BEST VALUE Binoculars for Hunting & Choosing Hunting Binoculars | 13 Binoculars Reviewed
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2024
- What are the best value hunting binoculars? Are expensive binoculars worth the money? How do they compare? How to choose hunting binoculars? That's what you'll find out in this video. #hunting #binoculars #value
This video reviews the 14 best binoculars for hunting, at different price points, in order to determine the best hunting binoculars for the money. I cover everything from entry-level to high-end hunting binoculars and everything in-between, sorted by price for convenience.
You can find more detailed information about this review on my Blog at:
jasontomeoutdoors.com/best-hu...
Intro (0:00)
How To Choose Hunting Binoculars (2:10)
The Start Of Review (7:04)
Here Are The Binoculars Reviewed In This Video:
Vortex Diamondback (7:54)
Vortex Diamondback HD (9:28): amzn.to/30qtpZH
Celestron Nature DX ED (10:51): amzn.to/3efJLMZ
Athlon Midas UHD (11:52): amzn.to/3c70JdY
Athlon Midas G2 UHD (12:42): amzn.to/3rqbtKS
Nikon Monarch 5 (13:14): amzn.to/3kReykB
Celestron TrailSeeker ED (14:43): amzn.to/38jPXjr
Maven C1 (15:28): (amzn.to/3bkUALZ) (www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...)
Zeiss Terra ED (16:50): amzn.to/2PxXiFm
Vanguard Endeavor ED IV (17:48): amzn.to/30llDjS
Vortex Viper HD (18:36): amzn.to/3efXmUt
Maven B2 (19:13): (amzn.to/2OvyRIk) (www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...)
Vortex Razor UHD (20:16): amzn.to/3qm4PUE
Swarovski EL (21:30): amzn.to/30ioGJR
Best Binoculars At Each Price Range (23:18)
Best Value Binocular (25:22)
Outro (25:52)
Manufacturing technology has improved a lot over the last few years and high-quality binoculars can be bought for a fraction of what they once were. After trying some newer glass I couldn’t believe how good they were in comparison to older glass.
I knew an upgrade would be well worth it, but I didn’t want to break the bank. If you’re reading this you’re probably in the same boat.
It is important to choose the right binoculars for the job they are being asked to perform. Choosing the best binoculars for hunting will depend on what type of hunting you are doing. To get the most out of your binoculars you will want to match binocular specs to how you hunt.
Weight, magnification, low-light capabilities…etc are all things to take into consideration when choosing the best hunting binoculars for the money.
There are trade-offs that should be considered, that when understood, will allow you to make the best purchase decision for your specific hunting situations so you get the most out of your binoculars.
How Hunting Binoculars Were Chosen For This Review:
After researching hundreds of binoculars using multiple online sources and cross-referencing them, I decided to buy hunting binoculars where these multiple sources overlapped in recommendations.
I tested these binoculars over a 3-week period in common hunting scenarios in order to see how they compared to each other. They were scored using 10 categories that are essential for hunting applications:
Build Quality
Bulk & Weight
Usability
Field of View
Brightness
Low-Light Performance
Clarity/Color
Chromatic Aberration
Price
Warranty
Are Expensive Hunting Binoculars Worth The Money?
There is a point of diminishing return when buying hunting binoculars. You can obtain 80% of the quality by spending 10x less money.
For example, the Athlon Midas binoculars cost +/- 250$, whereas the Swarovski EL’s cost +/- 2500$. So for 10x less money, you can still have at least 80% of what those expensive binoculars offer.
For me, if 250$ binoculars are even 70% comparable to 2500$ binoculars, that’s good enough for me.
I hope you’ve found this video review of the best hunting binoculars helpful, let me know if you have any questions or comments below.
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I saw so many reviews in so many products. Honestly, your review is the best I have ever watched. The reason is that you have systematically explained every item and then you filtered all items that are not good and you came out to the one that is best value for the money, excellent job. I wish you continue to review other things on the same way.
