New Bino

[wihunter]

Long time reader, first time poster needing some advice.

On my recent Wyoming mule deer hunt my Nikon Monarchs finally gave out (eye piece came apart). I am now in need of a new set of 10x42 binos. I have my eyes on three different ones but unfortunately no one carries them around me. I am looking at the Vortex Viper (about $550), the Vortex Fury (about $300) and the Leupold GR HD (about $575). I have a Leupold scope and trust the optics but they are the most expensive and the specs say they are heavy. I have had good luck with my Nomad spotting scope and Vortex is here in Wisconsin. I hunt mostly open country when I go west for about 1 week a year. The other hunting is a mix of open fields and timber in Wisconsin. I am sure the wife would vote for the Fury, but what do you guys think between these three. The Nikons did work well when they where still in one piece. I cannot go over the price of the Leupold as the better half would kill me.

 

[fatrooster]

Why don't you send your Monarchs in to Nikon? From what I've read, they've got a great warranty. At least call them and see what they have to say about your problem.
As far as the Vortex's and Leupolds, go try them all out at the same time at the store then make a decision about which one you like the most. fatrooster.

 

[wihunter]

Thanks for the advice. I will try to send them in and hopefully Nikon will fix them. I still want another pair of binos as not to get caught short again while on a trip. My backup pair for this trip turned out to be a pair of old Tasco I found floating around in the truck. I am not fond of the twist up eyecups on the Monarchs as I have had problems with them from the beginning. I admit that some of the problems are probably caused by me not keeping them really clean when in a dusty environment but I hope to get something a little more durable.

I would like to try both the Leupold and Vortex out but the stores in my area only carry very low end stuff or alpha glass, nothing in the mid range.

 

[Gator]

GR leupold windriver are great glasses.
Check them out on e-bay you might find a deal.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[SteveC]

The eyecup has always been a problem with the Monarch design. However any eyecup can be a problem in dusty conditions, so get a can of compressed air like you find in computer stores and keep them cleaned out (careful with that not to blast sand and grit across the lens). I had occasion to send them back to Nikon and their service was pretty good. So I would surely send them back to Nikon.

I have had both Fury and Viper binoculars and both are better than the Monarch.

Had I not came across the Promaster and Zen Ray binoculars carried now our site sponsor by Cameraland, I would have a Gold Ring binocular. Those represent a very good deal at their current prices and they are better than either the Viper or the Fury, as much better as the Viper is over the Monarch. They are heavy, but are well balanced. The weight is not too bad, particularly if you use a harness or carry bandoleer style with a long strap so they hang at your side, under your arm, above the waist.

Vortex and Leupold are probably two of the very best customer service/warranty outfits in the business.

 

[quest]

wihunter for the price your talking about Minox Hg are outstanding binoculars in that price range. You can still purchase Minox binoculars at Camera Land at around the price you want. Read for yourself.
Minox HG 10x43 BR ASPH
Part# 62157

MINOX ultimate aim was to ensure performance at the highest level when they developed and designed their new HG binoculars. The German engineers in Wetzlar, Germany have created High-Grade-Sport optics with the best possible performance in every area that defines a quality binocular. By using special optical glass from German glass specialists SCHOTT AG, a newly developed optical system provides a fascinatingly high level of light transmission which is bound to be highly rated for brightness and contrast. With their sleek body design and magnesium housing, the HG binoculars are real lightweights at the top end of the range and along with their beautiful cosmetics and ergonomics they ensure the end user will enjoy a satisfying new experience when using the all new Minox HG binoculars. Apart from optics, Minox have also installed a 'first' as the innovative QCF focusing now makes it possible to take exact distance readings from a scale on the focusing wheel, an often looked for feature on binoculars.

With these exciting features and given quality, the MINOX HG is today?s trailblazer that has all the quality and features potential to become tomorrow?s classic.

