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Which one?

Don't know why they do that. If you order from their website there is a discount that applies automatically, bringing the price down to the $400 range. The same deal was there all through the life of the original ZEN ED 1 as well. You can get them from around $400 from SWFA which is now a ZR dealer.
 
Got my Zen Ray ED2's in the mail a few days ago. I have never owned expensive glass so I don't know the comparisons as far as that goes, but the are bright and clear to me. I am happy with the decision. We'll see here in a month or two how the really work out after the hunts. So far though I am impressed.
Dave
 
I just went to the web site mentioned above and saw that Zen Ray makes a 25x100 glass. Last Az sheep season I had the privalidge to look thru a pair of Kowa Highlanders on loan from the Outdoorsmans. They were awesome but the price was way out of my league. My question is do the Zen Ray 25x100 compare with the Highlanders as far as quality and I realize that there is a 5 power differnce. Also do they have a return policy if your not satisfied with the performance.
 
I have spent the last three days comparing the Swarovski 8.5x42EL, Vortex 8x42 Razor, Zen Ray 8x43 ED1 and the Nikon 8x42 Monarch. On tripods. Side by side.

It is interesting to note how my eyes differ from one day to the next and what differences I picked up. Regardless, my observations resulted in the same order all three days.

I am sure that individuals can and will vary on such things but this is how it turned out for me.

1. Swaro-easiest to look through for long periods of time. Color is vivd and right on. Sharp. Very little distortion or image alteration when moving side to side. Just a nice, natural picture.
2. Vortex-Sharp. Very good picture. Best focus wheel of the bunch. Darker picture than the Swaros. Color is off, has a slight greenish hue.
3. Monarchs-Good picture. Good color. Sharp. Like the Swaros, very little side to side image distortion. Small. Light. Solid all around.
4. Zen Ray-Sharp. Good color. Small sweet spot. Least comfortable to look through for long periods of time. Some side to side distortion. Compared to the others, don't feel easy to look through or as natural.

Honestly all were acceptable but there were differences. To me the Swaros are worth the money and the Monarchs are still a dam good little set of binos and a great value.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
I recently purchased the Zen-Ray 10x43 ED2 and took them over to Sportsmans warehouse for eval. This is what I noticed when I campared them to the Swaro, Vortex, Minox, & Pentax in the same 10x class.... Note: using resolution target in store at 33yds

1. Swaro- clearest and easiest to look through : wish I could afford them :(

2. Minox HG/Zen-Ray ED2 - both crisp & bright. Zen is soft near the edges, but a touch brighter.

3. Pentax ED/Viper Razors - Clear with just a touch less brightness. Razor has best Ergo of all tested. Pentax seem easier to look through to get full FOV.

Summary: 1. Swaro easily outclassed the others tested. I just can't figure out why they feel so natural to look through. The others are clear and bright but there is just something about Swaro's that feel as if you are not looking through bino's (don't know how to explain it?)

2. The remaining 4 were a near toss up as far as clearness... with small pro's/con's to each. Zen's are the brightest with weak edges. Razors have best ergo design/feel. Minox/Pentax are most natural to look through.

3. The Minox, Pentax, Vortex are in roughly the same price range $700-$800 with Zen-Ray ED2 @ $420-$500.

4. Bottom Line: Swaro were best optics tested and Zen-Ray are best value among others tested.

Note: these are my observations ONLY. I am not very experienced with glass as I have owned the same pair of Pentax 10x43 DCF WP for 7yrs and I actually think they still look pretty good.
 
Nicely done Addict.

Curious if you were using a tripod?

I agree that there is just something about the Swaros that make them better and that it is hard to qualify, quamtify or define.

Also, the other four are so close that the differences can really only be observed when put side by side.

I have just spent a few days with the Minox APO HG 8.5x43s and liked them. Ergo wise I would put them with the Razors but I noticed a lot of what I call ghosting or a distortion in the clarity of the picture when moving slightly from side to side. When you stay still the picture is good, about the same as the Vipers or Razors. They are also a nice, compact package.

Do you get the same ghosting or whatever it is called?