The amount of detail you put into the blog post is incredible… thank you so much.
really great review , thanks for all the research and info. clear presentation. cheers
Great review. Thanks, very informative.
Great review. Thanks for putting in the time and money
I’ve been having a hard time sleeping lately. This video helped me tremendously thank you so much
Lmaooooooo . Rude
Nice oneeee lmao
Oh snap! Your dad told me the same thing.. Fucker!
Very fair review that hits on critical points. Thank you
Very informative!
Excellent review! I have chosen the Midas as well. They are excellent value for money.
Definitely need more subs. Great video
I appreciate this review very much. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
well done! wow. Great content and detail.
Thanks!
Very informative video thank you.
Very helpful... thx
Great review !
Thanks!
Great review. Maybe you could compare some porro prism binoculars. As they let in more light, have a wider FOV and are loads cheaper. Roof prism binoculars, have more glass so extra weight, don't do low light well and cost a fortune.
Thanks for the amazing content Jason! What type of hunting do you mainly do? I’m curious to know if these athlons would be a decent pick out west for hunting elk.
Thanks Seth! I live in Maine and mostly hunt deer, moose, turkey, waterfowl. My long-range visibility is for sure different than out west because of the forests. That said, I would match your binoculars to the type of hunting you'll be doing and to the environment you'll be hunting in. Based on this review I'd assume they'd be just fine for elk hunting out west with proper magnification.
Appreciate and really impressed by your effort and I just recently purchased an Athlon Midas ED/UHD 8x42 Gen 1 based on your review. I also just purchased an Athlon Cronus UHD 10x50 rangefinder binoculars as well.
A friend who's into optics suggested to buy cheap Celestron (NON HD) binoculars for bang for the buck but their warranty isn't good and you have to pay them a fee- money everytime you need to send your binoculars in just like Bushnell. They also only have a 2 year warranty and only collamination issues fir the first 30 days and build quality seems non-existent based on many customer negative reviews.
very informative review
Thanks!
Fantastic in-depth review!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for this. For hunting and tracking in Maine, do you think the 8x32 would be any better? Or, is the 8x42 the sweet spot for power?
Thanks! I would recommend 8x42 or 10x42 for hunting and tracking in Maine
Fantastic overview, one of the few people I've seen that has reviewed the price to performance ration. I'd be interested to know how the Bushnell Engage EDX series stacks up if you ever did decide to do a follow up. I just picked up a pair and found them to perform fantastically for their price point.
Thanks! And I’ll keep that in mind if I do an updated review of binoculars 👍🏻
binoculars repair channel
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@@JasonTome Which is the best limit magnification to buy binoculars for hands???? And which the best company must buy?I want to spend about 500 EURO.
@@JasonTome I am lovers to see mountains, ship's and airplane ✈️. and i want to hold the binoculars with hands.
Realmente, increíble trabajo de resumen y mi compra se irá por los Athlon Midas G2 UHD.
Gracias amigo y un abrazo enorme desde Santiago de Chile (Latin-America).
Have you ever had the chance to try the Steiner 8x32 by any chance and if yes would you say the Athlon G2 is even better or similar? Thanks
Very cool vid man I've never met ne1 who has $10,000 in binoculars! I I guess what u saying is go "cheap" $200-$300 or go big $1000 $2000 but don't go in the middle I find that it like that with a lot of stuff not just binoculars
this video is great - thank you - and you own a ton of nockers
Thank you! I'm glad it helped
binoculars repair channel
th-cam.com/users/StOKRATzoom
Awesome video! “Bang for your buck”, hunting pun intended? 😂
Thanks! and sadly no.. but it should have been..!
