Optics Reviews

[Antarcher]

Place your Optic reviews here be it Binos, spotting cope or rangefinder.

[ROULSTON]

Just bought the RxII and love it. Small, solidly built, weather proof, ranges 3m through 750m (dependig upon relection).

Has inclinometer and calulates true line of sight and effective range depeding upon evelation. Has ablistics calaulations for firearms and bows.

A great little investment from Shooter Wholesale Warehouse $550

[phil g]

Was lucky enough this year for santa to give me a new set of binos, must have been a really good boy cause I even got them early :lol:

They are Bushnell H2O 10x25, camo colour (can also come in black), easy centre focus, completely waterproof & fogproof, nitogen purged & bloody fantastic!

The best set of binos I have ever looked through around the $160.00 mark (varies), even better than some of the $400-$500 sets I have checked out.

So easy, compact & crystal clear viewing makes these binos perfect for hunting. Comes with carry case & strap. Lifetime limited warranty.

The only thing I have found is that you can't put the binos in the supplied case if it has the strap attached, just no room unless you have the strap hanging out (which would catch on the scrub). So either have them in a bigger case, around ur neck or just in the case with no strap, up to personal preference.

All in all I highly recommend these binos to anyone who is looking for a good set.

Cheers, Phil.

[Antarcher]

I was always happy with my pair of Nikon Monarch's in in 10 x 42 and they had served me well. Last year though I had a look through Batesy's Carson 10 x 42's and could not believe the difference, especially in low light conditions. I can make out deer quite easily in the gloom of the first rays of morning light, hence making my stalking and getting into position for an ambush a lot easier.

Suffice to say, I immediately sold my monarch's and bought a pair of Carson's over the net from the gadget man in Melbourne. I think all up posted they were $380. Extremely good value.

Since then a couple of guys who have tried mine have gone out and bought the Carson's for themselves. I always thought I would save up and buy a pair of Leica's, but with the performance I get out of the carson's and the price I paid for them, I don't think I will need to spend that sort of dosh now. I can't say they are as good as your top end optics, but they have all the same features, eye relief, rubber armour, clear to the edges, ease of focus, comfortable strap, nitrogen purged, waterproof, high light transition and a great waranty also.

I highly recommend these optics and get a hold of a pair and try them out if you get the chance. They now have a new model that is HD (high definition) that I would like to try also. 4 1/2 stars.

[Dongles]

Like Antarcher, I have also tried (well in fact I own) both a pair of Nikon Monarch 10x42's and a pair of Carson XM 10x42's - Long story as to why I have both....

Both are excellent glasses, however after spending considerable time comparing both sets of binos in the field, I would have to rate the Monarchs as having the superior clarity.

The Monarchs are a little smaller (more compact) and perhaps a little lighter, however I find that with the Carsons being longer I can hold them steadier when viewing further objects.

Even though both are very crisp, I find that the Monarchs retain an extremely clear and crisp image right to the edge of the glass compared to the Carsons that seem to "blur" a little in the peripheral vision. Although for some reason, I find that the Carsons are more forgiving on the eyes when glassing for extremely long periods (1-2+ hours straight).

To show that I am not biased towards one or the other, I routinely alternate which glasses I take out on a hunt and generally select the pair I feel like using on the day.

I have not compared both sets of binos side by side under low light conditions in the field, but from testing at home I could not distinguish one to be more favourable than the other. Although this could be a result of my own specific pair of binoculars?

Either pair are an excellent asset and are comparable to some of the more expensive brands that I have looked through.

Tim

[Luke]

Flashback
As I rounded the bend in the creek bank, I looked ahead as far as I could see. About 80 metres in front of me, the creek turned back the other way and on the far bank was a large gum that had the soil washed from under it’s roots. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I “knew” there would be a pig in there. It was cool and moist providing welcome relief from the 43 degrees of the sun’s fiery glare. What pig wouldn’t want to sleep the day away in there?

