idahohikker
WKR
- Joined
- May 10, 2017
- Messages
- 2,160
Hi all, I really enjoy using my 65mm spotter but I haven't used 15x binos before. I'm curious about their advantages over a spotter. In an ideal world where price and pounds don't exist, have both, sure, but the assumption here is that you have to pick one.
The test that I'm wondering about is spotting (primarily) and judging (secondarily since I'm not a devout trophy hunter) elk and deer at typical Western distances outside the range of an 8-10x bino (say, 1.5-3 miles). Is there normally better clarity or light gathering with binos?
I don't care to hear about eye strain because I don't experience any really with a mid-range spotter on a decent tripod. I also don't care about being able to find game that you have already spotted in your smaller binos because I've never had trouble doing that with my spotter, even though it's angled. After some practice, it's been no biggie.
I suspect that they're actually pretty similar 15x is 15x and two lenses versus one doesn't significantly change the viewing. If so, that works in favor of the spotter because of the versatility of the higher magnification when needed. The weight difference is only a pound or so usually, I believe. I think a lot of people are just more familiar with using binos and haven't tried glassing with spotters and so they automatically assume glassing with the binos are better.
The test that I'm wondering about is spotting (primarily) and judging (secondarily since I'm not a devout trophy hunter) elk and deer at typical Western distances outside the range of an 8-10x bino (say, 1.5-3 miles). Is there normally better clarity or light gathering with binos?
I don't care to hear about eye strain because I don't experience any really with a mid-range spotter on a decent tripod. I also don't care about being able to find game that you have already spotted in your smaller binos because I've never had trouble doing that with my spotter, even though it's angled. After some practice, it's been no biggie.
I suspect that they're actually pretty similar 15x is 15x and two lenses versus one doesn't significantly change the viewing. If so, that works in favor of the spotter because of the versatility of the higher magnification when needed. The weight difference is only a pound or so usually, I believe. I think a lot of people are just more familiar with using binos and haven't tried glassing with spotters and so they automatically assume glassing with the binos are better.