@@JasonTome which company make the best binoculars please;and what i must buy;roof or porro prism; nicon company;or another;zoom 10*40 or 10*50; I want to hold the binoculars with my hands.thanks
@@JasonTome was the g2s 8x42 or 10x42
@@Scott_General They were 8x42
So there is a little bit of a mixed review on the Vortex 8x42 HD Diamondbacks, and I care to share that with you! The actual contrast is flatter on the Diamondbacks when compared to my Zeiss Victory 8x20 compacts, and on a grey day the Ziess have more sparkle and contrast by at least %10! But,,,,,, when the sun is shining at its peak or under snow conditions with a bright sun, I find the Vortex has a more beautiful look without blowing out any highlights for lower contrast glass! The colors pop more to my taste on the Vortex when the sun is out, especially yellows and greens, and even blues. So, the Zeiss Victory scores higher on sharpness, and contrast,,,,,, but on colors and harsh lighting conditions, I have to hand the more beautiful colors and smooth image over to my new Diamondbacks from Vortex! (I did have to tighten the focus knob just one time by popping of the knob cover, as it had a tiny dead zone out of the box, but that was very easy to fix and adjust, and so far, love these binoculars)
I cant believe you bought all those! I guess you have a full quiver of binos
Thank you 😊
Great video. My question is was that 8x42 or 10x42 g2s?
Thanks! And they were 8x42's
Great review.. M tight on a budget.. Below 250$ which one would u go for.. For overlap day night and the occasional planet /moon watching
Trailseekers (non ED) vs celestron. Nature DX ED or any other ones
Great review ! But Binocular Athlon I haven't seen in Europe.
They are made by Kunming United Optics. They manufacture for several large brands, Bushnell etc.
Perfect review and information. Should've watch your vid first. Would've saved me an hour. Lol
Thanks! 😂
Awesome video - do you have any thoughts on best range finders for value?
Thanks! And I don't currently but that could be a future video/blog
Hi Russell, I just made a blog post on best rangefinders. I don't have a video yet, but if you're interested: www.jasonmtome.com/best-hunting-rangefinders/
Nice review I enjoyed it although I can't believe you didn't have the Swarovski as the winner (you kinda did) so I bought this pair of sig sauer zulu5 10x42 binoculars on clearance for less than half price and I think there great but looking around online I think I'm the only one who bought them , probably why they were discounted so heavily but they seem good at everything and the only stuff I can find online for reviews is almost definitely just advertisements from sig. If you see this and have had the opportunity to compare these to other binoculars I'd love to hear some other opinions
(Yes the lens covers are the worst ever made )
I’m not sure when my next binocular video will be but I’ll keep it in mind! Glad you enjoyed the video
Trying to decide between Nikon Monarch 7, Maven c1 and Athlon midas g2 . In 10x42.
What do you recommend for traveling, hiking and sightseeing? Glass clarity and sharp image is my most important consideration. Then edge to edge clarity. Then water proof and build quality.
You can’t tell much difference between the Maven and the Athlon so I would go with whichever is offering the best price
My blog post that scores each binocular using a point system: www.jasonmtome.com/best-hunting-binoculars-for-the-money/
What do you say about VORTEX DIAMONDBACK HD 8×32 ? I chose a compact model. Price, quality or there is something better for this price. But in this model, the magnesium body is strong, argon, the design is on top.
I would expect they are high quality, but will lack low-light performance compared to a full sized pair
How do you feel about them after a few months of use(the athlons)? Anything to add?
binoculars repair channel
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So far so good, no complaints. At this time I don't have anything to add. I think only time will tell how rugged they are
Jason, liked your review! However, you missed a few features on several of the bino like on the Maven’s, you can remove the eye cups for complete cleaning and they have a full magnesium body and controls. Along with some of the other higher end brands. You always sacrifice build quality for weight. I don’t know much about Athalon, but if they are light weight my guess is they are all plastic. Now do a drop test and see who survives.
Thanks! And those are great points. Since this was not a long-term review I couldn’t test durability. But the fact that Athlon has a lifetime warranty gives me confidence even if they’re built with slightly less expensive materials.
Both of my athlon are magnesium framed
Which one is better Leupold BX-2 Alpine HD 10x52 mm (181178) or Vortex Diamondback HD 10x50?