I motioned to Cashy of my thoughts, it was his turn for a stalk. I could not, from my vantage point tell which way a (the) boar was facing or if there was one to be found there at all it was just too far and too dark. As Cashy moved in ever so quietly and cautiously, it turned out my gut feeling was spot on, unfortunately however, my lack of ability to define clearly the exact posture and positioning of the boar was our undoing as it jumped to it’s feet and started up the creek bank…

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/griffo79/my%20hunting%20pics/cashyaiming1.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/griffo79/my%20hunting%20pics/cashyaiming2.jpg


Present Day

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I was recently asked to do a review on the new Vortex Solo monocular I had purchased from Gecko Archery. I wanted to add the Solo to my equipment line as it was the perfect fit for my optical requirements. I received it approximately a week prior to a hunting trip I had planned with good mate Paul Rae; we were heading to the upper end of the New England ranges…perfect timing in my books.

The first thing that struck me about the Solo was its size. For an 8x25 monocular it was certainly a compact unit. Fitting snuggly in the waste pocket of my pack I knew it would be in easy reach for frequent use over the coming four days hunt. It was of convenient size to fit nicely into the palm of my hand, yet allowed for one hand operation of the focusing dial incorporated into the eyepiece.

I had made up my mind I was going to do a full and thorough testing to enable a genuine assessment of the quality and performance of this very useful little tool. Constructed of high quality optics, the Solo gives a clear picture once dialed in to the appropriate focus distance. The eye piece is easy to turn for focusing. My one criticism would be of the depth of the rubber “lip” for the eyecup. I found in the late afternoons and early mornings, when the sun was low on the horizon and to my side, the light would too easily leak in and affect my vision quality. A simple fix of placing my finger next to my eye however and all was good. In my opinion a minor flaw in this well made product.

The sturdy rubberized outer gives great protection of the internal optics and allows a nice grippy surface for sweaty or wet hands. I can assure you the Solo is 100% waterproof. I dunked mine in the river several times and on one evening of our hunt, left it out on the bonnet of my car during 2 severe thunderstorms. Not one spec of moisture or fogginess was evident during use the next day. Even after being dropped several times over on a variety of surfaces, the Solo remained uncompromised in its performance and structural integrity.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/griffo79/equipment%20pics/monocular.jpg

The Solo is by no means intended for use as an all day glasser or for those wishing to sit and scan for extended periods. Vortex Optics has other products in their range that suit this requirement very well. Having said that, I found that for my intended purpose of the occasional longer sit and glass (10-15mins for me) and throughout my four days of spot and stalk hunting, I suffered no noticeable eye fatigue using the Solo.
Over all I would give the Solo a solid 9 out of 10. The size, performance and quality of this little gem from Vortex Optics certainly fills the niche for the hunter who does not want a bulky pair of binoculars hanging around their neck all day, or who like me prefer to hang a digital camera or video camera there instead. Backed by an awesome manufacturers replacement guarantee, in my opinion you’ll be hard pressed to find a better monocular for the same money.

Retailing at just $99.95 from Gecko Archery. (www.geckoarchery.com.au)

[watchmaker]

Hi guys,
By coincidence I just got a new binocular and I wrote a post for a few forums that I subscribe in the states.

So if this sound "American" it is because it is.

Here it goes:


BINOCULARS

Hi guys,
The big brown truck and the nice man that brings goodies to the house stopped yesterday with a package from Cabela’s.
I was deprived from sleep for the five days that it took between order and delivery, but finally the Nikon Monarch ATB 8x40 binoculars are here, and I will sleep soundly tonight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/binoc.jpg

Although I have quite a few binoculars in my safe, I don’t have nearly as many of them as I do flashlights (most of you know me as the crazy guy that owns all those flashlights); but fear not, I am getting there.
So it occurred to me that I should make a post about binoculars for those that are bored of hearing about my lights.
I had owned quite a good amount of binoculars since I bought my first as a 15 year-old with an itch about optics. I even owned an expensive Zeiss when I was single and didn’t had a family to take care of.
And I am here to tell you that the quality, brightness, sharpness, and durability of the new binoculars now on the market; it is better than ever.
Not long ago, if we wanted all these features in a good binocular the choice was between spending a thousand in a Zeiss, Swarosvki, Leica or Minox or looking for good Porro prisms in the Nikon or Pentax lines.
But since a couple of years ago, the Japanese starting coating the roof prisms of their binoculars with Phase Coating, and the sharpness and definition of their roof prism binos had increased to the point to rival the European imports from the big four, and all at very modest cost.

