Wanting a good set. I have looked at zeiss,Swarovski,Leica. There are no places around where I live too compare all 3 side by side. I have handled and looked at all three. Looking for information from others. Thanks

You've named three at the top. Of those, pick the one that is most comfortable for you to hold, look through, and carry.

Realistically, they all have glass that should make you happy for a long time.

I just did this at Cabelas looking at rangefinder binos. All three brands were great optically. I could maybe see differences, but in the field they would be irrelevant if I noticed them at all. They were all sharp across the field of view, and all were similar in design and function.

I ended up with the Leica Geovid HD-B's based on how they felt in my hands.

Jeremy

Hi Johnny,

I agree with farbedo, you have picked out some of the best. See what looks best to you. Personaly, I have Leica 10x40 HD and 10x40 with a range finder. Works good for me.

Interesting. I have owned 2 different Leica, top of the line Zeiss, and just last fall I sold my newer Swarovski Swarovision 10 x 42s.

After a few comparison trips to Cabelas I found that there are some Binocs that are far less costly and come so close to the quality of the Big three that there is no need to spend so much money to get some really good binocs. The top of the line Meopta is a good example.

http://www.meoptasportsoptics....noculars/ctgBus.html

surprisingly last year in camp I had one fellow with Zeiss 10x42 On with Swarovski 10x42 and my Leupold 10x42.
None of us could believe that My Leupold binos performed as well or better than their binos. I never would have guessed it.
At first the hunters thought it was my better eye sight was the reason I could count points on the muledeer until we switched up binos.
Hard to believe but fact.

If you are a hunter who ventures into tough terrain. Look at more than the glass. Look at weight, physical size, build quality.Of the big 3, I lean toward Leica.
If you wear glasses, Swar EL's are a good choice as they have very long eye relief.
My experience has demonstrated Leica are the toughest and they are the most compact. Most weigh between a few oz. of one another.
I did a little test on my Leica 12X50HD's, 10X40 Zeiss FL's and a Leupold Gold Ring variable HD spotting scope set at 15 Power.

All had fluorite glass and a 4mm exit pupil. I had a target of sorts set at 190 yards and checked which had the best light transmission at last light. The binocs were about the same but the Leupold set 15 power beat both of them by a fraction..
I do have the new Leica 10X40 HD plus binocs on my wish list. I have told my wife fathers day is fast approaching!

EZ

quote:

I have told my wife fathers day is fast approaching!

Doesn't Mother's Day arrive before Father's day?

Thanks for the advice. I got too compare the Swarovski els and the zeiss victory hts side by side and the zeiss just seemed a lot brighter Im still trying too find where I can compare the zeiss and the leicas

"Brighter" is usually the result of color filtering. Lens coatings that color-shift toward the red end of the spectrum will look "brighter" to the human eye. It's a trick which manufacturers of consumer optics have used for some time now. I prefer true colors, even if the sight picture doesn't look as "bright".

Color-shifted optics are what many scope and binocular companies use to market their "best" line over their "entry" line. You really can see the difference, especially in the flourescent lighting of most retail big box stores.

You might note that at last light there is no color. You begin to note various level of grey scale.
To be able to see subtle difference in those scale, it will be easier to see game against their back ground.
Most professional photographers use german lens for black and white photography (my favorites).
Compare your choices in this environment and see which type you prefer.
There does begin to be a diminishing return these days with regard top glass. I have a old pair of Leica 8X32 Trinovids that I still love.

I'll ask the other question: where are you hunting? What conditions? What else should we know?

I have six pairs of binoculars. Two Minox HGs (8.5x42, 8x33),two Zeiss Victory FLs (8x32, 10x32),a Leica HD in 10x42. Plus one set of other Minoxs I inherited.

In terms of raw definition, the Leica's are the best. Best glass, most stable, simply wonderful. And heavy. They are incredible in all conditions unless I have to put some real miles of walking down. They get real heavy at the end of a day of stalking in Africa.

They are also phenomenal in the blind.

The Zeiss are light. Fast acting. Durable. The glass is good but not quite in the Leica quality. Close enough that unless I'm in very poor lighting the issue of binoculars won't make the difference in my life. In Africa, they are perfect. Light and all day carry-able.

The Minox binoculars carry a no fault warranty. They ride in the truck 24x7. If I'm going some place I know they can be abused badly they get the first nod. The glass is good. Better Tina Leopold but not as good as Zeiss FL Victory and the Leica's.

For me, the decision on what I'm going to bring is entirely dependent on what I'm going to do.

Having said that, I sure do like the idea of the Leica 10x32 glass.

I've owned numerous sets of binocs by the so called Big 3 (Z,L,S)' as well as having handled all the various high end glass our hunters have showed up with in camp over the past 13 years. Unless you have $2000+ burning a hole in your pocket, the Meopta 10x42HD is the real deal.

Brand biases are a powerful thing.

Thinks for all the information. I will check out some of the others mentioned.

My favorite binocs are 8x30 Leicas they are small and handy, I can hold them off hand and see what I'm looking at..Hunting binocs don't need to be big 10 powers. Power is secondary IMO. durability, clarity in binocs is critical where I hunt....I traded a good set of 8x45s for the 8x30s, best trade I ever made..if your looking for horns in high vegitation or grass, elk in the shadows, the 7x35 and 8x30 are my pick. I can even glass a hill side on my horses back with them, try that with the power glass.