Thread: Bino+Range finders.

Looking to buy a new range finder, how ever is it worth spending more $ to get Binos with rangefinder as well.
Have had a pair of Bushnell binos for awhile which seem to do the job fine for me. (Haven't had the opportunity to look through European glass, am I missing out?)
Having the 2 in 1 would make things more simple...


What are others using/recommend?

cheers

I had a pair of Leica 10x42 Range finders, If I was to do it again I would buy a pair of Euro glass 10x32's (or 40's if you want the extra lens area) and then purchase a stand alone rangefinder. Technology these days is advancing at dizzying rates, its much easier to flick off your range finder and upgrade when the next latest and greatest is out vs high end Bino/Range finders

On the other hand, I've had a set of Geovids for ~10 years and don't really see any need to change, they have mint glass and range out to like 1400 metres perfectly

Have the Bushnell 1mile Rf binos and find them very good. The glass quality & clarity is very good and while it’s not quite there with euro optics it’s certainly much better than usual Bushnell experience. Much easier to have the one bit of kit to do both jobs.

Comes down to two things - Where you hunt & your budget.

I run a Leica 1600B rangie & Swaro 8 x 32 EL's, both work awesome ( love my 8 x 32's ) but a combined unit would be very handy especially on "broken" country Wallaby shooting in south Canterbury or Red Deer hunting Southern Wairarapa coastal stuff, where you spot an animal through the bino's & then have to try & find it with the rangefinder, you learn to make sure you have some land features / markers before putting the bino's down.

A combined unit would be great in that situation, but they are slightly bulkier & heavier.

I bought some El's a while ago (10x42, not the range model) and they blow away anything I have ever had before, but I still can't quite get rid of the temptation to just go to a all in one unit. I started looking at the EL range model and there's a tonne of reviews out there that say that swaro didn't even use hd/ed glass on them and that they are pretty piss poor (by swaro standards) in the optical department. Has any one got these who has had "normal" ELs before and can attest to the quality of the glass?

I have geovids and would never change to two separate units I cannot think of one benefit in having 2 seperate units

Same as Phil.
I've had Swarovski, Zeiss and Lecia Rf binoculars all 10x
I used Phils 8x a few years back on tops trip never looked back, now have little 8x Swarovski binoculars and Lecia Rf.
Find way more animals with the 8x.


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Originally Posted by BRADS

Same as Phil.
I've had Swarovski, Zeiss and Lecia Rf binoculars all 10x
I used Phils 8x a few years back on tops trip never looked back, now have little 8x Swarovski binoculars and Lecia Rf.
Find way more animals with the 8x.


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8x30 or 8x42?

Originally Posted by MSL

8x30 or 8x42?

30

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CL companion

Got all above for sale at good prices

The mountain Swaro @BRADS is referring to are "in my book" bloody awesome
You can have them - without even knowing you have got them - understand
I am using my 8x every day (usually after an hour or so of Thermal use 1st :-)

Have 10x and 8x on hand to sell – but only to a qualified Forum Member that I can feel comfortable with – if you get my drift

I still wouldn't mind having a set of decent range - binos ( Lecia, Zeiss or swaro ) but I'd still keep my other units, horses for courses just comes down to how much coin you can / want to spend aye

I've got a pair of Geovid HD-B 10x42's (bought off Sarvo - great service and support).

I wouldn't go back to two separate units. I used to run Zeiss Victory binos and a seperate Leica RF, and it was a PITA at times having to put the binos down and try to find the animal in the RF.

Yeah, bino/rangefinding technology is advancing, but not by giant leaps. Not if you're hunting within regular distances. As far as I can tell, the newer models are mainly focused on extending ranging capabilities (in terms of distance), and providing better ballistic calculators. This is all a moot point if all you're doing is shooting to 400m.

Stand-alone binoculars undergo small changes too. Especially Swarovski who are always updating their optical coatings etc. So you're not immune to technological advancements by sticking with standalone binoculars.

The Geovids are built like tanks. Sealed extremely well - I just let them sit in a shallow stream after a hunt to wash all the dust off them. They're not delicate in the slightest, and the optical performance is superb. I know a few guys who have had the earlier models for close to 13 years now, without any hiccups. They're not new technology by any means.

Comes down to what you want. If you're a long-range nut, and you cannot afford to keep switching bino/rangefinding combos as the technology evolves, then it may be better with a great pair of standalone binos and a seperate hand-held rangefinder to flick on as new stuff comes on the market.

But if you're a hunter shooting ordinary distances, and you're after a quality, convenient package - then the combos are awesome. They're just so practical.

bino and rangefinder same weight as all in 1 unit,

geovid hdr is my choice. value for money at the moment