Best Binoculars Under $500 - Pros and Cons of Each

[@scupking]

Over the past 2 months I tested the vortex diamondback 8x32 and 8x42. Returned the 32s after a week and tested the 42s on vacation. They just lacked the sharpness I was looking for. Decided to try the Athalon midas g2 8x42s. The midas g2 are much sharper with little to no purple fringing like the dimondbacks had. I returned the diamondbacks keeping the Athlon Midas G2 8x42! They are worth the 50 price increase over the dimondbacks. The Athlon Midas probably would even compete with the Vortex Vipers.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks for the feedback! Appreciate yoolu watching as well!

[@travelswithMTcharlie]

Fantastic. Based on your review I just purchased the Athlon as a gift for somone

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

That's great! I hope they enjoy the Athlon binos! Thanks for watching!

[@garrettsorensen3367]

I've watched a bunch of your videos...they are awesome. I really liked this one and the one with all the spotting scopes. If you haven't made one trail cameras I think that would make a great video! Thanks.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thank you Garrett! Really appreciate that and I agree, trail cams would be a great review. Thanks for the idea!

[@larbueno]

Unsponsored comment here… why you didn't include the Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 is beyond me...and I'm sure a lot of other people, too. Around $250, lightweight, bright, contrasty, very sharp edge-to-edge, as good a warranty as you can get...to me an amazing value. I somehow lucked out and got mine for a 150, but even at 250, they are exellent bang4buck. I have been a birder for 30 plus years and I've tried just about every significant brand of glass out there including Swarovski Zeus and Leica. These are an amazing value. No one's giving me any kickback for this. I'm just shocked you didn't mention these.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Thanks for the question. We tried to include as many as possible but focused most of our efforts on the price range $300 and up to try to narrow down the field to a somewhat manageable number. As it was, we had 26 binoculars to test and review, and once you dip below the $300 range, there is an endless number of options. That said, I've personally used the Diamondbacks, and they are great for their price point. Thanks for watching!

[@Trihope]

Definitely one of the most popular big box store brands. I feel like the Athlons blow them out of the water for less than $50 more.

[@acort10]

My dad has the diamondback hd 10x42 and I have the cabelas intensity gen 1 10x42 and we both agreed the cabelas looked better while we were glassing at the beach from close up to a couple miles out.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@acort10 thanks for sharing!

[@commonsense5709]

​@@acort10Only thing about Cabela's is they don't have a good warranty nor honor their previous warranty.

[@johnnewcomb5162]

Athlon Chronus uhd or Vortex razor hd Which should I get? not really worried about warranty. Should I spend the extra 600 bucks for the Vortex Razor? Or are they pretty close? Thanks

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there John! The Athlon Cronus is certainly the better value I'd say as they compete with the Razor I'm many categories. That said, the Razor HD are definitely better in low light in our testing. Clarity is very similar and both have great warranties. If the extra low light performance the Razor gives you isn't a big deal, it's probably not worth the extra money for the Razor. Thanks for watching!

[@BaronSaturday66]

It's really nice to see Luke Wilson doing binocular reviews and not Hollyweird movies for a change.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Lol! Thanks for watching!

[@ddallgood1383]

Not sure if you're familiar with Carson 3D-ED. I've compared sided by side to. Vortex Viper, Terra ED, Cabelas EDHD, Leopold BX4, and No perceivable added quality from any of those. Vortex being pretty close. I now have the Athlon Cronus and they are so close, keeping them both. Huge props to you for all the replies back to so many questions!!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Thanks for the insight! I've not tried the Carson binos. Good to hear that they are performing well though. Yeah, lots of questions/ comments, but happy to help if I can. Thanks for watching!

[@mathiashammar1]

I totally agree with Leopolds. Surprisingly good optics at low light. Compared to my pentax SD 10x42 WP Leopolds are superior. Its not a fair comparison. Daytime Leopolds have a bit yellowish hue/tone and colors are not popping. So definitely no color rich sensations like when bird-watching/flowers etc.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

For sure! We're were all surprised with low light performance of the Leupolds! Thanks for watching!

