Eagle Optics Beginning Birding Kit

Tadas from Illinois thinks the Eagle Optics Birding Kit is a smart start!:

I teach about 400 new birder students per year. The most difficult questions to answer are "Which binoculars should I buy?", "What field guide should I use?" and "Where can I learn more about birds?". It seems that Eagle Optics has a terrific answer: The Beginning Birder Kit is right on target to enable the novice with smart optics and great resources to nurture the new addiction to birds! The value is fantastic for most anyone starting out. Going forward, this kit is my #1 recommendation to students.

Eagle Optics Insight monocular

I bought my husband the Insight Christmas as a stocking stuffer and it ended up being THE best present ever! He just loves it and it never leaves his pocket. Everybody wants one when they use it. Its as strong as some of his bigger binoculars but so much easier to carry around. They come in lots of colors and we are taking our green ones to The Masters this year.
I would recommend this to anyone who would like an easy to use sharp, quick focusing monocular to carry in their pocket everywhere and everyday. Beware...you will want more than one!

Vortex Razor binocular

From Suzanne in New York:

There is very little in the way of negative to say about these binocs, and much positive to say. Beautiful, bright, sharp image with a very wide field of view (410 feet!) and great low light capabilities. Very comfortable to hold, not too heavy, and smoothly working center focus wheel. Eyecups, with detentes, are very functional and stay in place, and Vortex supplies a pair of flared ones if you prefer those. The eye relief with glasses seems quite adequate and there is virtually no loss of field width. Objective lens covers soft rubber are attached and go on and off easily and stay firmly on. Ocular covers are very functional, providing good protection but easy to get on and off. Finally, the Vortex lifetime, no questions asked, warranty is a big plus.

The only negative I have found is there is a little chromatic aberration beginning about halfway out from the center of the field. But, and this is a big but, it is only really noticeable in certain high contrast situations, such as the corner of a white wall against a darkish background, or a dark tree trunk against bright snow. It is really nonexistent in the center 50% of the field even in those situations, so it is not really a distraction when looking at a bird or any other object you are centering on. Also, especially in birdwatching, those particular high contrast situations are not that common, so it is rare that one will even notice this effect at all. For instance, you will not see any of this through the entire field in a typical situation when scanning bushes for a bird. All in all, it is a small factor when considering the many positive features and impressive optics of the Razors and the way they stack up so well to instruments costing two or three times as much.

Swarovski 8x30 rangefinder

From Chip in Arizona:
I picked up this rangefinder for target shooting at unknown distances and have been completely satisfied. The Swaro optics are outstanding, making it easy to locate and range distant targets.

The Swaro's red display is a "must have" feature in a good rangefinder as far as I'm concerned. Most cheaper rangefinders I looked at have a black LCD that is difficult to see against dark terrain. I would have to range my target, then point the range finder at the sky to read the measurement.

Repeat measurements with this rangefinder were spot on with initial measurements out to 200+ yards (as far as I've tried it so far). Measurements against known distances proved accurate as well.

One minor complaint is that the ranging reticle is a rather large circle, which makes pinpointing distant targets a little more challenging, but there's a tripod attachment to assist with that. And the big reticle doesn't get in the way when ranging closer targets, so it's probably a good thing overall.

The Swaro can also be switched between yards and meters, which is a handy "nice to have" feature. Most other rangers I looked at did one or the other, but not both.

Nikon Premier 8x42 binocular

From Dan in Michigan:

Saw the Nikon Premier on sale, and wow! My wife uses them and loves them.

She said I wouldn't use my Leicas anymore if I saw how good these binoculars are.

Great view, great guarantee, and wow, what a great price!

Eagle Optics Raven 6.5x32

From Mike in Texas:

I bought the Raven as a car binocular.

I will say in recent years the quality of inexpensive porro-prism binoculars has been improving by leaps and bounds. Much serious thought has obviously gone into these latest designs.

It used to be not uncommon to come across optically decent inexpensive binoculars, but they were typically fragile enough that they would tend to break or get out of collimation even with careful handling.

Not so this latest generation of designs. Based upon my experience with the generally similarly-constructed Leupold Yosemite 8x30's, I would predict that these Ravens will withstand considerable rough handling in the field.

They are not merely good for the price, I believe they'd be pretty good at any price. The edge to edge focus and depth of field are very good, and the clarity is good enough to make even muted olive tones and dull wingbars stand out.

7x is my preferred power, but these 6.5x Ravens are close enough.

I'm gonna give 'em five stars.

