What should I look for all around use ?

Tell your budget will help.

I bought a Vortex Diamondback 10x42.I like them so much I got 2 more.One for home,,one for the truck and one for the boat.Very clear and dont fog up.

Looking for used. I dont need and thing expensive
$50.00

What are they worth ?

When I got all mine they were like $150 each.Now they are like $220,,but I see Sheels has a sale on them for $129 right now.Thats a good deal for the quality of glass your getting.

We got the 10x50s and like them a lot also.

Most binoculars makers have a general model in the 100-125 price on sale that you might find used in your range up the price of “glass”(lenses) is going up fast. Getting high quality for all purpose is limited because use is getting special use designed. Long range, light gathering, compact, zoom, image collecting and now motion stabilized etc. As a birder I have three types that I rely on. What do you want them to do most?

I've always had the cheap ones, bushnell etc...works for me cause they get stolen out of the truck now and again, they may not be as clear as a thousand dollar glass, but for general purposes work good enough...and still miles better than squinting, lol. did I mention they're cheap?

Going cheap with optics is always a bad idea, but if you do go cheap get at least a 50 MM objective, especially if you go with 7x to 10x magnification.

The big objective will keep the exit pupil at 5.O or greater, for max light gathering capability at dawn & dusk.

Better yet, come off some $$ and buy quality that will last a lifetime, and perform better on light gathering, field of view, and most of all crisp clarity edge to edge.

I got a set that came as a promo with Burris scope basically the binoculars were free. Thay were larger than I thought i would want to pack around and I didn't think I would use them much. Turned out I was wrong and used them all the time untill they got broken in the truck at some point.

I dont know much about binoculars but assume it is the same as rifle scopes and camara lens and glass quality makes a big difference in clarity and light .

At one time I honestly didn't understand why someone would buy a 300$ 3x9x40 when I could get a 3x9x40 Bushnell for $89. Today I know the difference and the price increase is worth that difference to me

Like most gear, it all depends on what a person is doing.

Most folks aren't glassing 12 hrs a day on a mountainside or backpacking up the backside of a rockslide with their gear. Those people need th high dollar stuff.


Most folks can get by with a $100-200 pair of imported Vortex, NIkon or Leupolds. I've got 2 sets of Vortex Diamondbacks and a pair of the Leupold BX-1s. All work great for truck binos or for in the deer stand.

Plenty clear for my eyes and I didn't need a loan to get em.

That'll be $50 thrown away.

At least budget up to around $200.

How long do you plan to keep them. If you plan to keep them the rest of your life, go for quality. Your grandkids will enjoy them someday. Same for rifle scopes.

The best pair I ever looked thru belonged to one of the border patrol agents that corralled my car at sunrise on dirt road south of Bisbee, AZ. Turns out I was just one mile from the border sitting on my rental car glassing to the south over the dessert on vacation. Took quite a bit of convincing that I was just an unlocal yokel from MN birding. Guess all the trails I was seeing from the south weren’t game trails, lol. His took both arms and some muscle to hold up, were motion stabilized and could capture images. They were probably military and could do a whole lot more.

Vortex Diamondback and leupold bx-1 are the 2 cheap binos worth looking through if youre east of the mississippi. I got my bx-1 for under $100 bucks and they're great for the deer woods or anything say 750 yards or less. Farther than that or continuous use for more than a few minutes and you'll want something in the $500 or up range

I have quite a few pairs but I think a pair of 8x would be better in your country. I actually like them a bit more out here. Lots of glassing in the west and guys get wrapped up trying to count inches. iMO, 8’s let you scan more country and good glass will clear it up. I have vortex for beater work and some leica’s for the nice stuff

I'll 4th or 5th or whatever the Vortex Diamondbacks. They aren't high quality glass, but for the price point I don't think they can be beat. And Vortex have a great lifetime warranty and are great to deal with. Leupold also have a great warranty, I can't tell you how they are to deal with on warranty because I've never owned a Leupold optic that needed sent in, but they have a very good reputation. I love Leupold scopes, but at least to my eyes the Vortex Diamondbacks beat the Leupold bx-1 all to pieces.

I use fairly expensive binos, but I've been around and used a lot of cheaper ones at times, and always recommend the Diamondbacks for those on a budget. Just don't look through a pair of Razors, Leicas or Swarvorskis first, or you won't be satisfied.

Newt, do yourself a favor and get a set of Vortex. Lifetime warranty no questions asked, and the customer service is phenomenal.

Another vote for vortex buy once cry once