Our family is taking a trip to Alaska this summer and I want to get a new pair of binoculars. The only ones I have were a cheap $200 pair that have turned to milk glass. As usual I've done a search for some quality reviews or the lack there of. The best reviews were rather dated that had any value and optics have changed significantly over the past couple of years from what I can tell.

The dated review I referenced noted that the Nikon Monarch 5 rivaled the high end European optic makers based on numerous reviewers scores. However, Nikon has come out with the Monarch 7 and HD series and we now have Vortex optics in the mix. I have no problem shelling out money for high quality optics that are WORTH the money, but if I can get excellent optics for a much better price by staying away from the likes of Swarovski, Leica, etc. I have no problem doing so.

Advice, recommendations for those who have owned and used high quality optics?

Cornell University - The Age of Binoculars by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Winter 2005

UPDATE: 7 Mar 2019
Went to the local Cabela's/Bass Pro today, only place around that has a "selection" of binoculars. I tried the: Nikon Monarch 5, 7, and HG, Vortex Viper HD and Razor HD and the Swarovski EL series all in 10x42 configuration.

The short story is Nikon Monarch 5, 7 and Vortex Viper and Razor are comparable, but the Nikon HG crushed them all on clarity and light gathering hands down. I compared the Nikon HG to the most expensive binoculars they had the Swarovski EL and you basically could not tell the difference between them optically. The HG's are price at just under $1K while the EL's were around $2.3K. The Nikon HG's will eventually be coming home with me once I save up a little more.

The Vortex Razor was disappointing to say the least, for nearly $1,000 I would expect more from the optics.

The Nikon HG and Swarovski EL as I stated had zero difference in optical clarity, but I gave the edge to Nikon. When you compared the HG's to everything else, but the Swarovski's it was like turning on a beam of light onto what you were looking at. I was looking across Cabela's show room at a group of pheasants they had mounted and a few blown up photographs. The detail you could see with the HG and EL were astounding compared to the others. Save yourself the time and get the Nikon HG's if you need some really good binoculars!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jcsabolt2,

Steiner makes very good binoculars for the money. The ones they market to the marine industry are water proof and rubber coated to "help" against drops. They start at $200 and go up from there.

https://www.westmarine.com/binoculars/steiner

I think my Swarovski's are excellent, but they come at a high price.

I stay in the $200-$400 range and have been very happy. My first purchase, 15 years ago, were Pentax 8x42. They've been in a Jeep since then and held up really well.

By next purchase was a whim, a set of Zenray, now out of business, in 8x42, they're fine for my purposes, second pair in the Jeep. Actully had high ratings, are very clear, don't fog.

Last year Sig ran a sale and I picked up their 10x42s for use at home, mostly bird watching. They don't get much use but are very clear.

My biggest knock on Binos is the way they secure the caps. The best I ever had were on a pair of 7x50 Military/Marine Steiners, they survived 15 years on boats and are still going strong.

My brother has the Swarovski binos, swears by them. Problem is he never has them with him! I want something that's always there, not worried about abuse. Same with my spotting scope, it's a Pentax, always with me if there's a chance for wildlife.

Go somewhere that has a selection that you can compare side by side. When I did so the Nikon Monarch stood up very well against those 2-3 times their cost. I've been very happy with the purchase.

The new Bushnell Engage series are quite nice and robust for the price.

I have a $750 pair of Fujinon 7x50 marine binoculars, $400 pair of 10x50 Steiner, and $600 Nikon Monarch X 10.5x45.

The Fujinons are fantastic in their niche. I've keep the Steiners in the camper for the kids. The Nikons are mine. I'd get your parents a nice pair of Nikons no more than 8x.

I've had great results with my Meopta 8x42. Lesser known company, but often higher quality optics.

Having spent countless hours staring through my Steiner 10x50s doing surveillance on bad guys, they are awesome for when you need a pair of binos for sitting somewhere watching something for long periods of time.

They are a PITA when you just need to whip our a pair of binos and take a glance at something for a minute though. Too big to just keep handy.

I wish I had a smaller pair to compliment the larger pair. Some compact Nikon 8 or 10x25s would have fit the bill.

Now I don't have much of a need, but up to my last days at my old gig I was considering dropping $200 on a pair of compact ones. Nikon or the little Steiners.

