Best Low-Light Binoculars

[Lolly]

Hi

First off I must say that this sight is by far the most informative that I have visited !

Ok here is quandary.

I have my trusty old Nikon 8x20 Sportsman which is severley lacking in low light and I need binoculars for extreme low light. Apparently Steiner make excellent low lights : Nighthunter XP (8x56) or Military Commander V (7x50)-They claim that this is THE ultimate low-light performer.

So, since I am such a Nikon fan, I know that their Monarch ATB 8x42 will be an improvement over my current one and I like what I see (except for the fact that it's made in China). It seems that I will not be able to get my hands onto a Steiner and I need to decide pretty soon. For 3 times the money I can get the Steiner wonder optics.  Glassing is really important to me in extreme low light and I cannot say that money is no option but inadequate optics can fail a hunt.

QUESTION IS: I would like something for the long haul. Are the Steiner options worth the extra money over the Nikon Monarch 8x42 or is it a matter of diminished returns ?

Thanks

Lolly

[Lead pot]

Lolly,


It's hard to beat a good pair of roof prism binoculars with at least a 40mm objective and with a 6mm or larger exit pupil.There is not much reason to go with an exit pupil larger then 7mm your eyes only except about 7mm.
The Steiner night hunter is a good choice. Swarovski, zeizz 10x40 are good. So are the Burris signature 10x50. The binoculars I mentioned I have had a chance to look through in pree dawn and dusk evenings on hunts.I got the best I could afford. I got the Zeizz and I never regretted paying the extra cost.
I could not see any difference between the Swarovski that I could not afford and the Zeizz that I got.

Kurt

[Dave in WV]

What works best for you may not be the same for others. Age, scanning technique, and health all come into play. There is a benefit of an exit pupil larger then your pupil size and that is your eye alignment with the optic's bore axis is less critical. For night or low light use buy the best you can afford and I would stay away from compact models. Some do ok but the odds are in favor of a full size model. One thing you can do to keep the cost down is consider poro prism type binoculars. They cost less to make as bright and clear as roof prism ones but have more bulk.

[GBO MGMT]

The very absolute BEST low light binoculars would make rather poor hunting binoculars. Maybe if you hunted from a shooting house and had help toting all your stuff there they'd be OK.

For best low light performance you'd need first of all super optics and coatings. You'll need a huge objective and fairly high magnification. The military considered 7x50s to do the job for many years and they still do and are about as big as are reasonable for a hunting binocular. But those were the days before the level of optical glass, polishing and coatings we have today.

Now any quality binocular with an exit pupil of 6/7 or more and multicoated optics and phase corrections if roof prisms will do just fine. Even at night.

Dunno what your conditions but I've used my 7x42 Bushnell Legends for night hunting on moonless nights in TX for hogs and they worked fine.

[DIVR6347]

hey
if your looking for an awesome bino that will last a lifetime and work great in low light  give the kahles a try!!
the are avaliable in 8x32 8x42 10x42  and are great glass for the money
best of all they are priced right and come with a lifetime warranty
you can get a great deal on them from samplelist.com  swfa s optics clearence site  im sure you wouldnt be dissapointed in the kahles
i love my 8x42 s  
next would be leicas  i have the trinovid 8x42 bn in one word
awesome      but they are around 1k  
good luck in your search  
divr6347    

[Lolly]

Great replies.

I did some further searching and stumbled accross Zeiss Classic 8x56 ($1,155) or 7x50 ($976). Also, 7x42 Victory ($826). The Classic is a bit larger and older tech than the Victory series but offer similar optics.

Does anyone have any experience with these?

Do you think that they offer an extra $900 worth of better optics  than the Nikon Monarch 8x42?

[Naphtali]

Something to consider: As you get older, your pupils' dilation becomes progressively less. After about age fifty, maximum dilation is about 3.75 mm. So having available a binocular that provides substantially greater light -- for example, 8 x 56s -- will yield somewhat greater side-to-side distortion free vision (you won't need to center your eyes as carefully within eye cups). But you will be using large, clumsy, heavy binocular.
****
Top-quality binocular is always preferred to budget priced. You need to buy only once a lifetime, so buy the best.

Most of the time hunting will be time invested LOOKING, looking through a binocular (in the West, anyway). Getting two telescopes to work together, and remain working together is not easy. If they get out of alignment, they become unusable -- headaches, double vision, etc. Top-quality binoculars stay aligned.

Also, top-quality binoculars generally have superior materials, superior optical glass, more precisely ground lenses.

I could go on, but you catch my drift.

I use Zeiss-Wetzlar 8 x 30 B/GA IF Olive binocular with F2 range finder. With strap, lens protectors, snow filters, these weigh about 25 ounces.

[Lolly]

A little update.

After much deliberation and reading these and other posts, I am leaning towards the Zeiss 8x56 Victory. It appears to excell in low light and has the specifications, quality and longevity that I am looking for. It is a little on the relatively heavy side but that is acceptible. Most of my hunting (at this stage) is in a relatively stationary condition while glassing everywhere. If I really need something light for a daytime difficult foot slogging hunt where combined weight my become an issue, my Nikon 8x20 will do just fine if I choose to leave a "heavy" behind.

So, other than a mind numbing price of $1050 (lowest I could find from a reputable store), this glass looks good! I still may need some persuasion either way -  (maybe from my wife!)  :wink:

Thank you everyone for your input.

Lolly

[gallatin]

Zeiss classics are avail at cabelas for 699$

[Lolly]

Bought the Zeiss Victory 8 x 56. Very nice glasss indeed ! Low light performance is superior to other good glass I have tested and targets are clear, bright and distinct at 1/2 hour after sunset. Daytime performance is comparably superior in terms of optical qualities, however brightness differences are less discernable form other lower exit pupil value glass which is expected due to your own eyes' pupil diameter being the limiting factor in bright sunlight. Also there is very slight almost imperceptable image distortion at the extreme edges and I have yet to see zero edge distortion in a comparable unit. There is probably same or maybe better (more expensive) glass in a lighter package but not by much and not worth it IMO.

With a lifetime warranty, delivering the goods I want and need and built to last forever in most (if not all) hunting conditions - I am happy.

Thanks for all your input

Lolly

[Lead pot]

Lolly.
If you like them you made the right choice.
Just don't do what I did once in the Yellow Stone. I spotted a bear out in the far tree line, and put the binoculars on the roof of the Tahoe and got out the spotting scope. After wards I put the scope away and drove off.I heard a clunk looked back and saw the Zeiss Classics tumbling on the black top.
I called Zeiss and told them what I did, and the little lady just chuckled and said you too, send them in.A week and halve later I had a new pair case and all for $125.

Kurt.

[Lolly]

Kurt,

 I hear Ya ! I am so absent-minded myself, I can just picture the same thing happening to me. I always take extra care of my expensive stuff, but the reality is that when caught up in any excitement, I lose sight of everything around me except my objective.

So I mentaly prep myself in that after years of enlightenment and wisdom, everything material that I buy is essentially "eaten" and the money is gone. Since the time I have employed this "state of mind", I have only been pleasantly suprised when this sort of thing happens.

ANyway, I am thoroughly enjoying the Zeiss Victory and I am seeing the light !