Zeiss Diascope

A rave Zeiss review!:

A couple of years ago I sold my Swarovski 65mm 20-60X scope and bought the straight 65mm Diascope with the 15-45X eyepiece. I'm glad I did. The 65 Zeiss is relatively light and easy to carry around on its Bogen tripod, and I really like the dual focus system, compared to the barrel-type focusing of the Swaro. The image quality is superb, as you would expect, but the 15-45X eyepiece is the best part. The brightness, field of view and depth of field of the 65 Zeiss scope at 15X makes it easy to find things and to follow birds in flight. I will always remember a wonderful twilight hour I spent watching a pair of short-eared owls hunting over a marsh. I was able to see and follow the owls until well after sundown on a cloudy day, after other birders had packed up and left.

On the other end of the zoom range, I have found that 45X is plenty for shorebirds and such, and provides usable views over fields, water or snow when images at 60X turn into a dark, fluttery mess due to mirage and the tiny exit pupil at 60X. I gave up the 60X to gain the 15X, and the tradeoff has worked for me.

Zeiss Victory FLs

From Dave in Wisconsin:

I bought my Zeiss Victory FL 8X42 binoculars as a retirement present to myself a couple of years ago. As luck would have it, I was able to make outdoor, side-by-side comparisons of the Zeiss with the comparable Leica and Swarovski models before buying -- same time, same place, same lighting conditions. All three were good, of course, but to my eyes the Zeiss had the edge in brightness, sharpness and color quality. The Zeiss also had better eyecups and eye relief, although that judgement is subjective. The field of view and near focus of the Zeiss are also superior,as is the speed and "weight" of the focus mechanism. For an all-around birding binocular, the 8X42 Victory FL is beyond compare.

With one exception: I still believe that for woodland birding and other close viewing situations that require the greatest possible depth of field, field of view and low-light performance, the good ol' Zeiss ClassiC 7X42s are the ultimate, and feel better in the hands than any other binocular I have ever owned or tried. I'm glad I got the Victories, but I'm also glad I kept the Classics.

Manfrotto 7301YB tripod review

I bought this tripod to replace a 25-year-old Leitz Tiltall tripod that weighs 6.7 lbs. I was doubtful that a 3.7 lb tripod (this one) with a modest price tag could be as sturdy as the heavy one, but the sales rep at Eagle Optics assured me that it was as sturdy as heavier ones, so I tried it, and it is as sturdy as my old one. It's very easy to carry (in the supplied case, it is smaller than my scope and about the same weight) and set up, and appears to be well made. The only minus is its maximum height, 56". I use it with a spotting scope with a 45 degree eyepiece, so it does not have to be as high as it would for a straight scope, but if I were taller (I'm 5'8") it would be hard to look at birds near the tops or nearby trees without stooping.

Pentax LV 9x28

From a customer in Arizona:

I was looking for a pair of compact binoculars for several reasons. I wanted something light but high quality for backpacking and kayaking, I wanted a small pair of binos for when my main focus is photography, and I wanted a pair that I could use to introduce non-birder friends to birding without giving them an embarrassingly poor pair of optics. These little Pentax binos fit the bill in all respects. I'm a huge fan of Pentax (my full-size binos are Pentax WP 10X42s), but I was definitely open to all brands when looking for compacts. I compared over a dozen pairs of compacts on price, size, weight, close focus, eye relief and quality, and the Pentax 9X28s came out on top.

I bought a pair and I couldn't be happier. My old compacts were so poor that when I took them on trips, I never used them because the optical quality was so bad. I find myself finding reasons to pull these little Pentax's out to use them! Obviously they aren't as bright as my full-size, and as the light fades the difference is more pronounced, but you can't compare full-size optics with compacts. In good light, other than the extra magnification of my full-size binos (which I'm surprised was actually noticeable), there isn't much difference between the two. They're actually good enough that when I take newbies birding, I have no qualms about using the 9X28s so I can let my friends use the 10X42s.

I've compared these to a few other compacts of similar cost and the Pentax win, hands down. I would absolutely buy these again, and I've been recommending them to others without a hint of hesitation.

My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that while my Pentax 10X42s are made in Japan, the 9X28s are made in China. But I suspect that nearly everything in this price range is made in China. That said, I haven't noticed any reduction in quality from my Japanese made 10X42s, I'd just rather not support China for various reasons.

Leica Monovid monocular

From Chris in California:

Absolutely the most useful, highest quality, compact observing tool I have every had the joy of looking through. Top notch Leica quality. Crystal clear. Beautifully and ruggedly crafted. Includes an incredibly functional carrying case. I find close focus attachment to be an unexpected joy. Now on my hikes all of the insect world is also available for observation. I have found that it is even possible to digiscope through this with an ultra compact camera. Originally I got this item because I was tired of lugging binos around. This is so small that I even occasionally include it in my computer case when on business travel. only down side is cost but it would seem in this case you really do get what you pay for.

