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Author Topic: best binocs for under$1000  (Read 7916 times)

Offline grousetracker

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best binocs for under$1000
« on: November 01, 2014, 07:57:00 PM »
i know its been covered but whats the best for under $1000

Offline PointNLab

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2014, 08:16:43 PM »
Nikon Monarch
Doug

Offline jrebel

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2014, 08:32:23 PM »
A used pare of Swarovski's.....Seriously, keep your eyes open and you will find a pair.  I paid 300 for my pair (older slc's) but they are awesome. 

Offline Jellymon

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2014, 08:34:03 PM »
My vortex vipers are the best I've found in the $500-700 range. The cabelas euros are great as well, slightly brighter and crisper image than the vipers for a little more money. Can't go wrong with either, both very well made quality products.

Offline CAMPMEAT

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2014, 08:34:05 PM »
i know its been covered but whats the best for under $1000




A LOT of them. Who needs to spend  a $1000 on a pair of binos, unless you wanna brag.
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Offline Bob33

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2014, 09:01:13 PM »
I would look for a pair of used Nikon LX Premiers, 10x42. You can probably buy a used pair for $700 to $800. They are an outstanding binocular that never got the attention that Swarovskis and Leica get.

www.birdwatching.com/optics/nikon_premierlx.html

betterviewdesired.com/Nikon-LX-L-8x42.php
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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2014, 09:07:03 PM »
A used pare of Swarovski's.....Seriously, keep your eyes open and you will find a pair.  I paid 300 for my pair (older slc's) but they are awesome. 



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Offline hunting4sanity

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2014, 12:24:58 AM »
I'm very happy with my Vortex Viper 10x42 binos.
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Offline GurrCentral

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2014, 12:31:35 AM »
i know its been covered but whats the best for under $1000




A LOT of them. Who needs to spend  a $1000 on a pair of binos, unless you wanna brag.

I would agree with the first part of this post, there are alot of quality bino's for under a thousand bucks........but there is a jump in quality for sure with the higher end (unfortunately price associated) optics.    With that said, I have heard nothing but great things about the Vortex bino's. I just picked up a Vortex spotter and love it.


Offline Bean Counter

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2014, 12:50:41 AM »
I got really lucky and picked up a pair of Nikon EDG 10x32mm for $625. They're easily $1,000+. Very happy with them.  Be patient and wait for a deal.

I've never been impressed by anything Vortex that I've looked through.  :twocents:

Offline GurrCentral

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2014, 01:16:24 AM »
I got really lucky and picked up a pair of Nikon EDG 10x32mm for $625. They're easily $1,000+. Very happy with them.  Be patient and wait for a deal.

I've never been impressed by anything Vortex that I've looked through.  :twocents:

Sorry if this is a classic thread hijack, but i find this interesting. Not that you don't know what your talking about but just the first ive heard an opinion like this. Could you expand on what you did not like about Vortex? Or you just don't think they stack up with the euro's?  I am pairing 10x42 swaro's with a Vortex Razor HD 65mm spotter and am very impressed with the combo. Thanks!  :sry: for the hijack
« Last Edit: November 02, 2014, 01:38:19 AM by GurrCentral »

Offline trophyhunt

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #11 on: November 02, 2014, 01:31:26 AM »
Bought a newer pair of Swarovski slc's 10x42 on Craigslist for 1,000.00.  Great optics.
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Offline Bean Counter

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2014, 01:16:27 AM »
I got really lucky and picked up a pair of Nikon EDG 10x32mm for $625. They're easily $1,000+. Very happy with them.  Be patient and wait for a deal.

I've never been impressed by anything Vortex that I've looked through.  :twocents:

Sorry if this is a classic thread hijack, but i find this interesting. Not that you don't know what your talking about but just the first ive heard an opinion like this. Could you expand on what you did not like about Vortex? Or you just don't think they stack up with the euro's?  I am pairing 10x42 swaro's with a Vortex Razor HD 65mm spotter and am very impressed with the combo. Thanks!  :sry: for the hijack

I'm not being 100% fair. The two pieces of glass I look through the most are my binos and my spotter, or maybe my rangefinder. These are high end optics that I afforded by owning crappy vehicles and weapons. Most of what I have looked through is Vortex's midgrade stuff: like the Vipers and what not. Having looked through HD glass so much I guess the non-HD stuff really sticks out. I haven't looked through the Razors or Kaibab's and will give the benefit of the doubt that they are awesome. The Vipers and other midrange ones display a substantial amount of color shift as well as chromatic aberration. Just my experience though.

Offline GurrCentral

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2014, 01:42:37 AM »
I got really lucky and picked up a pair of Nikon EDG 10x32mm for $625. They're easily $1,000+. Very happy with them.  Be patient and wait for a deal.