[@kevn22]

I have them too solid binos

[@commonsense5709]

Would really love to hear your opinion on the Athlon Cronus UHD vs Tract Toric which has the clearer image quality?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! That's a great question. Image resolution is pretty similar between those two, but the Athlon has better edge to edge clarity...by a lot. The Tract is significantly better in low light though, so there's certainly some give and take there. Both are great binos and a great value. Here's a link to our big article with more rankings and details if interested! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/

[@jordanp2505]

Gabe, love the channel and your comparisons! Wondering if you could include the new Nikon monarch M7s at some point? Thanks!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there Jordan and thank you! Yeah, we definitely need to get the Nikon Monarch in there! Thanks for watching!

[@mauriciolacruz]

From what material Bushnell Forge's chassis is made of? Metal (magnesium, aluminum...)? Plastic (policarbonate...)? Fiber?... And the prisms on the 8x42 version are Schmidt-Pechan or Abbe-Koenig?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! I'm not sure what the body is made of, and I don't see that in the many or on the website. Sorry! They have Bak-4 prisms. Thanks for watching!

[@fcanomalcarria4671]

What do you think of the vanguard IV 10X42 ed, have you tried them?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! I haven't yet tried those, so I can't say. Sorry, but thanks for watching!

[@GeoGrafwow]

What can you say about Leupold BX -2 Alpine HD 10x52? Which one is better Leupold BX-2 Alpine HD 10x52 mm (181178) or Vortex Diamondback HD 10x50? Today both price are same

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! That's a question, but unfortunately we didn't test those models against each other, so I can't really say. Sorry! Thanks for watching.

[@nick22472]

Nice video, thanks a lot. Any suggestions on the Bushnell Engage 10x50?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thank you and thanks for watching! I haven't had a chance to look through the Engage yet, so can't really help there unfortunately. Sorry!

[@nick22472]

@@BackwoodsPursuit Thank you anyway, keep it up with your great videos.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@nick22472 any time....and thanks! Will do!

[@justindiaz6545]

What would you recommend maven c3 12x50 or the athlon Midas 12x50?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there Justin! We didn't test those specific configurations, but our group preferred the Athlon Midas over the Maven C3 in the 10x42. I can be 100% sure, but I assume the same would hold true for the 12x50s. Thanks for watching!

[@justindiaz6545]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@justindiaz6545 absolutely!

[@swi2009ca]

Im very surprised monarch 7 is not in this grup, how so? How would Nikon 7 compare to the Athlon. Thank you

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Yeah, we tried to get as many as possible in there, but certainly couldn't get them all. I'd have to put the Monarch 7s next to these to be sure, but I had a pair of the Monarch 7s years ago and liked them. Thanks for watching!

[@RichardPilon]

Do you know if the Minox BL 8 x 42 BR are any good?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

I haven't had a chance to test those ones out yet unfortunately, so I can't really comment on them. Thanks for watching!

[@archstanton9703]

I wonder how the Meopta Optika 10x42 binoculars would have fared under your comparison.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

That would be very interesting indeed! I wish we could have gotten them in there for the review! Thanks for watching!

[@jordanselsor8945]

thank you so much for the great comprehensive review! I only wish you would have included nikon monarch 7's!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks Jordan! Yeah, those are one of the several other pairs we we're able to get in there...but hopefully next time! Thanks for watching!

[@roman9509]

How would the following binoculars compare the the list: Nikon Monarch M7 and Hawke Frontier ED?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! I haven't had a chance to test either of those side by side with these unfortunately, so I couldn't say for sure. Sorry! Thanks for watching though.

[@dannymollevanger990]

@@BackwoodsPursuit Yeah men i did not meant any disrespect you made a nice quality video but its true they cost less and they are better.

[@dannymollevanger990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJWQq5mcjbmmqa8&ab_channel=Celestron

[@dannymollevanger990]

this is someone that works for a manufacturer its just a random video that explains it rather well.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@danny mollevanger thanks Danny! Correct...I we don't work for any particular company, just try to provide helpful information for folks trying to decide what to get. Thanks for watching!

