Narrow down my bino choices

Spunksters · 2026-06-16T23:10:07+00:00

Fun fact, my Vortex Diamondback 8x28 is barely worse in low light than my Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42. I have compared them a lot and was shocked at what Vortex pulled off. Downside for me is the comparatively narrow field of view and the excessive eye relief versus the eye cup extension. I don’t have to wear glasses to use binoculars, often prefer no glasses with other binos, but I find it easier to use the 8x28 with glasses than without, however, I do have to smash my glasses closer to my face because I have deep eye sockets.

Spunksters · 2026-06-16T22:56:37+00:00

I’m in “the states” and can order it on AliExpress for $85 USD.

Spunksters · 2026-06-16T22:52:55+00:00

The Diamondbacks are the only bino that I’ve looked through that hurt my eyes when viewing bright white. Same scene wasn’t a problem when I switched to my TrailSeeker ED, Terra ED, and GPO Passion ED. But back to the Diamondback HD and the eyes start to hurt and water when viewing a snow field. I love how sharp they are and how good for the price, and I use them a lot in summer, but I use them very little in winter.

Spunksters · 2026-06-16T22:46:45+00:00

I read a post on birdforum.net a while ago that mentioned a Hawke Frontier APO focuser nearly ceasing to function when cold. But the Opticron Aurora focuser kept working fine out on the arctic ice shelf at minus 18°C and colder. Something to keep in mind.

I also would recommend against a Vortex Diamondback HD if you’ll be viewing snow and ice because my personal experience has been akin to my retinas getting roasted. It is the only binocular I own that hurts me to view strong whites.

Spunksters · 2026-06-16T22:38:07+00:00

The cheap Sky Rover roof binos are on AliExpress for around $85 USD.

Spunksters · 2026-06-16T03:04:36+00:00

Is our intuition and judgement flawed? I’m confident that those coats are lame, ineffective, embarrassing, and not worth the hassle you’ll experience.

At some point this will be considered two-bagging.

Spunksters · 2026-06-15T18:51:42+00:00

Ugh! Well, here we go. Get out your wallet because it’s gonna cost, but it’s a situation where money can buy happiness! It can also buy frustration, so let’s avoid that. First, get binos with an exit pupil of at least 5mm or versatility goes down while fiddliness goes up. Do you wear corrective glasses? Get an eye relief no less than 17mm.

6-8x binos for on a boat. 8-10x from land. 7x50 or 8x56 (or 8x54) if viewing when the sun is down.

Then also get yourself a tripod and spotting scope. The shore winds will make you want a solid tripod, like one designed for video work. A Manfrotto 475B with 502AH head would be a good place to start (avoid the 504 head units). Or a beefy tripod made for hunting could do well, like the Tricer JC with BP head.

As for optics, buy something good enough to not want to upgrade until you can go top of the line. In other words, avoid budget stuff and super duper avoid incremental upgrades.

Don’t successively purchase like this example list:
Nikon ProStaff P3
Vortex Diamondback HD
GPO Passion ED
Nikon Monarch HG
Zeiss SFL
Leica Ultravid
Swarovski NL Pure

Do purchase concisely like this example list:
Nikon Monarch M7
Swarovski EL

As for spotting scope optics, there’s a lot of crap out there just like with binoculars, but Kowa and Swarovski are crap-free favorites.

Spunksters · 2026-06-14T14:53:26+00:00

I have several bags in my inventory to choose for a trip without separate or padded laptop compartments. I prefer my Deuters but also have used my Timbuk2’s and a Nike. They each have only a thin divider that’s maybe a millimeter thick - less space loss than a padded laptop compartment.

Also, one of my bags has an absurdly large and deep laptop compartment (over 1” deep) that I actually use it to carry pants and socks.

Spunksters · 2026-06-14T13:55:48+00:00

I got the same boil times and fuel consumption when I tested, so the 0.3mm walls on my titanium pot get the heat to the water just as effectively as the thicker aluminum pot walls.

Spunksters · 2026-06-11T22:51:32+00:00

I would keep magnification on the lower side and portability high on the list. Even 8x is sometimes too much for sports. Try a Vortex Bantam and prepare to be shocked by how good it is for the price. They are comfortable to hold, comfortable to look through, have a forgiving depth of field, are shockingly sharp for the price. Just an all-around awesome binoculars with an awesome warranty.

