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3 members (NZHunter, LGF, SKB),
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 424
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 424 |
I own a Ziess 15x60, a pair of Leica 12x50 and a pair of Swarovski 8x40. The Swarvoski is without question the best of the lot.
I wish that I had bought a pair of Swarovski 12X50, rather than the first two.
bc
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 7,441 Likes: 204
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 7,441 Likes: 204 |
....So it boils down to compromise. The absolute very best optics glass in the world unfortunately comes in some heavy packages. That's fine if you sit in a stand all day. I chose to sacrifice perhaps 1% on optical quality in order to not feel like I've carried a brick around my neck all day. There are some real sleepers out there if you shop and compare. That's the hardest part, because it is extremely hard to make a valid comparison.... I think it's a good summary Keith. Others have also mentioned that besides good quality, it also takes larger sizes, weight. In rifle scopes and related binocular and spotting scope optics, I also think that Japanese optics have made strong advances into the high end optics market. Some of the value end Japanese optics are very good, but a big problem is consistency. Including european brands, on the high price end, I think a product can be purchased sight unseen with high confidence. The lower the price, the more I think it pays off to try before buying to attempt to weed out a mediocre one.
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,260 Likes: 510
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,260 Likes: 510 |
Totally worth the money. I currently use a pair of Zeiss 10x40 Victory's, a pair of 8x30 Kahles, and a pair of 8x25 Meopta's.
The pair of Kahles were my first pair of high end optics, they've been stalwarts in the field. I've owned them almost 20 years now. About 4 years ago I took them on a duck hunt and they somehow fell out of my pack, un cased into about 1 foot of snow. No didn't know I lost them until I got home and then I spent the next 3 days scouring the marsh looking for them, no luck, and then Ma Nature dropped about 2 more feet of snow in the area..... I found them a few months later, in the spring and fully expected them to be trashed from the elements. They weren't. Nothing at all wrong with them, just muddy and filthy. After a careful cleaning...they were as clear and sharp as new.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,074 Likes: 441
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,074 Likes: 441 |
I was lucky in acquiring three sets of binoculars over the years and all were acquired by trade or purchased used. They serve distinct purposes. The oldest pair are an odd magnification, but I prefer them for birding. Zeiss Dialycht 6 x 42 roof prisms (armored) that I bought in a local camera shop for $300 and they had been rarely used. 1 lb., 14 oz. I traded a pair of Nikon 7x50 for a pair of armored Fujinon Meibo 7 x 50. I used them on my saltwater rig and for stargazing. They now sit in my desk drawer at work and I scan the horizon from my fifth floor for birds of prey. The Nikons were actually better optically with pin point star images, edge to edge, but were on the delicate side for marine use. The Fujinons are heavy enough to kill a deer with a head strike. I bet they are five pounds. My third pair are Leica 7x20B. Compact and an easy carry.
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 390 Likes: 8
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 390 Likes: 8 |
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,966 Likes: 293
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,966 Likes: 293 |
Buy once, cry once.
Swaro EL's are the best in the world.
Not being able to see to make a safe shot at dawn and dusk is false economy.
Out there doing it best I can.
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,381 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,381 Likes: 1 |
I understand that quality glass reduces eye strain and I believe this is true but is it difficult to get the glass that clear that the price of these items rivals diamonds? My thinking is that the most valuable element is the clarity of the glass. Please understand I am asking this question for an education on the subject not to show any disrespect for those who have made such expenditures. Where would, say a Tasco World Class scope with Swarovski glass be on the scale with an actual Swarovski? Thank you.
I'm old an can't see as well as I use to. I would say NO because in general 2x to 3x jump in price does not give you 2x to 3x jump in performance. If you are curious the gold standard now is Nikon WX 7x50IF designed for observation of night sky.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,350
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,350 |
Gil, those lower magnifications are the limit for my use on cold, windy days, half-shivering, arms close to sides to steady them. They're also favoured by our deep-sea trawler captains.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,313 Likes: 378
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,313 Likes: 378 |
I would say NO because in general 2x to 3x jump in price does not give you 2x to 3x jump in performance. If you are curious the gold standard now is Nikon WX 7x50IF designed for observation of night sky.
Let me guess... you have a pair on Layaway or a 24 hour hold.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,381 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,381 Likes: 1 |
I would say NO because in general 2x to 3x jump in price does not give you 2x to 3x jump in performance. If you are curious the gold standard now is Nikon WX 7x50IF designed for observation of night sky.
Let me guess... you have a pair on Layaway or a 24 hour hold. Nope, I have been using Zeiss 7x since about 1990.
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