My hunting optics are definitely there but my photography arsenal is very limited so I decided to buy three things which are a must and those are the

Best point and shoot digital camera for that happy photography sessions in the office or the city

A GT 1531 tripod – Something needed for a very good photographs.

The best dslr camera for beginners. Ok I will explain why I wanted the dslr for beginners. I am a newbie when it comes to photography and on top of it I do not want to carry and ex[pensive dslr camera to a new place.

So here I go shopping for the tripod and all along all the experts that I  conferred with said that told that I would need the best tripod and that is the the Gitzo carbon fiber.

There are series of these Gitzo 1531 and the one I wanted was the Series 1 as it is easy for people on the move. If you need the some more sturdy ones the then go for GT2541 which is a Series 2.

Checkout the best deals for Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod

Best use

As I read the manual it said that it perfect for the DSLR’s 135mm lenses and MiniDv systems. Some say it is good for spotting scopes also however I have my doubts on that one especially the heavy sporting scope like the Pentax PF – 80ED A.

The max load that this one can afford is 17lbs. They also claim to have the G-lock which means that the heavier the weight you put on the tripod the more effective the lock becomes. It is basically a gravity lock. I think this is a good feature to have.

The one I am looking for is a 3-section tripod. Now you can even go for a four section one if you feel that packing would be an issue and also you need to have several heights while getting the photographs. I will see how the 3-section goes. I think I will be fine with a 3 –section one.

Positives

Lightweight, no doubt and the carbon fiber pioneer for tripods.

Screw locks which work smoothly

The central column is removable. The central column adjustment is sturdy and it is no doubt very easy to operate.

I liked the anti-leg rotation feature is helpful to give the model its rigidity and robustness.

Negatives.

The price is quite high for a tripod however given that it is the best in class I am sure I will buy this. So far, I have not heard any negative reviews on this one. I already own a spotting scope tripod however this one is for my camera shoots.

Let me just briefly outline what all things come under the hunting optics. I am listing only the broad categories and will be detailing each one of these in my subsequent posts.

Riflescopes

This is a piece of equipment which is mounted on the rifle and these act as magnifying glass for you while shooting.

Spotting Scopes

There are single straight barrel lenses which have much larger magnification than the conventional binoculars

Digiscoping attachments

Digiscoping is a method to attach a digital camera to a spotting scope and get good pictures of objects which are far away.

Binoculars

Binoculars are the most common optics use in hunting. They give you the opportunity to view the target from far and also view the overall area by magnifying the objects by a certain factor.

Monocular

These are similar to the binoculars but as the name suggests these are in fact have single eye piece and you will have to use a tripod for best viewing.

Rangefinders or Range Finders

These rangefinders as the name suggests are for the purpose of finding the distance of the target. They fire laser which after hitting the target will calculate the exact distance for you.

Night Vision Scopes

These scopes have the night vision technology in it which means that you will have the green images in the night while hunting.

Laser Scopes

These are scopes mounted on the rifle and these will emit a laser beam targeted at the animal or the hunt.

Red Dot sights

Hunting trail cameras

Optics accessories

These include scope mounts, tripods, neck straps, lens pens, cleaning cloths, cleaner sprays and flashlights

Best Brands in the market

For all the hunting optics that I mentioned above there are a lot of companies that manufacture these but the best among them are

Nikon

Leupold

Swarovski

Zeiss

Bushnell and

ATN.

For more detailed information on best brands you can visit here.

Features and factors

For selecting the best hunting optics you will have to understand your needs and what are the features that each kind of hunting equipment offers.

For example you can be hunting from a long distance which will mean you will need spotting scopes or binoculars whereas for the close range hunting you will only need probably regular compact binoculars.

The type of hunting that you do will also determine the optics and these can be coyote hunting, whitetail deer hunting or even fowl hunting.

The other way of looking at it is that you will need to see what is the budget that you have for buying the hunting optics.

For example the spotting scopes can be far more expensive than the regular binoculars. This alone can be a big factor while selecting the various optics that you would ideally love to have with you on your hunting expedition.

Happy hunting!

Photo Credits : bemvindo,mamgill

These waterproof binoculars will not be damaged because these are coated with special things as well as the body is such that it will have no effect of water on it.

