Binoculars?

[FL SNIPER]

I figured someone in this forum might be willing to offer some advice.

I'd like to buy a set of binoculars for around $50 to $75. I know that you can probably spend a lot more...but that is the price range I am working with. Can any of you out there suggest a brand or model I should check out in that price range?

I will be using them for bow hunting so a set that is relatively small in size would be helpful.

Thanks for your help!

[Tom Wilson]

FL,

I would love to tell you that you can go get a pair of good bino's for under a hundred bucks, but you can't. You might find a pair that you'll be ok with, but with glass--you get what you pay for. I went through a long process to find the best pair I could for the least amount of money. There are a lot of things to consider, but when it comes down to the brass tacks of bino operation light is the key. If you don't buy a pair with good light reception, you will never be happy. You will have salesmen tell you that the light is completely defined by the size of the front objective lens, but that is not entirely true. You need to go to a store where you can look at 20-25 pairs in one trip to see the differences. Find a pair that is easy to look through. You should be able to throw them up to your face and immediately see through them, not hunt around to see what you were trying to look at. Pay attention to how the light looks in each one, and trust me--if they're dark in the store they will be even worse in low light conditions.

You don't have to spend 1,500 dollars either on a pair of Steiner's or Swarovski's. I spend hundreds of hours looking through a camera lens during the year, So I know about light and how important it is in relation to glass, and when I purchased my bino's I was extrememly careful. After looking through 40-50 pairs, I settled on Nikon's Monarch ATB binoculars. They were stunningly bright, and have large eye relief, so target acquisition is fast and easy. I got them in 10x42 and they are completely waterproof, fogproof, and they come in black or camo. The cost on them is right at $189.00 unless you find them on sale. I realize this is more than you want to pay, and it is up to you, but spending $50-$75 bucks a couple of time over the course of a couple years is no cheaper than buying a good pair that will last you for a long time, and give you excellent service. They are also not very large--this was a plus for me also. Good Luck on what you decide.

Tom W

[Steve Foss]

You also might try Sam's Club. I picked up a pair of $350 Bausch and Lomb 8 power roof prism binocs for $59. They have lots of things like that. You have to pay a small annual fee to become a member to shop there, but it was worth it for us. Or you maybe know a friend or relative who's a member who could take you.

Otherwise, I agree with Mr. Wilson. You'll find much better options in somewhat higher-priced binocs.

If you simply can't spend more than the price range you mentioned, go with a decent pair of 7x35 or 10x50 Bushnells. That's how hundreds of thousands of birders got started, and while there are obvious disadvantages to cheaper binocs, they got the job done for me for several years (and about 150 into my life list) when I started birding as an adolescent. You can always upgrade later, if you decide it's something you want to do.

Since you're bowhunting as well, I'd stick with something smaller, like the 7x35. Most of the really small sized 8x20 type binocs marketed for bowhunters are very hard to use compared with the others. And those 8x20 types have lenses so small they gather very little light, a problem for a bowhunter. Your average 7x35 is going to be black, but you can easily paint them with some camo paint to knock down the reflection.

Good luck, and have fun.

[FL SNIPER]

That is some great advice guys. I really appreciate the shared knowledge.

I do know someone with a sams club membership. I will see if I can go to sams with them. Sounds like 7x35 Bushnells is what I'll be checking out.

Again thank you guys for the help.