[@TheTrailDancer]

Nice reviews!!! What are you getting when you up to the under 1K models? Materials? Image? I’ve noticed no Steiner or Nikon.. is there a reason? Thanks!!!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thank you! When you jump up to the 1k range, you are getting a better, more well contrasted image, better edge to edge clarity,and better low light performance. Typically you'll also get a locking diopter as well, but not always. Overall just better performance. We tried to get as many as possible, but certainly didn't get them all. We will have some Steiner in the upcoming rangefinding binocular review we are working on! Thanks for watching!

[@TheTrailDancer]

@@BackwoodsPursuit ya I’m mainly looking for something for backpacking, wildlife viewing, nature.. etc.. Any suggestions?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@TheTrailDancer what are you looking to keep the budget at?

[@TheTrailDancer]

@@BackwoodsPursuit under $1K, but $500 would be better.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@TheTrailDancer I'd say the Athlon Cronus would be your best bet in the $500 price range. Dang good for the money. If you wanted to jump to the $700 price range, the Tract Toric are very good. Thanks!

[@semiprohunter]

Borrowed a buddies Athlon Cronos G2 and it really was great glass/ clarity but way to heavy for me. Major bummer. Ended up buying the Midas and happy with the performance and weight so far

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Interesting. Yeah, the extra weight comes.from additional lenses to correct for things like chromatic aberration etc. The same can be said for Alpha glass, which is heavier than the Cronus UHD. There's always a give and take! Thanks for watching!.

[@MikeHoncho504]

Thanks for the video! I believe ill be going with the leupolds after watching this. Should be great for low light whitetail hunting in the southeast

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Sounds great! Thanks for watching and let me know how you like them.

[@roberttophan9314]

How was the athlon cronus in low light?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! The Cronus were pretty good in low light, but not the best of the $500 class. That's one area I wish they were a little better. But....they are still a heck of a performer in the $500 category. Thanks for watching!

[@stevemoore6812]

Have you ever looked at the nikon monarch 7. Thanks for any information.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there Steve! I used the Monarch 7 years ago, but wasn't able to get them in this review. I'm not sure how they would stack up side by side against these ones optically without being able to do a side by side. I do remember the eye cups being very loose though and tended to move unintentionally often.

[@shaocaholica]

Thanks for this. Eye relief is related to how far the eye cups go out and your specific facial build. Some people have really deep inset eyes while others don’t. I wouldn’t say more or less eye relief is better. It really depends on each person unlike riflescopes where length of pull is not constrained by the build of the optic.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks for sharing! Yeah, everyone is different and some need more eye relief and some don't. Having a lot of eye relief does allow for more folks to be able to use the binos though. Thanks for watching!

[@Seriously140]

A binocular should have several positions of eye cup extension so more people can be accommodated.

[@Kpaojd]

Can you handhold 12x50 binos for plane spotting?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@Kpaojd hey! It's possible, but certainly more difficult without shaking a bit. If you want to hand hold 12x biinos, you are better off going with stabilized binos. Thanks for watching!

[@Kpaojd]

@@BackwoodsPursuit thank you!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@Kpaojd absolutely!

[@martinchivers7341]

I went for the Kowa BDii XD 8×42. Nothing to complain about.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Good to know...thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching!

[@dwaynephilpot6154]

I have the Bushnell forge I don’t have seem to have any problems with the edge to edge clarity.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! The Bushnell Forge are very nice binoculars for sure! They did, however, appear to suffer more edge to edge clarity loss vs some of the others, which became more evident when we put them side by side on a tripod. Thanks for watching!

[@dwaynephilpot6154]

I was not calling you a liar I was telling you just what I observed. But I don’t glass as much as some one out west.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@dwaynephilpot6154 oh no worries at all....I didn't take it that way. Thanks for the follow up though!

[@adampace5882]

Great video! Thanks for all of the information. Have you had any experience with the Cronus in the 15x56?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey Adam! I haven't had a chance to try the 15x56 Cronus yet...but hope to soon! thanks for watching!

[@brianstuart4203]

I have had them for about two years and you can’t beat them for the price. Use them mainly for spotting at prs matches. They give up edge to edge clarity to the Swarovski’s and the field of focus is also narrower. imo I would buy the cronus again if I had the choice. I can’t justify the extra 1500 dollars for the Swarovski’s.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@brianstuart4203 awesome! Yeah, they are a great value for sure! Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@adampace5882]

@@brianstuart4203 thanks for the input!