Today both price are same
Jason, how is Athlon neos 2 , 10x42 ?can you tell me,
Sorry, I didn’t test those
*Magnification*is the first number, “zoom” refers to a device that is capable of using variable magnification, such as 8-15 x 50.
I recently bought an Athlon Cronus UHD Gen 2 10x42 and compared to my $50 ScoopX UHD 10x42 they're nearly identical in glass quality and main differences are significantly higher cost factor and weight difference and Athlon's lifetime warranty.
If buying everything with your own hard earned money tje ScoopX UHD can be bought for under $70 from some eBay sellers and pre-owned for under $50. I suggest trying them out for yourself since they're at least noticeably superior to the Athlon Midas UHD in regards to glass quality and have field flatteners and comparable to the Cronus UHD Gen 2 but much lighter weight and way cheaper too.
I've noticed the Athlon Cronus UHD has a weird fishbowl effect that makes me really dizzy and nauseated l
In the 500 range you should of added the athlon cronus and then you would have the overall winner. They Are $500 but beat out most of your high end models.
Interesting, I'd like to get my hands on a pair to compare
The Cronus are definitely mentioned often on Rokslide forums and spoken highly of. They're a tough bunch to impress and know their glass well, So it says alot about the Binos. Outside of the big 3, maven and Meopta seem to be the favorite, But a whole lot of folks seem to be happy enough with the B2's to start passing up on the swaros.
Way ways to ouch time on Vortex! Come on dude!
I’d turn up your volume/audio when editing. This video was pretty quiet even with my phone volume turned all the way up.
Will do!
The vortex lifetime warranty is a big factor to consider
Leupold and Athlon also have lifetime warranties, as do many companies
Hi sweet review man. To be honest only ones I tried was the vortex Viper in 10x42 & 10x50. The 10x50 blew the 42mm away. I’m about to pull the trigger here in next couple days. Should I get the Maven B2 9x, B2 11x, vortex viper 10x50 or now with this review the athlon Midas G2 10x50? I hunt up close in thick bush but also hunt moose in Alaska open country. Any help would be great. Is the Athlon clearer & brighter then the vortex Midas?
I would say they are all great choices but for the price I really like the Athlon Midas and is the binocular I’m currently using for hunting. I think they have just as good clarity and brightness. The others might have better build quality but with the satisfaction guarantee of Athlon I’m not worried about it. For the price you could get two Athlon binos - one 8x42 for thick country and a 10x50 or 12x50 for open country and still have spent less money than buying one pair of the more expensive models you mentioned. Hope this helps!
@@JasonTome hi Jason, thanks for the reply was waiting to hear from you. I’m going to back out of the maven binos. I really wanted them but I just bought a Sako 300wm yesterday. Money is tight those things are almost 3k out the door. Also the mavens if I have to warranty it or have any issues I have to send it back to u.s and deal with customs and shipping all the time. I called viper and they have a warranty outfit in u.s & Canada. I really like there 10x50 viper it was so much nicer then there 10x42. As soon as I looked through it after I had the 10x42 it popped right out. Was so clear I had to look at the binos just to make sure I didn’t grab the razors that was sitting on counter. I called viper and pretended I had a problem with a bino and the service they gave me, turn around time was unreal. I was really impressed. Now Athlons I know nothing about and there Midas series in 10x50 is $200 cheaper then the vortex viper. Your comment is more about price point. Let’s wash the $200 and say they are the same price point. Now handling both money being equal what one would you take and Why. Thanks
binoculars repair channel
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@@outyxt800 If the price point was the same I'd still choose the Athlons because they seemed to have better glass. That said, Vortex has a good reputation and is known for good build quality/durability. Hope this helps.
@@JasonTome yes that helps huge. I will try the Athlon out in fact I’m also going to order there spotting scope in 65mm lens. If you could just answer 1 more question, should I get the Midas 10x42 $350 or Midas 10x50 $550 On Amazon. Is the 10x50 that much difference in clarity & brightness? Reason I ask is when I tried the viper 10x42 thought they were nice but when I tried the 10x50 I was extremely impressed. I just want to know if this is the same with the Athlons is all. Thanks Jason
Viper or terra which one was better? Thanks
Vipers took a slight advantage
Midas G2 better than both
Isn't that a pair of Athlon Cronus/ not the midas?
