Plan on going out west for a couple months this fall and would like to purchase a good pair of binoculars for wildlife viewing we may see along the way Don't need a wallet breaker just good optics if possible.

any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Might think about a spotting scope and cheap tripod

Any more specifics like size, etc?

I'm rather partial to Nikon's myself but there is no shortage of glass out there. But plenty of it can get pricey too so budget wise might be helpful too

Nikon Monarch, for the price nothing else is even close.

They would be one the girlfriend an I can pass back and forth while enjoying the National parks with.

I have never had a pair except cheap ones that didnt have a clear wide view or distance so have no clue of what i'm looking for


never thought of a spotting scope any recommendations for them would also be a helpfull plus

go to a store with lots of options , a store that is big or will let you take your top 3 outside with the clerk , pick a sign or license plate at distance the more writing the better , then look through each and see what you can see for detail

what you can read sets one pair apart from the next

then deciding what you can live with for the price.

you may well want 2 pair passing them back and forth gets old

Vortex Crossfire HD 10x42…I use these all year long. Archery season thru turkey season. They travel cross country with me as well. Big enough to see at a distance and light enough they don’t hinder me at all.

Stay with an 8 or 10 power. I have some 12 by 50 swarovskis and am not impressed. Too shaky with that high of a power.

Agreed.

I use Bino’s and spotting scopes often. Vortex is great for the money, just pick your budget. Like said 8x or 10x power is about all you can hand hold. The bigger number is how much light can get thru them. I like the 10x32’s I have that are upper end Leupold’s . I just seem to carry them more. 10x 42 is most likely easier to find. As said before two pairs is nice, once you focus for your eyes you don’t have to adjust much. Vortex diamondbacks or the Nikons shouldn’t be to terrible on the wallet. Right now I have 10x32 Leupold’s, 15x56 Vortex Kiabab’s , and two spotting scopes both upper end Leupold’s. You need a tripod for a spotter. Thinking of buying a set of Vortex 15x56 for my wife. She has been hunting with me this year.

wws

If you can only afford one pair look at 12x50 or 15x50 and a tripod. As long as you and whoever you share with are close to the same height. 12s are on a tripod to keep steady, can hand hold but not for long.watch scheels for sales on binos . I have 3 pair 8x42 , 10x50 12x50 all vortex . The 22s are razors the others diamondbacks. We glassfor hours and the12s are great.

DWC if you want to part with thos swars let me know.

You want to remember the higher the power the smaller the field of view, my 18’s are great on a tripod, you really can see everything out a long ways. You will even see more with 8 power or 12 powers on a tripod. Get comfortable and take a look around. I really think most of the reputable brands are getting better, might not be as good as the very best but not sure my eyes can tell anymore.

wws

There’s a big difference between glassing for a set of horns a mile away or the wet spot on a nose using the focal power to look through the timber, and sightseeing.
Most of the glass listed above is well over $300 for what you’re doing. I would recommend a pair of 10 x 50’s around $150-$200. They will be a lot better than the cheap ones you bought in the past and you’re not gonna be looking through them constantly for hours upon hours, so eye strain won’t be an issue. They will make a buffalo that is 600 yards away look like he’s in your lap.

BINOCULAR HACK
:When looking at cheaper binoculars hold them up and look through them at arms length if the exit pupil, that’s the one you’re I would be normally looking in, appears like a stop sign that means the prism and lenses are not correctly aligned. You can look at several pairs of the same make and model and you can see some that are round and some That appear hexagonal or look like a stop sign. You want the ones with round exit pupils.

When I worked as a big game guide in Montana as a young man I carried 10 X 40 Leopold gold rings, which was the best glass I could afford, the Lika, Zeis, Swarovski Bino’s were twice or three times as expensive and are probably well over $2000 today.

Have fun on your sightseeing trip and remember you’re not looking for professional glass just vision enhancement.

Check cameralandny for display/return binos. Minox is a very good brand....

Vortex Diamondback are good for the money, I'd go with the 10x40 or 42 (don't remember which they are). There is a lot better glass out there, but not for the price. If you're price range was 500-1500 I could give you lots of good options to try out, but in the 200 range as far as my eyes are concerned the Diamondbacks are hard to beat. And Vortex stands behind their warranty great if you ever have a problem.

I have used a Bushnell spotting scope for 30 plus years It has interchangeable lenses One is a 22x and the other is a 40x lense . It fits my needs fine I would not make it my first choice if I was planning to go on a once in a lifetime trophy Dall Sheep hunt But it has served me well using it to get a closer look at wildlife that is 300 to 500 yards away And I have used it quite a bit to get a better look a deer while hunting deer from a long range elevated blind

Listen to the people that are from out west..

Therefore a dummy like me that uses binos to look 120 yds I won't recommend an out west bino..

I bought Vortex 10x42 Diamondbacks and found them to be a good balance of size for glassing on vacation or even carrying to my tree stand. They spend most of the time bouncing around my truck checking out cows, deer, coyotes, and all those "what the heck is that spot out there" things.
My wife has Vortex 8x40 Diamondbacks. They are significantly smaller. Still good to look through. But, a lot handier to carry to sporting events.
I do have an Athlon spotting scope that is good to use looking long distance for the price. But, its not near as handy as a pair of bino's.
My next pair of binoculars will probably be 12x50's.