Take, for example, the Nikon Monarch ATB (All terrain binocular) 8x42 I just received, or my Pentax DCF WP 8x42 that I bought last year.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/atb.jpg


All lenses are fully multicoated (that means all surfaces, not only the glass to air surfaces) prisms are phased-corrected and have mirror-coated lower prisms (not cheap aluminum). They have blackened tubes to avoid reflections and are waterproof and fog proof; they have a nice outer coating of rubber (silent) and very good ergonomics. I particularly like the twist eye cups for eye-glass wearers and the ample eye relief: no problem using it with my glasses and instant acquisition of the picture even with glasses on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/eyepice.jpg

All that can be said for the Nikon Monarch can be said also of my Pentax DCF WP 8x42, except for the weight: the Nikon is lighter at 22 ounces but I don’t know how much my Pentax weighs until I get a new battery for my fish scale.

I like the approach of securing the objective caps to the body of the binocular that the Nikon uses as well. I had to get creative with the Pentax and cook up something home-made to hold the caps to the binocular body.
I did the usual checking for good prisms by holding the binos a few inches away and looking at the light spot in the ocular lens, nice and round without any hint of flattening, just like I was expecting. I checked collimation by holding it a few inches away and pointing them at the yellow line in the road, straight and sharp with not sign of being distorted.
To test the sharpness and resolution most people look from the inside to the outside thru an open window, and most binoculars will perform well under those conditions. I look for a dark corner in the room and try to read some labels or a newspaper print set for the occasion; that is what separates the mediocre from the good or great binoculars.

As the Nikon and the Pentax are so the same in quality I tried to spot any optical differences between them by perching one on top of the other and alternatively looking thru them. After several minutes of this I have to admit that they are both the same optical quality as far as my eyes can tell, without resorting to an optical laboratory.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/twobinos.jpg

I have looked thru many Swarovski and Zeiss lenses, (I hunt the stores) superb optical quality in those glasses. I can tell you for sure than the new Nikon and Pentax are almost the equal of those expensive brands; that I only paid just over $300 USD with shipping for such a superb glass as the Nikon still amazes me.

Kind regards,
watchmaker

[watchmaker]

LEUPOLD YOSEMITE 6X 30MM
PORRO PRISMS BINOCULARS

Hi Guys:
Some things are changing in the world of optics. It uses to be that you had to spend a good chunk of money to get good optics; after all, it is difficult and requires expensive lenses, expensive anti-reflection treatment, some quality components, and precise work to mount it all and to get the optics to perform as they should.

Some optical aberrations and distortions can only be corrected the best possible. It is difficult to make good glasses to deliver a flat picture of good quality when the light ray has to pass through curved lenses.

But the new computerized optics programs than the optical engineer is using these days has brought a solution to the trial-and-error and time-consuming work that was needed to produce decent binocular blueprints in the old days.
They are several factors, beside objective size, that will determine how good the image quality in binoculars will be.

They include optical coating, quality of optics, distortions and aberrations, optical alignment, and manufacturer tolerances.

THE LEUPOLD 6X30MM YOSEMITE

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/leupoldyosemite.jpg

Back in 1970, I came back from the jungles of South America in one piece, but minus my good Zeiss binoculars. In seventy-one, freshly married and planning a trip, I was in need of a binocular, but my budget was $25.00 (you bought a lot of gasoline with $25 in the seventies).


After looking at several on that price range, I selected a 7x35 Porro prisms Sunset (Japanese). It says in big white letters that it is an extra-wide angle (10 degrees), which, at the time, didn’t affect me since my young eyes in those days didn’t need prescription glasses (wide angle will reduce the eye relief, an important consideration to eyeglass wearers). But poor eye relief means that you have to get your eye very close to the lens to see the whole picture, which can put a drop of perspiration on the glass in hot days or fog them in the cold climate.

It also makes it impossible to focus the edges of the glass. The center will be in focus, but the edges will be blurry: this distortion is called “curvature of field,” so keep in mind to stay away from wide field-of-view glasses if you want your picture to be relatively sharp all around.


It also says that it has coated optics, which means (and I can see it) that only the exterior lenses have been coated on the outside, and that translates that a good amount of light is going to be lost throughout reflection, making them inferior to glasses that used multi-coating lenses to see in deep shadows and at dusk .

LEUPOLD YOSEMITE AND SUNSET BINOCULARS

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/YOSEMITEANDSUNSET.jpg


So brightness and sharpness are affected by the amount and quality of the coating that are used in binoculars- the more the better (as much as seven coats for glass surfaces are been used now). When you think that as much as 4 % of light is lost through reflection from uncoated surfaces and that a binocular uses a total of 14 or more optical glass inside them, you will understand why multi-coats are so important for light transmission.

YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE COATING BETWEEN THEM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/coatingcomparison.jpg



I can see that the lenses in the Sunset haven’t been corrected for chromatic aberrations, which means that the colors will be more muddled if I were looking at birds. Of course, correcting for color needs a set of different glass, all keyed to a certain spectrum on the color scale, which makes binoculars more expensive and will have taken me out of my $25.00 budget in those days.


Be careful of cheap binoculars with big lenses (50 to 60 or more mm of objective), as the bigger the lenses are, the more intense the chromatic aberration will be, unless it is corrected by low dispersion glass that will make the binoculars much more expensive.

Good glasses should be corrected for another aberration called “astigmatism,” which is the effect of the light at the edges of the glass that is elongated into an oval that points toward the center. This together with the “curvature of field” tends to make glasses fuzzy toward the edges. I believe my Sunset 7x35 glasses shows a good degree of astigmatism.

Of course, my 38 year-old glasses also show a good deal of spherical aberration. There is no way that ray of light passing trough the center of a normal glass can be in the same focus as the ones passing through the edges. This makes the image loss detail. Newer binoculars are now using an aspheric lens (usually in the oculars) that corrects the focus by bringing the center light rays to the same focus as edges rays of light, making the glass brightest and with increased contrast.

My Sunset glasses show some “barrel distortion.” Were a straight line placed on the edge of the field of view, it will bow outwards at the center. If that line will bow inwards at the center, it will be called “pin cushion distortion.” Good glasses correct for this distortion with quality glass, although you can still find just a little of it even in expensive glasses.

AT LEFT IS A REGULAR OPTICAL GLASS WITH CURVED SURFACES, AT RIGHT IS THE NEW AESPHERICAL LENS

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My Sunset 7x35 binoculars did fine for a few years (I didn’t use them much in low light) until I replaced them in my neck for a Bushnell Custom Compact 6x 25 CF in 1974, which then started my love affair with 6x lenses.
The Bushnell Custom Compact are beautiful binoculars; light, small, and highly good optics that still sells today and is highly sought after by those that don’t want to carry full binoculars when birding or hunting.

The street price on the Custom Compact is around $250.00, and it is well worth it. I have used mine for years in hikes into the high peaks of the Adirondacks. I think so highly of them that I had bought a pair for my wife in 1976.


The only thing I always wondered was how it would perform in poor light if the objectives were as big as 30 mm instead of 25mm.
Now, after so many years, another 6x binocular has fallen into my hands, thanks to the advice of FirstFreedom, a member of TFL forum.
The Leupold Yosemite Porro prisms 6x30 is in my hands now and a beauty it is, both physically and optically.

This Leupold is miles ahead of my Sunset 7x35, the comparisons I made in low light gives a great edge to the Leupold even than the objectives are 5mm smaller in the Leupold, and the numbers for exit pupil gives both the same 5mm value (35 mm divided by 7x = 5mm and 30 mm divided by 6x = 5mm of exit pupil). The Leupold outperforms my Sunset glasses, due to better coating and better optics.


I was surprised when I put both in my fish scale because both weigh 1 lb. 1 oz., but the Leupold feels much lighter. The rubber covering and the twist up eye-piece guards are a big asset for the Leupold, as the Sunset doesn’t have any eye-piece guards at all. The Leupold Yosemite comes with a rain guard that is tethered to the elastic strap and regular caps in the objectives. That is one thing I would like to see changed; objectives should be protected with covers, such as the ones find in my Nikon Monarch, that are attached to the binocular body and not by caps that are easily lost.

Optically, the Leupold Yosemite is very superior to the Sunset glass. Some aberrations and distortions are still in the glasses, but only in a reduced amount and in the edge of the field of view, and it is okay, because only very high quality glasses like the Swarovski and Zeiss can make those defects disappear almost completely, and after all, most of us look through the center of the field anyway, and not through the edges.
Color seems to be fully corrected in the Yosemite, although I have yet to find a proper test medium to judge it (hummingbirds or woodpeckers).


Sharpness and definition are well up in the scale, leaving the Sunset glasses in the dust. That all this optical quality is attained at the cost of only less than a hundred USD is a miracle of new manufacturing techniques. I am well pleased with the new Yosemite binoculars by Leupold, I took a calculated risk when I bought them, based on the Leupold name in others optics and I am well satisfied with what I got and for the little money I got them.