If you are hunting then also you will need the waterproof hunting binoculars if you are hunting in a place which has high humidity or it is at the time of the year when it will be raining.

In fact these waterproof binoculars are great when you are fishing as you are close to the water body and hence the chances of water splashes are the most.

How waterproof binoculars are made waterproof.

The waterproof binoculars are made waterproof when those binoculars have rubber O-rings as well as have the nitrogen purging done.

A lot of binoculars will have the rubber armored shell but generally that is there to prevent the water drops from not sticking and also absorb the shock of the fall. However the correct waterproof hunting binoculars will be those which will have the O-rings.

Moisture prevention

It is not always rain which can cause damage but also the moisture and the mildew. To prevent that from happening make sure that you have the proper nitrogen purging done and the binoculars should be in sealed housings.

The top brands of binoculars which are good for marine use and have the waterproofing done are the

Most of the marine binoculars have the compass along with as that helps locating the position as opposed to carrying another compass along with you.

Bushnell Marine 7×50 Binoculars with Rangefinder & Illuminated Compass.

Bushnell H2O 10×42 Waterproof/Fogproof Binocular w/Roof Prism

Canon 15×50 Image Stabilization All Weather Binoculars w/Case, Neck Strap & Batteries

Steiner 7×50 Marine Binocular

Celestron Outland 10X42 Waterproof Binoculars with Rubber Coating & Comfort Grip

Nikon prostaff binoculars

Tip: Make sure that the binoculars have the good construction and also you are able to hold them easily while they are wet.

Make sure that the binoculars are also resistant to saltwater corrosion. That is why always go for the best boating binoculars

Also when you are buying marine binoculars which are waterproof also check if they are image stabilized or not and the reason for that is that for all sorts of boating binoculars the  image stabilization will come in handy while you get rocked with shaking and vibrations on the boat or on your yacht

The compact binoculars for hunting based on the specification that we have specified above will not be able to have a good hunting as the size 30mm is not very good. Generally the best binoculars for hunting will require the hunting binoculars to be have the specification as 7×35 or even 8×42.

Some of the best binoculars Leica Ultravid Compact 8×20 and the Leica Ultravid Compact 10×25 in the compact category.

Another which is the e Zeiss Victory B T* Compact 8×20 binoculars and Zeiss Victory Compact 10×25 binoculars are very good compact binoculars. These are very highly costly though and these definitely do not fall under the budget category.

Bushnell Legend series are also very good in the compact category and that will mean that you can have

Steiner has compact binoculars which are Steiner 12×40 Predator Pro Compact Hunting Binoculars

Roof prism binoculars are generally compact in design than the porro prism binoculars. For more detailed design considerations you can read about these in my post here on roof prism versus porro prism.

In general the advice is that as far as compact binoculars goes that do not use these binoculars if you are really serious about hunting. Use them as a second pair .If you a kid going along with you on a hunt then these are the best as the diameter of the objective lens is small.

These are easily pocketable.

As far as the usabilioty goes because of their exit pupil being less they will not very great.

You can use some of the top brands which are there and these are here which you can check here in my last post about top binocular brands.

Some of the features that you need to look for while going for deer hunting are

Close focus
What is the eye relief of the binoculars?
Weight as I said earlier is also a consideration
The best specifications will be 7×35 or 8×42
Waterproof and fogproof
Binoculars with a range finder is needed is you want to use the gun effectively but again cost will be much more.

Some of the latest hunting binoculars are the
EDG binoculars from Nikon
Zeiss’s victory RF binoculars
Bushnell’s PowerView 8-16x40mm
Peregrine XP binoculars from Steiner
Endurance DF binoculars from Hawke Optics
Leupold 9×25

Apart from these there is really nothing which is needed as far as special binoculars which are there for deer hunting.
Any lightweight within your budget binoculars with the specification of 7×25 or 8×42 are good enough for deer hunting. If you want more flexibility and better views then you can use the hunting spotting scopes.

With those things in mind I am sure I am going to give you more information about the various binoculars which are in the range of the 10×42 binoculars and why we need these 10×42 hunting binoculars.

