Bino questions... again with no Leupold reviews!

F

Fenix Mike

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Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 19, 2012
2,109
367
Tulsa, OK
#1
Big sale coming up at Cabelas in a couple weeks, and of course there is also LE pricing, but I wanted to get a good pair for work. Primary use will be inside of 200 yards, reading license plates, looking at people, blah blah blah. I dont hunt, and won't have to carry them far, so weight isn't a concern. I got a chance to look at the Cabelas/Meopta, Leupold BX-5 HD, Vortex Razor, Vortex Fury, and the "low end" swaros. The swaros were more of a joke as I dont have $1900 to spend on binos, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about... they are definitely amazing. The other 4 pairs are sub $1200 which is more my range, with the sale putting them less (30% back on my Cabelas card in points, which I will gladly use there).

To my eyes indoors, the Leupolds were the brightest and clearest (no, the Swaros dont count), with a tie between the Razors and Cabelas Euro binos. I was going to go back and try them outside to see if things changed, but wanted to ask around on here. All 3 have a fantastic warranty, all 3 are close in price between either using LE pricing, or buying at the sale with the Cabelas, and while id like to match the Cabelas Euro to my new Euro spotting scope, I thought id ask around on here. The bird forums seem to really favor the Meopta binos, followed by razors, but I cant seem to find many reviews on the Leupolds, unless they are what appears to be "I got a free set and im just saying they are nice", but no comparisons.

The Furys looked great at first, until I looked through the others, then they were instantly distinguishable as cheaper, and I have a separate range finder so that feature was only nice, but not necessary.

Edit - Also for those who have used multiple magnifications, 8x, 10x, 12x or 15x? I thought 12x would be a good happy medium, but I dont want them to be useless inside of 50 yards either.
 
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#3
rth1800 said:
When you go up in power you also lose low light performance.
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What would you say is the golden magnification for multi use? I cant think of a time I will be looking past 200-300 yards unless its through a rifle scope or spotter, and I dont hunt. My range finder is 7x so I thought 10 or 12 would be ideal so I have everything covered, but I see a lot of people saying once they went 15, they never went back. I know behind a rifle scope that 15 seems excessive for inside of 100 yards, but ive really never used binos. In my mind, 12x50 is perfect.
 
#4
Fenix Mike said:
Big sale coming up at Cabelas in a couple weeks, and of course there is also LE pricing, but I wanted to get a good pair for work. Primary use will be inside of 200 yards, reading license plates, looking at people, blah blah blah. I dont hunt, and won't have to carry them far, so weight isn't a concern. I got a chance to look at the Cabelas/Meopta, Leupold BX-5 HD, Vortex Razor, Vortex Fury, and the "low end" swaros. The swaros were more of a joke as I dont have $1900 to spend on binos, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about... they are definitely amazing. The other 4 pairs are sub $1200 which is more my range, with the sale putting them less (30% back on my Cabelas card in points, which I will gladly use there).

To my eyes indoors, the Leupolds were the brightest and clearest (no, the Swaros dont count), with a tie between the Razors and Cabelas Euro binos. I was going to go back and try them outside to see if things changed, but wanted to ask around on here. All 3 have a fantastic warranty, all 3 are close in price between either using LE pricing, or buying at the sale with the Cabelas, and while id like to match the Cabelas Euro to my new Euro spotting scope, I thought id ask around on here. The bird forums seem to really favor the Meopta binos, followed by razors, but I cant seem to find many reviews on the Leupolds, unless they are what appears to be "I got a free set and im just saying they are nice", but no comparisons.

The Furys looked great at first, until I looked through the others, then they were instantly distinguishable as cheaper, and I have a separate range finder so that feature was only nice, but not necessary.

Edit - Also for those who have used multiple magnifications, 8x, 10x, 12x or 15x? I thought 12x would be a good happy medium, but I dont want them to be useless inside of 50 yards either.
Click to expand...

You can find used Swaro SLC’s on eBay for the price range you’re looking for. You may already know that, but figured I’d throw it out there.

