Looking for advice on a par of binoculars that will hopefully be a lifetime companion for hunting, birdwatching, etc. I want to spend whatever it takes to get the very best available today, in terms of glass quality, mechanical durability, and overall build quality.

Don't want anything that works with batteries or infra-red or similar, just good quality glass and metal without any electronics.

Thank you.

Leica's are hard to beat. Look thru the higher end binos, see what your eyes like.

Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica are where you'll find the finest binos. See which one you like best. Check around at high-end gun stores to see who has which brands to try.

You will likely get some very subjective answers (like mine!). I will assume you are talking general big game hunting, so I'll include in my recs 8x42/10x42's. Please note that I won't buy Leica anything anymore, due to the pathetic warranty to original owner only (non transferrable) and questionable USA customer service. That's too bad because they do have nice products.

Top Shelf, money no object--Swaro Swarovision, Zeiss HT
Top Shelf optics, not so sure about customer support, etc--Nikon EDG
95% of top shelf, save some bucks- Swaro SLC HD, Meopta/Cabelas Euro HD, Zeiss Conquest HD, used Zeiss Fl T
Best bang for buck, still 95% of top shelf-used Leupold Gold Ring HD's (sometimes you can find them mint for $600).

As some will be sure to say, and it's true...you really need to check them out in person, to see of the ergos, eyecups, etc will fit you. Good luck and have some fun with it.

Fujinon.

My choice, Swaro EL 10x42.

Swarovski swarovision el, to my eyes there hasn't been a better bino, plus the ergos are great as is the CS for that lifetime investment.

I prefer the Leica Ultravid HD's but the truth is that Zeiss Victory FL's and Swaro's are nothing to dismiss either.

Any of the three are superb - it's simply a matter of choosing what works best for your eyes.

Birdwatchers get very particular about binoculars.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx?pid=2680

I have used binoculars for over 60 years hunting and on the boat. The ones here are 7/12 x 32mm Leupold Switch/Power 1#6o, Hensoldt 8/56 Nacht Dialyt 1#13o and Nikon Action 1#11o 7/15x35 zoom type.

While all are good the Leu Switch Power are smaller and lighter and the Nikon must cost less.

My vision is 20-13.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica are where you'll find the finest binos. See which one you like best. Check around at high-end gun stores to see who has which brands to try.

I have tried all of them. I suggest you go to a retailer, look through all of them see what looks best to you. I did that and ended up with Swarovski's . I also have the new Leica geovids that are good but not as clear to my eye as the Swaro's.

Your choices will be either Swarovski, Zeiss, or Leica no question. They are the best, but your own eyes will have to pick between the three.

Those are all great, but I can't tell the difference between my friends Meopta and my Zeiss. Leicas seem overpriced to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikelravy:
Those are all great, but I can't tell the difference between my friends Meopta and my Zeiss. Leicas seem overpriced to me.

When I have hunters in camp, I like to have them look through various bins on tripods that I'll usually have something draped over them, in order to hide the brand logo, and as much of the binocular as I can. You'd be surprised how many seasoned hunters can't tell the difference between their high $$$ glass and my Meopta HD. I never see Leica's in camp anymore, except for the very rare occasion someone brings a Geovid.

Agree with Biebs. I have Zeiss, Leupold, Nikon,Baush and Lomb,and many Swarovski binos , including the new Swarovski bino/rangefinders, and two pair of the Leica bino/rangefinders, including their newest model. I would go with either the Leicas or the Swaros.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Agree with Biebs. I have Zeiss, Leupold, Nikon,Baush and Lomb,and many Swarovski binos , including the new Swarovski bino/rangefinders, and two pair of the Leica bino/rangefinders, including their newest model. I would go with either the Leicas or the Swaros.

+1

No bad advice in this thread. But...before you buy, try to look thorough both Shepherd and U.S. Optics. I have been fooling around with highend glass for a number of decades, and believe that you will favorably impressed, and perhaps surprised, by both.

Somewhere about 1992 I bought a pair of Leica 10x42's. Best bino's I ever used or seen. Took them on dozens of hunts in Alaska and they were my constant companion. Wanted to try something different so picked up a pair of Zeiss FL's in 10x42 about 6 years ago and the glass was as good as the Leica's. Still own both.
Fast forward to last year where I wanted a 6 or 7 power as now all my hunting is in thick timber. Picked up a pair of Nikon Monrachs and they are just as crisp as clear as either the Leica or Zeiss. Best of all they cost about $250.

For many decades my belief was you got what you paid for in quality glass. Not any more. Glass and coatings seems to constantly improve. I bet if the binos were disguised so the viewer couldn't see the brand people would pick a pair costing much less than their beloved Leica or Zeiss.

Looking for a "lifetime" purchase? No such thing. In 10 years they will be making them better than the best is now.

