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What is your favorite binocular

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Dadisman View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dadisman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/01/2021 at 16:11
There is a reason that this optic has a cult following. I honestly do not believe that there is a perfect binocular out there. All optics have limitations in certain areas. With the Zeiss 7x42 Dialyt, it manages to tick so many boxes, birders and enthusiasts worldwide rate this as one of the best of not the all round best (enjoyable) piece of machinery ever invented. The view is tremendous and relaxed to say the least. Many people harp on about the rubber eye cup design, however, personally I think they are an excellent design for the time as they are fully retractable as well as replaceable ( I have 2 spares in case the binocular outlasts the eyecups) The long barrel design allows for superb stability and the glare suppression is excellent. If looked after, the focus should remain soft and subtle for many years to come. Overall and outstanding optic, a true Classic.
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anweis View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote anweis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/01/2021 at 16:42
I agree with everyone's choices.  For me it would be the Swarovski EL 8x32, about 2004 vintage. 
It has seen 2,999 species of birds on 4 continents and a few oceans.. it has seen more than 100 legged animals  killed, and quite a few 2 legged. It has never  failed. It was the tool used to earn many cigars and rent payments. I used it for fun and work and it has paid for my house. 
It was my trophy for achievement, for which I paid $  1,600  at a time when I was making  $800 a month and owing  12,000 to the banks  We all slept on the floor for 2 months when I bought it. Wife still thinks I should have bought a mattress.  
It was with me 3 weeks ago when I killed one if the top 12 deer, but I hunted for the hunt, not the trophy No pictures or inches. 
It never blacks out or flares out, there are no ghost images. 
It will go with me to Siberia and we will get a big elk. 
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mike650 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/01/2021 at 19:29
Originally posted by anweis anweis wrote:

I agree with everyone's choices.  For me it would be the Swarovski EL 8x32, about 2004 vintage. 
It has seen 2,999 species of birds on 4 continents and a few oceans.. it has seen more than 100 legged animals  killed, and quite a few 2 legged. It has never  failed. It was the tool used to earn many cigars and rent payments. I used it for fun and work and it has paid for my house. 
It was my trophy for achievement, for which I paid $  1,600  at a time when I was making  $800 a month and owing  12,000 to the banks  We all slept on the floor for 2 months when I bought it. Wife still thinks I should have bought a mattress.  
It was with me 3 weeks ago when I killed one if the top 12 deer, but I hunted for the hunt, not the trophy No pictures or inches. 
It never blacks out or flares out, there are no ghost images. 
It will go with me to Siberia and we will get a big elk. 

The 8x32 EL is a fine choice… very light too.  👍

I have a pair but can’t seem to break away from my 10x42’s… old habits… 😊
“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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AmauryDeziel View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AmauryDeziel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/26/2021 at 07:39
Moi !? Leupold VX2 6-18X40 AO CDS

Amaury Deziel
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Tooie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tooie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/05/2022 at 05:38
My Steiner 8x44 Wildlife XP's are very nice for use at the beach.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peddler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/05/2022 at 08:07
My Kowa Genesis 8x33.
When you are dead, you don't know you are dead.It is difficult only for others.

It is the same when you are stupid.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gumball Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2022 at 17:36
My perspectives are different from most.
I have a small vintage collection, so my favorite is from that list.

General carry:  Zeiss 7x50 Kriegsmarine
Camping or poor weather:  Zeiss 7x50 U-boat (completely waterproof)
Beach: Barr & Stroud CF41 7x50 (because of the filters)
Backyard night sky: Zeiss 8x60 

.
Leitz beh 7x50 U-boat
Leitz beh 7x50
Leitz 10x50 "WA"
Zeiss 10x50 (1917)
Zeiss 18x50 (1923)
Zeiss 7x50 "U-boat"
Zeiss 7x50 "Gas Mask"
Zeiss 7x50 "Smooth Ocular"
Zeiss 8x60
Barr & Stroud CF42


.
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santafesino View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote santafesino Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2022 at 15:48
In another forum I discovered enough obsession with "alphas" and brand fanaticism with which I disagreed to merit a rejoinder. In my own experience, surprisingly good products can be had for little expense and serve the average user well. I found a Barska Crossover 8x30 CF to be equal to a Steiner Safari 8x30 IF if not a little brighter, a Skyline 6x30 IF to be as good as a Porlerim 6x30 CF and Nikon/Nippon Kogaku binoculars, 7x35 and 8x30 to be as good as equivalent Zeiss and Leitz products.. The emphasis on coatings strikes me as exaggerated versus the importance of glass polishing, and I feel that the quality of the latter in Japanese optics plus their attention to quality control to be of great importance. For a very good product I would go with a porro-prism model (easier to handle) and a recognized performer such as the Swift Audubon, Bushnell Rangemaster, a Nikon porro or a Fujinon such as the Meibo variable 5-10 7x35 I got at a bargain price with a great view. Spending thousands of dollars on a pair of binoculars makes as much sense as buying a Rolls Royce or Bentley when a good, reliable vehicle can be acquired for less than $40,000, unless such a purchase is made for the purpose of bragging. Apart from the Japanese products I mentioned, there are many lesser brands, and, among recent and current ones, there are the Canon IS binoculars available for much less than $1000. Enough said.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HuntMaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2022 at 11:45
For me it would be: 
All around- Seeadler Optik 8x42 Explorer 
Late afternoon in the stand -
Seeadler 8x56 compact 
Nighttime- Seeadler 9x63 Diana’s
Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away.
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