[@comitatoutentitrn9921]

Thanx for interesting review but let me say that if the goal is to find out the best binos under 500 dollars, it's impossible not to mention Nikon Monarch

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks and yes, there are a number of binos that we weren't able to include this time, but hopefully next time! Nikon makes some great binoculars! Thanks for watching.

[@GM-bq6zo]

Porro prism design always worked better for binoculars but roof prisms massively improved. Are there any top porro prisms that are still better than the top roof prisms?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! I'm not sure on that....We'd have to do some extensive testing to be sure. Thanks for watching!

[@Chris48guitar]

Do you like the Hawke Frontier in the mid price point?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! I haven't had a chance tk test put the Hawke Frontier, so I can say how they stack up. Sorry!

[@2musiclover534]

Liked. Is the Cronus 10x42 UHD different from the 20x42 UHD G2? A comment below seem to suggest that the G2 is different from what you tested. They look the same. Thanks for any insight.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks for watching! Yeah, the G2 is redesigned vs the Gen 1 UHD. We didn't test the Gen 1, but I'm not sure if the optics are any different.

[@2musiclover534]

@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks! So yours is Gen 2 then. Great to know. One of the comments sugested that what you tested is not the current Gen 2 which they claim has degraded. Glad to know that is not so. Thanks.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@2musiclover534 yes...the one we tested was the Gen 2 Cronus 10x42. The Gen 1 looks very different than the Gen 2 (Gen 1 is a grey color while this Gen 2 is black with red lettering). Hope that helps!

[@StOKRATzoom]

kzbin.info/door/rKJ5aVast8tXtS-qRGL51w review

[@sourabhgoel5929]

Have you tested Nikon Monarch M7?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@sourabhgoel5929 hey there! I haven't gotten the chance to test those yet unfortunately. Thanks for watching!

[@cde1439]

How about reviewing hunting rifle scopes using this format?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Oh man... that would be awesome! That would be a bit tougher given reticle preferences, doing some tracking testing etc, but as far as optical performance that would be awesome. What would you like to see if we did a review like that?

[@sesinhosantos5047]

I have seen some people hating on the Cronus, and some others ignoring its existence and telling there are better ones. Since there is no consistence in the picks across reviewers it is difficult to make up ones mind. All of you do agree on the high and alpha-ish tier pretty much though, but in less than 1000 there is a lot of conflicting info across reviewers.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@sesinhosantos5047 hey! Yeah, I can see how that would be frustrating. For what it's worth, everyone that I've talked to that has used them likes them a lot, particularly for the price tag. Thanks for watching!

[@throttle_therapy0025]

No monarch m7?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey! It would have been great to have Nikons in the review, but there were a number of others as well that didn't get in there. Next time hopefully! Thanks for watching.

[@throttle_therapy0025]

@@BackwoodsPursuit understood. What are your thoughts on them?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@throttle_therapy0025 on the Nikon Monarch? It's been a number of years since I've personally used Monarch 7s, and they weren't the latest model so it would be hard to compare to these without putting them side by side.

[@oneonlynono]

What about Image Stabilised Binoculars ? Please... when will you be doing a Review on Image Stabilised Binoculars ? Please

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks for watching! I'll have to put together a imagine stabilization bino review! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@kurtwilhelm3823]

Do you think for a hunter real only glassing fields 100 to 400 yards ( 400 not to often) that that $ 500 price point is all you need?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there Kurt! Yeah, the $500 price point would be great for that! Thanks for watching!

[@Trihope]

Looks like the price has went up considerably on the Maven C1 as they are $425 now. Athlons are still under $300. Maybe even more reason to go Athlon.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Yeah, I'd seen that the price went up. Bummer!

[@clawer2969]

Where I live the meopta air HD's are around 590 euros, would that be a better option than these?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Yeah, I'd personally pick the Meopro Air of anything in this video. The Athlon Cronus are close and a fantastic value, but I thought the Meopro Air were a better optic overall. Thanks for watching!

