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Posted: 12/21/2001 2:58:06 PM EDT
[#1]
Don't know if you live near a decent size camera shope with a good selection of binoculars. If you do, please go try out the Pentax DCF WP 10X42 in addition to some other ones. These are about $350 through the discount stores such as Adorama and Camera World on the east coast. If you want 32mm objective lenses, they run $50 cheaper.
Many people on this board love the Steiner brand. I love their looks but not their performance. Check out the website www.betterviewdesired.com for a techno-weeny's reviews on optics. |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 3:04:18 PM EDT
[#2]
Can you touch a good set of Stieners for under $350?
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Posted: 12/21/2001 3:28:42 PM EDT
[#3]
Well, I was wrong. Checked out Adorama's website and that's the cheapest I could do quickly. The Pentax 10X42 are $400.00, which means that they have gone up 12.5% in the last year and a half. Sorry. Ebay sometimes has some good deals, and that's where I bought my 8x32s.
In response to the Steiner question, my opinion would be no, but last time I checked, you could get Steiner 8x30 Mil-Mars for abou $230. I had a pair of these when I worked for Idaho Fish and Game out of Lewiston one summer. They fogged in a rain. Marine my ass. |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 3:30:48 PM EDT
[#4]
Take a long hard look at the Nikon Monarch series optics. They are very clear, and blow away Leupold Vari-X 2 and burris fullfield optics.
Waterproof, fogproof, and lifetime warrenty all for 290.00. not a bad deal at all Im looking for some too, if anyone wants to trade a Garmin GPS 3plus with extra mapsource cds' for em |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 3:54:39 PM EDT
[#5]
I just picked up a set of the compact Brunton Eterna 8x25 binoculars. I love them! My buddy has the 10x42's and they're just as nice. The thing I like about them is the long eye relief. Anyone who wears eyeglasses is familier with "tunnel vision" from most binoculars if you keep your glasses on. These brunton glasses have the longest eye relief on the market, from 17.5 to 21mm of relief, depending on model. I have the 8x25's w/ 18.5mm and get the FULL view of the binoculars with my eye glasses on. This is a new experience for me.
The only glasses I've ever seen to come close to these in quality of glass and long eye relief are the Wind River glasses, they're also great. The compacts go for $200/225 and the full sized go for the $350/390 range. Both are well worth the $$. http://www.brunton.com/recreational_products/eterna_frameset.htm |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 4:05:52 PM EDT
[#6]
If you boys want some Steiners just Email me for a price. I'll make my fellow AR15.com members a hell of a deal on them.
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Posted: 12/21/2001 4:19:10 PM EDT
[#7]
Or you could buy the Army M22 Fujinon 7x50's I have for sale. Rubber Armor perfect, glass perfect, end caps show some wear. Center post engraved "HQ #4".
Includes M22 TM 9-1240-412-12 & P manual. $400 money order gets free FedEx shipping. email [email protected] if interested. Won one too many Ebay bids to answer your first question. Yes, I know this is not the Equipment Exchange, but he asked.[IMG]http://www.duhspot.com/users/smiley/s/contrib/aahmed/biggrin.gif[/IMG] |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 4:34:04 PM EDT
[#8]
I bought a pair of Nikon Sports & Marine 7x50's and I love them. Super bright, totaly waterproof and rubber coated. I bought mine here, http://www.ultout.com/nikon-optics.htm for $233 and change.
http://www.nikonusa.com/usa_product/product.jsp?cat=4&grp=19&productNr=7442 Bill |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 5:23:09 PM EDT
[#9]
My preference would be the Steiner 9X40 Bighorn. SWFA has them for $360. They are fairly large, however.
The cheaper Steiners seem to have the name but not the quality. |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 6:35:34 PM EDT
[#10]
FirefighterEd brought up the Brunton Eterna's.