I've never been impressed by anything Vortex that I've looked through.  :twocents:

Sorry if this is a classic thread hijack, but i find this interesting. Not that you don't know what your talking about but just the first ive heard an opinion like this. Could you expand on what you did not like about Vortex? Or you just don't think they stack up with the euro's?  I am pairing 10x42 swaro's with a Vortex Razor HD 65mm spotter and am very impressed with the combo. Thanks!  :sry: for the hijack

I'm not being 100% fair. The two pieces of glass I look through the most are my binos and my spotter, or maybe my rangefinder. These are high end optics that I afforded by owning crappy vehicles and weapons. Most of what I have looked through is Vortex's midgrade stuff: like the Vipers and what not. Having looked through HD glass so much I guess the non-HD stuff really sticks out. I haven't looked through the Razors or Kaibab's and will give the benefit of the doubt that they are awesome. The Vipers and other midrange ones display a substantial amount of color shift as well as chromatic aberration. Just my experience though.

I gotcha, thanks for explaining, I'm in a similar situation when it comes to optics. 

Offline RadSav

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #14 on: November 02, 2014, 04:06:05 AM »
I got really lucky and picked up a pair of Nikon EDG 10x32mm for $625. They're easily $2,000+. Very happy with them.  Be patient and wait for a deal.

Fixed it for ya ;)

I think quality of glass means different things to different type of hunters.  My Eastern whitetail hunting buddies will probably never get the use out of a $2,000 pair of binos than I will out west.  And even out here the occasional glassing hunter won't appreciate good glass as much as someone who spends most of the day, weeks on end, glassing into the shadows of a far away hillside.  Most of the hunters I know use binoclulars for just one reason - "Does he have three points?"  The other deciding factor is whether or not you want a pair of glasses that will produce excellent results from now until maybe 2017 or you want your pair to last till 2037! 

I use 10+ power binoculars very rarely!  Because of this I chose not to purchase a high dollar pair of glasses for my first goat hunt in BC.  I bought a pair of Bushnell Elite 10X's and they were Outstanding on that trip!  So much so I wondered why I had ever spent four mortgage payments on Swaro and Leica glass in the past.  But a year later as I prepared for my second trip up north it was startling how much those glasses had changed!  Focus and color had shifted, gearing had loosened and the clarity was no better than an average pair of Asian imports.  I sent them back to Bushnell and received them back much improved with great service and quick turn around.  But from that point forward they were never more than just an average set of glass.  At that rate I'd pay for a new pair of Leica's in about four years and be way ahead of the game with each passing year beyond that!

Beyond the EDG's I have not found Nikon or Leupold to be much better than the Elites.  Neither myself nor my friends have any long term experience with Vortex so I can not give any advise there.  Reports do sound good.  While not nearly in the same class as my Leica or Swaro glass I do have a few guys I hunt with that have had the Cabela's Euro glass for more than five years.  So far no major loss in quality during that time.  So if for no other reason than having no experience to base an opinion of the Vortex I'd probably place the Cabela's product high on the list of "Under $1,000" glass."
« Last Edit: November 02, 2014, 04:35:50 AM by RadSav »
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Offline D-Rock425

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #15 on: November 02, 2014, 04:42:57 AM »
Dont forget zeiss.

Offline Rainier10

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #16 on: November 02, 2014, 06:22:53 AM »
Cabela's Euros for me, you can find them in the bargain cave at the store pretty regularly marked down to $6-700.  very bright and crisp.
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Offline fishngamereaper

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #17 on: November 02, 2014, 06:55:35 AM »
Spend the cash once for quality and you will save yourself thousands over the years. Wish I did that a long time ago. Only brands I can comment on. Nikon Monarchs, 10x40, good glass, weather proof but little bulky if you hike miles a day.They stay in the truck.  Swarovski... CL 10x30, best glass Ive ever owned. Light weight, sumbersible water proof (dont ask) all around great binos's.  I get eye fatigue with the Nikons, not with the Swaro's.

Offline go4steelhd

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #18 on: November 02, 2014, 07:25:44 AM »
Used  Swarovski SLC for that price. If the glass is scratched they will replace the lenses for about $100 to $125.
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Offline RadSav

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #19 on: November 02, 2014, 10:58:17 AM »
Dont forget zeiss.

I did forget about the Zeiss Conquest!  Heck of a good product and screaming deal in the under $1,000 market.  Don't know what I was thinking!  The rifle scope is pretty kickin' too!
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Offline JamesK.

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #20 on: November 02, 2014, 04:13:15 PM »
I personally would say to be patient and you should be able to find a good deal on a used pair of Swarovski's. That's what I did


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Offline Ironhead

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #21 on: November 02, 2014, 04:40:03 PM »
Swarovski 10x30 companions, light weight and excellent glass.
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Offline 400out

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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #22 on: November 02, 2014, 04:56:31 PM »
if you go any other way than vortex your crazy! Get ahold of elknut and be done with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: best binocs for under$1000
« Reply #23 on: November 02, 2014, 05:40:03 PM »
Elknut is great but I would go highend used leica, swaro, stiener, minox, etc.

I got 10x43 HG BR Minox for $600 off this site and they were basically NIB
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