[@hellvsheaven89]

I dont know how good the athlon cronus 10x42 is but i got a 15x56 and i hated it. The view is so much smaller compare to my brother 10x42 razor. Clarity is great no doubt but i would consider something smaller. My advice to everybody that are buying binos, the bigger the power you get, the more shaky it is when you view through them unless if you want to carry a tripod. I would say 10x42 is the best size. 12x50 is ok but 15x56 is a no no.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Yeah, you will certainly have a much smaller FOV with that higher magnification. If you compare the FOV of the Cronus vs the others, all in 10x42, the Cronus are right there. Thanks for watching!

[@hellvsheaven89]

@@BackwoodsPursuit exactly. Im thinking about returning my 15x56 and probably get the 10x42. I hope the smaller one will suit me better.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@hellvsheaven89 sounds good! Let me know what you think of the 10x42s if you try them.

[@redpillnibbler4423]

8x42 probably best all rounder,also has larger exit pupil compared to 10x42.

[@KyleGustafson1986]

Have you tested the Olympus Pros? If so, where do they fall in the mix?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

I have not tested the Olympus Pro. I'm not sure where they'd fall in the lineup. Sorry!

[@StOKRATzoom]

kzbin.info/door/rKJ5aVast8tXtS-qRGL51w review

[@Paultricounty]

Nice videos. Is there a reason you didn’t have a Nikon (Monarch 7 or even a 5) in that group. You had an Athlon a relatives company but Nikon has been around for a long time. Also I was very surprised of the top result. Thank you.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks! We tried to round up as many as we could, but didn't get them all of course. Wasn't able to get Nikon and a few others in there unfortunately. We were suprised by the results as well! Definitely didn't expect the Athlon tot come out on top. Thanks for watching!

[@scbane]

I used to run the Vortex Diamondback HD 10x50's. Was happy with them until I tried the Athlon Argos G2 UHD 10X42's. The Argos glass quality and low light beats the crap out of the Vortex DB, and for $40 less. Kinda sad about it actually, as most of my optics are Vortex.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Yeah, those Athlon binos are a fantastic value! Thanks for watching!

[@scupking]

I just went from the dimondback 8x42s to The Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42s. The Athlon beat the Diamondbacks on everything. Such great glass at a great price. Yes they are about $50 more than the dimondbacks but punch way above their weight!

[@johnnewcomb5162]

Have you seen the Covert binoculars?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there John. No....I have not seen the Convert binos. How are they?

[@johnnewcomb5162]

@@BackwoodsPursuit I have owned a bunch of different binoculars, I just picked up the 8X42 from the Optics planet sale after hearing about them. I will put it to you this way. The pair I got are outstanding for the price , sold the BX5 the next day. The center hangs with my Vortex UHD, lowlight practically the same. The hinge is perfect for throwing in and out of the bino harness. Perfect eyecups ect. I am actually going to be using these this coming hunting season. Really impressive for the money. eBay has a new pair in the box I think for $250 bucks, you should check them out if you can.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@johnnewcomb5162 thanks for the recommendation! B I'll check them out. Thanks for watching!

[@juliusb790]

Where is the popular Nikon M7?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

We tried out best to get as many as possible, but obviously didn't get all the options out there. Sorry! Thanks for watching though!

[@redpillnibbler4423]

The Cronus are great but the eye relief is I’d guess no more than 16mm.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! According to the specs sheet, the eye relief comes in at 19.3 inches. Thanks for watching!

[@redpillnibbler4423]

@@BackwoodsPursuit Hi 👍 I believe the Athlon Cronus quoted eye relief is incorrect.I can’t get full fov wearing specs whereas I can with my Swaro 8x25 (17mm eye relief)

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@redpillnibbler4423 yeah, I hear ya. I feel like it's likely less than the specs as well.

[@me200342]

Might want to give some other the delta optical binos a shot might surprise you

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks! I'll have to go check them out. Thanks for watching!

[@StOKRATzoom]

kzbin.info/door/rKJ5aVast8tXtS-qRGL51w review

[@brianstuart4203]

Just ordered the Athlon cronus! Got them for $375 with my military discount!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Awesome! Heck of a deal right there! Thanks for watching.

[@orionlagj9413]

Bushnell or Nikon?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! The Bushnell Forge are in the! Good binoculars! Thanks for watching!

