I am thinking of picking up a pair of "pocket" size binoculars such as the Leica 8x20s or Swarovski. I have not looked through any glass yet, but I like the looks of the Leica. Some other smaller sizes are the Zeiss and Leupolds. I primarily hunt in the woods of northern Minnesota, so the distances are not great, except for an occassional clearcut. I also bowhunt, so the compact size and weight of the pockets make sense but I would be interested in hearing any feedback on these styles. I would also be open to anyone who thinks this style binocular doesn't make sense and try to go for a stepup, like an 8x32 Leica, etc.

How about the 6x32mm Eagle Optics Ranger Platinum Class? Sounds like they would be great for your application.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?dept=1&type=19&purch=1&pid=2989

Got a pair of the Leica's and they are simply fine. I usually carry something larger when on the hunt, but specifically for bowhunting and 3-D archery, I use them a lot. You won't go wrong with them.
Good Luck--D.

My experience is that the ultra-lights can't be held steadily enough to be useful. Most of the folks I know who have tried them ended up not using them much and finally leaving them at home. I have a pair of light-ish vs. ultra-light Minox 8x40's and recently bought a pair of 7x42 IOR's. Both are bright and sharp. The IOR's are heavier and much more pleasant to use for more than a few seconds at a time. I now hunt with the IOR's and the weight seems a good tradeoff for the useability.

As handy as the pocket bino's seem I think in the long run you will be better off with something in the 8x30 range. I like the Swarovski's best, but I left them in Africa so I am shopping for a replacement. I have a pair of Swarovski 7x42 but they are just too big and heavy, or so they seem to me, but I am using them now until I replace the 8x30's. Look at the 8x30 Nikon Dafun [spelling??]. Some of my friends have them and they like them a lot. They are very light.

Thanks for the input everyone. I do like the 8x30 Swarovskis and Leicas. The Zeiss Conquest in the same specs have a very attractive price. Part of what I was wondering about was the handling of the pockets in the field and I can see were maybe the dual hinges and small size could be a little frustrating. But I suppose there's some sacrafice if one is looking for small binocs and only 8 oz in weight. A step up to the 8x30s in most any brand except the Zeiss, run around 20 oz, Zeiss are around 15. I suppose I need to start looking through a few and see what I think.

Prewar,



***edit*** I meant 8x21 NOT 8x28... Sorry 'bout that***



I've been using a pair of ultra-light Brunton 8x21 pocket bino's for about 15 years. They were the first pocket binos I ever saw and I bought them on impulse. What a GREAT buy they were!!!



They fit easily in the pocket of my shirt and can hang on my neck all day and I never even notice the extra weight.



Today they make much better quality optics with better coatings too and I advise you to buy the very best quality binoculars you can possibly afford. They'll GREATLY increase your enjoyment of hunting and your sucess at spotting and evaluating game.



As far as not being able to hold them steady?.. I can't understand that one at all. As long as your hands don't tremble I can't imagine why you couldn't hold them steady.



I'd sure like to know what brand and model you end up with because I'm probably going to upgrade soon to an optically superior pair if I can find some that are as small, light, and handy as the Bruntons I have now.



$bob$

Thanks for the info LDHunter. I am planning on going to Cabelas this Thurs. and will take a look at several pair and report back. I'm glad to hear that you've had positive experiences with the compacts. Really what I'm trying to do is get by with 1 pair of binocs to cover most of what I do. And most of what I do is hunt in closer cover, not like where I grew up in TX and hunted the wide open expanses. The size and weight are a big appeal for me, although a pair of Swarovski 8x30 at 20oz doesn't seem too bad either. I have no idea at this point, the salesman at Cabelas is going to have fun with me as I check out 15 pairs on binocs.

Prewar,

I should warn you that it's very hard to evaluate the optical clarity of binoculars in a sporting goods store. Look and feel, weight, ergonomics... Yes...

On the advice of some of the guys on thei optics forum here on AR I went to some of the birding sights for product comparisons when I bought my Pentax 8x43 DCF SP binocs a year ago.

I knew what I wanted to spend and what I expected out of a medium sized pair of quality binocs. I read everything I could find about them and based my purchase mostly on what I had read and then went to a Bass Pro and checked them out.

I ended up being extremely happy with my purchase and felt that my research didn't mislead me at all.