EDIT, in a quick search I found no less than a 1/2 dozen Swaro SLC 10x42 For $1250 or less.....
 
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#5
HogsLife said:
You can find used Swaro SLC’s on eBay for the price range you’re looking for. You may already know that, but figured I’d throw it out there.
Click to expand...
I was looking on there earlier, they started charging tax in my state a couple weeks ago so that now factors another 8% into the purchase, but I made a bunch of offers today. Even the cheap swaros seemed amazing (I refused to look at the expensive ones), but with LE pricing or the discount, im in the 3 digit range on the 3 I listed.
 
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#6
Fenix Mike said:
I was looking on there earlier, they started charging tax in my state a couple weeks ago so that now factors another 8% into the purchase, but I made a bunch of offers today. Even the cheap swaros seemed amazing (I refused to look at the expensive ones), but with LE pricing or the discount, im in the 3 digit range on the 3 I listed.
Click to expand...

10-4. Yeah man, the SLC’s are no slouch.Other than the fact they don’t have the Swarovision (Field Flattening Lenses) is betnyou couldn’t tell the difference between them and the EL’s. That was my first set of Top Tier glass and the only reason I got rid of them was they were on the large size for hunting (10x50’s). Sold them on EBay. I run the Zeiss Victory RF 10x42’s now and love them.
 
#7
HogsLife said:
10-4. Yeah man, the SLC’s are no slouch. That was my first set of Top Tier glass and the only reason I got rid of them was they were on the large size for hunting (10x50’s). Sold them on EBay. I run the Zeiss Victory RF 10x42’s now and love them.
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I think I get a discount on Zeiss as well, just dont know of anywhere in Albuquerque that carries them. I lived in phoenix and every gun store had high end stuff, but here, all we have is Sportsmans and Cabelas, and the Cabelas is a real small one.
 
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#8
Fenix Mike said:
I think I get a discount on Zeiss as well, just dont know of anywhere in Albuquerque that carries them. I lived in phoenix and every gun store had high end stuff, but here, all we have is Sportsmans and Cabelas, and the Cabelas is a real small one.
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Yeah, the Zeiss Victory’s price is right up there with the high end Swaros. $2500+.

I wouldn’t spend my money on the Zeiss Conquest series or the Swaro CL’s when you can find used SLC’s for sub $1200...
 
#10
Fenix Mike said:
might have to wait until Paypal does a 24 months no interest again and just sack up for Swaros...
Click to expand...

Lol, that’s how I got my Zeiss.....

Normally they’re $3600, but found a demo set off of Euro Optics site for $2200. NIB Condition and full factory warranty. Couldn’t pass them up.
 
#11
Couple sets of the SLCs for $1100-1200 on eBay, plus tax, the Els are just out of my price range. I think im gonna go back and take the Leupold, Swaro and Meopta outside and see how they do in low light and 200ish yards. I have never used Swaro for warranty, but I know the Cabelas, Leupolds and Vortex are covered if something happens.
 
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#14
Fenix Mike said:
any issues to look for? Generational differences? features? Or all the same? I think the 10x42 will be fine.
Click to expand...

Not that I’m aware of bro. Maybe someone else can chime in, but IMO, you’re not gonna go wrong with a set of SLC’s. Just make sure you get a decent used pair. Mine were used off eBay and they were great. Just a little big for hunting. Performance wise, they were great.
 
#15
These are what I had. I felt they were a little big for the type of hunting I do, but depending on your purpose, they’re a great set of Binos and you can find them at a decent price.

rover.ebay.com

Binoculars Swarovski 10 x 50 SLC Spectacular,Perfect condition | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Binoculars Swarovski 10 x 50 SLC Spectacular,Perfect condition at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
rover.ebay.com

Zero bids and 18 hours to go........
 
