Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide HD opinions.

[HeadnWest]

Does any one have any experience with the Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide Binos? Looking at the 10x42s. What are you thoughts? I have a budget of about $500 for my first real set of binos and these are one of the models I am considering.

 

[Alvin]

Same situation here, I'm deciding between a bx-4 pro guide or Nikon monarch 5, both 10x42, mostly for antelope hunting.
Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

 

[TNKnoxville]

One of our guides had them on our hunt in CO this year. To my untrained eyes they looked nice. All were 10x42's. Guides had Vortex razor, Steiner HX, Zeiss conquest and I had an old pair of Cabelas/Pentax. Thought mine were okay until I looked thru all the others! My order of spotting elk thru them was Steiner, Vortex, Zeiss then Bak4. But they were all good. Bak4 were the least expensive and were nice. Not sure what they would be like if you hunted a lot out west. Guide had an extra pair of the Bak4's which my buddy picked up, $500 new in the box. From a quick review that seems like a standard cost. I picked up a slightly used pair of the Steiners for $500, price shows them at $900 to $1000.

Always saw the advice about looking thru them first and somewhere outside the store and that is great advice. Inside and at very close distances all looked great. Where the others started to shine were at distance. For me the difference was the sharpness and clarity among them. Can't give that a real test until outside looking at stuff.

 

[TNKnoxville]

A good read is the Ah ha thread. Exactly what happened to me! Good glass is amazing. Like they said in many of the responses you can spot elk but I couldn't count points or see antlers real clear. Look thru good glass and you'll be surprised at what you are not seeing!

Being from TN we really don't have a need for long range spotting, but figured like they say buy once cry once.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Have you considered the Meopta Meopro?

 

[Xlr8n]

Same situation here, I'm deciding between a bx-4 pro guide or Nikon monarch 5, both 10x42, mostly for antelope hunting.
Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

Pro Guide > Monarch 5

 

[Forest]

The pro guides are pretty respectable glass for the money. Keep an eye out for used ones seems like they come across now and then, if looking just for new they have a good rebate out right now

 

[big44a4]

I have some new (only seen the backyard) pro guides for sale in classifieds. They are nice but don’t need them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[idahohikker]

Is the glass very good? I've read some meh reports. Why not talk to the Doug man or go with Nikon or Maven? There are binos people rave about in each class--under $500, under $1000, etc.

 

[big44a4]

Is the glass very good? I've read some meh reports. Why not talk to the Doug man or go with Nikon or Maven? There are binos people rave about in each class--under $500, under $1000, etc.

I just prefer my 15x56 on a tripod so I don’t have to carry a spotting scope. Not a quality issue with them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Newtosavage]

If my binocular budget was $500, I'd never select the BX-4 pro guides. First reason is the ridiculous, enormous eye "cups" (or should I say saucers) they are now using. I have no idea whose face they fit, but they make the binoculars basically unusable to me. So much side light comes in that glare on the eyepiece lens is always an issue. Second reason is they have that classic "made in china" image. I am not sure how to describe it, but just about every MIC bin I've looked through has it. The image is sharp at first glance, but then it's not, and then it is again and then it's not. It's very odd. I've never had that problem with Made in Japan binocs and certainly not Euro-made optics - only MIC. They are easy to impress in the store, but after you have them in the field you might change your mind. I've returned every single pair of MIC bins I've bought (probably 8-10 by now) for this very reason. The BX-4's remind me a LOT of the Zen-Ray Primes, and they may in fact be the same binocular. It wouldn't surprise me one bit.

So, for your budget, you can't do much better than Vortex Viper HD's. Yes, I know what I just wrote about MIC bins, but these seem to be the only exception to the rule. I've been pretty impressed with them as a whole, as are a lot of others. They are a solid buy.

Personally, I'd get a pair of Opticron Imagic or Countryman, or Minox 10x44 BL's or Monarch 7's or the new Vanguard Endeavor ED IV's, which seem to be another one that bucks the MIC weird image trend. Heck, I might even take back the Maven C1's I returned over the BX-4's.

Or, I'd hold out for maybe a "little" more money and find a clean pair of used Zeiss Conquest HD's, Nikon Monarch HG's or Leica Trinovids.