Nope! Those are the Athlon Midas
How do you determine build quality?
It was based on my first impressions while trying them out and if they had a lifetime warranty that was a bonus
i recommend swarovski cl companion 10x30 those little binoculars are awesome
Diamondback HD 10×50 or G2's in 10x50
G2s
Leupold👍🏻
You forgot MEOPTA
How did an optics manufacturer like Leupold not make it into your testing? I mean they are like the go to when it comes to amazing glass.
Ever heard of Swarovoski?
@@babiesfartingfire6007 I was about to say
You sound like the dude from Napolean Dynamite.....
Want to try our?
Not putting a Leupold binocular in this video should be considered a crime. My Leupold BX-1 McKenzie will destroy the Vortex and Athlon. Paid $99.99 at Bass Pro recently...By the way Vortex seems to copy several Leupold designs also. Don't believe my compare them in person...
You couldve just saved your money and picked up a pair of Swarovski....
I recently received my Athlon binoculars.
For anyone wanting to know, they are absolutely stunning to look through, magnificently crisp, ultra vibrant colour and no CA.
Excellent light gathering ability in low light condition, excellent long range capability.
Very high quality glass, i could not recommend them strongly enough.
I have the Argos UHD G2 8x42. I believe the only difference compared to the Midas model would be slightly less field of view which suits me fine for where i need them to perform.
Price, quality and life time warranty cannot be beaten.
Outstanding review you have made, fast and informative, hope to see many more.
I just got some argos hd in. Wow is all I can say. Can't wait for my midas to come in.
You won’t be disappointed in performance, I’ve had mine for 1 year now and have hunted with them about every 3rd week all year. I’ve definitely put them through their paces, rain, sun dawn, dusk, near and far.
One of the best purchases I’ve made. Most people I know who Try my athlons are blown away. Most of those people follow the herd and have vortex, vortex being a good brand but I definitely think your money goes further for the athlons.
8x42 have been an amazing size for very active hunting, super versatile and great to fit in my binoculars pouch. I’d love to try more of their range I’ve I ever got another set and maybe look at their rifle scopes.
If you hunt I can recommend vixen scopes. They’re incredible and a testament to high quality Japanese manufacturing. Very affordable without spending hyped up brand money. There is some absolutely hidden gems out there like both these brands. 🤫
@Bigfhoot thanks I'll have to check them out. I have a couple of athlon scopes I use for NRA matches. The glass is much better than the arken I have. My hunting is mostly out of blinds or stands in the southeast. Not much stalk hunting in my area.
@@Benroe-yz1nz no problem! I run a vixen 4-16 x 44 and never feel under scoped in plains hunting, running it low on 4 power I’ve taken deer at 20 meters. Are your Athlon scopes on rimfire or center fire rifles? I almost purchased one not far back but couldn’t find many reviews.
@@Bigfhoot one on rimfire and one on centerfire. Centerfire gets pushed to 600yds
Very annoying video, editing reminds me of Max headroom, oops I had a short snooze just there😴😴😴😴
None of the binoculars you are reviewing "zoom". Quit using the word zoom and say magnification. Sorry but that really bugged me since it would be confusing for some.
This is hard to watch
I couldn't finish i almost fell asleep
binoculars repair channel
th-cam.com/users/StOKRATzoom
This review is like comparing Ferrari F40 to Honda Civic to Mercedes E class
Just nonsense
Honda wins every time...cheaper, fast enough, reliable. :)))
Yes, and you buy a Honda and invest the difference, unless you have ego issues.
There is a far more elaborate review on optics trade..... a whole team is testing from budget to highend.
And guess what: Diamondback HD winner on the scale to 450 €.
Winner highend Swarowski >1700 €