Audubon guide to binoculars

https://www.audubon.org/gear/binocular-guide

Good binoculars, like cast iron frying pans, are a lifetime investment. I have a 40 yo 7x35 Leitz Trinovid that’s still going strong. I did have to replace the rubber eye cups a couple of years ago. A few things that not everyone thinks of, but make viewing better:

Alignment – both side are exactly centered.

Image size – both side are exactly the same.

Eye relief – the distance from the back side of the ocular to the exit pupil. More is better, so you don’t have to jam the eye cups into your eye sockets to get a full field of view.

Sadly, these characteristics are seldom specified – you have to have the instrument in hand to find out.

Over the years, I have bought several middle of the road sets of glass for patrol work only to have them inevitably go wonky. Looking back, I would have probably spent the same amount on a single high quality set. Spend once, cry once.

Build quality is obviously of paramount importance, but make sure to look at warranty as well. I had acquired an older Brunton Eterna binocular that had several issues, mostly due to misuse. One issue however, was directly related to manufacturing and were completely replaced under warranty with a new model.

I imagine Leupold has the same warranty that they have for their firearms optics. Might be a good starting point.

Cabelas HD used to be made by Meopta and stood up well against Leica, Swaro etc. Now with Bass Pro in charge, who knows. As suggested, go to a store that sells multiple brands and test them out. My brother has a PhD in optical physics and he recently told me the gap between the high-end Euro optics and a good quality middle of the pack is closing fast as technology advances.

Google Cameraland New York and call and ask for Doug. He'll treat you right and give great advice.

Satisfaction from quality far outlasts the pleasures of sqeezing the pennies when optics are involved.

I can't comment with personal experience, but I worked with a world class phyisicist who would analyze every decision to death, and he spent a lot of time researching binocular optics an discussed it with me. My take-away was that the high-end binocular market is so specialized and competitive that you really do get what you pay for and they really do make a difference in the detail of the image under a wide range of conditions. I think he ended up spending a few thousand on Steiners, bu I don't recall the model or exact price.

Nikon Monarch 7 8 x 42.
These are the glasses I have and recommend them.
8-power is a good compromise. Powerful, but you can still hand-hold them pretty steady.

https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-7...132&s=gateway&sr=8-2

There's a lot to like for a reasonable amount of money.

I think I have the exact same Leitz Trinovid 7x35’s as Pipe Smoker (black armor, right?). But I pick up the Nikon Monarch 7 8 x 32’s by preference, as they are lighter and at least as bright. 8x42’s are theoretically brighter, but in daylight I don’t think one can see the difference, and they are heavier.
We gave our son and his bride a pair of Zeiss Conquests, highly rated by the Cornell birdwatcher group, for a wedding present, they are about a grand. I can’t tell the difference between them and the Monarch 7’s for the most part.
Swarovskis always look a bit better than anything else to my eyes, but they are about $2500 for the EL models.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
I think I have the exact same Leitz Trinovid 7x35’s as Pipe Smoker (black armor, right?). <snip>

No, mine isn’t “black armor”. Mine is like this one (except that this one appears to be missing its eye cups).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vinta...ermany-/253557726806

And my case is in MUCH better condition.

I bought a pair of Nikon Monarch 10x40's around 20 years ago and I've been more than happy with them. They've traveled all over with me be it hunting, sightseeing, archery ranges, etc. You'll probably be satisfied with mid tier optics in the $400-$500 range.

The bigger question is what are you going to be using them for in Alaska? My 10x40's worked fine on the cruise ship. They were absolutely worthless on a charter boat fishing, too much movement and too much power to be of much use. If you're going to be in southeast Alaska keep in mind, it rains, A LOT. Have a waterproof case or some means of protection when carrying them.

I've also got a set of Steiner 8x22 pocket sized binoculars that I picked up on a clearance sale at Sportsman's Warehouse several years ago. They have been extremely useful and handy. The adage of you get what you pay for. I had a couple of pairs of cheapie Bushnell poset sized binoculars previously and they really were next to useless. I had written off pocket sized binos until I tried the Steiners.

If you're looking for whales, a wide field of view is a good thing. Something like trying to spot Dall Sheep on a ridge you'll want higher magnification. Walking around port towns, you may want something small like a pocket set of binos for ease of carry.

My 10x42's seem to be the happy medium. Usually enough magnification for what I need without being too bit that they're a PITA to carry. The only time in Alaska I wanted more was in Denali National Park. There were a couple of times trying to spot far off sheep and a couple of bears that I really wished for more magnification.

Most of all, have fun in Alaska!