Cheers
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

LEUPOLD KATMAI 6X32
BINOCULARS

I must be off my rocker. I have binoculars coming out of my ears and I just went out and ordered another.

This time the culprit that captured my heart is the Leupold Wind River Katmai binoculars, a roof prism model that is quite compact and light but offers superior viewing compared to full sized premium binoculars.

I had seen them before in catalogues such as Cabela’s and Red Head, but I never got interested because I thought they were only available in 8x32.
Having recently bought the Leupold Yosemite 6x30 binoculars, I became interested in seeing what others models they offered and discovered that the Katmai were also available in 6x32.

The reason that I am particular about the six power binoculars is that they offer a perfect magnification for the kind of close woods hunting I do.
When available in the 32 mm sized objectives, I am getting a 5.33 mm of exit pupil, giving good quality optics; the right pupil opening for the low light condition that I often glass under. I never saw any reason to own them in 8x32, as I will be getting only a 4 mm of eye pupil: no doubt good for daylight, but no good for the use I put binoculars through.
If I am going to use an eight power, then it will have to have 42 mm objectives to give me 5.25 mm of eye pupil. I already have two great pairs of glasses in that size (the Pentax and the Nikon) and I use them often, but the new Leupold Katmai is going to fulfill the same task, using less bulk and weight, which is important for me in certain instances.

Here is a picture of them together so you can appreciate the size difference. From left to right: the Leupold Yosemite 6x30 Porro prisms, the Leuopold Katmai 6x32, the Nikon Monarch 8x42, and the Pentax DCF 8x42.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/fourbinos.jpg

I am fifty miles from New York City, so it is not possible for me to go to check binoculars every time I have a whim for them (and it happens often), so I ordered the Katmai over the mail knowing that you will not always get something over the mail that will fulfill your expectations. No such problem occurred with the Katmai binoculars, though: they are great and exactly what I expected them to be for a glass of this price and more.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/katmaibi.jpg

I performed the usual checks and was amply satisfied with the optical quality and mechanical precision of the glasses. The ergonomics are also great for a glass of this size, and I was well pleased with my purchase.
One aspect of this purchase is worth mentioning: when looking at the Katmai 8x32 that Cabela's and Red Head have in their catalogues, the price for them was hovering around $400 to $420. I bought the Katmai 6x32 over the web for $289 shipped.
Now the question is how they compare optically with the lower priced ($98) Porro prism Leupold Yosemite binoculars, and if the $200 difference is noticeable in the optical quality.
If that difference is there, I can’t notice it! Both glasses performed well in my low light test and both are sharp and with enough resolution to satisfy the most rabid birdie.
We all know that roof prisms are more expensive and difficult to make well, so part of the money goes toward that end, perhaps of influence in the price is the fact that the Katmai are made in Japan and the Yosemite in China; we know that our money buys more Yuan than Yen.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/katobj.jpg

So what is going to happen to the Yosemite 6x32 now that my new love is the Katmai? No problem on that end, since my son already declared ownership of the Yosemite, as he recently took them on a trip to Florida’s Everglades, using them in the Aninha trail and in the Flamingo point.
He came back saying, “Dad, you will never these back; they are great glasses!” Now if I can just hide the Katmai from him until he goes to college in September, I will be fine.

For those that don’t understand the obsession that possesses me, I am here to tell you that there is nothing better than to look through quality glasses. I am just in a rush to finish typing this to go and sit in my patio and look for the red-tailed hawk that has been visiting us here lately.

Cheers,
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

HOW TO GLASS

Well, what now, you just put he binoculars to your eyes and look through them, right?

Just in case we have new binocular users here, I am going to explain the mechanics of glassing the right way. Not long ago a new hunter in the family was showing me his new binoculars that I noticed were adjusted in the interpupilary distance with a far greater length that I knew his eyes to be set.
When I questioned him if he was not seeing two uncompleted circles when looking through the glasses, he admitted it and was surprised when I told him that the binoculars are supposed to deliver only one circle. I guess he has seen too many movies where the view trough binoculars are shown that way.

So our first business with the binoc is to adjust the interpupilary distance by bending the barrels at the center hinge until our eyes see only one circle; that will ensure that the optical center of the glasses is in line with the center of our pupils.