 

[sndmn11]

If my binocular budget was $500, I'd never select the BX-4 pro guides. First reason is the ridiculous, enormous eye "cups" (or should I say saucers) they are now using. I have no idea whose face they fit, but they make the binoculars basically unusable to me. So much side light comes in that glare on the eyepiece lens is always an issue. Second reason is they have that classic "made in china" image. I am not sure how to describe it, but just about every MIC bin I've looked through has it. The image is sharp at first glance, but then it's not, and then it is again and then it's not. It's very odd. I've never had that problem with Made in Japan binocs and certainly not Euro-made optics - only MIC. They are easy to impress in the store, but after you have them in the field you might change your mind. I've returned every single pair of MIC bins I've bought (probably 8-10 by now) for this very reason. The BX-4's remind me a LOT of the Zen-Ray Primes, and they may in fact be the same binocular. It wouldn't surprise me one bit.

They are actually made in Japan.

I love my pair and a big part of that was how THIN the eye cups are. I don't think there is another binocular under $500 that comes close to it, but will be looking at some Tract in the next week or so.

 

[Newtosavage]

Huh. Could have sworn the BX-4's I looked at in Cabelas were MIC. Glad to learn I'm wrong about that. So that may resolve one issue but those eyecups are ginormous.

sndmn11, do you wear glasses?

This is a great example of why it's important for each person to review their own optics. I would never buy a pair of BX-4's but sndmn11 loves his!

 

[sndmn11]

I do not wear glasses, but I have a toucan sam of a nose and thus getting binos to my eyes doesn't work at all with wonky eye pieces. I am wondering if you didn't have a set of BX2 Tiogas in hand. Those have HUGE ocular lenses and are silly.

 

[Newtosavage]

I do not wear glasses, but I have a toucan sam of a nose and thus getting binos to my eyes doesn't work at all with wonky eye pieces. I am wondering if you didn't have a set of BX2 Tiogas in hand. Those have HUGE ocular lenses and are silly.

Doubt your nose is any bigger than mine. That's what I found difficult about the Leupys and the Zen Primes. I'm pretty sure the salesman at Cabelas handed me the BX-4's but now that I think about it, it could have actually been the BX-5's. I was looking at bins in the $1K range. If I have them mixed up, then I apologize. I just absolutely hate the enormous eyepieces we're seeing these days on many binoculars. I also hate the fact that Leupold is even playing in the low-end optic market. They should leave that to Bushnell and Tasco and others and only produce optics of the quality we have grown to expect from Leupold. But then they didn't ask me either. LOL

 

[sndmn11]

I loved the BX4s I had, but when I looked through the BX5s in 10x42 the other day, it didn't take long for me to tell the guy to put them back in the case. They were a noticeably different fit than the BX4 and the view was strange as well.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I don't think there is another binocular under $500 that comes close to it, but will be looking at some Tract in the next week or so.

I'm looking forward to next weekend to get my hands on some Tracts. Should be a fun expo.

Like NTS the eyecups on the BX-4s simply don't fit my face. I couldn't even form an opinion on them because I couldn't look through them properly. If the OP is considering the BX-4s you should definitely try some out in person before purchasing.

 

[sndmn11]

I'm looking forward to next weekend to get my hands on some Tracts. Should be a fun expo.

I think I will be able to get them outside on a tripod with like Mavens and Swarovski.

 

[Rodéo]

I think I will be able to get them outside on a tripod with like Mavens and Swarovski.

Let us know how that turns out! I picked up a pair of 8x42 Toric's recently and they are absolutely the best glass I've looked through outside of a store. Would love to hear how they stack up to the mavens and swarovski in a real outdoor test.

 

[Newtosavage]

I happened to find myself in a Bass Pro this afternoon, and made a point to go try the Leupold BX-4's because of this thread. They are not what I remembered. I was thinking of the BX-5's a salesman in Cabelas showed me a couple months ago.

The BX-4 (open hinge) I looked at today were a very nice size and build with very reasonable eyecups, I thought. I compared them to a pair of 10x42 Bushnell Legend M's, and (of course) the salesperson insisted I try a pair of Vortex while I was there *SHOCKER* LOL. The BX-4's were very good by comparison, with the least amount of glare of the three. I can't say much else about them because it was indoors, and I know by now not to depend too much on what bins look like indoors.