Binoculars under $300????
- Thread starter REM7
- Start date
I think the Nikon Monarchs are very good for the money.
I have a pair of Pentax DCF WPII 10x42 and I could not say enough good things about them. They have them at Cameralandny.com for $374 which is the best price I have ever seen on them by far. I have not ordered from that site, but I saw them recommended by someone on here a few weeks back.
I have a pair of Pentax DCF WPII 10x42 and I could not say enough good things about them. They have them at Cameralandny.com for $374 which is the best price I have ever seen on them by far. I have not ordered from that site, but I saw them recommended by someone on here a few weeks back.
Alpen has very high quality glass at about 100 bucks cheaper than steiners but it might put you a little over the 300 mark now....they used to use the same quality glass as the elites if i remember correctly and i looked thru them and they were supurb ...If you muscle up to a pair of Steiner 8x42's you will thank me later when the extra 150 bucks will pale in comparison. Bought mine in 2004 and i can tell you it was an investment, not an expense. 
Dean Parisian
Well-Known Member
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Don't overlook the basic design of the binoculars as you're pondering price & value:
http://www.binoculars101.com/bin-design-design.html
You will generally get higher quality glass for the money you're spending when you go with the porro prism (rather than roof prism) design. Over the past many years, manufacturers appear to have downplayed the value of porro prisms by mainly offering newer models in only the roof prism design.
Roof prisms offer you a more compact, lower weight pair of binoculars. But they are also more expensive to manufacture, thus must carry a higher price tag before the seller can make any profit (if all other things were equal, i.e. such as the quality of the glass).
However, porro prisms offer something of significance the roof prisms do not: Greater "depth of field" that's clearly in focus. This can be a key advantageous feature when you're using your binoculars primarily for scanning for game, as opposed to simply looking at something that's already been seen. Porros are also have an advantage when you need to quickly get in focus on moving game that may be gone in a couple seconds (before you could get the view in clear focus with the roof prisms).
Again, most of the binoculars you're going to see for sale are "roof" prisms. Some makers no longer even offer the "old" porro prism design.
If you're dealing with higher magnification and larger objectives (such as 10 x 50), there can be a significant weight reduction benefit to the newer "roof" prisms, as well as smaller size.
But what if you're thinking more along the lines of 8 x 30 or even less magnification for the primary purpose of LOCATING game rather than viewing game already located?
For this purpose, you may be surprised to find a pair of 6 x 30 Leupold's that cost about $100 are just the ticket and have glass quality comparable to roof prisms costing over $300. My personal "go to" binocular for most of my SCANNING / LOOKING for game is a pair of 8 x 30 Steiner Nighthunter porro prisms. Everything seen from 50 yards to 500 yards is in pretty clear focus without any focusing ---- that's a tremendous feature ---- when you're looking for something you've haven't seen yet, and you don't know is close or far.
Steiner no longer makes the "Nighthunter" series in an 8x30 porro, but their 8x30 Wildlife Pro is very close 2nd and can be had new for about $400 or refurbished for about $300:
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics2/ste ... steiner338
I'm finding myself heading afield with two pair of binoculars: An 8 x 30 porro for scanning, and a 12x roof for viewing. But more and more, the 12x roof prisms are being left at home.
If you've never tried a porro prism binocular, do yourself a favor and amaze yourself with what these little $100 Leupold 6 x 30's can do. Many of you will start leaving home the more expensive binoculars upon finding these little 6 x 30's are of greater benefit (at least in the Tennessee deer woods).
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics2/leu ... 30mm_porro
http://www.binoculars101.com/bin-design-design.html
You will generally get higher quality glass for the money you're spending when you go with the porro prism (rather than roof prism) design. Over the past many years, manufacturers appear to have downplayed the value of porro prisms by mainly offering newer models in only the roof prism design.
Roof prisms offer you a more compact, lower weight pair of binoculars. But they are also more expensive to manufacture, thus must carry a higher price tag before the seller can make any profit (if all other things were equal, i.e. such as the quality of the glass).
However, porro prisms offer something of significance the roof prisms do not: Greater "depth of field" that's clearly in focus. This can be a key advantageous feature when you're using your binoculars primarily for scanning for game, as opposed to simply looking at something that's already been seen. Porros are also have an advantage when you need to quickly get in focus on moving game that may be gone in a couple seconds (before you could get the view in clear focus with the roof prisms).
Again, most of the binoculars you're going to see for sale are "roof" prisms. Some makers no longer even offer the "old" porro prism design.
If you're dealing with higher magnification and larger objectives (such as 10 x 50), there can be a significant weight reduction benefit to the newer "roof" prisms, as well as smaller size.
But what if you're thinking more along the lines of 8 x 30 or even less magnification for the primary purpose of LOCATING game rather than viewing game already located?
For this purpose, you may be surprised to find a pair of 6 x 30 Leupold's that cost about $100 are just the ticket and have glass quality comparable to roof prisms costing over $300. My personal "go to" binocular for most of my SCANNING / LOOKING for game is a pair of 8 x 30 Steiner Nighthunter porro prisms. Everything seen from 50 yards to 500 yards is in pretty clear focus without any focusing ---- that's a tremendous feature ---- when you're looking for something you've haven't seen yet, and you don't know is close or far.
Steiner no longer makes the "Nighthunter" series in an 8x30 porro, but their 8x30 Wildlife Pro is very close 2nd and can be had new for about $400 or refurbished for about $300:
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics2/ste ... steiner338
I'm finding myself heading afield with two pair of binoculars: An 8 x 30 porro for scanning, and a 12x roof for viewing. But more and more, the 12x roof prisms are being left at home.
If you've never tried a porro prism binocular, do yourself a favor and amaze yourself with what these little $100 Leupold 6 x 30's can do. Many of you will start leaving home the more expensive binoculars upon finding these little 6 x 30's are of greater benefit (at least in the Tennessee deer woods).
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics2/leu ... 30mm_porro