Second is to adjust the diopter wheel that is usually in the right barrel; as not everybody has 20/20 vision, this wheel will adjust the focus for your right eye. To accomplish the adjustment cover the right objective with your hand or objective cap, look through the glasses and adjust the center wheel until the view is sharp and clear, now cover the left objective and adjust the diopter wheel until the view is sharp.

I used for years to do this in the reverse sequence, adjusting the diopter first and then the center wheel, you get the same results.
Look at the markings at the edge of the wheel to remember the settings in case somebody changes them, (I just put a small drop of white out correction fluid to mark the setting).

The eye relief is fixed and in modern binoculars quite generous, but the eye cups collapse to use the binoculars with your eye glasses, some models can be adjusted to stop midway or at increments so you can get your oculars lenses as far or as close as you want to your eye glasses.

Now you are ready to glass, if yours glasses are 10x they are marginal in how steady you can hold them, people varies but 10x is the magnification that can do with some serious help in holding the glasses.

Sit down and brace your elbows against your knees or sunk them into your stomach looking for the best stable position, grasp you binos with both hands but leave your index fingers free and anchor them against your temples, or alternatively grasp the edge of your cap’s bill to add another anchor point. What you are looking for is to minimize or cancel any tremors, as a jumping up and down picture magnified 10x will not let you appreciate the detail that you bought the glasses for.

With the 8x you have a little more freedom from those tremors, I have a very steady hand (I am a watchmaker) and can hold 8x glasses with one hand for relatively quick looks, but it is not recommended, after all glasses are not for quick looks.

Don’t scan with glasses, your vision should be concentrated in the center of your view, and the glasses when moving, should be moving in very small increments when you are sure that the picture that you are seeing is completely understood by your brain.

The part of the eye that does the stationary looking and captures detail is very small; it is called the macula and covers only two degrees of your vision. When looking through 8x glasses this angle decrease to ¼ of a degree, so if you want to capture the detail that you pay so much money for, keep your glasses steady and look through the center of them.

The crouch and the belly down position are also glassing positions that should be not overlooked, take a tip from African hunters and steady your glasses in the standing position with the aid of a mono pod or shooting sticks or even a walking stick.

In carrying your glasses you can do as the African white hunters do and use a long strap to place them out of the way in the left side of your body at waist level and under your arm, or hang them from your neck but with a very short strap, so they ride high on your chest and will not swing and strike another object when you bend down.

There are in the market some harnesses that will keep your binoculars close to your body when you move around, but they usually interfere with other equipment, at least in my case as I wear a back pack most of the time but for those that carry only the glasses those harnesses work well.

Cheers
Watchmaker

[Dale Furze]

Mate, with the amount of torches and bino's you have, I can't wait until you do a sight or broad head review:D.

Great posts mate, keep them coming, they are very informative.

Cheers. Dale.

[Antarcher]

I have been giving my new Vortex Stokes 8x42mm binos a run of late and here is a run down on these outstanding binoculars.

I first used a pair of these binoculars when I went on a hunt with Miga and he had his with him. After using them that day, I was hooked and set about saving up for my own pair.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1010101.jpg

First up these binos look and feel great. They are quite light and small and do not feel too heavy around the neck and sit very nicely in your hands. The eye relief adjustments are rock solid and have different positions that are indicated with a click.

The light transmittance on these binos are right up their with the very top euro brands and for this reason alone they are worth the money spent. The clarity and colours are awesome and I am definitely picking up more deer in the thick stuff than ever before. Due to the clarity, I can make out antler size at great distance despite the 8 power. With the 8 power too, the field of view is huge and this allows me to cover more ground when scanning the scrub. They are also very fast to focus when you are scanning across paddocks and hillsides and this helps a lot when you pick up a bit of movement and you need to zero in on it before it disappears. The focusing wheel is also very smooth and large in diameter so initial focus set up is a breeze before you settle in to glass.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1010100.jpg

I have had them up against Leica geovid and ultravid and the clarity is equal to my perception. Other guys who have looked through them have been equally impressed and can't believe that they are not a more well known brand. The only thing I could tell different was that they were 10 power and mine were 8. In other lesser brands of 10 power that I have compared to, I could not tell much difference in the magnification due to the clarity of the Vortex.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1010097.jpg

These binos also come with a tripod adapter and padded bag. Another very important factor that made me go for these binos was the waranty. These binos have a waranty that is for life and no receipt is required. With confidence like that in a product you know that they are built to last.

