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