#16
HogsLife said:
Not that I’m aware of bro. Maybe someone else can chime in, but IMO, you’re not gonna go wrong with a set of SLC’s. Just make sure you get a decent used pair. Mine were used off eBay and they were great. Just a little big for hunting. Performance wise, they were great.
Click to expand...
One of the retailers I go through has 0% for 24 months on new swaro, but only have the slc 10x56 or el 8x42...
 
#17
Fenix Mike said:
One of the retailers I go through has 0% for 24 months on new swaro, but only have the slc 10x56 or el 8x42...
Click to expand...

10x56 is big, and I like 10x personally. Thing about used Swaro’s is, people have a tendency to take really good care of them, not to mention really good CS and warranty. If you can find a used set at a decent price , like the ones I posted above”, i don’t think you can go wrong, and you’ll save yourself some$$$$.
 
#18
7x binos will provide more than enough magnification for reading license plates at 200 yards. In addition to their better low-light performance (assuming objective lenses of equal size and comparable glass and coatings) lower power binos also have a wider field of view, making locating and tracking your target easier. Higher power magnifications also magnify your hand movement, making it seem harder to hold them steady.

I picked up a pair of the Steiner M750r binoculars from Hide vendor Camera Land and couldn't be more pleased with them for general, non hunting use. The Steiners are kinda bulky, but they provide a bright, crisp image and they perform very well during twilight. They still show as being available here. At $349.99 shipped, they're a heck of a deal.

Edited to add that the ranging reticle is not anywhere near as coarse as the graphic at Camera Land might lead you to believe. It obscures very little in your field of view.
 
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#19
rhsc said:
7x binos will provide more than enough magnification for reading license plates at 200 yards. In addition to their better low-light performance (assuming objective lenses of equal size and comparable glass and coatings) lower power binos also have a wider field of view, making locating and tracking your target easier. Higher power magnifications also magnify your hand movement, making it seem harder to hold them steady.

I picked up a pair of the Steiner M750r binoculars from Hide vendor Camera Land and couldn't be more pleased with them for general, non hunting use. The Steiners are kinda bulky, but they provide a bright, crisp image and they perform very well during twilight. They still show as being available here. At $349.99 shipped, they're a heck of a deal.
Click to expand...
I will have to look at the 8x stuff as well tomorrow
 
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#21
if you are in the 1200 range, you are in swaro range. like folks have said, buy used. i’ll be damned if i would spend that much on anything less; som with swaro’s service, it isnt like you are risking anything.

i bought a pair of used 10x42el from a guy here, and ended up with a newer pair of the same same with the swarovision. the difference between the older and the newer was not really huge. that’s the long way of me saying you’d be well served with a used pair or older EL’s or SLC’s.

as far as magnification, i went with 10x...and my situation is a lot like yours....in that i wont be using them much further than 300 yards in most situations. 10x proved to be too much. i sold my first pair for what i paid, and have a 8x en route. i am 50/50 on whether i am going to sell the other 10x.

find a used pair of swaros.
 
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#23
I realize this goes against the “spend as much as possible” motif here, but there are a bunch of good binos that could serve the OP’s needs for sub $500. I just ordered the new Meopta Optika HD 10x42 from Doug for $299. I was also very impressed with the Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide, they were very close to the Vortex Razor and were $569 retail/$420 online. The Cabela’s Meopta was also very nice. I have no issues at 200 yards in reasonable light with my 2013 era Vortex Diamondback 10x42, obviously night ops would be a different story.
 
#24
one of the things around here that always makes me laugh when i see “go be poor somewhere else”. Never seen that anywhere but on the hide.

I’ve spent my entire life making due with this or that. And pulling the trigger on a big glass purchase like this, i will admit, it wasnt easy the first time. But when i decided i wanted to try something else, and i was able to turn around and get out of, what i had in them; i saw the wisdom in it.

I get your point about someone being well served with a sub500 bino. There is truth in that. But in a way, i was encouraged by the attitude here to take the plunge; and i’m glad i did. Buy once, cry once. It only hurts until the check clears. Once you start using your glass, it’s pure joy.
 