These are I believe the best when it comes to the full-size binoculars.

10×42 – the specifications
10 means the magnification and 42 is the diameter of the objective lens. 42mm diameter is very good for hunting as then it can be used in low-light conditions. The objective lens diameter is bigger and hence will receive large amount of light therefore making it ideal in low-light conditions.
10 however may blur some image quality as opposed to 8 magnification however that is somewhat offset by the larger objective lens diameter. All in all these prove to be very good.

Price

The 10×42 binoculars are mostly in the range of prices which are $150-$300 leaving out the three high prices ones which are the Swarovski, Leica and the Zeiss models.

The best model in the 10×42 binoculars range is the Nikon Monarch 10×42 ATB binoculars.

You can read the review about the Nikon Monarch ATB 8×42 here.

At 10 magnifications these binoculars will have a little less image quality than their counter parts at 8×42. These are definitely very lightweight with a weight of only about 21 ounces approximately.
In the ATB 10×42 range of Nikon there is another which is there which is very good from the purpose of the camouflage and it is the Monarch 10×42 Team REALTREE

Another good binoculars which are there at 10×42 range are the Pentax DCF HR II 10×42 binoculars.

Some other very popular models are the

Steiner Predator C5 10 x 42 binocular 250.

These are specifically manufactured with the American hunters in view and have some of the very best features and a good polycarbonate body for toughness and ruggedness.
It have very image resolution and has the fully coated optical system.

In the Predator series 12×42 is also available but definitely 10×42 is the best.

Bushnell 10×42 Excursion EX Binoculars

Bushnell has these 10×42 binoculars but these definitely are not for hunting and rather have been made so that any traveler can use it. It has a very cool classic look.
Bushnll have another in the 10×42 series which are the Bushnell H2O 10×42 Waterproof Binoculars but these have been made for the anglers as well as for the skiers/kayakers.

Barska 10×42 WP Huntmaster Binoculars

Again specifically made for hunters these are also very very good and have a great image quality and are very rugged made to weather all conditions.

High-end or luxury 10×42 binoculars

The high end binoculars in the 10×42 specifications are the
Carl Zeiss Victory FL Binoculars (10×42)

The best hunting spotting scopes are definitely those which provide you with unmatched clarity for the price. More of than not we would need to have the people see much better than the normal binoculars. For that extra vision and clarity and magnification you can simply have a system which can be added on top of your hunting binoculars as well as with your hunting rifles.

The top brands for the binoculars spotting scopes are

Burris spotting scopes

Bushnell spotting scopes

Nikon Prostaff spotting scopes

Zeiss spotting scopes

Tasco spotting scopes

Some of the other brands that are available are

Alpen

Apogee

Audubon

Zhumell

Night detective

The best hunting spotting scope are these

Nikon 20-60×82 Prostaff Spotting scope zoom spotting scopes

Nikon 8317 Prostaff 20-60 X 82 MM Spotting Scope Outfit Prostaff 20¿60 x 82mm spotting scope outfit.

Swarovski HD-ATS80 High Definition 80mmAngled Spotting Scope body

Swarovski ATM-80 HD Spotting Scope Swarovski Optik HD observation spotting scopes will impress with their brilliant performance, fine resolution, extremely ergonomic design and unique functionality. These HD spotting scopes have a complex high grade optical system which allows for very detailed observation with high contrast images…

Tasco World Class 15-45mm Zoom Spotting Scopes

Tasco World Class 15-45x50mm Compact w/ Car Window Mount & Tripod Spotting Scope World Class scopes are ideal for hunters, birders and naturalists, and include a car-mount tripod.

