Over the past few months I have been looking into purchasing a small 8x21 or other pair of binocs. However, with all the blooming choices, picking a good set is rather tedious. I've scoured the net for reviews only to come back to square one...which one to get. Does anyone know of a good pair? Main purposes are for the bug out bag, dual purpose for hunting/scouting. Thanks in advance.
Having been through several binos, I will tell you the upper line models will be your best bet. You didn't say what ou were willing to pay, but Steiner, and the likes are the best.
IF they are just for the occasional need to get a better look at something then I would say that the Tasco or some such binoculars from Walli world that fit in your pocket and run around $20 work pretty decent. I keep a pair i my BOB and another in the cab of the truck. They arent the greatest if you reall want to pick out detail at a long distance BUT they do let you get a better look at stuff thats to far of to see clearly and do decent and whats most important for me is they are easy to carry wilth little space or weight. I have a good pair of larger ones at the house and if I KNOW I am going to use them will grab them since even with the same magnification they give a better view and dont seem to 'wobble' as much but will always go out with none before carrying them with me if I dont know for SURE I need them, the little ones that fit in a shirt pocket though I will go ahead and carry. So if Im reading it right that they are pretty well for 'just in case' rather than that you will be useing them constantly as a spotting scope a lot or to see details on birds at long range but just to see if the blob is a zombie or a friend or to make sure if the blob is what you are hunting or not then I would personaly go with the cheapies that fit in a shirt pocket since you are more likely to take them along and have them when needed than the larger ones.
I have a pair of Bushnell 7X35 in the truck, they work well for scanning mid distances, but not too effective if the light is failing. Also have a pair of 7X50 Swift, about 100 frns or a bit more, depending. Very good for the money. FWIW, if I could hold them still, 10X50 would be my choice, but I can't hold them still enough to keep an image in frame. The Navy standardized on 10X50 for lookouts because they were the highest magnification that a young, fit sailor could hold still enough to identify ships on the horizon. (I think all they use them for these days is reading signal flags across the harbor for training.) You might go to the HandloadersBench (link on the main page) and prowl around there. I think I remember a thread that covers the subject, and even if not, those guys use a lot of glass. One or another can steer you right. ETA: Just checked, I was right; there is a whole subforum on optics.
Dunham near me has some darn good prices on binocs, but wouldn't you know it, they are names you don't hear much about like Barska. I use to use Bushnell 10x25 when hunting to scope out antlers in the brush, and hunters trespassing, but since I got glasses, for some reason I can't see diddly with them. Most binocs these days are standard with fog and waterproof so am covered there. If I need to really scan long distance, I have a Cabelas spotting scope, but they get heavy after awhile. I appreciate the replies and will take a gander at Steiner and Tasco.
got some tasco10x50's(cheap)and some Pentax 15x50's for backyard astronomy,Tascos work, Pentaxes are sharper on point sources and have less color fringing ( chromatic aberration) for $200 more... Get what you pay for,but sometimes: good enough is good enough :I can still see the 4 moons of Jupiter(as small bright points) in the tascos on a tripod. 10's are generally the max recomended magnification to be used hand held.Its tough to find your "target" in the 15's... birders generally like7x's or 8X's for getting things in the field of view easily.Luight gathering ability of 50's is amazing go out on a dark night, let your eyes adjust, pick an "empty" piece of sky, then try the binocs, stars just below visual magnitude become visible( and pop outta nowhere).
Thanks Tango...I'll check out the Tascos on the next stop to Dunhams. I know the 10x25 Tasco Monoculars work as my father has one and he loves it, as does a friend in the Germany Army.
Hey i just looked those "tasco's" they are actually " Simmons red line" ($29.00) same basic quality and price level as Tasco. There's alot of "snobbery" in optics( been in to photography for alot of years, people claim to see "certain (magical) qualities that can't be described or measured in some high priced makers. Lieca uses the word "bokeh": I love Lieca equipment but it is hyped and very expensive.Telescopes and binos have the same "snobbery"... Nikons are nice reasonably priced sportsman glasses...and a step up from simmons, tasco or the russians(barska) Stieners are top drawer and priced like it.
I've never known optics to have magic, but then again I only use them on occasion during certain times a year. If I could afford steiners then I'd get the smallest so it fits in an LC-2 ammo pouch. Come Monday I'll be checking out simmons and see what their website shows. I'm not too particular on looks and such, as long as I can see the cliff up ahead before I roll down the other side lol
When you said hunting/scouting and good pair, I thought you may have meant good quality. If you are truely going to use them for hunting and get tasco or simmons to scan for game, you will have such a eye strain headache that you will curse yourself. If you are wanting them to "fart around", then tasco or simmons, or low end bushnell are just the ticket. before you buy, try them out, go to the window and look several blocks down the street. If people's heads are different shades of orange, purple and fuzzy, and that is the sharpest focus you can get after setting the diopter, then you might ought to consider passing. Think of it this way, if you have a $50 Stevens .22, then a $20 Tasco scope is what would be appropriate. You have a $1200 precision grade rifle and you put that $20 Tasco on it, then you get what you deserve. So, the question is, are you a $50 Stevens, or are you a $1200 precision tool. Buy accordingly.
Thanks Sniper, yeah I take my time when I buy something, such as boots...try them all on to see what fits, what feels good, then figure out which one I want. When I bought a scope for my crossbow, it took me 23 days to find the one I liked most. I'll be doing the same with the binocs. I'm not the type to hurry in buying something, as that will only lead to mistakes.
I got a small pair of Nikon binos that I found in a sunken boat several years ago. I use them as much or more than my Steiners, they are decent quality and about as rugged and compact as you can get.
Went to the area Dunhams...tried out all their binocs...Friday I will hit Gander Mt. and see what I can find.
