7 & 8 power. 42, 50 & 56mm.

Which one is the best of the best???


Cheers

Leica 10 x 42 Ultravid HD.

Zeiss 10x42 FL

Price being no object or within a budget?

quote:

Originally posted by Dall85:
Price being no object or within a budget?

No budget Sir.

I personally use Kahles. Before that I used Pentax and would still use them if my Kahles were broke.

Difficult to answer. What is clearest for me may well not be for you. Eyes are different enough that it makes it possible for several companies to make a living selling top grade binoculars.

Seems like the Swarovski's are the easiest to focus for me.

I can use mine for hours with no eye strain at all.

I like the 8.5 X 42's. Easier to hold still and less vibration transfers into less eye strain.

You get what you pay for with glass!

God Bless, Louis

Kahles are Swarovski. I use both but i think Leica Ultravids have the edge...a tiny edge at that.

This is a question that you have to answer for yourself using your own eyes.
Go to a shop that carries Leica Ultravids, Swarovski EL's and Zeiss FL's and try them all. 3 different people might come up with different choices and they all would be right!

I have Optics from all 3 companies. They are all so close in performance I tend to buy whichever one I can get the best deal on at the time....................DJ

some of the hunting guides need to reply , id like to know which ones break the most

I have owned and used Leica BN, Leica Ultravid, and Zeiss Victory FL. And then, one day, while hunting Elk, I happened to compare the Zeiss with a Pair of Swaroviki El's that another hunter was using. I was shocked by what I perceived as better contrast and better sharpness.

Sadly, now I don't have anything as I sold the FL's and invested the money in the stock market just before it tanked.!

Leica Ultravid are the best I've seen, but then I haven't seen them all.

Another vote for Leica...

Although the Zeiss are super clear, my vote goes to Leica.

Another vote for the Swarovski EL. Mine is a 10x42

Another vote for the Swarovski EL 8,5x42 WB

BUT

as I have seen and hunted with the new Swarovski coming along, THIS HERE is the new star at the sky - I did not think that theey could improve THAT much with such a fantastic bino, but they realy DID!

http://www.titanium-gunworks.c...x42-swarovision.html



Mine is ordered and probably one of the first on the German delivery list...

Zeiss Victory 8x42 T* FL

http://www.zeiss.com/C12568CF0...ing/$File/index.html

If I had the money I would go with the EL's. I bought a set of Pentax from Doug at Cameraland last year that were marked down because they were open box. My buddy has SLC 10x42's and these Pentax ($500) DCF's are so close in quality I can tell only minor differences. Out to 1000 yards I cannot tell a difference. For the money they are great glasses, but like I said if I had the money I would have gotten the EL.

Shameless plug - try to search for Meopta at Cabelas.com. Those are Czech made optics and I believe they are almost as good as the big three.
Check them out.

I have or have had about all of them. If were told I could only keep one pair for all types of hunting it would be Leica 8 x 32 ultravids - or the new HD version.
With your criteria; I would pick a 8 x 42 and you go test them yourself with your eyes. You cannot go wrong with any of the big 3 (Swar, Leica, Zeiss).

EZ

You might also check some of the birding forums. Those folks are really annal on their optics. Should be a good source of information.

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
You might also check some of the birding forums. Those folks are really annal on their optics. Should be a good source of information.

as they don´t own such nice toys like guns - what should they speak off???

But by the way: birders in Europe prefer also the Swaro EL binos... If they could afford...

I LIKE SWARO 8.5x42, slc 7x42, and meopta 7x42...

THE MEOPTA IS 99.9% of the swaro in a more compact package and alot less money with a lifetime transferable warranty in the USA...

I wonder what Cabela's is thinking. Many of the reviews on their site claim that the Euros (made by Meopta) are fantastic glass, but they eye piece situation is horrific. ONe would think they would get that taken care of. (also, many of the reviewers claimed that the Meopta are quite heavy.

I've compared them all and my reference standard and the ones I judge them all by are the Nikon SE's. The very best roof prisms from Kowa, Nikon and Zeiss come close but I've yet to see anything better.

Rochester NY made Bausch & Lomb's---you can put them up against the very high dollar ones--the high dollar ones might match--but wont beat.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman:
Rochester NY made Bausch & Lomb's---you can put them up against the very high dollar ones--the high dollar ones might match--but wont beat.

Give me a break.

I've had few sets of the Rochester made B&L's and while their coatings may not be up to current best standards, the quality of their len's most certainly are. they are tough & lightweight with great resolution.

How important are coatings to optical quality?

For several years I looked through Leica's, Swaros and Zeiss binoculars, hoping one day to have to make a decision because I would have so much money I wouldn't have any excuse not to buy.

Honestly, some days the Zeiss seemed best to me and some days the Leicas seemed best to me. Then one day I found some Leica 8X42 Ultravid HD binoculars on sale in a duty free shop. I guess the moral of the story is, all three are darn good and I took the plunge when I found the best deal.

Gatogordo--"Give me a break". Honestly--have you ever used them? I suspect not. I have for 40 years or so.

Buliwyf--The coatings may very well give a better reading on some sort of test by a special meter. Nothing the human eye can detect. It's sorta like a stereo that will cover frequencies humans can't hear. Do you intend to use them, or let a meter look through them?

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman:
Gatogordo--"Give me a break". Honestly--have you ever used them? I suspect not. I have for 40 years or so.

I've owned a pair since before you were born. If you honestly think that there has been no improvements in optical quality glass, even leaving aside the VAST improvements in coatings, since WWII you are seriously divorced from reality. Think what you want, but facts are not on your side.

I languished over the same matter until our Zeiss rep recommended I save a few dollars and sent me a pair of 15x Conquests.

Really like them and LE price was only $500. I've compared them to Victory line and Swaro and yes there was a slight difference, but really not that much. So little that I no longer have a desire for top bino glass. And I am an optic snob!!

Hi,

I have tried, all in 10x40/42
Leica BA and Ultravid HD
Swrovski Habicht WGA (Porro), SLC and EL
Zeiss FL Victory.

From these I have owned and used a lot in all weather conditions: Habicht, Leica BA and Zeiss FL.
For me, the Zeiss FL are, by far, the brightest and of better resolution of them all. Period!
Anyway, I presently have that Zeiss FL and a new Swarovski Habicht WGA, the Porro sistem and rubber armoured. This Habicht is, almost as good as the Zeiss. And for 1/2 the price. For me these Swarovskis H are one of the most underated hunting binos: great in optics and mechanics! I have been told very good things about the Meoptas, specially the 8x32. But I have not tried yet.

Regards.

PH

Do you need a tripod for the 15x in order to hold steady?

gatogordo--I seriously doubt you owned a pair before I was born. Theres lots of stuff that is not as good now as it was years ago.

Well, I should have said probably owned a pair since before you were born. I have used and owned the same pair since the early 50s when I was a kid. I used them until I bought my first Zeiss binos in the late 60s, 10x40s (or maybe 42s)without checking. Those Zeiss were better that the B&Ls then and the Zeiss of today are a helluva lot better than that pair of Zeiss are (which I still have). So when were you born?

There's lots of old stuff, including us, that we think are better now than newer items, but thinking (or hoping) don't make it so.

I use binos just about everyday, and have well over a dozen pair, including multiple Zeiss and Leicas, and to tell me that WWII B&Ls are better than current production good glass is just pure BS.