLCs, for sure.


Maybe I'll see if I can get some iPhone shots in a day or so if I remember. I was planning on exploring a local canyon.

So my recommendation is to check out Maven. I had a similar question and instead of hunting forums, I went specifically to birdwatching forums to see what the popular choice was.

As expected, Swaro was a popular one but I saw Maven mentioned many times in every forum I went to.

We did a side by side with Vortex Razor, Swaro SLC in a 10x and the Maven B2 in a 9X. We used them in the field and just messing around at camp and three of the four bought Mavens the next week.

What im saying here is include them in your search. Dont overlook them at all. They are the best comparison to the Swaro in my opinion.

Company is out of Wyoming, lifetime no questions asked warranty, very friendly folks on the phone and helpful CS.

I have 2 Meopta's I bought from Doug. The 15x and a pair of Meostar B1plus 8x. Both outstanding optics. The 8x are outstanding for hunting.

Justa Notha 512 said:

Since I'm new here... I wanted to give the forums a spin and get some input based on real-life experience, not some paid promotional pushers on the web. I'm looking for binos for a backpacking muley hunt later this year. I've been looking at the Tract Toric 10x42s and Leupold BX5 Santiam 10x42s. Thoughts? Can I go wrong with either? Are there others I should be considering? My preferential budget is under $1K.

Thank you!

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Maybe this will help.
I worked in Bass Pro"s Hunting Dept. for a year and a half (2017-18) assisting customers with firearms and optics.
I looked thru every pair except garbage. I didn't see a need for binoculars but considered it. (I usually left the K-Mart pair in the truck).
I ended up with a Costco pair of 10 x 42 Leupold Yellowstones: originally $180.
Not bad at all for $130 after Christmas. Used them for a couple seasons extensively. Good purchase.
I decided to upgrade with a $1000 limit. Took a hard look at Zeiss and Leupold Santiam and Leica 10 x 42's. One pair ran out of diopter adjustment.
Horrible lighting at Sportsman's Warehouse and not much better anywhere else. The Santiam's went on sale for $800 and I bought them for a trial run. Looking across a small lake at small details they were somewhat better better but I couldn't see spending $800.
Last year I purchased 10 x 42 Leupold BX4's for little more than $400. Minimally better in daylight. This year Leupold upgraded their lens coating on Alpine and BX4 series for the same cost.
Like I told my good friend: If you're looking for Swarovski performance for less money, Forget it. It ain't going to happen.
Good Luck, stay safe, shoot straight.

Justa Notha 512 said:

After a quick search on the web, I found the Zeiss for $799. Seems like a really good price.

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That's a great price! 10x42 Conquest are $1000.00 bino's, and Zeiss doesn't do many specials. Are they used?

The Zeiss 10x42 Conquest would be my choice for your price range. My recommendation though, would be the Zeiss 10x40 SFL's. They're a magnesium frame and top end glass! However, almost double your budget!

I love my trinovids, I had swaros but I switched due to them seeming a bit fragile (losing culmination when dropped) and I could get trinos and a kestrel for my used swaro money.

Going back again I would have gotten geovids to get the integral rangefinder, I wish I had that and may end up selling my leicas to get it

Justa Notha 512 said:

Since I'm new here... I wanted to give the forums a spin and get some input based on real-life experience, not some paid promotional pushers on the web. I'm looking for binos for a backpacking muley hunt later this year. I've been looking at the Tract Toric 10x42s and Leupold BX5 Santiam 10x42s. Thoughts? Can I go wrong with either? Are there others I should be considering? My preferential budget is under $1K.

Thank you!

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Look at the Mavin 11x45s. You won't be disappointed.

Mavens 11x45 have been good for me.

azarcher10x said:

That's a great price! 10x42 Conquest are $1000.00 bino's, and Zeiss doesn't do many specials. Are they used?

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cameralandny.com open box deal.

Most serious hunters go through the same decision-making process you find yourself in. I started with decent pair, then upgraded to a pair of mid-tier bino's. In both cases, they were supposed to be nearly as good as a Swaro. I was never completely satisfied them, so I finally bit the bullet and bought a used pair of 10x42 Swaro SLC's. When I first started buying bino's, I ignored the sage advice of the people on LRH who said "buy once - cry once". I honestly thought I could get the same performance from glass that was priced at half the price of the industry leaders. I was wrong.

The first time I took those Swaro's on a scouting trip, I looked through them for about 3 minutes and then declared outloud: "I should have done this years ago". When you hear that this or that manufacturer is "just as good as" or 90% of the top brands, they rarely are. Swarovski and Leica used to be the gold standard by which all other bino's are judged. There are some new arrivals on the scene, but I have not used any of them so I cannot comment on them. My advice to you: Rather than go cheap, save your money until you can buy a used pair from a top tier company.

Almost all the top end bino manufacturers utilize Schott glass. Guess who owns Schott glass? Zeiss! They all use Zeiss glass. The differences are in the coatings. Zeiss uses coatings to filter out much of the blue spectrum, which the human eye doesn't see well. Swarovski appears warner in the spectrum and Zeiss cooler. It comes down to a personal preference. If you're going spend the big bucks, check them all out first.

Agree with ratrod54 and a couple others above on the recommendation of Maven optics. They have a 10x42 bino right in line with your target price. Recently got a chance to check the Maven optics line at the Denver Sportsman Expo - very nice glass.

Justa Notha 512 said:

Thank you for all the recommendations and guidance! I ended up grabbing the SLCs listed here in the classifieds.

I can't wait to get my hands on them and put 'em to work.

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Get a good bino harness. I like outdoor vision. You are going to love them