Outdated binoculars

Troy I've used both of these mostly for muzzle loader season. I had a pair of vivitar 8x24 compact Bino's but gave them to my grandson and picked up a pair of field and stream 10x42's did an in store comparison between those, vortex and Nikon. They most closely appear to be vortex.

Since I'm doing my hunting with a flintlock, the deer is pretty close when I engage it. I use a small, inexpensive pair from Bass Pro, or a 2x antique tiny spyglass, as I really only use them to check on hunter-orange I see in the distance. I like to spot a hunter on an adjoining property and see where he or she is moving, or if they are staying put. Some folks leave blaze orange markers on their permanent stands, and when I'm still hunting my location and angle of observation changes, so not uncommon to move a few feet and spot a hunter at a distance that I didn't know was there.

LD

I have an old pair of Ted Williams 7X35 Binos bought in the sixties. Came with a hard leather case. Lost the case years ago, but still use the binos. Just as clear as modern glass, but not as bright. I assume it has to do with modern lens coatings. Found for my type of hunting, binos are more bulky than what I need, and have gone to a monocular. Still use the ol' Ted Williams for watching birds at the feeder.

Still have a Japanese made Sears 7 X 50mm, occasionally use that. I think I bought that in the 1970's. A have a couple of 80's Simmon's around, one in the truck. If the optics are clear at distance, there is nothing wrong with old optics.

troy fairweather said:

I like the idea of the monocular, I would think you can get better glass for less money because there's one one peace instead of two like binos. Plus my eyes are a little bit different.

What brand do you have.

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Vortex 8X36

I have some old junky binos I keep in my truck and a set of cheap minis in my jeep. I have been known to carry the minis archery hunting. I have a nice pair of steiners, which I rarely need in Fl.

Two years ago I was in Cabelas with a friend who works as an independent mechanic. As we approached the binocular display he commented that he had a pair of Swarovski binoculars he didn't need. I jokingly said I'd give him $100 for them, which he quickly accepted. I took him to the Swarovski section and made sure he understood that some of those sell for $2000-$3000. He said that was fine, someone traded them to him for a $50 repair bill on a car. Getting $100 would double his money.

They were 7X42s' made at some point in the 1970's or early 1980's according to my research. I found some listed for around $700. They are a big, heavy set of binoculars. I have never used them for hunting, but they have been very useful for use in a truck or boat.

Outdated? Yeah, I guess they might be. Marked Jena Glass, Germany.

If they work, they're not outdated.

Patocazador said:

If they work, they're not outdated.

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While they still function, size and weight, at least to me, make them outdated.

I like a good pair of binoculars. I am not a binocular snob, but cannot afford swaros. icked up a pair of vortex talon 10 x 42's on clearance a few years back, and am well satisfied. But I would have alpha glass if money wasn't an object.

By outdated, I assume you mean porro prism design as opposed to roof prism. Everything I've read tells me that, at the lower price points, porros give better performance; you have to get way up in price point to get roof prisms to outperform porros, but everyone wants roof prisms due to decreased size and weight.

I took an older guy hunting last weekend, and he was using a pair of old 7x35 porros. He didn't seem to mind. I ruined my dad's old porros trying to wade across a canal in my teenager years. My father in law keeps a pair of old porros at his cabin for watching the loons out on the lake. They're not very good. Not very clear. I have a pair of compact porros 7-15x25 Bushnells that I got on sale decades ago when that was all I could afford, but they're crap. I only keep them now as loaners or for my son to carry on the 4-wheeler.

I think I would probably prefer a pair of porros, if they were made by a higher quality company, due to the price for performance issue. The other thing I like about porros is that you can almost get them is that "magical" 5:1 lens ratio that is supposed to be optimum for light transfer to the human eye. (e.g. 7x35 7 is 1/5 of 35). All I can ever find in roof prisms are 10x42 or worse. But by the time you get to a 5:1 ratio in porros, they're either huge (10x50) or weak magnification (7x35).

I have an old pair of Porro Prism Steiners, but generally grab my Pentax roof prism binoculars for hunting purposes. Both have excellent glass and more than suit my needs...they are just constructed differently.

I bought the Pentax set about 15 yrs. ago and have not babied them. Very happy with the performance and how they've held up. I wouldn't consider either 'outdated'.

I use an old pair of Bushnell 7x35 sometimes. They aren't the best but aren't bad either. I think I gave $5 for them at a yard sale years ago, but they've stayed clear through the years. Carry a very old pair of WWII German Army 6x30's in the pickup, probably shouldn't but there they are. They aren't very clear and someone stripped most of the paint off and repainted them black. Seems like I paid $10 for them at an antique/junk store. Normally, I don't carry binoculars as I just don't shoot far enough to need them where I hunt. When I do, I usually remark about them being in the way. To each his own, I guess.

Mac

I had some of those. IIRC, they were early models of Zeiss. Jena was maybe either the name of the town or region where they were made. You can still get them on eBay

Edit to add....I bought them simply because they were cheap, maybe $30 with shipping. Optical quality was not particularly impressive compared to modern ones. I think mine were originally German military

MacAR said:

ICarry a very old pair of WWII German Army 6x30's in the pickup, probably shouldn't but there they are.

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OMG. That would be like carrying a P08 Luger as your EDC.

MacAR said:

...someone stripped most of the paint off and repainted them black.

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Bunch of savages.

This thread got me thinking about a pair of binoculars my grandmother had. She and I used to investigate everything with those. I have no idea how old they were but I remember the leather wraps that covered the tubes. I was told they were antiques. Likely over a hundred years old. Kind of like the ones Speedo66 posted. I was supposed to get them when she died. Somehow they got lost...

Anyway, cool thread. As to the OP's question, no I don't. Usually a pair of inexpensive compacts.

I used some Nikon compacts for a few years. I thought they were OK until I got a pair of Leupold Mojave 3’s in 10x50 for antelope and prairie dog hunting

The optical quality of the Leupold is amazing

I got a cheap 10 x 50 small 7x 35 ad another 6 x 32. Too old to walk the woods.But they are handy in a stand

Mostly use them for wild life and people watching.

I used a pair of Steiner mil and marine for years. I got them at least 30 years ago and they were great. Had that mysterious auto focus thing, lightweight and no eye strain. Still have them but something shifted inside a couple years ago and they no longer focus. Bought a pair of leupolds but would like to repair my old steiners some day.

I bought a pair of Steiners about 30 years ago too, 6x30's. Clear and sharp as well as not too bulky or heavy.

I don't know much about optics... So I have a question.

With modern technology/manufacturing, are cheaper binos/optics better than older high end glass?

I know that's super general, but today's budget guns kinda outshoot yesterday's premium guns by-and-large....

Is it the same with glass manufacturing?

I think where the newer glass surpasses the vintage stuff is in the different layered coatings. My old 8x30 steiners were great. My newer Leopold binos are great too until you try them side by side with a pair of $2k sworofskys