Though they are a little pricey, these are to be my lifetime bino purchase and they are considerably less in price than the big 3 without sacrificing any of the quality in the optics. I am extremely pleased with my purchase and am looking forward to seeing many deer walk through them in my time in the field.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1010103.jpg

[Viking]

A mate of mine was in Cairns last weekend, and he found a really good spotting scope.

The brand name is 'Precision' and although it's probably Chinese made, they really are a bargain.

They are 15x50, and they come with a black cordura cover, which wraps around the scope and attaches with velcro. It features a strap for your hand, similar to what you find on a video camera, so you don't even have to grip onto it. Not that it's hard to hold, as the scope and cover only weighs 267 grams.

It also comes with a little tripod, which screws in under the scope, even with the cover on. The tripod has telescopic legs, closes down to about five inches long, and it folds away and fits alongside the scope in the accompanying black cordura carrying pouch. The tripod itself only weighs 75 grams.

They come brand new, boxed, and with instructions, and he picked them up at Cash Convertors of all places, although they're part of their new product line, not the second hand and stolen kit they normally sell.

I refer to the scopes as 'they', because when he saw them he immidiately bought one for himself, then phoned me and another bloke and asked us if we wanted one each as well. For $46 we couldn't say no!

They're a top bit of kit, especially for the price. Sure; I don't think they're waterproof, but I'm not about to immerse it. If I'm going for a hike and it's going to be raining fairly hard, I'll just put it in a clip seal bag in my thigh pocket, but otherwise mine will be hanging under my drawing arm on a lanyard. I'll probably carry this scope around instead of my 8x binos, as it's the same weight, and much stronger magnification. I'd never carry a $200-$300 spotting scope, weighing 3 kilos around the bush, but these you could carry all day and not even know about it.

I'd love to be able to shell out big bucks on the best gear, but I just can't justify it. Not with the amount of hunting I realistically get to do.

There may well be other retailers around that stock them. If you're interested, you could always consider giving Cash Convertors in Cairns a ring. They might be able to send one down.

Here are a couple of pictures; one is with the tripod not extended, and with carrying pouch alongside; the other with the tripod legs extended.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j55/Viking_Cop/Spottingscope1.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j55/Viking_Cop/Spottingscope2.jpg

[watchmaker]

NIGHT OWL 4X NIGHT VISION
COMPACT BINOCULARS

I have owned this night vision binoculars for about seven years. They are made in Russia and feature the first generation of Russian intensifiers tubes that are so popular lately.

It is my understanding that the Russian tubes were not of new manufacturing, but surplus tubes were released into the market. My first unit of these binoculars had a tube that was much dimmer than the other; however the Night Owl Company quickly exchanged them at my request.

As you probably you already know, unlike the older infrared night vision technology, the intensifier tubes do just that: intensify the light that is available (up to 30,000 times according to the instructions) and if ambient light is present, it doesn’t depend on the attached infrared emitter that is placed on top of the binoculars as an extension of the center pivot.

The binoculars enlarge the image transmitted to the oculars by 4 times. Not exactly a long-range pair of binoculars, but really very useful at short distances.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/nightglases.jpg


The Infrared emitter has a separate button for its operation. It is not really full infrared (infrared light is invisible) but a good amount of red shows out of the lens of the tube, making the fact that you are watching with them noticeable to humans. For game it really doesn’t matter, as most animals are blind to the red spectrum of light.

When used with a truly blind infrared powerful source (I just rigged a BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight ~2 million candlepower~ with a surplus Israeli jeep infrared filter) the binocular can easily “see” 300 yards away in total darkness.

The glasses weigh 31 oz., which isn't bad for a binocular that is 6 ¼ long by 6 ½ wide and 1 ¾ thick. The barrels of the objective adjust for focus individually. The adjustment is very smooth and easy to move; likewise, the ocular also has an adjustment that is individual to each eye, and it is not a center focus adjustment wheel, like in regular binoculars.

The metal screw in caps covering the objectives have a little pin hole to limit the amount of light that will enter if the binoculars are used during the day, which is mostly done to make adjustments for distance and focus previous to the projected night use. Those metal caps are noisy to unscrew or screw them, so if you're using them when game is near, I recommend replacing them with Buttler Creek or similar spring loaded binocular caps.

