Range finding binoculars ?!

[treetop]

I feel the need to look into this area.
I currently have a 400m range finder & 10x binoculars, but it would be nice to carry 1 item
But I'm not in the market to remortgage the house or sell a kidney.

So, my question is thus ... What is out there for less than £ 500

and does anyone use the rangefinder binoculars with a mekometer and are they any good ?

Cheers

 

[Grant.N]

For anything decent, it's going to cost you 3x your budget.
I sold my Leica Geovid HDR s as I did not want to carry a big set of bio s round my neck all of the time. Instead I replaced them with Swarovski EL 32 Swarovision field pro and a Leica CRF 1600B

 

[nun_hunter]

More than your budget but the cheapest ones that work and are fairly decent would probably be by Vortex.

 

[NigelM]

I bought a set of second hand Swaro 10x42 EL's about 12 years ago. They have been fantastic but I was ****ed with having to switch to the RF to judge distance and because it was a relatively cheap one having trouble on occasions seeing in the RF what I could clearly see with the bins. Finally bit the bullet and bought some Lecia HDB's.

I sold the Swaro's for what I paid for them - that's what you get with quality glass. If you can afford the cash flow you pay nothing for them long term.

The Leica's have changed the game. I am always zapping things whilst out, guessing the range first and then checking it. My natural range estimation has improved significantly as a result. I can zap everything I can see with the bins, whenever I put them up to my face, much better than the old RF. Despite the cost it has been a great improvement, one I wouldn't go back on, despite the **** taking from the boys who switched to the new tech much earlier than I did.

 

[lochty]

Whatever you decide, check the warranty. Even the best only give 2 years on the electronics. Caveat emptor. ?...

 

[Cawdor118]

You may have seen a post of mine below regarding reconditioning - I was offered Zeiss victory Rf for £700 2 days ago. If you are not bothered about condition, there are deals to be had.

 

[308mate]

my advice is save your money until you can afford something decent. for the last 10 years I've been using sub £300 bino's and its a waste of money, I've recently bought a set of leica range finding bino's and they are fantastic! but more to the point I wont need to buy another set of bino's ever again. think of them as a long term investment and at the end of the day they will hold they value and if needed you can sell them on again for a decent price

 

[bullet chucker]

Well said 308mate!
I agree, that is first class advice. The cost if you are short on the readies is a difficult one but if you are determined and use that advice to wait then you will save in the long run.

BC.

 

[Steff]

Kahles has a new offering with their 8x42 and 10x42 rangefinding models. They are advertised for 1,500 EUR, which is considerably less than Swaro and Leica. I haven't seen any tests on the optical qualities of them yet though.

If it was for me I'd much prefer a 8x32. I use them for daylight stalking, so there is really no need for extended twilight capabilities. Less weight and more compact dimensions would instead be the game changers for me. I am still hoping to see such a model on the market in the not too far away future.

 

[Grant.N]

If any of the top manufacturers offer an 8x32 with a rangefinder then I would defiantly switch back.

 

[JabaliHunter]

I have the Leica 8x56 and it is excellent. Expensive, but I don’t regret it. For the price that they are now, it would be tough to find a used Swarovski EL range cheaper and that doesn’t have the on board calculator.

Zeiss are supposed to be launching a new one at Shot 2018 or Jagd & Hund 2018 I believe.

Personally I wouldn’t want a x32 unless nothing else was available. Poor light is not limited to twilight and bigger objectives have other optical advantages too.

There is always the 0% balance transfer option...

 

[JabaliHunter]

Otherwise I would look seriously at some of the better handheld rangefinders. Probably better advice if on a strict budget.

 

[Grant.N]

There is very little difference between 32 and 42 when comparing high end glass in low light in my experience.

 

[JabaliHunter]

Not in mine, but the world would be a dull place if we all saw things in the same way

 

[Steff]

I also have a Zeiss 10x56 RF (Range Finder). But I only use it when hunting from a high seat. It's only for stalking that I wish there was a x32 model. So it is not a matter of either or.

 

[qwerty2008]

Alternatively you don’t really need RF binos unless you are regularly shooting 200+ or use a slower calibre with a significant drop.
But if you do/have either then a RF binos are luxury very well “investing” in, rather than the pain of 2 devices.
But consider the fact, that within a couple of years we will all probably be flogging our current “long term investment” expensive RF binos, to buy the latest Thermal RF binos

 

[Blakey]

Alternatively you don’t really need RF binos unless you are regularly shooting 200+ or use a slower calibre with a significant drop.
But if you do/have either then a RF binos are luxury very well “investing” in, rather than the pain of 2 devices.
But consider the fact, that within a couple of years we will all probably be flogging our current “long term investment” expensive RF binos, to buy the latest Thermal RF binos

+1

 

[John Gryphon]

There is very little difference between 32 and 42 when comparing high end glass in low light in my experience.

I think you need new eyes Grant

 

[Vulpesvulpes]

And another thing is RF binos are not as good as the equivalent non RF. They have tech inside one of the tubes that decrease the image usually in the right side, they tend to be heavier and have less warranty on the electrical components.
I sold my 8.5X42 EL's and Leica 1200 Scans along with my Leica 15X50 RFB's and bought a straight Leica 10X50 HD and never regretted it. I know what i can shoot at distance and i get as close as i can.

 

[JabaliHunter]

And another thing is RF binos are not as good as the equivalent non RF. They have tech inside one of the tubes that decrease the image usually in the right side,

That is no longer the case with the current Perger porro prism system in the Leica Geovid which keeps the optical and laser paths separate. I believe that the Swarovski uses a beam splitter to achieve a similar effect.