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#25
Buy as much glass as you can afford, I don't think it is worth going in debt over bino's. I recently got a pair of the Meopta Meostar 10x42 from Doug at camaraland because they were the best glass that fit my budget, I wanted to stay below $1000. I have been using them for PRS competitions for about a month now and I have been extremely happy with the performance I got for my dollar, they do everything I need and then some. I think they are much better than Vortex and Leupold, the only brand I have seen that are as good or better are the Swaro's but for my it wasn't worth the extra money, the difference between the Meostar and the SLC is extremely small, but that's just my opinion.
 
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#26
I meant to post on here the other day when I spent some time at Cabelas, but post surgery, most of the time I just sleep and watch Netflix.
I looked at the Cabelas/Meopta 10x42, Leupold BX5 10x42 and Swaro SLC 10x42. I didnt look at the big dog swaros because even for what im watching them sell for on eBay, I dont want to spend that much.

This time I went outside with them around 4 pm on a sunny day and found a car with a plate at 208m (brought a rangefinder too). It was about 95 degrees outside and here's what I noticed with the 3 (shoot me if you dont agree, this is what my eyes saw)

Leupold - Good picture, but for some reason, the worst mirage of all 3. I couldn't read the plate no matter what I did with the focus and it really became annoying trying. Sadly I thought these looked the best indoors (as did two others behind the counter), but I won't ever be using them indoors.

Swaro - Excellent picture, little to no mirage, very bright image and looked wonderful

Cabelas / Meopta - Same picture as the swaro (I went back and forth 8-10 times), however I noticed a better resolution with these, and the plate being easier to see, surrounding area etc.

Honestly the only reason id get the swaros would be resale value, but id have to buy them used online, and used they are about the same price as the Meoptas are new. With the Meoptas and Cabelas sale, im going to pay $1000, but get 30% back in club points, so basically the majority of another firearm, or an optic for a pistol, or whatever else I want (I have a black card, I spend a lot there, and the money will get used) effectively making the Meoptas $700. On top of that, if I change my mind, I have 45 days to return them, which is more than enough time to spend glassing random things to see how they work. I just dont see the value in the swaros for what im doing, or my eyes like the Meoptas better. FWIW, I loved both of my Meopta spotters as well.

One thing I was still on the fence with is magnification. 10x42 is really pushing the limits at 200 yards as I needed to hold them very still and concentrate to see the plate in the heat we have here, so I might try the 12x at the same distance when I go back, and then also try them at some 50 yard stuff to see how they work close up. Our license plates aren't the easiest to see due to the color combos, but I guess worst case, I can toss my spotter in my bag as well.
 
#27
FN-Whitney said:
Buy as much glass as you can afford, I don't think it is worth going in debt over bino's. I recently got a pair of the Meopta Meostar 10x42 from Doug at camaraland because they were the best glass that fit my budget, I wanted to stay below $1000. I have been using them for PRS competitions for about a month now and I have been extremely happy with the performance I got for my dollar, they do everything I need and then some. I think they are much better than Vortex and Leupold, the only brand I have seen that are as good or better are the Swaro's but for my it wasn't worth the extra money, the difference between the Meostar and the SLC is extremely small, but that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...
I had the same experience once I took them outdoors. Im 99.9% with the Meoptas unless I stumbled upon Swaros for $600 before then. There was a guy on ebay with a few sets of the used Cabelas/Meoptas, but he seemed shady and doesn't have the best of feedback. and I found out when Bass bought out Cabelas, they got rid of the lifetime warranty on their products and made it 3 years, but I imagine Meopta would still cover them.
 
#28
When I went to buy binos I started out looking at the $500 range. My primary use is hunting. I had looked through a bunch of my buddies binos and needed one for myself so I started looking around. That all a changed when I went on a hunt and we were joined by someone we did not normally hunt with. I got paired up with him for a day. He pulled out a set of Ziess and from the moment I looked through them all thoughts of buying a $500 pair went out the window. I narrowed it down to Zeiss and Swarro. I went with Zeiss 10x56 Victory because there was a great sale on them at the time.