Swavorski !

I went to Cabelas and had a bunch of all price ranges on the counter. Buy once cry once, I could afford the choice. They have a sign up in those big building rafters, across the other side, at least this one did.

After adjusting each for my eyes the Nikon Monarchs actually came out the best for me focusing in on that little sign. Given inside lighting is variable and not nearly as good as daylight I figured the glasses I chose would be even better outside in higher lite. I wasn’t disappointed and I have been very happy with the Monarch’s since. Saving a nickel or two in the process was an added bonus.

Osky

I just bought a pair of 10x50 Vortex Vipers. My buddy carries Vortex in his shop, so I got them for cost, or else I probably wouldn't have gotten them.

They're pretty nice.

I have several, the nikon monarchs are very good. For the money I would recommend the vortex diamond back. I would recommend 10x40 or 10x42. Get any higher power than that and at least for me i can't hold them still. Just mop

Thanks to all that replied..alot of info i.m going to have to look into and some questions that i didnt think of.

12x50's is all I carry. Anything less than that power for me just doesn't do the job. As far as brand name do some homework and go try a pair of 12x50's and get a quality pair of the brand name you trust. Vortex are great and don't break the bank and have thee best consumer qualities.

Avoid the lower end Vortex, the warranty is great and you'll need it.

Stop by Cabelas like stated and look over some various brands.
Lots of better mid range binos now.
Go with 10x , 12 and higher are for more long range glassing than spotting in timber or just looking at wildlife.
I use Swaros but bought them, years back in the bargain cave, no need to upgrade for me.
If you'll spend $500 or so you'll get much better glass than say buying $200 binos.

Spotting scope would be my choice only for spotting of long distance game, and a tripod would be needed, decent binos would be a better choice for you I think.

I like European glass, but it is expensive.
But I seriously doubt that you will notice much difference with Nikon bino's; and for a lot less money. I like 10X, much more magnification can be a little hard to stabilize.

Real happy with the 12x50 crossfire I have

Midway has the Vortex Diamondback Gen 1 10x42 on sale for $129 with free shipping.

Just remember, cheap binos will give you a splitting headache after a day of glassing with them.

Vortex 12X and no problems around 500 dollars

I know Vortex gets a lot of love but I am not a big fan. Yes the warranty is great, but other brands have great warranties as well. They just don't make their living selling the warranty.
I personally love Meopta products, but there are a lot of good options out there. Go to a Cabelas etc and check out what they have on display and see what YOUR eyes like. Also, go early morning (probably too late in the year for that) or late evening just before dark. All the binocs seem bright in a well lit store at 2pm. See the difference in the early morning/late evening shadows. Also, 8x would be my advice. Anything stronger are hard to stabilize and 40 or larger objective, absolute minimum 32.

warranty's matter, just talking to a guy that lost all his guns in the holiday fire on the McKenzie river, he said the safe did a fine job of holding all the ashes in place. Leupold which I'm a big fan of said no to the warranty, Vortex sent him new scopes no questions asked. Leupold offered a 60% off new scopes. I think Vortex offers warranty on all there stuff, I'm about to find out how it works. I had a screw come out from behind an eye cup on a pair of binoculars, I called and they said go ahead and finish your hunt then call and they will send a shipping label to get them there. Sounded good so far we will see. How long it takes will matter too. Leupold once fixed a scope I found in a trash can, took less than a week.

wws

I will state that most of those who I know that use their binoculars extensively (guides) that run the Vortex Diamondbacks have all ended up sending them back and getting them replaced under warranty. Most of those who use them a couple weeks a year haven't had a problem. Their warranty is great and no hassle, other than being out a pair of binos for a week. There are much better options out there, but I haven't used any in his price range I consider as good. Personally I use a pair of Steiner Nighthunters 10x50, which haven't been made in years, are very big and heavy, but have great glass and gather more light than any other binos I have tried. If I was buying a new pair right now, with what I have tried I would buy a set of Vortex Razor 10x40s, but last I looked at them they were $1000 and are probably more now. They gather more light than the Swarvorskis I have tried though, and are just as clear, and are maybe half as bulky and heavy as the ones I am using now. Plus their reliability is much better than Diamondbacks, Vipers (not a fan, to my eyes the Diamondbacks are superior) or Crossfires. I'm a big fan of Leupold scopes, but their binoculars just don't do it for my eyes. Everyone's eyes are different, so I recommend trying out various brands and models if you can.

Swarovski is what I use but I use mine daily I have a pair 30 years old that are as good today as when I purchased them I send them in about every thee or four years and get the service department to go thru them and they come back looking like new
They a great in low light conditions

Buy the best you can and you won’t regret it
Bubba

Good glass is important, especially when you're spending hours a day behind them. Buy the best you can afford. I've owned a couple pair of Zeiss Dialyt binos. One in 8x30 and the other in 10x40. The 8x30s were the best option for me being a nice balance between magnification and bulk.

I have a old set of Kowa,,,my first night vision because of light gathering......

If you can, test whatever optic you want on a cloudy day and even better if it's close to time to quit shooting. A bright sunny day isn't you friend when it comes to testing optics.