insanityslave Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 perhaps i should be ashamed, but im not... ive been 'birding' with the same pair of binoculars i bought about 20 yrs ago from walmart for ~$20. not originally purchased for birding, the bushnell 12x25 (currently selling for $23) has been, for $20, an exceptional pair of multi-use binoculars for me for a long time. for a few reasons (as im sure you can imagine), im looking to purchase a new pair to be used for birding. that said, i dont have the money to spend on something i *want* so ill have to settle on something thats better-enough than what i have to justify the expenditure. and to give you an idea, theres no way i can spend $400 for a 'low-end' pair, im (and my wife) thinking $200 or less. i have received a few other pair of binoculars for free from other people over the years, but unfortunately they are garbage. the one good thing they showed me, though, was that i prefer the higher zoom. perhaps because the only pair ive really used for the past 2 decades have been 12x, every time i look through an 8x i just... cry a little inside. and/or perhaps because im an amateur-at-best birder, i feel i need that extra zoom to see field marks better since im not very familiar with... most everything. so i have 2ish questions: regardless of price what specs do you prefer on a pair of binocs? e.g., how much does field of vision matter to you and why? do you prefer 8x/10x/etc...and why? and perhaps included in that question is is there a brand that, in your opinion, you can definitely say youve had much better luck with/prefer for any reason? secondly, given how much im willing to spend, do you have any recommendations? i DO plan to go to some stores and try out a few also. ive got a bass and dicks near me along with the typical department stores. i think charlie had a thread a couple months ago along the same lines and he said he was tired of returning online purchases and ended up driving to try them out first... and im in total agreement. appreciate it your time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirVive Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Personally I've been reasonably happy with a pair of 10x42 Vortex Diamondback. Vortex has an excellent warranty and I think that pair is around the $200 mark. Like you though I don't have a ton of experience with different models and like you these were my upgrade from a pair of 40 year old hand-me-downs so I'm sure others will have more useful opinions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katelyn Davis Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 I just use a pair of 7x35 Bushnell that I got from my grandpa and they work well enough. Definitely in need of an update in the near future though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinHood Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 I suspect this thread may get relocated but for now.... ...I fairly recently replaced my venerable (80s) Nikons with Vortex Diamondback 8x40s (from B&H) which are much lighter and very reasonably priced, couldn't be happier and wish I had done it sooner (I use my camera for extra reach if required). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanityslave Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 3 hours ago, RobinHood said: I suspect this thread may get relocated but for now.... ...I fairly recently replaced my venerable (80s) Nikons with Vortex Diamondback 8x40s (from B&H) which are much lighter and very reasonably priced, couldn't be happier and wish I had done it sooner (I use my camera for extra reach if required). i looked at other subforums, but there are so few of them and most dont really properly address some questions posted here. (also this forum gets a lot more traffic) i use my camera for that extra reach too. recently upgraded that too and was lucky enough to find a really good used one on amazon! ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 On 5/3/2020 at 12:03 PM, SirVive said: Personally I've been reasonably happy with a pair of 10x42 Vortex Diamondback. Vortex has an excellent warranty and I think that pair is around the $200 mark. Like you though I don't have a ton of experience with different models and like you these were my upgrade from a pair of 40 year old hand-me-downs so I'm sure others will have more useful opinions. I bought a pair of those around the same time as SirVive and am also pleased. (I may even like them as much as my $475 Vortex Viper 10x50s!) I recall they come in a 10x42 too. Check B&H web site, esp. their Used page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanityslave Posted May 5, 2020 Author Share Posted May 5, 2020 On 5/4/2020 at 5:03 PM, Charlie Spencer said: I bought a pair of those around the same time as SirVive and am also pleased. (I may even like them as much as my $475 Vortex Viper 10x50s!) I recall they come in a 10x42 too. Check B&H web site, esp. their Used page. long story short... after much searching i found, coincidentally enough, the 10x42 vortex diamondback, on sale at pro bass shop. regular was $229 on sale for $129 !!! that really helped make my decision for me ? ... but there were none in stock anywhere... couldnt even order them online ? BUT.... i called the local store and asked if, in fact, they were out of stock and if so if i could get a rain check. (wow, i feel old saying that). dude on phone told me to hold on a minute then came back to tell me he found one in the store and asked me how long it would be till i got there! ? so about 30 min later i was walking out of pro bass with a new pair of binoculars for almost 1/2 price! ... WIN after i play with them for a few minutes, my wife tells me i have to give them to her so she can wrap them for fathers day. ? ... man its hard going back to my $20 pair after looking through that new glass!! but alas, i suppose another month wont kill me lol thanks for the input yall! i really appreciate it. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinHood Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 3 minutes ago, insanityslave said: my wife tells me i have to give them to her so she can wrap them for fathers day. That's very harsh, but nice find and I'm sure you will love them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 14 minutes ago, insanityslave said: my wife tells me i have to give them to her so she can wrap them for fathers day. You should have given her the old pair, Dum-dum! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirVive Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 (edited) 7 hours ago, insanityslave said: long story short... after much searching i found, coincidentally enough, the 10x42 vortex diamondback, on sale at pro bass shop. regular was $229 on sale for $129 !!! that really helped make my decision for me ? ... after i play with them for a few minutes, my wife tells me i have to give them to her so she can wrap them for fathers day. ? ... man its hard going back to my $20 pair after looking through that new glass!! but alas, i suppose another month wont kill me lol Well ... if the truth be told - I bought mine off my brother-in-law for about what you got your's for when he upgraded. Had to ask my wife if it was ok if I bought myself a birthday present ? Tell her you really need a new harness too - hint hint Enjoy! We will be expecting an increase in questions now ? Edited May 6, 2020 by SirVive 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinHood Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 If anyone else happens to be looking for binoculars I just noticed that B&H has the Vortex Diamondback 8x42 (pre HD model) on sale for $159.99 ($60 off). I was just checking to see how much heavier the 10x are than the 8x and turns out they are lighter!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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