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Binoculars

Fox Valley Hunter

Fox Valley Hunter

PMA Member
I am going to upgrade my binoculars and was doing some research on past threads here on IW. I see a lot of recommendations for Vortex, leupold, and Zen Ray. I wear glasses and have had trouble in the past finding a pair of binoculars that I can use while wearing my glasses. Does anyone know if Scheels sells these brands? I want to be able to try them all before I make my decision. Do any of you four eyed hunters have a suggestion for any others that work well with eyeglasses?
Thanks,
 
I too wear glasses, but have never found a pair of binos that work well with them so I just push them down when glassing. Bit of a PIA but IMO still way better field of view than trying to look through binos while wearing glasses.
 
Scheels does sell Vortex. I went with the 12x50s when they were on sale for 100 off. Best binos I've ever had hands down. I think a couple guys I hunt with will be buying the same pair after looking through them.
 
HorseDoctor said:
I too wear glasses, but have never found a pair of binos that work well with them so I just push them down when glassing. Bit of a PIA but IMO still way better field of view than trying to look through binos while wearing glasses.
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Yep, I end up taking my glasses off when using my binos. I was hoping maybe the newer binos had been improved over the years, my current pair are probably 20 years old.
 
I too have the vortex 10x50's. Love them. Wearing glasses seems to be a pain with all binocs though.
 
Have the Vortex 12x50's as I was gearing up for a trip west next year and really like them. They are a bit over kill in the woods but are awesome when glassing open areas.

You will enjoy the Vortex binos
 
Here's what ya do.
Go into the store and look at every bino that is in the top portion of your price range.
Everyones eyes/opinion are a little different....so it's kinda like picking out a bow.
Look through each pair and compare the amount of light they let in, ease/smoothness of the focus dial, field of view, comfort, etc.
Ask to talk to an associate that knows a lot about glass too.
Pick the top three or four binos you liked.
Then DONT BUY ANYTHING!....yet
Compare the numbers on a good website, and lower it down to two choices.
Then go back in and choose the one you like the most.
 
I used a pair of Vortex Fury 10x42 for a few years and was very happy with them. Incredible clarity, light gathering, everything for a $300 pair of binos.

Only reason I got rid of them is because I got a steal on a pair of Zen Ray ED3s, so I decided to "upgrade". All the bird forums and everything say that the ED3s are optically superior, but its not much as far as I can tell. I will say that Vortex's customer service and guarantee are better. Not that ZR has bad customer service, but I had to pay $35 to send my binos in for repair (something that wasnt my fault), and they only have a lifetime warranty on their higher end models.

I compared the ED3s to the Vortex Talon HDs, which were at the top of my price range, and I wasnt a big fan of the Talons..
 
revup said:
Here's what ya do. Go into the store and look at every bino that is in the top portion of your price range. Everyones eyes/opinion are a little different....so it's kinda like picking out a bow. Look through each pair and compare the amount of light they let in, ease/smoothness of the focus dial, field of view, comfort, etc. Ask to talk to an associate that knows a lot about glass too. Pick the top three or four binos you liked. Then DONT BUY ANYTHING!....yet Compare the numbers on a good website, and lower it down to two choices. Then go back in and choose the one you like the most.
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great advice!
 
I have a pair of Zen Ray ZRS's 10x42. Great Binos, I'm on my second pair. Customer service leaves quite a bit to be desired though. I'd go with vortex if I had to do it over again though.
 
Vortex!
My bro switched from a Leupold set to Vortex "Razor" I think they are, 10x42. "WAY BETTER" was his response and same when i've looked through both. I bought 10x42 Swarovisions for my own wedding gift to myself and pry be my set for life and love em but if I was going for some "nice ones" without crazy price, Vortex hands down. Like em better than the Leupolds & Nikons I've seen BUT of course lot of different models that could impact which is the best too. Can't go wrong with Vortex may be my logic. Oh, side note, I had some bushnell legends & Legend HD's back in the day (7-10 years ago)... Oh my, FRIGIN JUNK!!!! My bro bought a new set of em and I made him sell them cause I learned how crappy they were and how Bushnell didn't stand behind them. Hands down, over 10-15 years of seeing binos & using a lot of different ones, those Bushnells were the biggest joke & junk binos I ever used.
 
Sligh1 said:
Vortex!
My bro switched from a Leupold set to Vortex "Razor" I think they are, 10x42. "WAY BETTER" was his response and same when i've looked through both. I bought 10x42 Swarovisions for my own wedding gift to myself and pry be my set for life and love em but if I was going for some "nice ones" without crazy price, Vortex hands down. Like em better than the Leupolds & Nikons I've seen BUT of course lot of different models that could impact which is the best too. Can't go wrong with Vortex may be my logic. Oh, side note, I had some bushnell legends & Legend HD's back in the day (7-10 years ago)... Oh my, FRIGIN JUNK!!!! My bro bought a new set of em and I made him sell them cause I learned how crappy they were and how Bushnell didn't stand behind them. Hands down, over 10-15 years of seeing binos & using a lot of different ones, those Bushnells were the biggest joke & junk binos I ever used.
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I've had a few pairs of compact bushnells and have also been around other "better" bushnells. All of them suck. My carry set for hunting is vortex Typhoon (no longer sold) 10x26. For a true compact pair, they are excellent! I highly doubt I'll buy any other brand in the future. At one point I had some issues with seeing double through them. Not sure if I dropped them or what but something was off. I sent them in, they fixed them and returned them free of charge. Customer service and warranty will win my vote almost every time.
 
What does 10x50, 10x26 ect?
I have always thought it meant you can see at 50' with binoculars as you can at 10' with naked eye. Thanks
 
revup said:
Here's what ya do.
Go into the store and look at every bino that is in the top portion of your price range.
Everyones eyes/opinion are a little different....so it's kinda like picking out a bow.
Look through each pair and compare the amount of light they let in, ease/smoothness of the focus dial, field of view, comfort, etc.
Ask to talk to an associate that knows a lot about glass too.
Pick the top three or four binos you liked.
Then DONT BUY ANYTHING!....yet
Compare the numbers on a good website, and lower it down to two choices.
Then go back in and choose the one you like the most.
Click to expand...

Take this one step further and try every pair in low light. That's where you really see the difference in quality and clarity.

I'm a huge fan of Vortex, although I personally own Swarovskis for binos. I have a Vortex spotter and I love it! Vortex's warranty is the absolute best on the market. As for which model, get the best you can afford. Without getting on their website, I believe Viper and Razor are their top of the line. Talons are a good choice, too. There are several hunters out here who use Vortex for glassing hillsides for Coues whitetail, muleys, elk, etc. and swear up and down by them over Swaros.

Of course, if you really want quality and clarity, get yourself a pair of Kowa Highlanders! You'll be able to see the deer in Nebraska from your stand!

Ried-the 50, 26, etc. is the size (in mm) of the objective lens. Larger lenses let more light in and help brighten everything up.
 
Ried#3 said:
What does 10x50, 10x26 ect?
I have always thought it meant you can see at 50' with binoculars as you can at 10' with naked eye. Thanks
Click to expand...

The first number is the magnification. A 10x has a magnification power of 10. The second number is the diameter in millimeters of the objective lens (front lens). As the diameter gets larger, it will bring in more light, give a larger filed of vision and in general just be more clear.
 
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