High priced vs low/mid ranged optics

[jackelope]

I'm TOTALLY sure there's a notable difference in optical quality between alpha glass and the Vortex(for example) that I use. I just use pretty good stuff. Not the best, good enough for me. I think it comes down to how OCD are you .
My Vortex 15's have a sort of noticeable, faint out of focus ring around the outer perimeter of the field of view. It's a lower quality optic thing and I'm aware of it, but it doesn't bother me. I just move the bino's a little if I need to be totally focused. I can see @Bushcraft cringing and grinding his teeth as he reads this
I bought the Vortex Vulture 15's after reading Robby Denning's great review of them on the Rokslide website. He focused on bang for the buck, and that's where I'm at. I have a pair of Maven C1's for the same reason. Ryan gave those bino's a really nice review there as well.

[robodad]

What ever happened to Zen-Ray ? I thought those were damn good binos and still very reasonable !!

[Rainier10]

I just upgraded this month from Cabela's Euro 10x42's to Swaro EL 10x42's. I had paid $700 for the Euros 8 years ago in the cabela's bargain cave and $2,700 for the swaros.  I did get 10% of the swaros and had a bunch of cabelas points on my credit card so out of pocket they were $1,750.

Right out of the box I adjusted them to my eyes and set the diopter focus, left eye/right eye.  The sweet thing about swaro's is once it is set you lock it and it won't come out of adjustment.  Big plus.

They felt great in my hands compared to the Euros.

Then I started glassing out my back door with both of them. First glance, no big difference.  Maybe a little clearer all the way to the edges of the swaro's but I wasn't impressed.   Waited an hour and checked again.  Maybe a little more difference.  Another hour and the gap was starting to widen.  20 minutes after sun set and the difference was pretty clear.  The swaros were much brighter and clearer.

Two weeks ago was my first hunt with the swaros.  They performed well and I noticed less eye strain with extended periods of glassing.  I used them again last weekend and I am really starting to like them.  I think over the next 10-15 years I will continue to appreciate them more and be happy that I made the investment.

[jackelope]

They performed well and I noticed less eye strain with extended periods of glassing. 

You can't sit still for more than 11 minutes at a time.

[Magnum_Willys]

We all have our budgets - I just bought a slik III tripod when I really wanted and Outdoorsman compact but $79 vs $500+     Of course now Im running a $2k spotter on a $79 tripod which is not so smart either.  heh 

[jackelope]

We all have our budgets - I just bought a slik III tripod when I really wanted and Outdoorsman compact but $79 vs $500+     Of course now Im running a $2k spotter on a $79 tripod which is not so smart either.  heh 

My ratio is a little better. $900 spotter on a $100 tripod

I'll probably have a hard time ever spending $2000+ on any hunting optics. Different strokes for different folks.

[jrebel]

I am not independently wealthy and work for every dollar I earn.  I have purchased many mid range bino's over the years and they have always worked.  I know own an older pair of Swarovski SLC's and will never look back.  I paid $800 for the bino's and a Swar range finder.....killer deal.  I traded the range finder for a Browning Gold 3 1/2 12 gauge shotgun (approx value new $1000).   Needless to say...and my point....is there are deals to be had if you are patient and you have the cash when they do come up.  Save your money and constantly keep your ears to the ground and you will find nice glass for a very affordable price. 

[jrebel]

Here you go for those who don't believe me. 

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/spo/d/seattle-swarovski-binoculars-habicht/6998403869.html

Make a reasonable offer or trade offer and see where it goes.  Someone may get a nice pair for 600-650? 

[Tinmaniac]

 :yeah:My son bought a pair of 8x30 last year for $500.They were literally brand new with all factory paperwork,box and even the gold hawk that came with all Swaros of the era.

[Bushcraft]

I'm TOTALLY sure there's a notable difference in optical quality between alpha glass and the Vortex(for example) that I use. I just use pretty good stuff. Not the best, good enough for me. I think it comes down to how OCD are you .
My Vortex 15's have a sort of noticeable, faint out of focus ring around the outer perimeter of the field of view. It's a lower quality optic thing and I'm aware of it, but it doesn't bother me. I just move the bino's a little if I need to be totally focused. I can see @Bushcraft cringing and grinding his teeth as he reads this
I bought the Vortex Vulture 15's after reading Robby Denning's great review of them on the Rokslide website. He focused on bang for the buck, and that's where I'm at. I have a pair of Maven C1's for the same reason. Ryan gave those bino's a really nice review there as well.

