minox hg Advice

[ratcherman]

I was just looking for some advice on some new bins im looking to spend around £400 ish ,i have been looking at some old posts on here and the minox hg seem to be very popular on here are they as good as they look any advice appreciated and also any other bins recommended many thanks

 

[Monkey Spanker]

The sportsman have got a clearance offer on Minox at the moment and you'll get 2 pairs for £400!
They might be snow cam though! Paint one pair green! Seeing as deer see in black and white I doubt it will make any difference anyway?
http://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/products/results/go/5/
MS

 

[caorach]

I'm a big fan of the Minox HGs and have been proclaiming their wonders for a while now. All I can say is that if you get them for £400 you will not be disappointed. My view is that they are at just the right spot on the price/quality graph and while I'm not claiming that they are better than a pair of £1,600 binos I'd say they are close enough not to matter for most people.

I have also found that their low light performance is quite remarkable and have been in a situation on a few occasions where the chap lying beside me with his swaros couldn't see things I could in low light. Maybe my eyesight was better but I find that my 8.5X43 HGs can see deer after it would be too dark to shoot them and in the end that is all that matters.

If you have £1,600 to spend on binos then I would say to go for the swaros or Lecias as you will not be happy until you do. However, if you are being sensible or on a limited budget then I would feel confident that you would be impressed with the Minox and you will never find yourself in a situation where you feel like you need more out of your binos, especially in fading light.

My understanding is that the "old" range of HGs are being discontinued and are going to be, or maybe have been, reintroduced but now manufactured in Germany. In the past they were made in Japan. I suspect that the £400 offers you see around are the end of the Jap models and there probably couldn't be many of them left now. So, if you are going to buy a pair for £400 (I've seen them for £389 somewhere) you probably need to act fairly soon.

 

[satellite buck]

bloody good binos , try clifton cameras good to deal with and quick dispatch,sb

 

[Thar]

I had two red hinds and a calf in front of me at first light last weekend, I could see them in the 8.5X43 HGs but when I put the rifle up with an 8X56 30mm tube Swarvo on I couldn’t see the buggers.

ATB

Tahr

 

[Adamant]

I'm a fan of the Minox HGs too - I have the older 8.5x43s and have found them to be superb. Over and above their very, very good optics (particularly at low light and variable ranges in cluttered woodland), they are superbly compact and fit into the front pocket of my stalking smock.

I handled the older model and the new 8x43 HGs - given that I couldn't tell the difference optically and the spec' is identical, I opted for the ones discounted at £400 rather than the new ones retailing at £800. I did loads of research before spending my hard earned wedge and don't feel remotely disadvantaged by using Minox binos over Leicas, Swaros or Zeiss binos. I freely admit that the Zeiss Victory binoculars I've tried are glorious but they feel really bulky over the dinky Minox binos.

Adam.

 

[Flung]

I bought mine (HG 8.5's x 43 BR) recently from Clifton cameras -very pleased with both the bin's and Clifton Cameras. I paid less than £400 which I think is outstanding value for such a spec.

Alun

 

[finnbear270]

I use Leica's, but I certainly would not turn my nose up at a pair of Minox, they are punching way above their weight, (price wise) 8)

 

[Dalua]

... pair of Minox, they are punching way above their weight 8)

Excellent! They are the 6.5x55mm of the binocular world

 

[finnbear270]

Do I detect a feeling of being an underdog here? 8)

 

[Thar]

Excellent! They are the 6.5x55mm of the binocular world

Fcuk it mine are useless then, I am selling them. I alway thought that the light transmission was way to slow though them.

ATB

Tahr

 

[Flung]

I should have also mentioned that I purchased mine based a lot on the research I made in SD; a mine of info' - so thanks guys; your comments were very helpful.

Alun

 

[stone]

Excellent! They are the 6.5x55mm of the binocular world

Fcuk it mine are useless then, I am selling them.

ATB

Tahr

Feck Tahr
i almost spat my wine out all over the key board at that comment

 

[Rangefinder]

Right Fella's your advice please

I'm in need of a pair of backup Bins and am seriously looking at Minox for the price.

Whats the differrence between BL/BR BV/BR and the HD's

 

[Thar]

Right Fella's your advice please

I'm in need of a pair of backup Bins and am seriously looking at Minox for the price.

Whats the differrence between BL/BR BV/BR and the HD's

Here is a rough guide to the models,

The BR HG (high grades) are the best although they are about to superceded by a new model.

Next are the BL they have the same glass as the HG models but weigh more because the HG have a magnesium body while the BLs have a alloy body in addition the HG are argon filled and the lesser models use nitrogen.

The entry model are the BV these have a composite body but don’t write them off the glass is still very good probably better than any else for the money.

ATB

Tahr

 

[Rangefinder]

Wow Spot on Thar very many thanks for the info