Need some education on Binoculars

[Lloyd Smale]

I dont have any real expensive glass but do have a few sets of midrange bincoulars and have some opinions to share. I like porno prisims. Roof prisoms seem to be a bit better at giving a sharp image but thats only if your comparing bincos that are equal in price. Problem is many arent water proof unless your up into the higher end stuff and there heavier and bulkier. I own a pair of mid range minox 10x40s, a set of steiner 7c50 military and a sent of 8x42 nikon monarchs. Best one of those for the buck is the nikons. theyve got as good or better glass then the others and are about half the price. I also had a set of vortex razors 8.5x42s which are more expensive and had better optics then any of the other three. They were heavy and big though and someone liked them better then me and lifted them out of my truck right in my driveway. Ive looked through alot of differnt bincos and those razors would hold up to any of them at any price. Money will determine what you get and if your looking to get decent glass at the most reasonable price id go with nikons. There warantee is one of the best to boot. My monarchs were about 13 years old and i noticed last summer they were really focusing in right out past 500 yards. I sent them to nikon and within a week had a brand new set of there updated monarchs that were a model up from the ones i sent them. hard to beat that.

[Dragoon 45]

Thanks everyone for the information.

Is there any quality American made, not assemblied in America from imported parts, out there any more?

[jpatm2]

To my knowledge, Leupold and Redfield are made in Oregon.

[Dragoon 45]

Redfield is made in China and imported by Leupold, it is marked as so on their boxes. I have been told the although Leupold is made in the USA, they import most of their parts from China.

To my knowledge, Leupold and Redfield are made in Oregon.

[400short]

I recently had to replace a 30 year old pair of pentax 7x50's. I didn't like the current pentax lineup so I ended up with Steiners. Most important criteria was the quality of the glass. Very clear and bright. They fall down in the user friendly area. The eyepieces adjust individually, and the universal focus feature (great depth of field) really isn't. Having said that, I would buy again.

[jpatm2]

Redfield is made in China and imported by Leupold, it is marked as so on their boxes.

When I inspected my box, for my Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm, it says nothing about being made in China. In fact, with further investigation on the Redfield website, it says they are built in the USA. I take that to mean they probably are assembled in the US of domestic and foreign parts, but the scope as a whole is NOT made in China.

For the purposes of the question, is there a rifle scope made and assembled in the USA, the redfield would probably not fir the bill, but it is assembled in the USA.

**EDIT** Just called customer service, both Leupold and Redfield are made in US from all US parts except the lenses. The lenses are the only things that are imported.**EDIT**

[Dragoon 45]

I had looked at a pair of Redfield Binoculars at Bass Pro. The box had made in China printed on it. If what you were told by their customer service is correct, why was that printed on the Binocular's box? Unless some of their early products were made in China before production got ramped up here? Or it could be that the rifle scopes are as you say but the binoculars are made overseas? I really don't want to support the Chinese any more than I have too.

I was not sure about Leupold, but had read an article in one of the gun magazines that said most of their parts for binoculars were imported and then assemblied in the USA. I can't find find the article right now, as I either buy or subscribe to 15-20 of them a month. It will take me awhile to find the article.

When I inspected my box, for my Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm, it says nothing about being made in China. In fact, with further investigation on the Redfield website, it says they are built in the USA. I take that to mean they probably are assembled in the US of domestic and foreign parts, but the scope as a whole is NOT made in China.

For the purposes of the question, is there a rifle scope made and assembled in the USA, the redfield would probably not fir the bill, but it is assembled in the USA.

**EDIT** Just called customer service, both Leupold and Redfield are made in US from all US parts except the lenses. The lenses are the only things that are imported.**EDIT**

[jpatm2]

I can only speak as to the scopes, as that is what I either have or have asked about. However, if it was manufactued before April 2008, it may very well have been made in China.

As per their website "In 1998 Redfield closed its doors in Denver, Colorado marking the end of an era but leaving behind an undeniable legacy of manufacturing quality products for the American Sportsman. The Redfield name changed hands several times over the next ten years but never realized its potential to once again become a prominent brand among outdoor enthusiasts."

[MtGun44]

High end Nikon porro prism binocs are pectacular, but expensive. The wife has a pair of 8x32
Superior E (now called SE, I think) that are truly magnificent.

Go to Eagle Optics and look at what they offer in your price range in Nikon porro prism. If you
decide to go with roof prism (straight bodies, not offset) you typically lose image quality at
a fixed price point because the roof prisms are a good bit more expensive, so at the same price
something else has to give. Roof prism require expensive phase coatings to keep the quality good
that are not necessary with porro prisms.

US optics are nearly extinct, sad to say, but it is reality. Even the US makers are having the lenses
made overseas, probably in China.

Bill

[Lloyd Smale]

Like MTgun said if you go porno prisom you need to isure there phaze corrected. there are fairly inexpenive ones that are. Ill go right back to the monarchs. they can be had for under 250 bucks if you watch for sales and are water proof, phase corrected and have decent glass.

[Uncle Grinch]

Lloyd, porno prism binoculars?? Think you mean porro prism....


My issue with binoculars are eye relief as I wear glasses. I've got a nice pair of Canon porro prism binoculars with the rubber cup on the eye piece end and find they work better for me if I simply slide my eye-glasses up on my head to use the binoculars.

[jcwit]

Reading thru this entire thread and got to thinking why I get along with such cheap binoculars. I shake so badly, nothing I can do about it, and its gotten progressively worse as I age. I had polio when I was 13 years old and shaking was one of the after effects I had. I controlled it most of my life but now its back.

For all of you out there that can tell the advantages of high priced glass you have my blessings.

[Jason30-30]

I Have A Set Of Leupold Wilderness Binos That Are VERY CLEAR They Set Me Back $300 Dollars But They Were Worth It . Think The Are Now Called The Gold Ring Model.

[Crawdaddy]

Lloyd, porno prism binoculars??

Where can you get a set of these?

[krag35]

I have a set of Leupold "Mesa" 8X bino's I bought several years ago. I highly reccomend them. I think they were $165.00 at the time.

[edler7]

Please do check out before you buy.

Excellent advice. I found several pairs of new binocs when I was looking for new ones that had double images due to one prism being out of alignment.