I just received my bonus paycheck and looking forward to purchasing high power binocular for glassing canyon/clear cut and meadows for deer & elk at distances of mile or more. I'm also thinking about a new spotting scope but I want more field of view and brightness. Here are the two brands that I've chosed within my budget ($729.00) and that is a Fujinon FMTR-SX 15x70 and Steiner senator 20x80. But here the problem, I chose these brands/optic power on my friend recommedation and that nobody sell these binoculars in this power range in Oregon, so therefore I have to order these with no trial period & refund. So if you were me, what would you do differently or which binocular would you suggest that priced under $800.00?

Norseman,

Try www.cameraworld.com

I've had good service from them (as opposed to the NYC retailers) and they are in Oregon.

Unless your heart is set on those two brands, you might consider Pentax, Zeiss, or Leica. Be sure to check out their clearance and closeouts.

(At that high power be sure whatever you get has a tripod mount.)

[This message has been edited by steve y (edited 01-13-2002).]

Check out the website http://www.betterviewdesired.com
I think you will be impressed with the articles and reviews of euipment. This is a birding oriented site, and these people seem pretty well informed about optics in general. Mike

BVD is a good site. I bought a pair of Pentax 10x42 DCF WP two years ago. I'm very satisfied with their performance.

Try Cabela's. I think they still have the Zeiss Classic C in 10x40 on sale for $799. I have one and love it. Whatever you do get good glass-glass that will resolve that distant dot into an animal not just a bigger dot.

I was or am in the market for the same power range of bino's. You here everyone say that "You get what you pay for" and I believe that good glass is important. I informed my employer (Uncle Sam) that we simply could not live without 5 pairs of Steiner Senators 15X80. I am really not that impressed for 1K. They are simply huge.

I am personally looking at the Pentax 16X60's. If you have the money to spend that you listed, Doctor Optics 15X60's make the list as well. I had the opportunity to try several brands at my friends store. If the labels were taped over, and I didn't know who the big names were, I still woould have picked Leicas.....but. I was really impressed with a Bausch+lomb Discoverer, the new Kahles are great, and of course Leicas and Swarovski. I did not like any of the Steiners in any power range. Nor did I like the Zeiss Classics. He did not have Pentax, but I already own a pair of them.

Norseman,

Try Eagle Optics http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?dept=1

I bought my last bincoular from them (Swarovski EL).

John Barsness' book "Optics for the Hunter" is worth buying. It will save you more money in your choice than you will pay for it.

jim dodd

------------------
"if you are to busy to
hunt, you are too busy."

I'm probably writing heresy here, but stay away from the Steiners. We paid big dolars for a few on board our ship and they are pretty sad. before i went to Africa this past Sept, I researched binos quite a bit. There is NO doubt that names like Zeiss, leica and Swarovskis are the best, but at considerable cost. For under 800 bucks, give the Cabela's "Alaskan Guide" 8X42s a shot. I bought a pair, took it to Africa and they compared very favorably to my PH's Zeiss'. Good luck and let us know what you decide. jorge

I am surprised to see the negative Steiner reviews. I was also considering some 20x Steiners as well as a new pair of 8x50s. I have some 7x35s that were my fathers and they have worked great for the last 35 years or so. Hopefully Steiner's quality hasn't slipped as of late.
If you decide on the Steiners, in the back of SCI's newspapers you will see an ad for use, new, and opened but unused optics. I think I saw some 20x80 Senators in their for around $700 new with no box.

JohnTheGreek

I already have a 10X50, 7X50. What I'm looking for is something with at least 15X with edge to edge clarity and bright. The reason for this is that because the area that I do my of my hunting are wide open spaces with clear-cut, meadows and deep canyons such as the Snake river. The problem that I have is that the muley & elk blend in nicely in the background. There been several times that I was glassing clear-cut with my 10X50 for 5 to 10 minutes and just so happen that I decided to look through my B & L elite 4200 riflescope just to see the optic quality and next thing I know there a herd of elk at the other end of my riflescope about 1000 to 1500 yard away. So then I looked through my binocular and could barely make it out. The elk herd looked like tree stump throughout the clear-cut. The riflescope was set at 16X.

A good common sense rule is to remember about binoculars is they are essentially two scopes mated to each other.

A $200 dollar pair will have roughly the optical quality of a $100 scope, etc.

Just do it right the first time and go with the Leica 7x42, 8x42 or 10x42.

If you search the net thoroughly, you could probably find a pair in the $800.00 range.

The New York camera shops ( www.aaacamera.com ) have them for $675 but I think those do not come with a USA warranty, however, they are the exact same binoculars. If you want the USA warranty, be very specific about it and it will probably cost you $100 or so more. Customer service in these places is usually very poor.