[@JamesMichael333]

Its crazy to me. Ive always used binoculars that costs around $100. They were always very clear like watch8ng something in High Definition. You would think that for $500 they would be leaps & bounds better but im betting I wouldn’t notice much of a difference as far as viewing the object clearly that im looking at.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey James! yeah, I'm my personal experience there is a significant difference in more expensive glass, however, depending on what you are using it for, the difference may or may not be worth the extra money. Thanks for watching!

[@Seriously140]

Back in 1996 my projection TV and VCR looked amazing. Now, after having a 4K TV, that old one looks like viewing through a screen door. You will probably find out the same thing if you upgrade binoculars.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@Seriously140 haha....that's a great analogy! Once you've used Alpha glass, it's tough to use anything else! But, apha glass isn't in everyone's budget Thanks for watching.

[@bradenhudson885]

Did you get sponsored or compensated anyway by Athlon? All of your suggestions in each category were athlons.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

No sir I was not. Athlon was just a great performer!

[@Mrjordskie12]

What about the steiners?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Unfortunately we weren't able to get the Steiner's in this one, but they'll be in our upcoming rangefinding bino shootout! Thanks for watching!

[@user-ko4pe9yd4e]

If it wasn’t for the low light performance, how would you rate the glass of the BX-4 compared to the Viper?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Based on the average score of all 10 reviewers, here are those results: Overall image clarity: Viper Color contrast: BX-4 Edge to Edge Clarity: Viper Low light: BX-4 (by a lot) You can review more details of the whole review of all 26 binoculars over on the website: backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/ Thanks for watching!

[@user-ko4pe9yd4e]

@@BackwoodsPursuit Thank you for the detailed response. I know I was late to the game, but I’m a subscriber now.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@user-ko4pe9yd4e absolutely! Happy to help and let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks for the sub!

[@propriono]

Imho the Kowa deserved to be at least 2 positions above that one.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Fair enough! They are nice binos....we just averaged out the scores from everyone and weighted them according to importance. Here's the link to the more in-depth article if interested! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/ Thanks for watching!

[@gone4days956]

Subbed!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@richpryor9650]

Which ones had the best color rendition?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

We thought the Athlon had the best color rendition of this group. Thanks for watching!

[@elieziete]

We’re going to Big Bend in a couple of weeks kzbin.infoUgkxSt0aBrzyS1nxONvwm1e0u7ZDFD_eypAO so I bought these to use during the hikes, didn’t want to miss anything. As you can see by the photos I tested the phone adapter by taking a phone of a power pole on the next block and you can see the results. It took a couple of minutes to line the phone camera up to the eye piece, there’s a bit of a learning curve, but once it was longed up it stayed in place without any issues. So far I’m impressed with the feel and the weight, the neck strap is wide and soft so it feels good on my neck. I look forward to using it with my friend and grandson in Big Bend!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

That's great! Go with what works for you! Thanks for watching!

[@commonsense5709]

The limited 2 year warranty for the Zeiss would make me not even consider ever buying it. Bushnell's very shady warranty practices would make me avoid that brand as well. BBB gave Bushnell an F rating for screwing over way too many of their own customers over not honoring their lifetime warranty.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Yeah, it would be nice if the warranty on the Terra ED was longer. Thanks for watching!

[@andre1987eph]

never heard of these brands

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Yeah, there are a lot of optics companies out there!

[@StOKRATzoom]

kzbin.info/door/rKJ5aVast8tXtS-qRGL51w review

[@daveyboy6985]

Pity you haven't got any Porro prisim Bino's on display

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Yeah, there are TONS of Porro Prism options put there! Those of us who take their binos into the backcountry and are harder on them tend to lean towards roof prism though for their extra durability. Thanks for watching!

[@daveyboy6985]

@@BackwoodsPursuit I didn't realise that roof prisims were more robust. The reason I like porro's is the better 3D imagery they give, and generally you get better image quality for comparable priced porro and roof Bono's.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@daveyboy6985 yeah, Porro Prisims are generally much less expensive, but are by design much less durable. So, yeah, you'll pay more for roof prism, but they are much less likely to break on you out in harsh conditions.

[@gone4days956]

I believe only the Leupolds are made in Japan. The rest are made in either China or the Philippines.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Yeah, most of them are unfortunately. I'd have to double check each manufacturer to be 100% sure though. Thanks for watching!

