Binocular Magnification

[jjhunter]

It sounds like you have your mind made up - but if you ever want to read thorough reveiws on optics, go to the birder forums.   

Also, the guys at Outdoorsmans sell a lot of glass and they are hunters and use the stuff that they sell.   You can get some pretty good insight from them.

Back to the OP - If I had to choose one binocular, it would be a 10x42 and I'd have a way to attach it to a tripod.

[coachcw]

I like 10x42s as well .

[RadSav]

It sounds like you have your mind made up

While my mind is definitely made up on Swarovski I am always open to the idea of being led down a promising path.  You got me thinking about Kowa and I'm having a good time taking a closer look at their technology.  I do have concerns about how I will adapt to the shape of the new Leica as in the brief time I've played with them that thumb groove in the rubber seems completely misplaced for my hands.  Always up for something fun and new!  Just rarely open to repeating old mistakes.

Back to the OP - If I had to choose one binocular, it would be a 10x42 and I'd have a way to attach it to a tripod.

That is really good advise there!  When we are Mtn Goat hunting the 10X is always attached to an Outdoorsmans Pistol Grip QD.  That way we don't need to carry an extra tripod for the spotter plus the higher power and heavier binos aren't driving us nuts!  I know guys on here have slammed the OPG in the past.  But for me, on those rare occasions when I do use the 10X and/or a spotter it's one of the best $200 I've ever spent!

[losdaddy7]

Thanks for all the feedback and info.  I'm leaning towards the 10X's based on the comments here, and will stick with Vortex as they are the best glass I can buy within my budget and they offer a great discount for hunter ed instructors.  Off to Cabelas tomorrow to try them out... 

[Slimdog350]

I don't know if anyone has touched on it but by reading Rad and jj's posts people have to realize that everyone is different. Not everyone has the same vision or one guy might where glasses etc. I personally have looked thru old Swarovski 8x 56 I believe when I was guiding in Idaho last year. My client had them for 20+ years. I didn't think they were any better than my leupolds. I personally love the Leica ultravids. They are amazing! I can't afford them of course, but if I could I would buy them in a heart beat. I have friends that have Swarovski and love them but that is them and not me. As for the op I would call or pm Elknut on this forum. He knows a lot and will give you a better deal then you will get anywhere else. I will be buying the viper hd 10x42s if I ever receive the rest of my wages from the outfitter I worked for last year. 

[Slimdog350]

I don't know if anyone has touched on it but by reading Rad and jj's posts people have to realize that everyone is different. Not everyone has the same vision or one guy might where glasses etc. I personally have looked thru old Swarovski 8x 56 I believe when I was guiding in Idaho last year. My client had them for 20+ years. I didn't think they were any better than my leupolds. I personally love the Leica ultravids. They are amazing! I can't afford them of course, but if I could I would buy them in a heart beat. I have friends that have Swarovski and love them but that is them and not me. As for the op I would call or pm Elknut on this forum. He knows a lot and will give you a better deal then you will get anywhere else. I will be buying the viper hd 10x42s if I ever receive the rest of my wages from the outfitter I worked for last year.

[KimberRich]

On the east side.. more magnification is better in my opinion. 
When you're trying to determine if there's a 3rd point on one side of a Mulie or if it's a "True Spike" while the animal is moving at 300 yards... I like to have more magnification. 

I use 12x Zeiss on the East side and 10x Leupold's on the West Side.  I can not say enough about how great the Zeiss are.

[RadSav]

I use 12x Zeiss on the East side and 10x Leupold's on the West Side.  I can not say enough about how great the Zeiss are.

I'm thinking of changing your name from KimberRich to "SteadyFreddy"  

The 12X I have used (not my own) were made by Zeiss.  I can not remember the model, but they were VERY NICE!  I tried to use them off the tripod after bugging up a hill around 6K' after a goat.  My heart beat showed in the view so bad I'm not sure I could have counted tines on a buck at 300 yards.   Though I have to admit...I'm not the poster boy for a physically fit hunter    These days it's probably closer to the poster boy for "Bubba" - The camo'd heart attack

[KimberRich]

I use 12x Zeiss on the East side and 10x Leupold's on the West Side.  I can not say enough about how great the Zeiss are.