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
Unfortunately I did not get to use a tripod for the testing. I had my elbows on the counter and held steady the best I could (the kid at the counter was kinda getting bugged with me testing all the binos so I was reluctant to ask for a tripod :)

I did however notice a slight ghosting/hazy image (while moving) as you mentioned. Not sure if the lighting and/or paint background near the wall where the resolution target was mounted had anything to do with it??? Of course the Swaro's were not affected by it........ I wish I could have taken the binos outside to get a better look in natural light... the Minox did have a nice solid feel to them

I only regret that there was not a Leica to add to test but they were out at the time.

I forgot to mention that I did look through some 15x binos just for the heck of it and of course the Swaro's were the best. The Kaibab's also looked great and oddly enough the little Zeiss 15x45's had a nice image and are Very nice ergonomics/compact wise. I just don't know how much light they would gather with the 45mm obj. though.....
 
> I am not very
>experienced with glass as I
>have owned the same pair
>of Pentax 10x43 DCF WP
>for 7yrs and I actually
>think they still look pretty
>good.

HuntinAddict, I have owned a pair of Pentax 10x43 DCF WP also, since the first year they came out. Was very happy with them since I bought them, but made the mistake last year of looking at the new ED glass, also in Sportsmen warehouse. In comparing all the glass on probably the same chart you did I can only remember two of the binoculars in camparison. The Swaro's were a bit clearer, than the Pentax ED's, but the Pentax were brighter. The Minox HG's were a disappointment in brightness and clarity.
These are only my opinions, and my eyes are different than other people.
Hunting last year with the new Pentax 10x43 ed's in comparing them with my old 10x43 DCF's, the difference was astounding, especially on antelope and elk. I can say that the old 10X43 DCF's are junk now.
 
I find the Leicas, Zeiss Fls, Nikon EDG and Swaros all to be at about the same level. Very good image quality edge to edge and easy to look through for days at a time.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
Wade, no personal disrespect meant...but if anyone told me Nikon Monarchs were equal to or better glass than the Zen Ray ED's are (for any reason), I would NEVER consider any of their advice on hunting products in the future...no way in hell...

I scouted with Monarchs solely from May until August (at least 4 days a week) and I thought they were just great, had no complaints, and they were better than anything I had.

In August I bought my 8x43 ZR ED's and was blown away with how nice high quality glass really is to look thru...there is no comparision between them and the Monarchs period and anyone who says otherwise is blind, ZR ED's are hands down better in EVERY single aspect that matters to me as a hunter. I hunted with them 24 out of 28 days literally from sun up til sun down the past month and they are WAY MORE comfortable to look thru for long periods of time vs the Monarchs...

~Z~
 
Sorry to dredge this up again.

I would love to see an objective optics test done. A setup where individuals had to decipher letters and numbers at distance as the sun was setting. The letters and numbers would change every minute or so, and all would be looking at the same sheet, with the same binos. Results would then be compared.

The test would then be repeated the next evening with a different set of binos. I know this would only give a couple aspects of the binocular, like resolution and brightness, and might not take into effect chromal aberration and edge to edge clarity, etc, but perhaps we could devise tests for that as well.

Then and only then will we ever be able to settle this debate.

Hmmmm....maybe I'll put something like that together. The tough part will be finding multiple sets of the same bino for testing purposes.

PS. I also believe the monarch is several notches down from the ZR. A great value but not in the same league. Some of the differences we are seeing may also be due to our own differences in our eyes, or slight variances in the binos we receive. Its a fact that some glass from the same line comes out better than others.
 
You can run all the tests you want but the results are still going to differ among users. Again, tastes, facial structure and eyes vary so trying to settle once and for all the proper order/ranking of binoculars really only works for that individual. Besides, those tests have already been run and it hasn't settled any arguments.

I think the best you can do is breakdown what the market has to offer into classes or tiers and let people decide for themselves. That is what I have done with the recommended list on my site.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
If you get the standard test figured out, let the world know. There is no WAY IN HELL you will get any sort of agreement. If that existed, it would be used.

However There is only ONE place I have seen the nearly obsolescent Nikon Monarch recommended as a choice. Maybe in it's day it was a classic, but that day is past.
 
The Monarch is still a good, solid binocular choice. Considering the price, quality, consistancy, tripod mountability, and variety of power and size combinations they have to be considered and in my opinion included.

I rank them as third tier glass and think of them as the lever action .30-.30 of sport optics.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 

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