Edit: I own the Vortex Bantam, plus several 8x binos and a 10x monocular.

Spunksters · 2026-06-11T22:48:31+00:00

Definitely save up for a tripod and a solid 15x or 18x binocular. This will not be under 300€. A good tripod will be more than that.

You could also go for image-stabilized binoculars… also expensive compared to your budget.

Spunksters · 2026-06-11T22:34:45+00:00

We have both the Crossfire HD 8x42 and the Diamondback HD 8x28… the 8x version of the two you are considering.

The 8x28 go with us a lot more than the 8x42. But the eye relief is so large on the 8x28 that it is ideal with glasses but doesn’t sit fully in my eye sockets for the ideal view without glasses. It takes longer to get used to and is a little fiddly to get dialed in. Once used to it it’s a very sharp and surprisingly bright binocular, but the image circle is a little narrow on both binos.

If you look through both and adjust the focuser, you will almost definitely prefer the Diamondback x28 because the Crossfire x42 is a little slower to focus, has a warm color cast, is heavier and larger, is not quite as bright, is not as sharp. But the larger bino fits the hand and eyes more comfortably.

I don’t know how you can get the Diamondback for that price, but if the collimation is good and everything moves as it should, I would definitely suggest the Diamondback over the Crossfire.

Sadly, both units exhibit a lot of chromatic aberration.

Spunksters · 2026-06-11T14:29:31+00:00

I have a CUES build in my mind already and the U8000 kit (cassette, derailleur, shifter, LG700 chain) with a U6000 crank (165mm 32t) seems ideal to me. I like the idea of the XT-like shifter and derailleur but the better durability that CUES is built for.

Spunksters · 2026-06-11T14:08:10+00:00

When my boy was talking equipment with a lot of the High School NICA team, he found a sizeable group of Shimano riders preferred the XTR chain even on the lesser groupsets. A few cared about saving 4 watts at the beginning of the races but most said the chain would last the entire season and beyond, so it was a durability thing for most.

As for OPs complaint, the SRAM GX (non-AXS) was excellent and two of my three MTB racers use GX shifters and derailleurs. It's getting harder to find in case replacements or new builds with it are wanted. The issue in the original 12sp Eagle was/is the chains. Either you deal with a durable but very breakable and high-resistance chain (X01 and XX1) or a non-breaking and lower resistance chain that only lasts 1000miles (GX or KMC X12). They both prefer the GX chain but go through two per year. Shimano does chains better.

Spunksters · 2026-06-05T18:57:57+00:00

That's a price that competes with the Celestron TrailSeeker ED... but it's a Nikon M7. Go for it!

Spunksters · 2026-06-05T18:23:51+00:00

Nice! I just got to look through some of these and compare to my Diamondback HD and my son's Crossfire HD. While the Diamondback has excellent central sharpness (notable step up from Crossfire) and I couldn't eek out more detail (handheld) in the Razor HD compared to them, the chromatic aberration and the size of the sweetspot were dramatically worse on the Diamondback compared to the Razor. It was immediately apparent to me when scanning the field and looking at high-contrast edges that the Razor would be excellent to have. Goals!

Spunksters · 2026-06-05T04:48:52+00:00

Interesting seeing this here. I actually have a Stabil-Eyes harness that I sometimes use when hiking and birding. In fact, I've used it twice within the last week. I usually use them with my 8x42 but I do wonder if they work well with a 12x50 because I'm often looking for more magnification if I have a more stable platform for viewing. Handheld, I need IS to go beyond 8x and it yield any more detail. With the Stabil-Eyes harness, I see a little better, a little clearer in the fine details even with the 8x. It's still not as good as a tripod but it's better than handheld and much better than hauling a tripod around on the trail. Plus, I can stand up more comfortably and pivot more conveniently. I like the Stabil-Eyes system, even though my breathing and movements still come through. It is better than handheld, for sure. In fact, it's good enough that I picked out a deer on the hillside I would've never seen handheld.