I am definitely in the buy once cry one camp. The only mistake I made was getting the 56mm lens. It makes them a bit heavier than I would like for packing up and down mountains. Over 10x can start to get shaky when hand holding. If I did it again I would go with a 10x42 in Zeiss of Swarro. You cant go wrong with either.
 
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#29
myronman3 said:
one of the things around here that always makes me laugh when i see “go be poor somewhere else”. Never seen that anywhere but on the hide.

I’ve spent my entire life making due with this or that. And pulling the trigger on a big glass purchase like this, i will admit, it wasnt easy the first time. But when i decided i wanted to try something else, and i was able to turn around and get out of, what i had in them; i saw the wisdom in it.

I get your point about someone being well served with a sub500 bino. There is truth in that. But in a way, i was encouraged by the attitude here to take the plunge; and i’m glad i did. Buy once, cry once. It only hurts until the check clears. Once you start using your glass, it’s pure joy.
Click to expand...

I’ve seen the “go be poor somewhere else” here as well, but it’s always been a tongue n cheek statement. Never serious.

The budget is what dictates what you can buy. If you’re budget is 1k, then why not save up a couple hundred more and snatch up some used Swaro SLC’s off eBay?

Everyone is in different places in their life, income etc. get what you can afford by all means, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a $500 or sub 1k Binos if that’s what you can afford, but don’t try and sell your $500 set of Binos as every bit as good as some Tier 1 glass cause theyre not. Also, do yourself a favor and if $500 is what you can spend, DONT ever look through Swaros, Zeiss, Leica etc until you’re ready to buy, because once you do, you’ll realize what all the hype was about, you’ll no longer be satisfied with your $500 Binos, and it’s only a matter of time before you go into debt for the Tier 1 stuff.

Ask me how I know............?
 
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#30
I started out with leupold acadia 8x42. Not bad. Didnt use them a lot though. Looked through the swaro EL’s, and it was game over. I carry them almost everywhere now. Even looking at a dang dragonfly at a veteran’s picnic fundraiser was eye opening. Everyone who looked though them was wowed. Something as simple as a white stripe on the wing, the detail in the wing you could see, and watching it eat down a fly was amazing.

A whole new world has opened up.
 
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#31
myronman3 said:
I started out with leupold acadia 8x42. Not bad. Didnt use them a lot though. Looked through the swaro EL’s, and it was game over. I carry them almost everywhere now. Even looking at a dang dragonfly at a veteran’s picnic fundraiser was eye opening. Everyone who looked though them was wowed. Something as simple as a white stripe on the wing, the detail in the wing you could see, and watching it eat down a fly was amazing.

A whole new world has opened up.
Click to expand...

I started out with the same Leupold Acadias but in a 10x. Hated them. Hard to look through fornextended periods, got frustrated with them and they collected dust. Ended up saving and buying some used Swaro SLC 10x50’s. Found a good deal on a LNIB Demo set of Gen 2 Zeiss Victory RF 10x42’s so i sold the Swaros and got the Zeiss. Beautiful glass and I don’t ever see the need to have to purchase another binocular or rangefinder for that matter. Amazing glass.
 
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#33
do yourself a favor and get the meopta meostar HDs in 10 or 12...i use the 15s for matches and have had them set up next the swaros several times and the only place the swaros might be better is in low light...EVERYONE that has looked through both side by side at our matches say they can NOT see this big difference everyone says there is,

call @Doug at camera land and i bet with your LE he can beat cabelas sale price and get you lined out on what you actually need.
 
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#34
TacticalDillhole said:
Don’t discount the bushnell forge Binos. The LE pricing makes them a strong contender. You could even buy the bushes and another set of something else for under 1200
Click to expand...

This. I've got both the 10 and 15 Forge binos, and they are far better than their price range would make you think. OP, if you need the POC for Bushnell's LE/MIL program, shoot me a PM. The LE pricing on the Forge binos is pretty nuts.
 