I've looked through these glasses at a gun show and was very impressed. I wish I could have compared them side by side to some others on my list, like the Nikons, Steiners, Leupold. The conditions inside the auditorium weren't the best for certain qualities except low light in some shadow areas, yet, the Bruntons may be a really excellent value. FirefighterEd, have you done your own comparisons to other glass, or found testing data? |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 7:16:48 PM EDT
[#11]
You might try Eagle Optics to see what deals they have.
[url]www.eagleoptics.com[/url] You might find a better deal at one of the NY discount houses but Eagle's been good to me. |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 7:19:25 PM EDT
[#12]
I've got a pair of Steiner 7 X 50 Military-Marine that I bought new in 1985 for $125 from the BX catalog. At the time the exchange rate was really good. I love them! They are rubber armored and in as good a condition now as they were when I bought them. My only complaint is that they are a bit bulky. I overlook that since that are such good quality. The fixed resolution is great and they are crystal clear. When I am hunting, I can put them up to my eyes and not have to worry about screwing with a focus bar or knob. They will also last you a lifetime.
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Posted: 12/21/2001 7:38:40 PM EDT
[#13]
Quoted: My preference would be the Steiner 9X40 Bighorn. SWFA has them for $360. They are fairly large, however. The cheaper Steiners seem to have the name but not the quality. Entirely untrue. I have the cheapest binoculars they make (the Predator 8x30) and they are excellent. They are lighter than my Zeiss binos and have very clear optics. They make a great hunting bino because they gather a ton of light and can fit in your pocket. If I had the money or desire to buy binos now I'd have to go with the 7x50 Military/Marine binos, huge objective, not very heavy, and have a power setting suited to the woods of Virginia. |
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Posted: 12/21/2001 7:45:56 PM EDT
[#14]
I bought a set of Steiner 8x35's from Midsouth Supply last year for $167 thinking that if they were bad I could give them to my kid. I wanted the 10x50's for $400. Wow! love em! Never bought the bigger set because these are 3D and you also do not have to adjust for range. The picture is crystal clear. I saw Bonds hit a grand slam in Bank One Ballpark this year with them.
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Posted: 12/21/2001 9:01:34 PM EDT
[#15]
Wow, never expected such a big response. Thanks. checked out the Pentax DCF Wp's and they seem highly rated. I may go with them even though they cost a little more than I planned. Any other suggestions are appreciated. Merry Christmas.
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Posted: 12/21/2001 9:31:35 PM EDT
[#16]
NIKON 10x Monarch ATB.
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Posted: 12/21/2001 11:46:51 PM EDT
[#17]
Magnum_99, if you intend to use your binoculars mainly for hunting and birding, the Steiner Predator line may be a better choice than the Military-Marine. This line is specifically designed to add contrast to woodland colors to enhance game detection in foliage. Just be aware that the lens coating will slightly affect the color of everything you view, primarily reds and greens.
I recently tried out a Zeiss Diafun. It was sweet!! It was bright and crystal clear all the way out to the edges. Exactly as you'd expect from Zeiss. I'm saving up for one right now. A quick check on the My Simon site shows the 8x30 going for $329 and the 10x30 for $369 at Tri State Camera. You may want to see what SWFA is selling these for. His prices are always very good. HTH |
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Posted: 12/22/2001 12:05:01 AM EDT
[#18]
for that price , Windriver!
If you want to find out a lot of info. about glass/optics, go find some bird watcher sites. (Natioanl Audoban Society etc.) Those people are nuts about their binocs. They drool over Leicas & Zeiss etc. BUT recommend excellent affordable binocs too. Usually have good info. on roof prism vs. porro prism etc. I'll see if I can find those links & get back. |
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Posted: 12/22/2001 12:48:47 AM EDT
[#19]
I bought a pair of Pentax for about $250 a couple of years back. After one outing, I returned them.
