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Looking for good 8x32 compacts... |
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burfurd
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/04/2015 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 34 |
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Posted: September/20/2015 at 15:27 |
Shopping for decent binos that are lighter, smaller units that are fairly rugged, save me money and have good contrast and color. Too much to ask? I hope not. Here is what I'm looking at;
Sightron II BigSky 8x32 Sightron III MS 8x32 Carson 3D w/ED glass 8x32 Zen Ray ERS HD 8x32 These seem to be offering a lot for the money. The Sightron III may be priced high enough it should be compared to the Maven 8x30 and the Lupy Pro Guide HD. But the Sightron-Carson-ZenRay seem to be offering a lot for $250 +/-. Should I save more $ and be way ahead with the $450-500 binos, or not so much...??? You guys have helped a lot in the past and I value what you think. Any experience with these? |
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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i have the s2 blue skys. They are an excellent bino for the price. I was very surprised with them
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burfurd
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/04/2015 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 34 |
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Thanks for the feedback. I did see the old (2013) thread on this, but many models have changed and there are more choices as well. I am hoping to update the info for everyone--and me too!
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Klamath
Optics Master Joined: May/20/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1308 |
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If your budget does not get to $500 that is one thing. If it does, then we are looking at something else again. If you want a $1,000 binocular with reference to build and optics, then the Maven B3 is really the glass for you.
For example the Maven B3 and the Swarovski CL look absolutely identical except for the armor. I have very little doubt that if somebody could conduct a test where both binoculars were dressed identically in the same armor and scheme, that even Swarovski users would select the Maven B3 as their answer to the blind test question of , "which one of these two is the Swarovski?" Now if you can't quite get to the $500 level, then the Sightron is a very good glass. I think the ZRS HD is a little better than the Sightron. I'd throw the Nikon Monarch M7 and the Zeiss Terra ED into the equation as well. |
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Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron |
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burfurd
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/04/2015 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 34 |
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Thanks Klamath. That info is helpful. It sounds like I should save a few pennies more. What I've been wondering is possibly getting two for the $500 mentioned. Like the ZenRay ED3 which is full sized and then the Sightron Blue Sky or the small Zen you mentioned...for the same price. But maybe it would be best to have the one better pair! Would the small Maven be able to give duty as a full sized ED3? You know your stuff and I'm glad you responded. |
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Klamath
Optics Master Joined: May/20/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1308 |
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If you need to start out with one and need it to be small, the Maven B3 is your huckleberry. It has an overall stated light transmission of 95%. That may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but it is the brightest 30 mm glass I have seen. Swarovski states a 92% transmission for the CL and that was confirmed by Allbinos reviews. The Maven is at least that bright, so I think the 95% thing is not far off. The difference between 95 and 92% is not large enough to be seen by the typical set of eyes, but the point is I suppose that the B3 hangs in at low light a hell of a lot better with a larger 42 mm objective a lot better than I ever figured it would. So unless you have a need for serious low light performance (and if you do you need to be looking at 5-7 mm exit pupils) then the B3 is just fine. I'd have no particular problems if the Maven B3 was my only binocular. My 8x30 B3 and 9x45 B2 will handle any handheld binocular need I'll ever have.
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Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron |
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burfurd
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/04/2015 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 34 |
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Sounds like what I need to be doing. Over the years, I've accumulated a bunch of B-level binos and in reality it would have been cheaper to get just a couple A-level and be done, as you describe. The only drawback is over the years such improvements have been made that many of yesteryear's A levels are now B's.
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Remmy
Optics GrassHopper Joined: October/04/2015 Location: Phoenix, AZ Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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out of your choices Id pick the Sightron 2 if you are trying to save some money. They are on Amazon for under 200 bucks and are very good.
Also this may be heresy on this sight, Im not sure, but I own a pair of poro prism Vortex Raptors (Eagle Optics Kingbird) in 8.5x32 and I actually pick these 9 times out of ten over my Nikon Monarch 7 8x42 for daytime use. They are lightweight, ergonomically superior to any roof Ive handled, have a nice sharp edge (the Monarch 7's have a huge field of view, but this creates an annoying distorted soft outer edge which makes me sick/dizzy when panning) Also the Raptors have a very nice FLAT field of view. The landscape comes into view flat rather than kind of "roll" into view which also makes me have a vertigo feeling. Now with the Nikon Monarch 5 I don't have this problem. I actually like them better then the Monarch 7s Optically they are the exact same, its only the field of view which is different. If I did it over again, Id choose the Monarch 5 8x42 for only $250 over the Monarch 7 8x42 which is $479 and absolutely no way worth all that extra money over the monarch 5 with ED glass..... Anyway if you want a roof prism, in my opinion you can not beat the Monarch 5 for only $250 But there are so many good binoculars for under $500 you can't even begin to list them all. Do not overlook poro prism, unless compactness is one of your main objectives, which poros are not compared to a small 8x32 roof. But optically Id put the $95 raptors or Leupold Yosemite up against roofs costing in upwards of $500
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FrankD
Optics Journeyman Joined: November/11/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 686 |
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If price is an issue then I certainly would recommend the Sightron SII Blue Sky. I still have mine after four years of regular use and, if you know me, that says alot.
The ZRS is a fine little performer but I would choose the Blue Sky over it for pure optical quality. Now, having said that, I would agree with Klamath. You could easily buy the Maven B3 8x30 and never need anything else. It has been my "go to" bino for just about anything since I received it last Winter/Spring. The optics are excellent in my opinion. Bright, sharp, good CA control, wide field of view. Ergonomics are superb in my opinion. The size and weight is ideal and because of the short hinge design your hands wrap comfortably around the barrels to hold its light, 16 ounce weight, very steady. Even the focusing tension and speed I find close to ideal. The image pops into perfect focus very easily. Over the time that I have owned them I have had the opportunity to compare them to much more expensive glass in the same or very similar configuration. Those bins include the Swaro CL 8x30, the Swaro 8x32 EL (original, not Swarovision) and the Leica Ultravid HD 8x32. My experiences are the same as Steve's. The Maven is a better binocular optically than the CL with similar build quality. The Maven's image is brighter, sharper and has better contrast...not to mention the wider field of view. I also thought the Maven's bettered the original Swaro EL in the areas of apparent brightness, contrast and CA control while still being smaller and lighter than the original Swaro EL. The Ultravid HD is the only binocular that I thought was ever so slightly better than the Maven and only in one area...size of sweet spot. Though the Maven has a very respectable sweet spot (especially considering its wide field of view) the Leica's was a bit wider and thus gave a slightly more natural image representation. Keep in mind that the Leica costs close to $2000. Hope this helps one way or the other.
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Frank
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Yvonne
Optics GrassHopper Joined: November/10/2015 Status: Offline Points: 1 |
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I think this one is pretty good,and it is very cheap
http://goo.gl/Hkyyif
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