The power is supplied by a Lithium 123 3 volts battery that is loaded from the rear where the hinge is in the binoculars. These batteries are more popular than ever, thanks to the amount of tactical flashlights that make use of them.
This is better than the present problem I have of trying to find a number 1 battery for my Israeli surplus infrared night vision goggle (and by the way, if one of you readers know a source for such battery, please let me know).

For a first generation unit, the Night Owl 4x Compact is a very good binocular, well thought-out in its design and construction, with rubber covering to make gripping easier and to deaden game spooking noises. When I first bought them my son was 10 years old and interested in watching game, so we spent a few enjoyable nights watching deer eating apples at the tree and watching over a bear bait in upper Maine, just to see what was showing up. To all you fathers out there, those kinds of memories can last a lifetime and tend to be the greatest ones, especially when that same son is now a college student and interested in watching other types of game. ;) So cherish them well.
Best regards,

Watchmaker

[Antarcher]

Vortex Skyline ED Spotting Scope

After being really impressed with the Vortex Stokes binoculars I bought, I thought I would stick with the brand and get myself a new spotting scope. I bought the Skyline ED (Extra Defintion) and I am really happy with my purchase.

This scope has an 80mm objective lens, which means that it picks up light at dawn and dusk very well. It has a variable power of 20 to 60x, so scanning and zooming are no problem, even at great distances.

I recently lent it to my mate who went hunting in Canada for 6 weeks. He also took along a Swarovski EL HD scope (top of the line). When he came back he told me that there was not any noted difference between the two scopes all day long, though the swaro did better it in the last 15 minutes of light. This was something I could bear with as the Swaro scope costs around triple the price at $3500, so you would expect it to be better.

Recently I had Doug and his brother Tony down and we were using the Swaro and the Vortex scope together. It was a hot day and we were glassing a stag that was roughly 2.5km away. The swaro was definitely clearer as it seemed to cut through the heat haze better. Nonetheless you could still see the stag clearly enough through the Skyline, you just couldn't make out every point on the antlers like with the Swaro. At this distance though, I didn't expect too much in the conditions but it did show what $3500 can do. However, at shorter distances the scope is very good in the heat.

I've had other mates look through the scope and they are all very impressed with the quality and clarity, as am I. I saw footage from Canada of a black bear being taken. It was filmed from 800m throguh the Vortex scope and it is quite clear. I am now awaiting a camera adapter for the scope so I should be able to get some cracking shots when it is coupled with the FZ50.

The scope comes in a padded look through case and the angle eyepice is rotatable so you can view from different angles. One of the bggest seeling points for me was the lifetime guarantee they offer and it is transferable. That shows that they have confidence in their products lasting and that is something that you want when you are paying a fair bit of dosh for a good bit of gear.

The only qualm I have is that the eye relief piece is a little on the loose side, but apparently that is being rectified. It is not hindrance,but I would prefer it to be a little firmer.

This is the bare scope
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1020432.jpg

Front on
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1020435.jpg

In the look through case and fully padded up
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1020436.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/antarcher/P1020437.jpg

This scope offers excellent value and performance and is up there with the high end stuff at way less the price. If you get the chance have a look through one for yourself.

[johnno]

I just bought some Vortex Diamondback 8x42 from Antony at Gecko Archery...Having checked out the Leuopold 8x42 Wind River Cascade, the Nikon Monarchs, Steiner and a few others...I am very impressed with the VDs. Whilst I am no expert unlike "watchmaker" and can only base my review on what I see, nevertheless to me the optics of the Vortex are as good if not better than the aforementioned. The 8x magnification provides very good light gathering and the quality of the glass ensures that the image is clear and crisp with no blurring around the edges of the lens. All in all the VDs are very impressive..so if your in the market get in touch with Antony...:D:D

[Puk]

Mighty impressed with these little rippers. they are the first "real" pair of binos i have bought, and after reading the review of the 6x30's on page 1 i was happy to find them. they give amazingly clear vision, from still a mid-size pair of binos. They are rubber armoured, water-proof and nitrogen-filled.

the eye relief does move down incrementally, so they are perfect for me to use with glasses (which is a must for me).
the detail that you get from these things is unreal.
Leopold have a lifetime warranty also which is nice to know. Just in time for my New Year's pig trip.

Puk