Are Quality Binos Better on Your Eyes?

[Greenheadless]

I have some 10x50 El swarovski's has some vortex I can't tell the **** difference except the price was a lot more for the swarovsky's.

lol…..staring at a feeder 100 yards away are not what Swaro’s are intended for.

[Justin Spies]

I have some 10x50 El swarovski's has some vortex I can't tell the **** difference except the price was a lot more for the swarovsky's.

Which Vortex do you have?

[Smart]

If they weren't better than my eyes, I wouldn't need them.

I think you misread the title

[diamond10x]

Yes, there is a definite difference. If you're spending time looking through glass for hours on end, the headache and the eye soreness one time is enough to make you spend money on quality glass.

Were you binos stabilized while glassing or were you just free handing them all day? If looking through glass for length of time while not stabilized can lead to headaches, fogginess, and sort of a vertigo/nausea symptoms. Also, not saying this is the case, but if you don't have the diopter focus properly set to your eye, there is no binos that won't give you eye strain problems.

Everybody will say Swaro, Swaro, Swaro but I can promise you once you cross that $1K threshold you really won't be able to tell a difference in glass and that extra 1K can be spend on something else. Not denying their quality, just that there are other options out there.

[Shane]

I think you misread the title

I told you my eyes are bad!

[Justin Spies]

Yes, there is a definite difference. If you're spending time looking through glass for hours on end, the headache and the eye soreness one time is enough to make you spend money on quality glass.

Were you binos stabilized while glassing or were you just free handing them all day? If looking through glass for length of time while not stabilized can lead to headaches, fogginess, and sort of a vertigo/nausea symptoms. Also, not saying this is the case, but if you don't have the diopter focus properly set to your eye, there is no binos that won't give you eye strain problems.

Everybody will say Swaro, Swaro, Swaro but I can promise you once you cross that $1K threshold you really won't be able to tell a difference in glass and that extra 1K can be spend on something else. Not denying their quality, just that there are other options out there.

What is your go to for the $1k stuff?

[jerp]

You may have already checked this but I was having eye strain and blurriness issues and figured out it was simply because the diopter setting had gotten way out of whack. Making sure you have adjusted for the difference in each eyes vision is important. Also, binos sometimes get out of collimation meaning the tubes are no longer perfectly aligned. Your brain kinda compensates but I would think that could also cause eye strain headaches. If you google binocular collimation you can see how to test for it and how to fix it. Many binos have little set screws used to get them back in alignment.

[diamond10x]

What is your go to for the $1k stuff?

I rotate back and forth between a pair of BX-5 Leupold's and HX Steiners. Both 10x42. Looking through both of them I couldn't tell you a difference between the two or the $1k difference compared to swaros. I've also used a pair of Vortex Razor hd's, NOT the UHD's. They were inline with the HX and BX-5 but I wasn't a huge fan, but this was probably more to do with personal bias than the actual bino and glass itself.

I also have a pair of Steiner Predators which are in the same price range as BX-4s. Those binos have been on more adventure hunts in the last 20 years than any of my other pairs combined, where sitting behind glass is the majority of what I do. Never had any issues with the predators but that is me personally and they are set exactly to my eyes. I love them because i've never had any issues with eye strain or fatigue and they have never let me down even being pretty rough on them at times.

If finding game through glass is what determines success in a hunt, the glass in your bino's is just one part of an entire system that includes optical power, steadiness/stabilization, and comfort to be able to glass all day long for days on end.

Personally I would give the bx-4 a good lookover to make sure your diopter and collimation are set correctly before just throwing money down for new glass unless that's just what you really want to do.

[dirtybay]

I have been using tract torics without any eye strain or headaches. I upgraded to them for the same reason. I glass a lot without any issues. Excellent binos for the $

[wytex]

Check out Mavens as well.

And yes you will notice eye strain with lower end glass.
Spouse and I both use older Swaro 10x42 SLCs. Paid about $700 for mine. Had Leupolds for years and while good not near the quality glass of the Swaros.
I agree with comments on getting above $1000 on glass, not much diff above that but coatings and warranty.

[Snowflake Killa]

Which Vortex do you have?

I forgot about 500.00 dollar one's. I couldn't see a 2000.00 dollar difference. The eye cups don't work correctly. I sent them back a year ago same thing is happening. But I understand trying to justify buying such expensive binoculars. In my opinion I've had great luck with meopta and their very clear. Alot of people who buy things that are expensive and think they are the best . Just my take on them and my experience

[bloodtrailer28]

Check out Mavens as well.

And yes you will notice eye strain with lower end glass.
Spouse and I both use older Swaro 10x42 SLCs. Paid about $700 for mine. Had Leupolds for years and while good not near the quality glass of the Swaros.
I agree with comments on getting above $1000 on glass, not much diff above that but coatings and warranty.

I really really like my mavens and will be picking up a smaller set for wt bow hunting here in Texas. I got some b1s a few years ago for glassing crp fields in Kansas and was blown away. Think they were right at 1k.

[Das71198]

I am currently running Leupold BX4 10x42 guide series binos. When I got them they had great reviews for the price range(I found them on sale for $500 or so). I have found that my eyes cannot take looking through them for very long without getting a foggy/head ache feeling. I found myself looking through the glass more on my recent mule deer hunt and ended up dreading it as the day would progress.

I am planning more western hunts and I know glass is important. I am hoping to get first hand feedback on this to know if quality glass will likely solve this issue for me?

Did you adjust them to your eyes following the Leupold manual ? I am sure you did, but was just checking.

information is below

https://www.leupold.com/media/manuals/binocular-guide.pdf

[wytex]

Snowflake you get what you pay for in binos, yes expensive is better. Meopta makes good glass as well.

[dustoffer]

Have a set of Bushnell 7x35s from the ‘70s and la set of Pentax 10x42 from around 2010. Both have served me will hunting Tx white tails but never had to worry about distances beyond 350-400yds and was never out all day. But, went on a guided tour of Estes Park, Colorado and the guide had Leicas—WOW! What a difference. If I was 20 years younger I’d be buying Leicas for sure.