The birders are the real experts on binos and I recommend reading a few birding site reviews if you are serious about your optics.

I used to have them bookmarked but that computer died.

I'd recommend jumping to the optics forum and asking there for some links to some birding sites...

In fact I'll do it myself and you can check it out.

$bob$

I have a pair of 8x25 Leupold Wind River's and for whitetail hunting I like them a lot. I much prefer a pair of full size bino's if I'm going to be doing any serious glassing but they work great for checking out brushpiles and peeking into thickets.

Jeff

I have been using a pair of leica 10x25 trinovids for the last 2 years, I find them excellent and optical clarity is great. The best bit is that I tend to have them with me when I know I wouldnt have bothered to carry a larger pair.

They probably arent the best choice for purely dusk and dawn hunting they are extremely good

I've been using a set of lecia 10x25 for several years. Always been happy with them until 2 years ago when they went a bit goofy. Lecia wouldn't stand behind the warranty one bit. Also if you need any parts hold onto your wallet. I lost one of the little rubber eyecups costs $25 each. Now i'm using swaro's

I had a pair of Leica 8x20's that were stolen. I replaced them with Swaro 10x25's. I think I prefered the Leica's. In small binoculars they were just enough smaller to make a difference. I also think the 8x is a little more use at sporting events and such. For serious hunting I prefer a little more serious binocular and used the 8x20's for sports, glovebox and backup.......DJ

I have heard better reports on the Leica 8x20s than the Swaros, but I plan on looking at both. I also think the 8x make more sense than 10x in the smaller size as well as what I will be looking at. I haven't heard anybody comment on the Zeiss Victory compacts, 8x20. Has anyone out there used the Zeiss?

I have a pair of 10X25 Leica's that I have been using for the last 7 years. They are great and while they do have there limitations the best thing about them is that I always take them. They are small light and easily stuffed out of the way in a pocket. They are great for woods hunting or bow hunting. I have no problem holding them steady as long as I use two hands. For me I find that if the bino's are heavy or bulky and get in the way I leave them in the truck. TheseI don't. Now I do not use them out west on my big game hunts but for eastern whitetail I love them.

Does anyone think the 8x20 Leicas have better image stability or better anything than the 10x25s???? I guess another way of putting it, if it were between these 2, which would you go with and why. I can't see there being any difference in light gathering between the two and in closer cover, the 8x may have the upper hand.

Prewar70
I prefer 8x to 10x. The 8x are easier to hold steady than the 10x. A lot of hunting I do is in close cover and involves walking/stalking. I find I can hold 8x steady with one hand, the other is holding the rifle. I also want bino's that are center focus that I can adjust with one hand while looking through them. In thick brush/jess you can focus the bino's to look "through" the brush. The best bino's I have ever used are the Swarovski 8x30. They "fell in a warthog hole" in Africa and I am going to replace them. I have been checking out several different types but have not made a decision yet. I liked everything about the 8x30 Swaro's their performance, size, weight, and the fact that I could work them with one hand. The "replacement" binos MUST be able to be worked with one hand. I have found that to be a very important feature.

I have a friend that has a pair of 10x25 Leica's and they have got to have the most clarity of any binocular I have ever looked though and, I guess it is a function of the quality, but they don't seem to be "jittery" at all.

PreWar70,
My brother uses a pair of Zeiss 8x20 Victory and likes them. I couldn't tell any difference between them and the 8x20 Leicas. I would like to see those Eagle 6x because I think the compacts are generally overpowered. A 5x-6x25 would be a great compact glass IMO, especially for tight cover.

Thanks for the input again from everyone. I am leaning towards the 8x both from where I hunt and that I think they would be steadier than the 10x. I've heard so many good things from folks here and elsewhere on the Leicas I can hardly wait to look through them on Thursday. Clear and compact, I can see where you would never want to leave them at home. At one time I had a pair of the 8x30 Swaros and traded them. They were very nice but I was a little sad to see that they sell for around a 1,000 and I think I paid 650 not too many years ago. Steve, thanks for the report on the Zeiss. They look like a nice pair on binocs and I will be looking at those too. I also agree that a 6 or 7x would be ideal in a compact, but I am leaning towards Leica and they don't make them. However, I did see that they sell a 7x42, which must be awesome to look through but they are a bit on the heavy side.