Best compact 8x32 Sub $220 Binoculars? (2 Viewers)

[jragsdale]

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a pair of compact 8x32 binoculars for hiking and biking. I bought a pair of the 8x42 Bresser Everests because of the info from this forum and love them so I trust your feedback.

Right now I'm looking primarily at compactness and optical quality. Some of the main highlights:

Zen-Ray ZRS 8x32 - 4.7"/15.5oz and dielectric prisms - $205
Celestron Trailseeker 8x32 - 4.8"/16oz and dielectric prisms - $220
Vortex Diamondback - 4.5"/18.4oz and phase-corrected prisms - $190

I would like to add the Sightron SIIBS to the list, but at 5.5", they are just as long as my Bresser's so I wouldn't be gaining anything in compactness.

I know the Zen and Celestron are probably much better than the Vortex optically, but I haven't seen any feedback on either (don't even think the ZR has shipped yet) so I'm hesitant to blindly hop on the pre-order train. Any other binoculars I should be considering? Anything in ED for this price?

 

[A2GG]

Celestron Trailseeker 8x32 - 4.8"/16oz and dielectric prisms - $220
QUOTE]

I saw the Trailseeker months back on Eagle Optics, but it wasn't slated to come out until June. I was always curious about it since the specs look really good and the fact that it's so inexpensive. I believe it has metal eye cups too. But, there still are no reviews in yet. I wonder if anyone has tried this model out yet and what they think (?)

 

[eitanaltman]

While the Sightrons are long, they are REALLY light so I don't think you should discount them out of hand.

The Vortex, while short, is getting heavy enough that it's pushing close to some "full size" 8x32 types. The Diamondback is very popular though and it should be rugged with good optics and of course the Vortex warranty. I wouldn't assume that the Zen/Celestron are "much better" optically; while the D'back doesn't have as nice of multicoatings as the more expensive Vortex models, the tiny difference in brightness will likely only be visible under direct comparison. The centerfield resolution should be plenty good enough for casual birding.

The Zen ZRS and Celestron are brand new (and probably are clones) so that's why there is no feedback yet. If you are ready to jump now I might give those D'backs a shot and see if you like them; otherwise wait for a week or so and some of the folks here (myself included) will have the ZRS 8x32 in hand for trial.

My gut is that the ZRS HD will ultimately be the one you want. If the optics are anywhere close to the 42mm versions, and given the smallish size and sub 16oz weight, they could be the perfect "budget" hiking bin. Sort of a new-and-improved Bushnell Excursion 8x28, striking a sweet compromise between the just-a-bit-too-heavy 8x32's and the too-small-to-be-comfortable compacts.

 

[tpcollins]

Right now I'm looking primarily at compactness and optical quality. Some of the main highlights:

I would like to add the Sightron SIIBS to the list, but at 5.5", they are just as long as my Bresser's so I wouldn't be gaining anything in compactness.

Getting compactness AND optical quality might be tough to do at $200. I carry the Sightron SIIBS in the console of my truck and since they are so light, the extra length doesn't get in the way. The fact that they are an open bridge makes them easier to handle.

I have two Zeiss and a Leica and these SIIBS are a pretty dang good bin, just as the reviews say they are.

 

[BruceH]

The Sightron web site lists the 8X32 II Blue Sky at 19.8 but it weighed out for me with no strap or covers at 17.0 oz, which I think is accurate because my weights always agree with those from FedEx and the Post Office scales.

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2613117&postcount=32

 

[eitanaltman]

Just got a shipping notice for the 8x32 ZRS HD. Hopefully they will arrive in 2-3 days and I will post some feedback here.

 

[Tantien]

Just got a shipping notice for the 8x32 ZRS HD. Hopefully they will arrive in 2-3 days and I will post some feedback here.

Wait eitanaltman: did you just get these because of this question or did you have your eye on them already?

I have the 8x32 Vipers (as you may know) and am curious how they compare. I'd also like your feedback on the less than 16mm eye relief for those of us who wear eyeglasses. The Vipers have 16 mm and they would possibly be better for me with more.

 

[eitanaltman]

No, I pre-ordered them before this thread was created.

What specifically caught my eye was the compact size and light weight. I'm on the low end of the bino-obsessive scale on this forum, I prefer to have a single binocular that is my "go to" for nearly all uses (usually a good 8x32), but I also like to have a lighter, more compact bin that I can keep in my car or use for travel/hiking. If I have more than 2-3 binoculars my wife starts giving me dirty looks and I start to feel like I've got unnecessary excess.

There are a LOT of 8x32's out there but most are in the 20-25oz range. If you want a lighter bin, you are typically stepping down all the way to the 10-12oz double-hinge compacts. To me, these represent too much of a compromise in optics and ergonomics; the combination of fiddly hinges, narrower FOV and the tiny exit pupils makes them a PITA to use. I want something lighter that I can just throw up to my eyes and use like a "normal" binocular.

Previously, the only real options for something considerably lighter / more compact than a full-size 8x32 (without going all the way down to the dinky double-hing compacts) were the big $$ Swaro CL, or in the "budget" range of $300 or less, one of the 28mm types like the Pentax 9x28, Vortex 8x28. The CL of course is too expensive, and those 28mm's are quite light and strong optically but offer extremely narrow FOV's as a tradeoff.

The Sightron 8x32 SII is extremely light, but as the OP notes it's a bit too long to be considered truly "compact"... however, as things stand now, it's almost certainly the best "bang for the buck" of any lightweight roof binocular in the world.

Probably the best "budget backup bin" is the much beloved, but unfortunately now discontinued, Bushnell Excursion 8x28. Recently Opticron has expanded the field with its ultra-light 32mm magnesium body "Traveller" series which weigh only 13oz, incredible for a 32mm bin. But they retail in the ~$400 range, which is more than I prefer to spend for my *primary* binocular, let alone my backup.

I own the Bushnell (and the Vortex 8x28, now gifted to my mother-in-law) and it does a great job at only 15oz, and cost under $100 when it was new, but I want something better optically. The view is clean and fairly sharp, and the FOV is wide for a 28mm compact, but it's a bit "dingy" because of a "purple haze" that many have noted. Considering how cheap it was I will probably always hang onto it as a car bin, but I'm hoping the 32mm ZRS will provide similar size/weight but up the ante optically to where I don't feel like I'm sacrificing much of anything optically vs. my "main" bin.

I've owned the 8x32 Viper HD's as well, and they are really terrific (as you know) and quite light and compact at only ~20oz. In fact they are probably one of my biggest "regret" sells. I think these ZRS are filling a different niche though as they are even smaller and lighter; truthfully -- assuming the optics approach the 42mm ZRS -- there is really NOTHING like it out there. The full 4mm exit pupil of an 8x32, dielectric prism coatings, but under 16oz and only $200.

 

[pete_gamby]

Recently Opticron has expanded the field with its ultra-light 32mm magnesium body "Traveller" series which weigh only 13oz, incredible for a 32mm bin. But they retail in the ~$400 range, which is more than I prefer to spend for my *primary* binocular, let alone my backup.

We also have the Discovery 8x32 which is more or less at the OPs budget level:

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocula...-wp-pc-8x32-binocular?tab=specifications#tabs

Sam Crowe did a very brief review on Birdzilla.com:

http://www.birdzilla.com/previews/3333.html

Cheers, Pete

 

[eitanaltman]

FYI @ jragsdale: I finally posted my ZRS 8x32 review on the model thread in the Zen-Ray subforum: http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2772681&postcount=20