To tell you the truth, Binoculars are what the 'Survival' and 'Militia' guys should spend some real money...
Same with serious hunters and animal watchers...
Seriously clear optics with sharp enough focus to pick out cammo patterns from background for the 'Man Hunters',
And,
Clear & Sharp enough to pick out game from their natural environment, where, might I add, unless you are hunting striped skunks, most animals blend in REALLY GOOD!
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Militia/End of the world types should consider using spotting scopes instead of binoculars.
Spotting scopes can easily run up to 80 or 100 times magnification, and in the Marines we almost always used the spotting scope over binoculars when operational.
Game hunters and animal watchers might want lighter weight since they aren't going to be lying prone with a rest under a big old spotting scope!
And,
With stereo vision, it's easier to make an estimate of range without a range finder.
For a guy that is going to spend most of his day with 'Field Glasses' to his face, weight and clarity are paramount!
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Some Facts;
When the specifications say '8x30' or '10x50', what they are referring to is the...
First number, MAXIMUM MAGNIFICATION.
Second number, Front (Objective) Lens Diameter.
The larger the first number, the farther you will be able to see, but the less 'Field Of Vision' you will have,
Meaning you can zoom right in on one thing, but it will be hard to see anything BUT that object.
The larger the second number, the larger the front lenses that collect more light.
Larger lenses will make the image seem 'Brighter' in low light or overcast days.
STRAIGHT THROUGH vs. ROOF PRISM.
I prefer STRIGHT THROUGH vision.
You get a little less magnification with stright through, but you get a MUCH clearer image!
I'm a hunter and 'Watcher', so I get a wider field of view with lower magnification and 'Straight Through' versions.
Roof Prism bounces the image around inside to the binocular body to get a longer focal length and higher magnification.
Every prism (mirror) the image goes through degrades it slightly more...
So although you are getting more 'Zoom' magnification, the image is 'Fuzzier' and slightly more 'Washed Out' in color and definition.
You also get a much narrower field of view. (so you are kind of 'pinpointed' on something and can't see the heard of deer just to the left or right!)
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I carry
Leupold myself.
Price vs. Clarity and ability to focus precisely, along with lens coatings that REALLY make things 'Pop',
AND,
They make a seriously light weight and compact package out of them!
Lifetime warranty from a company that will be in business next week/month/year is always a plus too!
Leupold || Binoculars
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A friend of mine swapped binoculars just to see with the others was like once, and he had
Burris.
Burris is an AMERICAN company that is much under rated, and they make fine products!
His were a little 'Low End' Burris, and were almost as good as my 'Middle of the road' Leupold binoculars were!
If I had to get a second set of Binoculars, it would be a Burris set! They are just that good!
Burris Optics
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I have a set of Leica binoculars that were over $1,500 retail...
(I can't afford that, I won them at a Ducks Unlimited dinner.)
They worked really good for me, and did everything you would expect a top end set of binoculars to do... But at $1,500+ I sure would have to have a BURNING NEED to have them! (like in the military and my life depended on them!)
And at well over $1,500 they aren't any better than my 'Middle of the road' Leupold binoculars are.
Leica Binoculars - Leica Binoculars Review
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Carl Ziess makes a fine set of Binoculars, we were issued Ziess in the military and they were FANTASTIC.
They are also HATEFUL EXPENSIVE!
I'd have to say Carl Ziess is the top of the heap in binoculars (and about all optics) but they are just SUPER STUPID EXPENSIVE...
Welcome to Carl Zeiss Optical, Inc.
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I would skip on the Bushnell, Tasco, Weaver, ect. brands.
Most of them are made in Korea or China, and they just aren't much for usefulness to me.