Binocular of the Year
Welcome to the expanded 2013 Binocular of the Year Awards. At binoculars.com, we're lucky enough to get our hands on all the latest and greatest from our favorite manufacturers, and we love to share. From small changes and total overhauls to previously popular lines to never-before-seen innovations, the optics industry never ceases to amaze. As our eyes are opened to the best of 2013, we've recognized the most significant achievements here.
We brought tons of binoculars new and improved for 2013 into the office and put them to the test. We peer into our co-workers offices, take them out into the field, and generally give them a hard time. We get down to the nitty-gritty of how they're made and judge their performance at both a macro and micro scale. This year, we've expanded the awards to include 12 categories and are proud to present our favorites in each. You'll find binoculars for everyday use, specialty binoculars, spotting scopes, and so much more. So, let's get to it - here are the 2013 Binocular of the Year Award winners!
Binocular of the Year
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42 Binoculars
Best of the Best
Zeiss 10x42 Victory HT Binocular
Best Astronomy Binocular
Zhumell Tachyon 25x100 Astronomical Binocular
Best Hunting Binocular
Leupold BX-4 McKinley HD 10x42 Binoculars
Best Birding Binocular
Nikon 8x42 Monarch 5 Binoculars
Reviewer's Choice
Best Compact Binocular
Steiner Safari Ultrasharp 8x22 Binoculars
Best Marine Binocular
Steiner 7x50 Marine Binoculars
Rangefinder of the Year
Nikon Archers Choice Laser Rangefinder
Spotting Scope of the Year
Swarovski Modular Spotting Scopes
Monocular of the Year
Vortex Solo 10x36 Waterproof Monocular
Innovation of the Year
Binocular of the Year
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42 Binoculars
Three-time winner! These incredible binoculars - introduced a couple of years ago - keep barreling forward, gathering recognition and awards at a speed that makes the competition a blur. Once again Binocular of the Year, the Legend Ultra HD provides a level of light transmission and clarity that’s otherwise unseen in an attainable class and category. With high-quality ED glass coated with proprietary Ultra-Wide Custom Band Coating, viewers are treated to high-definition lines and accurately defined colors, even at tough times of day.
All the little things are provided with this pair, too, along with the not-so-little Bushnell full-year buyback guarantee. Permanent RainGuard HD water-repellant coating, a super-comfortable lightweight rubberized body, and a premium case round out the extras included with the Legend Ultra HD. We've never named a binocular the overall winner 3 years in a row, but there's just so much to love here. The price is right, the views are bright - we'll gladly take the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42 Binoculars out into the field anytime, anywhere.
Best of the Best
Zeiss 10x42 Victory HT Binocular
Whoa. It seems obvious to say it, but the Zeiss Victory 10x42 HT has to be seen to be believed. This year's Best of the Best binocular boasts unheard-of specifications like 95% light transmission and a slew of incredible proprietary elements. With Schott HT high-transmission glass, Carl Zeiss T* multi-layer coating, and the Abbe-Konig prism system, the views are brighter and better than literally anything else we've looked through this year. In a uniquely elegant and effortless ergonomic body design dubbed Comfort-Focus-Concept, the Victory HTs are more than a deserving victor this year.
Best Astronomy Binocular
Zhumell Tachyon 25x100 Astronomical Binocular
Go big or go home! The Zhumell Tachyon 25x100 binoculars do. This year's best astronomical binoculars are housed in a no-funny-business industrial-strength body and boast high-quality optics worth pointing skyward. As a spotting scope for your telescope, a primary moon or object viewing instrument, or tripod-mounted long-distance terrestrial binoculars, the Tachyons are designed to help you open new horizons. The optics on the Tachyon - BaK4 prisms, a waterproof and nitrogen-purged body, and fully multi-coated lenses - are supported by an even spacier feature - the ability to accept standard 1.25-inch telescope filters.
Best Hunting Binocular
Leupold BX-4 McKinley HD 10x42 Binoculars
You're looking to take a shot - it doesn't make sense to have a warped field of view. Our 2013 Best Hunting Binocular is the Leupold BX-4 McKinley HD 10x42, an all-new model for the year that boasts a full-flat field of view with super-sharp lines and vivid colors. These high-end lightweight binoculars also feature Extended Twilight lens coatings for spotting shots in the early and evening hours and easy, fast center focus that helps you zero in. Partner that with legendary Leupold ruggedness and dependability and you get a hunting partner that won't let you down.