Top quality light transmission is an essential mark of quality in binoculars. MINOX engineers developed the innovative M*-coating of the lenses which consists of up to 21 different layers on the glass surfaces, adapting the various wavelengths of the visible light. This increases the overall light transmission to an impressive 92 percent, while improving brightness, contrast, detail and colour rendering significantly. Another benefit is a completely new optical system designed by our in-house experts with internal anti-reflection and anti-glare coatings to help improve contrast. The four models, an 8.5x43, 10x43, 8.5x52 and 10x52 feature aspherical lenses to enhance the contrast and sharpness of the image from centre to edge. To provide a reliable and durable protection against internal corrosion and fogging, the binoculars are filled with state-of-the-art Argon gas.

Another milestone is the mirroring of the roof prisms through the MinoBright technology. This silver-based coating guarantees an improvement of up to 99.8 percent efficiency of the light reflected at the mirror surface. This is yet another improvement towards better light transmission within the system of the HG-binoculars. The high-tech optical glass is "Made in Germany" by the Mainz based SCHOTT AG, which belongs entirely to Carl-Zeiss-Stifung, which was founded by Ernst Abbe. High technology originating from German glass pioneers used for innovative optical products by the Wetzlar based optic specialists. All of the expertise from MINOX, a trusted industry pioneer, is combined in this high quality product.

Better and more advanced handling is achieved through the Quick-Close-Focus (QCF), developed and patented by MINOX. With just one turn of the focusing wheel the HG-binoculars can be adjusted from close-up to infinity. This one turn allows fast focusing close-up, and a more precise focusing for longer distances. With the aid of a scale on the central focusing wheel, the distance to the object in focus is indicated to the user. This additional feature makes these HG-binoculars a reliable distance rangefinder.

Despite all their features the new MINOX HG-binoculars weigh just 650 grams. This puts them amongst the very best lightweights at the top end of the range. The sleek body design with its protective rubber armouring was designed and fitted around the natural position of the hand. The weight was reduced considerably by using a magnesium alloy, which is increasingly used in aircraft construction. With its much lower density compared with aluminium and its extreme durability, magnesium is a revolutionary material for modern, tough housings of binoculars. The eyepieces are fitted with twist-up eyecups with four click-stop positions. This gives more freedom for an individual?s own eye-relief settings. The design of the large metal focusing wheel is both attractive and functional. Equipped with a cross-knurl, like the diopter-adjustment, providing a very good grip.

Price: $579.99
Yards Model Available
Open Box Special Price: $499.99
Yards Model Available
This is a NEW unit, but the box has been opened. quest

 

[rotorhead]

You honestly will not go wrong with the Leupold Gold Ring HD. I had a pair of Swarovski SLC's and the Leupold HD's are honestly as good as the SLC's I had. For the price of the Leupold HD's with the rebate, you will not be disappointed. Leupold also has the no hassle no question warranty. You send them in and they will either fix them or send you a new pair. I highly recommend them.
The Leupold also come with a bino system with them. I hiked several miles a day this year on my archery elk hunt and with the bino system the weight was not an issue at all.

 

[mtmuleys]

I am in need another back up pair of 10x42 too. Having owned ZEN ED2 binoculars, I am very impressed with it. Now I am debating between the zen-ray ZRS 10x42 and Vortex viper 10x42.

 

[wihunter]

I have narrowed it down to the Vortex Viper for $500 or the Leuopld Golden Ring for $600. Which one do you guys think?

 

[Foreman4x4]

Neither, I'd save up another $100.00 to $150.00 and hunt down a used Swarovski 10x42 SLC or Leica 10x42 Trinovid. Trust me, the deals are out there. The key is being patient and having the cash on hand to jump when they become available.

 

[Fortis]

I've got the SLCneu, and GR HD both in 10x42. There's not a nickle's worth of difference between them, and I've looked through them both in every imaginable situation over the past 8 weeks or so.

 

[SteveC]

The Vipers appear to be at end of life. They are a good glass, but I'd get the Gold Ring. They are easily as optically good and as well constructed as the SLC.

 

[wihunter]

I decided to try the Vortex Viper. I felt the Vortex is at least 95% of the Leupold and that would be good enough while also saving about $100.

Interestingly I talked to Vortex to see if there was going to be updates on the Viper come next year. The gentleman I spoke to said there will be a different lens coating on the 2011 that will give greater color contrast but will probably not change the sharpness. He also stated the price would go up with the 2011 though he wouldn't give me a firm number.