Haha!

[Bushcraft]

Optical needs - and the quality or lack thereof, are directly related to the nature of one's hunt.

There is a world of difference between hunting Blacktails in the jungles of the Olympic Peninsula and trying to find and age a Stone sheep in vast expanses of norther B.C.

You don't need much in the former, but you darn well better show up with top of the line optics in the latter.

Heck, it turns out quality glass matters a lot when you're trying to make sure a sheep is legal in the Yakima Canyon as the light is fading.

[jackelope]

Heck, it turns out quality glass matters a lot when you're trying to make sure a sheep is legal in the Yakima Canyon as the light is fading.

You should post some pics. I think you maximized your opportunity there.

[Camo]

I'll chime in on this since I have some recent experience that may add a constructive view. Sorry if it's long winded. I have been running Zeiss glass (top models of that brand at the time) that I bought new roughly 12+/- years ago, depending on piece. So technology and coatings are outdated relative to today. As I am getting prepped for Coues deer, I decided I wanted a pair of 15x nocs. I purchased a set of 15x Kaibabs HD(previous version wanted wider FOV)and a set of 15x Meoptas(current version B1.1). I have a clearcut about 850 yards from the main street I live off. When both bins were mounted on tripods and I was able to look through both at the same exact image, I really struggled to see a significant difference. Light gathering was really close right up to dark, but the thing I noticed is that it seemed like I ran out of focus? Fast forward a few weeks, spent a weekend on the Quilomene scouting for my dads tag. Glassing out to distances of 1200yds to a mile and more is where I noticed a significant breakdown. The further out, the more apparent the differences became. At this point the Meoptas are definitely outperforming the Kaibabs but still something is missing. So I break out my "old, outdated" spotter and set it to 15x. There it is, the focus and clarity I was looking for. Technically speaking, a spotter vs. bins is not near as "efficient" but I had my clarity back. Lastly, I mounted my 10x Zeiss to the tripod and even at the lower power, the resolution still exceeded both pairs of 15's at distance.

Please understand this is subjective to my eyes which have noticeably degraded the last few years.  Knowing that, I felt like "my eyes" probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference anymore between 'Alpha" glass and some of the really good mid range products currently available. I took the opportunity to reach out to Cody at GoHunt and he said a couple of things that were of interest. Maybe he is a good enough salesman that, like a fortune teller (no disrespect) can take enough hints from a conversation to develop a general outline and direct a pitch? Regardless, he said two things that resonated with me. First was the older we get as our eyes degrade is when the optical qualities actually begin to make a bigger difference. In full disclosure, I'm sure he is not an Optometrist, and I definitely am not. Secondly, was that at 200 yards the differences between glass goes mostly undetectable. At distance is where it becomes significantly noticeable, and the further out the more noticeable it becomes. This was my experience.

My take-away is that the glass required is based more on the specific type of hunting you are trying to do. At 1000 yards a lot of glass will show you points on an elk. You will also see the mule deer but probably not that third point? I am personally looking for something I can spot tines on a Coues at 1000 yards in the brush. Which is why I just sold the Kaibabs that I bought three months ago, and will have my 2 month old Meoptas for sale as soon as my dads hunt is over, in the hopes that the SLC's are what I am looking for. I hope this helps someone with their future decision. This was information that was important to me that I struggled to find other than the typical "buy once, cry once cliché". 

[HntnFsh]

What ever happened to Zen-Ray ? I thought those were damn good binos and still very reasonable !!

They were a great deal for good glass. Unfortunately they went out of business. That's why when I was recently looking at binos I avoided Maven, Tract, and a few others. Great glass with no track record.

[Rainier10]

They performed well and I noticed less eye strain with extended periods of glassing. 

You can't sit still for more than 11 minutes at a time.

That’s so true but at the ten minute mark there is no eye strain.