Best Birding Binocular
Nikon 8x42 Monarch 5 Binoculars
To see the bird, be the bird. That means being fast, reactive, and incredibly lightweight like the Nikon 8x42 Monarch 5 Binoculars. These new birding binocs are prepared to go from in your hand or around your neck to on your eyes and in action with a fast focus and easy turn-and-click eyecups. The rubber-armored waterproof body can handle the morning dew or an afternoon shower, and the lightweight build won't cause a sore neck. They're no dodo in the optics department, either, with Nikon Eco-Glass lens and prism elements with dielectric high-reflective multi-layer coatings.
Reviewer's Choice
Zhumell 10x42 Short Barrel
Some of our best reviewers don't even work here! Because of our customers, the Zhumell 10x42 Short Barrel binoculars are now back-to-back winners of our Reviewer's Choice award. Nearly unanimously, people who've bought these unique binocs tell us they love their strength, quality, compact size, and high value. At under 24 ounces, they're able to take 42mm multi-coated lenses, a waterproof body, and easy comfortable eyecups just about anywhere. For the enthusiast, hunter, birder, bleacher bum, traveler and many others, the Short Barrels are an easy and affordable way to get closer to the action.
Best Compact Binocular
Steiner Safari Ultrasharp 8x22 Binoculars
This year's best compact binocular, the Steiner Safari Ultrasharp 8x22, is crazy small, but don't you dare call it cute. The Safaris fold up and fit easily into a jacket or cargo pocket, but offer super-crisp 8X magnification in action. They're waterproof and fogproof, and offer super-fast focus and comfortable eyecups, making them great for watching sports, spotting birds, or scanning the coastline. All of this is housed in the super-rugged, extra-grippy famous Safari body style.
Best Marine Binocular
Steiner 7x50 Marine Binoculars
Ahoy! We were impressed with the Steiner 7x50 Marine Binoculars the moment we got them aboard the boat. These darn-near-indestructible waterproof binoculars bring German engineering and optics onto the water without a yacht-class price tag. Against the wetness, they wield black rubber armor throughout, eyepieces with rain and spray guards, lens caps, and a web strap. On the eyes, they impress fully multi-coated lenses, BaK4 prisms, and Steiner's signature Sports-AutoFocus system. With it, just set your binoculars for your eyes once and view everything in focus from 20 yards to infinity.
Rangefinder of the Year
Nikon Archers Choice Laser Rangefinder
You know that look in a cat's eye right before he pounces? Get that glare in yours with this year's best laser rangefinder, the Nikon Archers Choice. This popular bowhunting handheld has a huge 18mm ocular lens, an easy-to-see backlit LCD display that ranges up to 600 yards, Tru Target, and Nikon's awesome ID incline/decline technology. That means it compensates for shooting angles +/- 89 degrees and distance to the target is displayed in .1-yard increments. Of course, it's designed for use in the field, so it's also durable, waterproof, fogproof, and super-compact. Meow.
Spotting Scope of the Year
Swarovski Modular Spotting Scopes
Talk about having it all. We picked the Swarovski Modular Spotting Scope collection as this year's best simply because we haven't seen anything better. These state-of-the-art pieces work independently and together in a seamless design that leaves you ready for anything. You'll get state-of-the-art 65mm, 85mm, and 95mm objective lenses and both the ATX and STX eyepieces. Each has one-hand zoom, HD optics with maximum contrast, proprietary lens coatings, and other features designed to make sure you don't miss a thing. We're not going to pretend they're cheap, but we've never seen better.
Monocular of the Year
Vortex Solo 10x36 Waterproof Monocular
Once you start carrying our new favorite monocular, you'll wonder why you ever went without. This tough one-hander is built to function as a valuable piece of any kit, ready to attach to straps, belts, or webbing with a simple clip. It boasts fully multi-coated anti-reflective lenses, an all-weather waterproof and fogproof rubberized body, and versatile adjustable eyecup. Lightweight and ready-to-go, this Vortex monocular provides clear, quick views at 10x magnification, great for bird spotters, hunters, hikers, tactical missions, and more.
Innovation of the Year
Leica Geovid 10x42 HD-B Laser Rangefinder Binocular
Advance Ballistic Compensation in a binocular. That's right. Leica has continued the tradition of continually upping the ante in high-tech optics with 2013 Innovation of the Year, the Geovid HD-B Laser Rangefinder Binocular. ABC, as it's called, allows hunters to upload ballistics data for their equipment and accurately calculate their shot based on ballistics curves and real-time distance, angle, temperature, and air pressure calculations. All within .2 seconds. This incredible technology is paired, of course, with state-of-the-art optics from Leica, with a new Perger Porro prism system and unparalleled optical performance. You didn't know it until just now, but you need this.