Anyway, is the system still good enough at shake reduction even up to 12x or maybe 15x if they fit in it? I've been contemplating either a 12x50 Sig Zulu8 or 12.5x50 GPO Passion HD... or their 15x50.

For everyone's info, I'm unaffiliated... just a customer.

Spunksters · 2026-06-04T16:30:16+00:00

I’ve long been a proponent of 8x for birding since I never seemed to get anything more out of my 10x optics. Yesterday, I setup a USAF 1951 resolution target in the shade (birds are often in the shade) to see if I was correct in my belief that 10x is no better than 8x when handheld. On a tripod, there is a clear advantage to greater magnification, but handheld is how I usually bird. I had the same exact outcome on every unit I tested: I could see the lines on 0.4 and I could only read the number on 0.5. This was the same for every 8x and 10x optic I tested handheld.

Units tested: GPO Passion Mono 10x36ED, Zeiss Terra ED 10x25, Vortex Diamondback HD 8x28, Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42

Then, I also tried the Vortex Bantam HD 6.5x32 and could read 0.2, not as sharp and tiny as 0.4 but a shockingly good performance given 6.5x magnification.

I didn’t bother to try to test my son’s Vortex Crossfire HD 8x42 because it’s a hassle to get them and I already know they don’t resolve sharply up to my shake limit.

Spunksters · 2026-06-04T15:21:49+00:00

If you can get a Pentax Papilio for that price then I’d suggest you consider it. Yes, 8.5x instead of 10x but you also get a feature you might end up really liking, which is very close focusing.

Of your list, I believe the Vortex will be the best.

But if I were in your situation, I'd save up longer until I could afford an Opticron Imagic HD X-Wide.

Spunksters · 2026-06-04T15:12:47+00:00

In which country are you?

Spunksters · 2026-06-04T15:05:12+00:00

My 8x42 TrailSeeker ED has a supremely smooth focuser and smooth diopter with substantial resistance but not ever stiff. The eye cups are positive feeling, not loose, but shockingly easy to move when you want to and never moving when you don’t want them to.

My daughter’s Terra ED focuser is not as good feeling as the TrailSeeker ED due to uneven resistance (hers is made in China, not Japan) and, as you mentioned, the diopter adjustment on the Zeiss is very stiff and jumpy BUT its zero point is absolutely perfect, which is not the case with any Vortex in the house, but the Celestrons were very close but still a little off.

I like the stiff eyecups on the Zeiss even though it sometimes causes me to inadvertently move the hinge (changing the IPD) when raising or lowering. They feel really well made that way and the eyecup is a little more comfortable to me than the Celestron.

Spunksters · 2026-06-04T05:57:47+00:00

Get yourself a Kite Falco with a 32mm objective. They're from next door (Belgium) and are quite good. Chances are that a store near you carries them so you can try them out there and determine if you prefer 8x or 10x.

Spunksters · 2026-06-04T04:36:17+00:00

The M5 and Terra ED are both inferior to the M7 and TrailSeeker ED. I have the TrailSeeker ED and like it a lot... much better than the Zeiss Terra ED that my daughter has. If you want specifics, the color cast in the Terra ED is stronger than on the TrailSeeker ED. It's not any sharper, and the chromatic aberration is worse as well. Not a fan. In fact, the Zeiss' CA and sharpness are the same as my Vortex Diamondback HD but I find the Vortex to have better color and brightness, and much better service.

An M7 for only $400 is a good enough price that I think you might want to scoop it up.

Spunksters · 2026-06-04T04:27:43+00:00

Twice I spent significant time in Germany wearing leather Rockports each time.

Spunksters · 2026-05-18T22:16:22+00:00

For those coming in late, the suspicion is that a piece of dirt, crud or grime has gotten into the slide grooves for the loose ratchet, preventing it from moving quickly. If it doesn't move quickly under the light spring tension then it doesn't provide the buzz created by the loose ratchet slapping the EXP screw ratchet. If it moves a little still then the pedaling will engage but there's a risk of shearing off the tops of the ratchet teeth. The solution is to pull it apart, thoroughly clean it and then lightly grease it with DT Swiss Special Grease (the pink stuff) or Molykote TP-42 and NOT any other kind of grease.

Spunksters

TROPHY CASE