Swaro EL's mostly seem to get picked as the best. Eye chart tests confirmed this for me. Surprised me because I thought the Zeiss HT "seemed" clearer and slightly brighter, but couldn't make out detail as well. Zeiss might have been brighter (i.e. might see a little longer into the dusk).

Swaro SLC's were even with Zeiss HT's for me. Meopta were the same for me directly compared to Swaro SLC and HT's. HT's blue/gray cast a little more comfortable than yellowish cast of SLC's and Meopta.

Leica Ultravid HD's provide the best looking view to me; the colors look better. I like the view better, but the resolution and brightness is slightly less.

Leica coatings cheat toward red, Swaro yellow, and Zeiss blue/grey.

I own a set of Bushnell Legend Ultra HD's that are very close to the best for resolution and brightness, but I won't cry if I drop them. Unit to unit variation in build quality exists with the Bushnells though. But I could make out more detail than with Nikon Monarch 5's or 7's or the Zeiss Conquest line, which also seemed darker than the Legend Ultra HD's.

Nikon's are consistently good, but expensive on the lower end. I've never looked through their best bino's to compare vs top 3 Euro's though.

Hope this helps,
Steve

Out of top 3 Euro's and Nikon:

Swaro's rep for customer service/warranty is outstanding.

Zeiss also has a very good rep.

I've had and used the big 3 but my favorite (now in use) is Leica 8X42. The eyecups on the Swaro's seemed to make them fog up and the Zeiss were too hard. 10X are great when the wind isn't blowing, pretty rare on the Alaska Penisula. For knock around use 8X32 Leupold work fine and for sheep hunting a pair of Minox 10X25.

Another vote for Swaro EL 10x42 w swaro vision.
Used mine on a bear hunt last year on Kodiak where I was glassing 12 hrs day for 12 days.

Swarovski's Swarovision 8.5x42EL

When carrying binoculars the Switch Power ones are the best.

Once you have used them you will demand them again. Scan with them at 7X and then "see what it is" at 12X ! The Leupold Switch Power 32mm binoculars are superior.
Weight: 21.4 ounces

quote:

Originally posted by Brian564:
Looking for advice on a par of binoculars that will hopefully be a lifetime companion for hunting, birdwatching, etc. . . .

Thank you.

One feature that might be overlooked pertains to whether you wear spectacles, or whether, because of heredity, you are likely to not need them after age 40. "Why?" you might reasonably ask.

Most currently manufactured "best-quality" binoculars are Schmidt prism roof prism design. This translates to compact sizing with relatively narrow field of view. Having a vision problem that requires me to wear spectacles (or have double vision beyond arm's length), two problems surfaced. Some best-quality binoculars have eye relief too short for spectacles' wearers - that is, the field of view becomes nearly tunnel-like. The second problem is a facet of the first. Some best-quality binoculars, despite having an acceptable eye relief, have a narrow field of view.

My solutions, excluding many other excellent binoculars all of which have been German (Zeiss-Jena, Zeiss-Oberkochen, Leitz Trinovid, Leica), over the years have been:
1. Zeiss-Jena 7x40 EDF - a roof prism binocular with individually focusing eye pieces and an extremely wide field of view. Docter Optik bought the East German Zeiss factory in the early 1990s. They manufacture a modern version of this binocular that is excellent and probably the single most durable binocular currently made.

2. Wanting yet a larger field of view with more convenient usability, I discovered that - for hunting, birding, watching sports action from the cheap seats - magnification greater than 8 power was of no benefit so long as the binocular was best-quality. I also discovered that Abbe-Koenig roof prism design in a best-quality binocular translates to optical quality that retains its quality level long after Schmidt prisms have needed "redesign." And the binocular that does precisely what I want better than any I've used or examined is Zeiss 7x42 B/GA T*P*. This binocular was discontinued in 2004 - not because of anything better, rather in favor of something cheaper. Notice I did not type something less expensive.

Optical quality remains at or near the top. Field of view is "bay window." Eye relief is full view with my spectacles. And Zeiss-USA in Chester, Virginia, provided parts such as spare eye cups, rain guards, etc. at no cost. Its central focusing is extremely rapid. While I appreciate this feature, some users may not. Snow/sea filters that I bought for my Zeiss 8x30 B/GA IF "stone axe" binoculars also fit my 7x42s. The 8x30s are gone, but the filters stayed. The only other binocular I have experienced having similar filters was the 7x40 EDF. It's a useful thing to have, but it is no deal breaker.

Oh yes, Zeiss manufactured more than two million of this basic 7x42 Abbe-Koenig binocular, and Zeiss-Oberkochen will upgrade older versions of the basic binocular to the T*P*.

Hope this helps.

Go to the Zeiss web site and check out the new Victory SF. It looks very interesting to me.