Bushnell Elite 20-60x80 ED angled scope

From Eva in Florida:

I use this scope on monthly bird walks with the public. My favorite detail is the swivel adjustment on the eyepiece. Once I have a great bird in the scope I can swivel the eyepiece around for people of all heights. It's perfect for multi-age groups. The glass on this scope is great. I love how crisp and clean the image is portrayed.

Swarovski SLC binocular

From: Scott from California
Rating: 5 of 5

The Swarovski 8x30 SLC is pure Austrian simplicity. Its lines are clean and simple and as far away from its cousin, the fancy EL, as possible. I've tested the original EL's, and I also own the Zeiss 8x32 Victory FL's. Both are twice the price of the SLC. Yet, optically the SLC is very, very close to these two.

The Zeiss and the original EL's focusing knobs are much smoother than the SLC. And the EL's handling is second to none - the best of any binocular from any maker. The SLC's focusing knob, in contrast, is not very smooth and is too small for use with gloves, especially if you have thick or big hands. What the SLC lacks in mechanical finesse, however, it more than makes up for in sheer optical brilliance. Frankly, I think this is one of the most underrated pieces of glass on the market. Why? My guess is that the whole SLC line has been totally upstaged by the ELs (understandably so); and the SLC's looks may make them seem homely compared to the EL's. But I call the look spartan - and beautiful, and actually,I prefer it. They are relatively compact and small - 30mm as opposed to 32mm - not heavy but very, very solid and beautifully built. The Austrians clearly decided to pour all the cost into the optics, rather than fancy design appointments. Simply put, these are serious hunting and birding glasses. They are razor sharp. Have some CA, but minimal. Eye relief is decent, making them fine with glasses. FOV is excellent at over 400. And though its close focus is listed at 13ft (not very good these days) I gauge mine at 11, which is adequate. If your dollar ceiling is around a Grand and you are considering glasses under 42mm, you should give these a try. I love them. They actually lose a half-star only for the stiff focusing knob (placed near the objective lens) and for lack of better close focus (which they really should have). But they don't have half-star ratings at EO, so I'll give it five because I grab these glasses again and again. And I think very few binoculars at this price even come close to their solid build. They are really little optical gems.

Swarovski Balance Rail

From: Ben from Ohio
Rating: 5 of 5

This thing is awesome. It does add some weight to the overall set up, but it is a HUGE improvement over the old swarovski balance plate. The best thing about it is how easy it is to switch to a different balance point without having to take off the plate and re-screw anything. You just flip the lever on the side, slide it smoothly into place and then flick it back into locked position. Also an improvement is the added space on the underside to fit your thumb under onto the bottom of the scope focus wheel, the old plate got in the way a little. Also cool that you can slide it off the bottom rail/plate (by first depressing the green safety button catch) and use it on your table, car roof, etc, as a stable base. Very handy, and definitely provides a more balanced and less shaky image when digiscoping. Its not as expensive as I would expect from Swarovski, but still arguably overpriced, worth it though, as there is nothing as well designed on the market.

Zeiss camera adapter

From Paul in Ohio:
Rating: 2 of 5

Love the design of this adapter but was very disappointed to discover that the unadjustable swivel joint has enough tolerance in the connection to cause vibration problems while snapping the photo. Many point-and-shoot digital cameras do not have mechanical or electronic shutter release capabilities which forces manual shutter release. This camera contact may cause this adapter to move while shutter is released. For the cost of this accessory I would have expected more form Zeiss.

I can get better results from a $65 adapter!!

Swift Eaglet 7x36

From Randy in Iowa:
Subject: Great for birding and butterflies
Rating: 5 of 5

I originally purchased this binocular for my late wife because of its close focusing capability; the close focus is actually closer to four feet than the 5.9 feet given in the specifications. She would often use it for viewing dragonflies and butterflies while she patiently sat on shore while I was wading and fishing; of course, she also used it for birding. I have often used it while kayaking because of its waterproofing. I often mentor people who are only modestly competent at birding, and this is the optic of choice when I loan them a binocular. It is small enough to be comfortable in smaller hands, but still large and weighty enough to not get lost in larger hands like mine. The view is bright and sharp, especially for an instrument in this price range. The large and easy to locate center focus is silky smooth to operate. The twist-up eyecups are a huge improvement over the previous version of this model; that was the only criticism I had of the former version. I wear glasses, and so do many of my older companions, so high eye relief is an important feature in a binocular. Even though I own a Leica 7x42, I often choose to carry the Swift Eaglet 7x36 because of its lighter weight, and near perfect combination of features. Friends have purchased this model on my recommendation, and all the people I have loaned it to have enjoyed using it.