I'm thinking of changing your name from KimberRich to "SteadyFreddy"  

The 12X I have used (not my own) were made by Zeiss.  I can not remember the model, but they were VERY NICE!  I tried to use them off the tripod after bugging up a hill around 6K' after a goat.  My heart beat showed in the view so bad I'm not sure I could have counted tines on a buck at 300 yards.   Though I have to admit...I'm not the poster boy for a physically fit hunter    These days it's probably closer to the poster boy for "Bubba" - The camo'd heart attack

Very funny. Im not a poster child for health myself as I get older. Im more of a hike into my spot in thedark, then sit and wait for daylight, type of a guy so I cant speak to that. Ive always figured that I if im breathing so hard that im not ready to make a shot... im walking too fast and probably walking past something I should be seeing.
But thats just me.

[KimberRich]

Honestly I dont know if its as much the 12x being better than the 10x as it is the clarity and ease of focusing and low light view.
I'm a die hard Leupold guy for life but the Zeiss binos are spectacular.

[RadSav]

Christmas finally came!
 
My first impressions;

If Leica takes making binoculars as seriously as they take product packaging I'm going to be REALY, REALLY pleased with these!  That is some serious attention to detail...and I'm not even talking the binoculars yet

Certainly not going to be able to write the whole story until a few years have gone by and we see how they hold up in the field.  But so far I can not find a single flaw other than I will need to change the placement of my hands on the body because of the thumb grooves.  Right now they are superbly brite, crisp image from edge to edge of view, lightweight, eye cups are the best I've ever witnesses, and focusing is smooth as butter (though I have not needed to focus after the initial time due to the fact focus from 20 - 450 yards has not changed at all!).

I'm very optimistic that these will be exactly what I've been hoping for...That is these will be the last pair of every day binos I will need till I'm too broken to continue hunting!  Though I've been optimistic and wrong before   Sure going  to be fun finding out for sure

[RadSav]

Ive always figured that I if im breathing so hard that im not ready to make a shot... im walking too fast and probably walking past something I should be seeing.

I don't think I'd ever get anywhere if I walked slow enough I didn't breath hard.  I feel like an excited black lab out there!  If I had a tail, I'd really be in trouble

I'm leaning towards the 10X's based on the comments here, and will stick with Vortex as they are the best glass I can buy within my budget and they offer a great discount for hunter ed instructors.

That's pretty cool that they give discounts to instructors!  I had no idea they did that.

I have a good friend in Kimberly BC who works in the mines and has teenage kids.  Affording Vortex was even a stretch for him, but he gambled and made the purchase on the 10X42 (I'm not sure which model he got).  He is thrilled with what he got for the money! 

He called me up REALLY excited to tell me about his wolf he shot the first day he used them in the field.  Seems he was headed into the high country to try and find a big mule deer.  Perched himself on the edge of a high cliff and glassed into the far side of the canyon 1 to 1.5 kilometers away.  With the Vortex he sees a big alpha male sleeping beneath a rock.  "I would have never seen that dog with my old Nikon's", he says.  About an hour later he is less than 100 yards from the wolf and shoots him right there in his bed with his 300!  He is so excited I think he is going to modify his will so he can be buried with those glasses

[quadrafire]

Well Rad, you've had a few months, what is your impression?
I'm getting the itch to look at some good glass and have been "eyeing" the ultravids
Any eyeglass wearers using these. I hate using binos w/ glasses

[Heredoggydoggy]

10x is good if you are young and steady.  I used 10s until I got old and shaky--now I use 8x binos, and it's hard to hold those steady. 

[tgomez]

I like my 7x35 powered binoculars because they are CRYSTAL CLEAR. With that being said I would recommend 10 powered binoculars if I were buying a new pair.