Bushnell Sentry 16-32×50 Spotting scope waterproof

Bushnell Sentry 78-1838 – Spotting scope 18-36 x 50 – waterproof, zoom If you think bigger is better, have a look through one of our Sentry® spotting scopes. Delivering big scope performance in a compact, lightweight package, the fully coated optics provide impressive light transmission and image brightness. With variable-power eyepieces, they deliver ultra-fast,…

Yukon 30×50 Scout Spotting Scope

Yukon Advanced Optics Scout 30×50 Wide Angle Spotting Scope Tripod Kit DUAL OBJECTIVE LENSES WITH A FOLDED LIGHT PATH FOR COMPACT SIZE and LIGHTWEIGHT 6_100X ZOOM VARIABLE MAGNIFICATION ; EYEPIECE ROTATES 90 FOR VIEWING FROM ANY ANGLE ; LIGHTWEIGHT WITH BOTH 25MM and 100MM OBJECTIVE LENSES FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE; INCLUDES TRIPOD ; LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

Leupold Golden Ring Mark 4 12-40x60mmTactical spotting scope

Leupold Gr 12-40X60Mm Hd Spottingscope Brown 61060 Unmatched clarity at the highest magnification levels thanks to HD technology. High-definition, calcium-fluoride lenses ensure incredible clarity at all magnification levels. The Index Matched Lens System maximizes maximum brightness, clarity, contrast, and color fidelity. Folded light path…

Landmark year for spotting scopes
In the year 2002 was the landmark year when the hunting enthusiasts were happy to see the range of spotting scopes beginning to appear in the market. The two main were the Swarovski ATS 65 HD and the Zeiss Diascope 65T

Features of spotting scopes

Extra Low dispersion(ED) glass

Rainguard lens coating

Good resolution of about 1.6SOA to 2.4 SOA

Power rings

Waterproof

Fogproof

Rugged construction and armored
Since spotting scopes are going to be used while hunting in all sorts of terrain you will need to have a strong construction on these. Apart from the fact that you will usually not carry them hanging around your neck and hence the rubber armor is the best to save it from the regular wear and tear .

What are spotting scopes?
The spotting scopes offer more magnification than the regular 8 -10 magnification offered by binoculars. The spotting scopes help in getting those targets which are far away and not within the scope of normal binoculars.
The eyepieces that these binoculars have are mostly of zoom type which can be 15-45mm or 20-60mm.
You can consider spotting scope as modified telescope with an upright image as opposed to a telescope which will have reversed image.
The benefit of the spotting scopes vs. binoculars is that these can easily be spot a deer or a buck from a distance which is not that close so as to disturb the animal in a natural surrounding. Most of the animals move in a herd and you can very easily use the spotting scopes to see a deer in the large herd.
You can also use the spotting scopes along with the camera to make to do what is called as digiscoping.
Well as is not good with spotting scopes with so many hunters finding it difficult to use these have the single eyepieces and people used to viewing through binoculars will take time to get adjusted with the spotting scopes. The large magnifications mean that you do not have a bigger field of view and that can be a major factor for a lot of people. Even if you have zoom eyepieces and lower the magnification even then the field of view cannot match that of the binoculars.
The trick is to use the spotting scopes in conjunction with binoculars.
Most of the spotting scopes come with an eyepiece included in the price but a large number of spotting scopes at higher prices only have the spotting scopes as body only.

Using the digital camera adapter and the spotting scope you can easily do the digiscoping

Other types of spotting scopes
Apart from the hunting spotting scopes there are other types of spotting scopes and these are
Birding spotting scopes
Wildlife spotting scope
Stargazing spotting scopes

The other factor is the design and the spotting scopes based on their design are
Straight spotting scope
In this the barrel and the eyepiece are in the same straight line.
Angled spotting scope
These have the eyepiece are 45 degrees from the barrel

Some tips for using the hunting spotting scopes

Always have the spotting scope tripods or the window mount with you while you are on a hunt. Please do not use the scopes in your hand. It is a waste of money if you intend to do that.

If you need a spotting scope which can easily fit in your backpack then use the 60 mm spotting scope.

Always use hunting spotting scopes with a pair of hunting binoculars.

Use spotting scopes when the air is calm and the best times are dawn and dusk. Spotting scopes can easily show the mirages or fog or even haze. Use lower magnifications when these conditions are there.

Always use less magnification for these conditions.

The spotting scopes, range finders, binoculars and rifle optics together are the hunting optics
The Best Sellers

Here are the simple guidelines for using the four together
Hunting binoculars for the best view of the target at close hand
Hunting spotting scopes for finding those long range movements
Rangefinders for getting that accuracy of the distance and
Rifles scopes while taking that actual aim