[@tehrihumbert876]

GPO are not made in China ! Developed engineered in germany, built in japan and all back tested in germany.... Very impressive quality that comes very close to high end binoculars worth over 2x the price !! An extremely promising new brand, developed by a former CEO of Zeiss.... The quality is top level, but the price is much more interesting then Zeiss, Swaro or Leica, because made in Japan !... And I won't complain about it !!

[@gone4days956]

@@tehrihumbert876 The Passion ED line of binos are indeed made in China.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@tehrihumbert876 GPO is an impressive brand for sure! They performed extremely well! Thanks for watching!

[@tehrihumbert876]

@@gone4days956 No, buddy, you make a mistake ...

[@chrishorne5186]

Those Maven’s are the C.1’s not CS.1’s.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks! Yeah, I misspoke lol. Thanks for watching!

[@commonsense5709]

The $249 ScoopX is the same as the Athlon Cronus UHD but questionable warranty even though they may state they have a lifetime warranty. The Meade Master class is also the same binoculars but don't buy it for $349 it only has a 2 year warranty which isn't even transferrable to a second owner anyway. Might be worth buying if they were really cheap like $100 or less though just toss it and buy a new one after the warranty expires and it breaks just like disposable throw away rangefinders without a real lifetime warranty.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

I've not had the chance to try either of those, so I"m not sure. Thanks for watching!

[@commonsense5709]

​@@BackwoodsPursuitThey're currently selling for as cheap as $70 on eBay. Worth buying they're a step above the Athlon Midas UHD Gen 2 and Cronus UHD Gen 2 believe it or not. Between Vortex Viper HD and Razor HD optically.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@commonsense5709 thanks!

[@francisbarton6101]

SEVERELY DISAPPOINTED IN ATHLON CRONUS UHD G2 . Apparently the G2 are replacing the ones tested they are supposed to be even better than the ones tested . I only use binoculars for hunting and the only 2 things that I care about are clarity and low light performance. So how did they compare to my old binoculars the Yukon Gear APX Roof Prism Fully Multi Coat Binoculars? 3 of us tested these while hunting looking at a tree line from 100 yards too 600 yards . During full light and 15mins after legal shooting daylight . 2 of us couldn’t tell any difference and 1 preferred the Yukon’s. So one of 3 things are happening here. 1.Yukon’s are really good? 2 They use the exact same lens ? 3 .There is very little difference between 300 dollar and 1000 dollar and under in performance in these 2 categories? If you read the full review the Athlon Cronus where better than 50% of the binoculars at 1000 and under. My advice to anyone buying binoculars for hunting? If you can’t afford the best then buy the cheap ones because there is probably not much difference between cheap and 1000 and under in clarity and low light performance.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience! Always good to hear others experiences!

[@User-od8dz]

@@BackwoodsPursuit This comment is on every binocular review I have watched. This guy is just promoting Yukon gear or something? He acts like he has tried all the binos which is super strange.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@User-od8dz thanks for the heads up on that😁....and thanks for watching!

[@francisbarton6101]

Sorry Brian I am not sponsored and far as I know the only place you can get Yukon gear is at Canadian Tire in Canada so if your American then that throws your theory of being sponsored out the window because you can’t buy them anyway. Yes I posted on a few you tubers review of the Athlons . It was because a watched a few videos before I bought the Athlons and ended up disappointed. Athlons are a good overall binoculars and are better quality than my Yukon’s ..But for me as a hunter I only care about clarity and low light conditions and they did not perform any better . I’m not a daily bird watcher and only a seasonal hunter so how firm the focus dial is and other little binocular specs is unimportant to me . BP did a great review and I think a honest review but I’m just letting any hunters know that in these 2 categories of clarity and low light you probably will not notice a difference or very little between 150 and 1000 dollar binoculars. Just letting hunters know that in these 2 categories that you probably don’t notice a real difference until you get into the high end gear .Just sayin don’t throw out your cheap binoculars to only upgrade to a mid level .

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@francisbarton6101 thanks for the update and info!

[@skepticalmechanic]

No love for the Hawke???

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! We tried to include as many brands as possible, but obviously couldn't get them all. Next time! Thanks for watching!

