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Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:59 pm
by yukonjasper
I am looking for decent all around binoculars-hunting, birding, snooping. Seeinf the Bushnell Trophy series on AZon for $100ish dollars. Anyone have a better pair to recommend in the less than $130 range?

I understand that generally speaking you get what you pay for in optics, but wanted to know some of your thoughts on models i may be missing.

Thank you in advance.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 5:19 pm
by TSKNIGHT
Bushnell builds a decent binocular. Not top of the line, but ok for most uses. So long as you stay away from their Wal-Mart stuff you should be fine. Most of the bargain price optics aren't worth the effort of picking them off the shelf. JMO

I have a pair of 7x Bushnell Banner binoculars that were given to me. I've seriously considered regifting them, but can't bring myself to hang a friend with them. The distortion is so bad that looking through them reminds me of a hot day watching the heat waves. The only place I use them is on the mower. If I happen to drop them and run them over it would be no loss.

My Dad's 8x Tasco Rubicon binoculars are kept in the pickup. He bought them cheap specifically to get banged around and didn't want to ruin a quality pair. For an inexpensive binocular, they are surprisingly clear even in very low light. Think they were made in the early 1980's and have never seen anything like them from Tasco since.

I had a pair of Swarovski binoculars that didn't survive the house fire. That was a sweet pair of binoculars! Trouble with them is inexpensive and Swarovski don't fit in the same sentence well.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 6:11 pm
by Ghost
There’s a company in Eagan that sells some on Amazon that are supposed to be quite good for the money spent but I can’t think of the name.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 7:37 pm
by Ghost

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:36 pm
by linksep


Those are $980 and up - way out of bounds for the OP.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:02 am
by Ghost
linksep wrote:


Those are $980 and up - way out of bounds for the OP.

I meant the company, the s5’s are under $200 on Amazon and sometimes go significantly cheaper.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:11 am
by Rip Van Winkle
Optics Den has an excellent article with recommendations here: https://www.opticsden.com/best-binoculars-market-aw-lp/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnfLVBRCxARIsAPvl82EQ9LMkg-wxvU1PknV92ZKfunfO1L3tC7Sff7wZLwaoSEGA9oV6mVkaAsSgEALw_wcB

There's several pairs within your price range listed.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:51 am
by BigBlue
linksep wrote:


Those are $980 and up - way out of bounds for the OP.


They have an S5 model on Amazon for under $160, which is fairly close to the OP's request.

BB

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:10 am
by Randygmn
Not a specific brand/model, but optics planet often have great sales and discount codes (many youtubers offer running 5% discounts just by adding their name). Have heard good things about vortex, fwiw. Can get into something decent from them for under $150.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:22 pm
by Holland&Holland
I have the Nikon Aculon ones that are listed in the link as a good buy for the money. They are my beat around ones that get tossed around in trucks, on counters, picked up by the dog, I have no complaints. I believe I paid under 100 for them a couple years ago at Cabela's

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:22 pm
by Ghost
BigBlue wrote:
linksep wrote:


Those are $980 and up - way out of bounds for the OP.


They have an S5 model on Amazon for under $160, which is fairly close to the OP's request.

BB

And warranty is supposed to be great plus it’s local. I’ve not looked through them though just read good things.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 8:02 pm
by Lumpy
I have a quality 10x50mm binoculars that I haven't used in forever. Maybe too big and heavy for what you want but I'd sell them for what you want to pay.

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2018 6:50 am
by Holland&Holland
So what did you end up going with?

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2018 6:56 am
by Ghost
Holland&Holland wrote:So what did you end up going with?

Binoculars

Re: Decent Binoculars for $100ish range.

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2018 6:59 am
by Holland&Holland
Ghost wrote:
Holland&Holland wrote:So what did you end up going with?

Binoculars


Shoot, I was really pushing for the tri-ocular. No one really using those any more.