As I would glass a hillside, I'd see the center of the field of vision moving at one speed, then everything at the edge would seem to be falling away more rapidly. There's a term for this, but I forget what it is. Anyway, it was very distracting. I found the same problem recently on those cheapo Russian infrared scopes. I got my money back and spentsome more on a pair of Wind River. I was disappointed to see that they were not made by Leupold, but I am happy with their quality so far, except that the adjustable eyepiece was a bit stiff. |
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Posted: 12/22/2001 6:36:32 AM EDT
[#20]
Quoted: Can you touch a good set of Stieners for under $350? YES! The Steiner Predator 8-30mm are $190~ish and are a just great. SWFA has them on their secret special page and you won't be disappointed. |
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Posted: 12/22/2001 6:50:15 AM EDT
[#21]
I don't think you can beat Nikon in their price range. Busmaster007 had a great choice, mine as well in the 10x ATB.
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Posted: 12/22/2001 6:53:09 AM EDT
[#22]
Just bought a pair of Pentax DCF WP 10X42s for $450 two months ago at a local camera shop. I highly recommend them. If cost is a stretch, I would recommend the Nikon Monarch ATBs for somewhere close to $300. I believe the Nikons are waterproof also. The ideal situation would be to be able to compare these two side by side so, a camera shop would be the best place to start. If you don't need the waterproof feature, then I think Pentax makes DCF HF model in 10X42.
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Posted: 12/22/2001 8:06:18 AM EDT
[#23]
Personally I would recommend at least getting set of 10x50 bino's.
I have an opthomologist friend that knows optics. I asked him what would be the best for everything, without skipping a beat, he just said "find a set of 10x50's". They give good mangafication without getting to "bouncy" when holding, and good light gathering for low light. So being the cheap bastard that I am, I went and got a pair of Bushnell armored 10x50's. Not the most rugged (already had to send them in for repair when I dropped them). But... the 10x50 is incredible for what you need. I love the ability to use them at night and checking out my neighborhood [;)] |
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Posted: 12/22/2001 8:47:36 AM EDT
[#24]
Steiner !!!
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Posted: 12/22/2001 11:13:02 AM EDT
[#25]
www.bearbasin.com
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Posted: 12/22/2001 12:22:46 PM EDT
[#26]
FirefighterEd, have you done your own comparisons to other glass, or found testing data? Yes Punkatomic, I put them beside the nikon and extensivly beside the Leupold Wind River glasses. I prefer them over both. The clearity is about equal in the 3. Each having it's own benefits. The deciding point for me was the extra long eye relief. If you wear glasses (sunglasses?) you owe it to yourself to check out a set of these binoculars. I get full field of view w/ my 8x25's with my glasses on. These are the only compact binaculars (any price) that I've seen where I get that field of few. Hope this helps. Merry Christmas to all. |
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Posted: 12/23/2001 6:06:59 AM EDT
[#27]
I have a pair of 10X Leupold Wind River binocs.
I noticed that if I glassed a deer and brought the glasses down and then spotted another near the same distance away the glasses were way out of focus. I happened to be looking at the glasses this past year after I had used them and could watch the focus adjustment wheel slowly turning and pulling the eyepieces back in. Now that is what I call a vacuum seal! I am currently in the market also for a pair of binocs that will not have this problem. Tuco |
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Posted: 12/23/2001 12:30:30 PM EDT
[#28]
I spent a lot of time looking at binos before I bought the Minolta Avtiva 10 X 42's. If you wear glasses they are especially good because they have true long eye relief. They are rubber armoured, waterproof, all that. They are super clear. Don't buy binos without looking at the Minoltas.
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Posted: 12/23/2001 12:33:32 PM EDT
[#29]
You can't go wrong by spending a few hundred more and getting Zeiss 10x40's. I bought some recently a a camera store on the internet for a little over $800.
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Posted: 12/23/2001 12:36:23 PM EDT
[#30]
Quoted: If you boys want some Steiners just Email me for a price. I'll make my fellow AR15.com members a hell of a deal on them. ... man it's nice to have friends like this |
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Posted: 12/23/2001 2:04:59 PM EDT
[#31]
here's the links
[url]www.eagleoptics.com[/url] & [url]http://betterviewdesired.com[/url] |
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