[@Burritosarebetterthantacos]

The Mavens are $400+. I tested against the Vortex Diamondbacks and liked the Vortex better for half the price.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and thanks for watching!

[@bikeracerdude]

Which of the tested binos are NOT made in China? All of Athlon's products are china made- except for one rifle scope. Thanks

[@bikeracerdude]

All of the Leupold BX4 models are designed and built in USA.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

I'll have to double check to be sure o each of them. Thanks for watching!

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@bikeracerdude thanks!

[@commonsense5709]

The Maven CS1 could be bought for $300 couple of years ago now they're $425 and the Athlon Midas UHD is better even though it's made in China and much cheaper too same with the Maven 15-45x65 vs Athlon Ares UHD version big price difference both made in China and strikingly similar aside from the weight and seems to be made at the same Chinese factory. I really thought Maven was trying to avoid made in China but I guess I was wrong about it.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Yeah, we were pretty impressed with how the Athlon performed, especially for the price point! Thanks for watching!

[@Klingonmastr]

Both the Athlon Midas and Vortex Viper are good choices if you want a wider field of view. Of course with the Vortex Viper those are Made in the Philippines while the Athlon Midas are Made in China. Nothing wrong with either model. I really like the fact brands like Athlon and Vortex offer lifetime warranties on their products.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@Klingonmastr yeah, the warranties on so many optics are so much better than they used to be! Thanks for watching!

[@millenium2003]

Just buy nikon. Nothing else

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Nikon makes some good stuff for sure! Thanks for watching!

[@ovideoarkans7982]

THIS IS ONLY ADVERT FOR WHAT YOU ARE GETTING MONEY FOR...... TOTALLY RUBISH....

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! There are certainly a TON of other pairs of binocular out there under the $500 price point, but these were the ones we tested along side each other, and none of the companies paid us for the review. As mentioned, we also had a good number of volunteers (each with some experience with various optics) rank each of them based on their own personal opinion to get as good of an idea as possible. Thanks for watching though!

[@idontlikebigbrother9778]

If your binocular review is just about standing here talking all the time without showing actual image through the lenses, why bother making the video?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Sorry it wasn't what you were looking for. Filming through the optic usually doesn't show the differences that well, so opted not to go that route. Thanks for watching though.

[@petertrout7866]

You got Bushnell but no Nikon or Swarovski …this is not a review.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! We did a 4 part series on the 26 binoculars we tested, and this was part 1 for the $500 price point. Feel free to check out the other 3 videos on the $1000, $1500, and Alpha Glass binoculars. We also did a full written review over on the website. Go check that out for even more details. backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/ Thanks for watching!

[@petertrout7866]

@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks! I’ll check that out.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@petertrout7866 sounds good. Thanks!

[@istvanvarosi]

Why are you banging your binoculars on the table ? Not yours ?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Hey there! Not quite sure what you are meaning there as I felt like I was setting them on the table. The mic may have been picking up a bit extra and making it sound worse than it was? Thanks for watching either way though!

[@suzgabverdugo933]

Vortex viper 12x50 for me.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

The Vipers performed well! Thanks for watching!

[@kurtwilhelm3823]

How was the athlon cronis in low light?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

The Athlon did pretty well in low light. Not the best of the group, but very good. Here's the full review with the rankings! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/

[@kurtwilhelm3823]

@@BackwoodsPursuit I would be mainly buying for low light . Sol the leupolds seem like a good choice. Do the leupolds compare or hold their own against the athlons cronis during the daylight hrs in such things as edge to to edge and sharpnes?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@kurtwilhelm3823 ok...gotcha. I'd say the Leupold were noticably behind the Athlon Cronus in overall imagine sharpness and edge to edge clarity during daylight hours. During very last light, though, the Leupold shined.

[@kurtwilhelm3823]

@@BackwoodsPursuit thank you. I really enjoyed your video. Really well done and informative. The written one was even better. Thanks.

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

@@kurtwilhelm3823 absolutely....and thank you! Appreciate the feedback!

[@rs3tuber425]

No Nikon monarch 7?

[@BackwoodsPursuit]

Unfortunately we didn't get all of them on the market, but I'm definitely interested how the Monarch 7s would compare!