MTHokie
FNG
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2022
- Messages
- 94
Thought I would post a little bit of a review of the subject brand binos in 12x50 since I have just done some amateur comparisons with them at home and in the field. If you're an optics geek, then you can probably stop reading here, because I am not, and this review probably won't be satisfactory for you.
Cost is always a consideration, so keep in mind the cost for these binos to me, least to greatest, is Burris Signature HD, Maven C3, then Leupold BX-4. I have been using a pair of old Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42s for the past 12 years. They are decent, but my eyes are not, and aren't improving with age, so I wanted to move up in quality and magnification. I will make a note that I also tried out the Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 10x42s, and they are an excellent binocular at their price point. If Athlon made the Cronus in a 12x50, it would have also been on this list, and might have topped it. I also tried out the Maven 12x42s, and I agree with some other posts on here - I don't know why anyone would make a 12x42. Every time I moved my eyeballs, the field would black out because of the small exit pupil size.
Edge-to-edge clarity was very good to me in each of these binos. 1st Leupy, 2nd Maven, 3rd Burris
Low light was good in the Maven, oh-so slightly better in the Burris, and definitively better than either in the Leupys.
Lots of dudes talk about eye cups and comfort - I couldn't tell a difference between the three. All were very comfortable to my eyes.
Handling and ease of use - Maven was the loser for me in this category. They are the heaviest and feel that way. The open bridge design of the Burris and the Leupolds is definitely superior to the closed bridge design. I think it makes the binos more balanced and much easier to stabilize while glassing (I do not use a tripod). This is one of the reasons I did not bother to test Vortex Viper HDs, also a closed bridge. The Burris are 3-4 ounces lighter than the Leupold's but it didn't feel like that big of a difference between the two.
I ended up going with the BX-4s due to their low light transmission being superior to the Burris. However, I get a discount on Leupold. If I didn't, I'd have gone with the Burris Signature HDs because Eurooptics has them on sale right now for $400 here if anyone is in the market:
www.eurooptic.com
Hope this is helpful to someone looking for 12x50 binos.
Cost is always a consideration, so keep in mind the cost for these binos to me, least to greatest, is Burris Signature HD, Maven C3, then Leupold BX-4. I have been using a pair of old Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42s for the past 12 years. They are decent, but my eyes are not, and aren't improving with age, so I wanted to move up in quality and magnification. I will make a note that I also tried out the Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 10x42s, and they are an excellent binocular at their price point. If Athlon made the Cronus in a 12x50, it would have also been on this list, and might have topped it. I also tried out the Maven 12x42s, and I agree with some other posts on here - I don't know why anyone would make a 12x42. Every time I moved my eyeballs, the field would black out because of the small exit pupil size.
Edge-to-edge clarity was very good to me in each of these binos. 1st Leupy, 2nd Maven, 3rd Burris
Low light was good in the Maven, oh-so slightly better in the Burris, and definitively better than either in the Leupys.
Lots of dudes talk about eye cups and comfort - I couldn't tell a difference between the three. All were very comfortable to my eyes.
Handling and ease of use - Maven was the loser for me in this category. They are the heaviest and feel that way. The open bridge design of the Burris and the Leupolds is definitely superior to the closed bridge design. I think it makes the binos more balanced and much easier to stabilize while glassing (I do not use a tripod). This is one of the reasons I did not bother to test Vortex Viper HDs, also a closed bridge. The Burris are 3-4 ounces lighter than the Leupold's but it didn't feel like that big of a difference between the two.
I ended up going with the BX-4s due to their low light transmission being superior to the Burris. However, I get a discount on Leupold. If I didn't, I'd have gone with the Burris Signature HDs because Eurooptics has them on sale right now for $400 here if anyone is in the market:
Burris Binocular Signature HD 12x50mm
Burris Binocular Signature HD 12x50mm | Only at EuroOptic.com!
Hope this is helpful to someone looking for 12x50 binos.
