Leupold Gold Ring 10X42

[JPhelps]

G.R.K - do you care to ellaborate?  Instead of making blanket statements, let people know why you think they are garbage.  Was it the clarity, the fit and feel, field of view, etc...  that turned you off.

I have nothing to gain from recommending zen ray optics.  I spent a lot of time looking through binoculars last year and they are as good or better than anything I looked through in the sub $1000 range.

The Gold Rings are also good glass.

[high country]

You get what you pay for in optics.

that is about 85% true. the placebo effect makes up the difference.

[high country]

I have a pair of gold rings and a pair of el's.  The gold rings are very good bino's but if you can get a pair of el's I would get them over the gold rings.  The el's are a lot better.  I looked through the zen-rays last year.  My buddy bought a pair right before we went to montana.  After getting to look through the gold rings, el's, and the zen-ray's I wouldn't waste my money on the zen-rays.

were your gold rings the hd version? I looked through some non hd's and they did not hold a candle to my trinovids......but the hd's........well I sold my trinovids and will be grabbing a pair of hd's.  I have owned 3 pair of leica and 2 pair of swaro's plus a bunch of other top shelf glass most will never get to look through, the hd's are not the standout winner, but are a steal at the rebate price. I can say that you would have to buy a used pair of alphas for a steal to do better. I am willing to try them and I already have more in glass then in my truck.

[columbiaman]

I have a pair of 10x43 ZEN ED2.  Sure, it does not have the fancy badge of Swarovski. But to my eyes, it is an outstanding binoculars. I glassed for hours without feeling the eye strain. The low light performance and clarity are more than sufficient for a $400 binoculars. My buddy has a pair of Pentax DCF SP ED. We compared them side by side and concensus is ZEN ED2 is a better glass.  So, please don't call it "c**P" only because it does not have "S" or "L" name on it.

[SkookumHntr]

I just got a pair of Steiner Predator 10x42 C5's for about 250$ off through Steiner, so they were about 679$ including shipping and tax! I have the direct # to the guy you wanta talk too, pm me if your interested.

[BlackTail]

I know you said you were looking for 10x42's but here is a link for some top tier glass within the price range you listed.  Doug or Neal at Cameraland are great to deal with as well.

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/swarovski.pl?page=swarovski8x30slc

[Larry Simoneaux]

About two years ago, I spent about  6 months of study, in store and outdoor comparisons, reading reviews, talking with company reps, pricing, etc. in order to get the best pair of binoculars I could find in a price range of $400 - $800.

 I looked through products made by Steiner, Nikon, Burris, Leupold, Vortex, and even Swarovski (out of my price range). What I found was that it all comes down to you, your eyes (especially your eyes), and your preferences.

I purchased a pair of Vortex Razors (10 x 42) because - and, again, to my eyes - they were the best suited to me in clarity, sharpness, and detail. This will be my third year using them and I have been completely satisfied with my purchase. I hunt in the Twisp, Conconully area and I'm pretty rough on my gear. These binoculars have been wet, dirty, cold, dropped, sat on and have never once let me down. They have allowed me to identify deer and antler points at distances that my old binoculars (Olympus and Bausch& Lomb) could never handle.

They have some minor glitches in the eye cup area. They are plastic when they should be anodized aluminum. Small problem that can be overlooked for the absolutely good field of view and resolution they provide. I found them to be brighter than Zeiss and clearer than (again, to my eyes) than the others I looked through. Their customer service is outstanding. Repeat. Outstanding. They stand behind their products and will go the extra mile to satisfy you. Their warranty is lifetime and transferable.

The next step up would have been to the $1500-$2000 level but, for those extra dollars, I'm not sure you would gain much that is discernable to your eyes.

I would buy them again. I recommend them to anyone who asks

Larry Simoneaux

[G.R.K]

For the price Zen-Ray is fine,but they are nowhere near 95% of Swarovski,Leica or Ziess.If they were the big 3 would be out of business.

[Bigshooter]

Bigshooter - Either you got a lemon or I recieved a good pair, because I compared them on two different occasions at dusk.  The swarovski were better in all aspects, I can not deny that.   The Zen Ray was not far behind and for the cost difference of around $1500 I can't complain

The only question I have about the Zen Ray Binoculars are how long will they hold up?  So far so good.

Until you spend a season looking through nothing but a pair of swarovski's you don't know what you are missing until you pick up a pair of bino's that are not swarovski's and look through them. 
To compare swarovski's the best I can to zen-ray's is:
The image is not as sharp or clear, the edges are really poor.  Low light they are dark.  They pickup alot of unseen haze or glare.  I was always messing with the focus.  And they feel really cheap.  But for the money there not bad, compared to other bino's that cost the same.  But I would not compare them to swarovski, leica, or gold rings.  I would compare them to the better leupold wind rivers stuff.  I have thought about buying a pair to always keep in the truck as a good pair of beaters.

[ZRS-8x42]

Well, Bigshooter, although I have many questions about your assertion of " image not sharp, dark low light, etc, etc", I will not even go there to try to start an argument.  I have always advised our customers to take their ZEN ED2 binoculars to compare against those $1500+ binoculars for brightness, sharpness, or any optical attributes.  That's why we also have 30-day satisfaction guarantee on top of our lifetime warranty so our customers can have plenty of time deciding whether it is the right binoculars for them.

The attachment was a 7x36 ED2 review by Ron from Tennessee. It's rather technical. But that's exactly what we need for fine instrument review.

Thanks

[ZRS-8x42]

part2 of that review with brightness and transmision data

[Bigshooter]

I'm not knocking zen-ray bino's.  I like them.  But they DO NOT compare to swarovski.  I would not pay a dime more than what you sell them for.  They compare right with other bino's in the same price range.  I would compare them to wind river olympics.  Nice bino's for the price, but they are not swarovski's.

[Cascade_Sherpa]

I'm also contemplating buying a pair of gold rings, and I'd be curious to see a non-biased comparison of several bino's in this price range, not just folks wanting to talk about opinions vs. a technical assessment....

It looks like I'll have to find another forum or website to find that though.

[high country]

if you can find a store with a pair of nikon edg's give them a peek. right now you can get them for sub 1k and get a free d3000 as a rebate, trip it on ebay and you at the price of the gold rings....and the glass is as good as it gets.

there is a reason they were list priced at $2200.00

[CastleRocker]

I'll throw my  in.  I have to say right off the bat, that I am kind of partial to Leupold products.  I've had various Gold Rings bino's for about 21 years.  I bought my first pair in '89 and my wife, my son, and my Dad all have them now.  I have some 10X42's right now, and after looking through a pair, I am going to upgrade and buy some HD's as soon as money allows.  I've had one pair of Swaro's, and althought they were clear as a bell, I did not like how much they weighed.  I realize that with good glass comes weight, but those were ridiculously heavy.  If I hunted from my truck, I would still have them, as they would make great "truck glasses".   

I do try different brands every once in awhile, and most companies make good glasses now.  I'll try a pair of Zen-Ray's soon, and maybe a pair of Steiner Predators also.