#35
Hollywood 6mm said:
This. I've got both the 10 and 15 Forge binos, and they are far better than their price range would make you think. OP, if you need the POC for Bushnell's LE/MIL program, shoot me a PM. The LE pricing on the Forge binos is pretty nuts.
Click to expand...
I have the direct sheets, and I bought through Expert Voice for their rangefinder/Kestral combo before... they definitely take good care of us!
 
#37
Hollywood 6mm said:
Yeah, I'm at the point where I don't even send LE/MIL folks to EV any more. Going direct is a lot simpler and faster.
Click to expand...
That rangefinder/kestrel deal wasnt offered direct... almost $200 less than LE price, and $500 less than retail. I was going to get the Bushnell LMSS spotter from them, but then ended up with the Meopta spotter instead.
 
#38
Fenix Mike said:
That rangefinder/kestrel deal wasnt offered direct... almost $200 less than LE price, and $500 less than retail. I was going to get the Bushnell LMSS spotter from them, but then ended up with the Meopta spotter instead.
Click to expand...

Then GAP sold it for about the same price as EV later on. I think I saw it on sale again at Brownells or Midway recently for $600 or so.
 
#41
Fenix Mike said:
I meant to post on here the other day when I spent some time at Cabelas, but post surgery, most of the time I just sleep and watch Netflix.
I looked at the Cabelas/Meopta 10x42, Leupold BX5 10x42 and Swaro SLC 10x42. I didnt look at the big dog swaros because even for what im watching them sell for on eBay, I dont want to spend that much.

This time I went outside with them around 4 pm on a sunny day and found a car with a plate at 208m (brought a rangefinder too). It was about 95 degrees outside and here's what I noticed with the 3 (shoot me if you dont agree, this is what my eyes saw)

Leupold - Good picture, but for some reason, the worst mirage of all 3. I couldn't read the plate no matter what I did with the focus and it really became annoying trying. Sadly I thought these looked the best indoors (as did two others behind the counter), but I won't ever be using them indoors.

Swaro - Excellent picture, little to no mirage, very bright image and looked wonderful

Cabelas / Meopta - Same picture as the swaro (I went back and forth 8-10 times), however I noticed a better resolution with these, and the plate being easier to see, surrounding area etc.

Honestly the only reason id get the swaros would be resale value, but id have to buy them used online, and used they are about the same price as the Meoptas are new. With the Meoptas and Cabelas sale, im going to pay $1000, but get 30% back in club points, so basically the majority of another firearm, or an optic for a pistol, or whatever else I want (I have a black card, I spend a lot there, and the money will get used) effectively making the Meoptas $700. On top of that, if I change my mind, I have 45 days to return them, which is more than enough time to spend glassing random things to see how they work. I just dont see the value in the swaros for what im doing, or my eyes like the Meoptas better. FWIW, I loved both of my Meopta spotters as well.

One thing I was still on the fence with is magnification. 10x42 is really pushing the limits at 200 yards as I needed to hold them very still and concentrate to see the plate in the heat we have here, so I might try the 12x at the same distance when I go back, and then also try them at some 50 yard stuff to see how they work close up. Our license plates aren't the easiest to see due to the color combos, but I guess worst case, I can toss my spotter in my bag as well.
Click to expand...
I use mine mostly for PRS matches and range trips so I have mine on a tripod, everyone is different but I find the 10's to be a great all around magnification for my purposes.
 
#42
FN-Whitney said:
I use mine mostly for PRS matches and range trips so I have mine on a tripod, everyone is different but I find the 10's to be a great all around magnification for my purposes.
Click to expand...
I played with 10 and 12x yesterday... the slight gain in magnification wasn't worth the loss in field of view to me, so I bought the 10x42 Meoptas :)
 
#44
Here's another vote for the Bushnell Forge binos. I'm also LEO and ordered direct through Bushnell. I picked up two sets of Forges (10×42 and the 15×55) for substantially less than the advertised price on the 15s alone. I checked ExpertVoice and the Bushnell direct price was still better. I can't speak highly enough of Bushnell
 
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