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Can anybody recommend a decent set of binoculars which wont break the budget and do a decent job in and around state forests NSW? Looking to not spend more than $600 and anything cheaper will help so as much as I would love swarovski or leica gear its well and truly beyond my reach at the moment. When required, viewing is 100-200m I would guess.

A mate at work recommended something by Redfield but appears it may be discontinued because I havn't seen them available anywhere.

Any other ideas or positive feedback?

Cheers, Musty

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Meopta Meopro’s app$500-$600, very good glass as well as excellent warranty, I dropped mine and they replaced them for nothing. They were 3-4 years old. Can not beat that for service.

Whistler

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I've got a pair of mavens in that price range. You're happy to have a go when we finally get around to heading out!

Fantastic clarity and lifetime warranty (even if you drop, or break them or whatever they'll still fix them up for you under warranty)

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Thanks for the feedback guys.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for so I am guessing most bino’s in around that 5-600$ mark will be similar in quality. Lifetime warranties are great reassurance. 

Will get something soon.

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A mate from the US came out and gave me a pair of these 12-13 years ago and I have to say that compared to the Swaros they are tiny,lightweight and for the money absolutely brilliant. I still have them and they sit on the table for instant use here. No one else does eyecups like Steiner as well,simply the best on the market. Focusing is awesome and they are always ready as. I used my own every day for years until the Swaros arrived. I kid you not they are recommended.

Always Focused
lets you focus each eyepiece to your vision once, then keeps images razor-sharp from 20 yards to infinity - no more chasing focus on moving objects.

 

https://www.steiner-optics.com/binoculars/predator-af-8x30

 

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4 hours ago, balltearer said:

Always Focused
lets you focus each eyepiece to your vision once, then keeps images razor-sharp from 20 yards to infinity - no more chasing focus on moving objects.

I had a pair of Steiner binos like this.  At first I thought they were awesome - no more fiddling with the focus knob.  I never got to compare them with Swaro's or anything up market but they were pretty good.

One of the eyepieces fell off so I put them in to get fixed but ended up getting a free replacement pair (big tick for Steiner for that!!).  The new pair have a focusing knob and I reckon they help see "through" the bush more-so than the "always focused" model.

If you're after a set you can grab quickly and check something out, they'd be perfect.  If you're doing slow scanning and trying to see through, I reckon the focus knob models are a better choice.

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Will add, as with scopes. Always try if you can. And make sure you look into darker spaces if possible. Good glass will reveal what is in the shadows whilst with cheaper glass those shadows will remain just as shadows.

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I went with the Zeiss Terra ED's 10x42's. can pick them up for about $700-ish awesome quality for the money. 

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1 hour ago, Camoman said:

Good glass will reveal what is in the shadows whilst with cheaper glass those shadows will remain just as shadows.

A mate got the same as yours camoman in the 10X on the strength of my  8x30 recommendations.

He used and used them  for great results too.

Great value for the price and a really good lower  level bino and will do just about every job in front of them BUT thats where the extra big bucks come into play for the extended  watch time.

We  sat one night and one dark I had my new at the time 10 x 42 Swaros....

"theres three deer there mate"

Where?

" in that ti-tree alcove"

I cant see the cants!

I unclipped my Swaros and handed them to him

"ah #### yeah"

I remember years ago when all I had was  a 7x50 pair of Gerber`s (knives)  obviously re branded  binos but they were all I had at the time and were 100% better than my eye.

Steiner make an expensive  model that are every bit as good as the Swaros and every bit as priced too.

 

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Yes the most obvious for me was looking thru some scopes one day outside a shop. Looking thru the leupold vx3 and all I could see was the black shaded factory space thru the open roller door on a sunny day (a cpl hundred metres down street).

Picked up the zeiss conquest and looking through the same door I could see all the workers milling around.

I wouldn't have even known they were there with the cheaper glass.

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Not trying to rip on a particular product by the way. I was just surprised as hell at the difference and figured it a good example.

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