It was recently brought to my attention that one of my favourite binoculars and Winner of the Best Safari & Travel Binocular for 2010, the excellent Minox 8×33 BL Binoculars was being offered at a hugely discounted price at a number of optics retailers. In fact many of the models within the Minox BL range are now on sale, making this a great time to get your hands on a quality pair of German optics at a very reasonable price.

For example the Minox BL 8X44 BR Comfort Bridge Binocular is currently for sale at Eagle Optics for only $401:
Sale Price: $409.99
List Price: $559.00
You Save: $149.01 (26%)

Check Prices and where to buy

You can check the sale prices at Eagle Optics or Amazon in both the US and UK below:

More about Minox BL Binoculars

One of the stand out features of Minox’s BL binoculars is their open bridge design, or as they like to call it, their “Comfort Bridge”. This design ensures that your grip on them, even with one hand is just that much more secure. This is really important when for example you are walking through dense vegetation the chances of them being knocked out of your hand is greatly reduced.

This body is also fully waterproof and because it has had all internal air replaced with dry nitrogen gas filling, you won’t get any fogging of the internal optical surfaces, even under severe temperature fluctuations and places with very high humidities.

Other Minox Comfort bridge highlights include fully multi-coated optics and phase-correction coatings on the roof prisms.

More Information & Further Reading

• Read my full review of the Minox 8×33 BL Binoculars
• More about Minox Binoculars
• View all Minox Binoculars reviewed on Best Binocular Reviews

10×42 Swarovski SLC’s (new) for $1399

Built for a rough and tumble lifestyle, the SLC delivers a smooth performance in any situation. A patented focusing wheel for rapid adjustments, deep thumb grooves for comfort, and top-notch optical coatings for bright and sharp images all combine to offer you a superb experience.
Sale Price: $1,399
List Price: $1,887
You Save: $487.79 (25%)

Swarovski 10×32 EL 32 Traveler Binoculars

The Swarovski EL binocular sets the standard for excellence. In order to deliver 98 percent of the available light to your eyes, the EL is engineered with three-part objective lenses, phase corrected prisms, Swarobright prism coatings, and Swarotop multi-layer anti-reflection coatings. Such top-notch brightness even allows digiscoping through the binocular and is made easier with the included SnapShot Adapter.
Sale Price: $1,699
List Price: $2,187
You Save: $487.79 (22%)

Also for sale is a Swarovski STM80 HD scope (display models) with 20-60x eyepiece for $2699 (normally $3060)

Where to Buy

For these and other savings on Swarovski Binoculars check out:

• Swarovski Binoculars on Eagle Optics

Further Reading

• About Swarovski Binoculars
• All Swarovski Binoculars Reviewed on Best Binocular Reviews

I admit that this saving is calculated against their recommended retail price and most shops will sell them just under that anyway, but even so these huge savings are still very impressive:

Swarovski EL 8X32 Binocular with Snap Shot Adapter

These incredibly versatile high end binoculars are listed on both sites for:
Sale Price: $1,639.00
List Price: $2,143.33
You Save: $504.33 (23%)

Swarovski 10×32 EL 32 Traveler Binoculars

As the name suggests these are ideal travel as well as safari binoculars:
Sale Price: $1,699.00
List Price: $2,221.11
You Save: $522.11 (23%)
Read My Full Review

Swarovski SLC 15×56 WB Binoculars

High powered binoculars with their patented focusing wheel for rapid adjustments, deep thumb grooves for comfort and the best quality optical coatings.
Sale Price: $1,899.00
List Price: $2,554.44
You Save: $$655.44 (25%)

Where to Buy

For these and other savings on Swarovski Binoculars check out:

• Swarovski Hot Deals on Eagle Optics
• Amazon.com

I have just been informed by the very friendly guys down at Eagle Opticsthat Carl Zeiss has decided to stop making the green versions of their Victory FL binoculars.

Because of this, Eagle Optics were able to make a special purchase of them from Zeiss at a reduced price – the great news is that these savings have been passed on to you, resulting in an extra $300 off their sale price. This means that you can now grab yourself a brand new … green Zeiss Victory FL binocular at an incredible price.

Obviously this stock and therefore these deals won’t last forever – so if you were thinking of getting some of the very best binoculars available, now would be a really good time to do it.

Where to Get these deals:

In the USA
Unfortunately for us Brits, this offer is only available in the US, where you can find them on this page on the Eagle Optics website:
Green Zeiss Victory FL Binoculars

Zeiss Victory FL’s Main Features:

• Highest light transmission of any binocular in its class – > 90% – with lowest stray light
• Zeiss Fluoride glass (FL) – outstanding edge definition and minimal color fringing
• Innovative Advanced Optics System (AOS) – environmentally friendly thin lens technology for lighter & higher optical performance
• Effective protection system repels water, dirt and grease.
• Streak-free cleaning is fast and easy (without smearing) due to the extremely smooth surface.
• Fully multi-coated lenses with patented T* anti-reflective coatings
• Phase-corrected Abbe-Konig prisms with P* coating — brightest and sharpest view
• High impact armored housing
• Nitrogen filled to prevent fogging and 100% Waterproof
• High eye-point, wide field eyepieces designed for eyeglass wearers
• Adaptive Lockable Eyecup Design with 4 precise positioning click stops
• Intelligently Tuned Focusing mechanism – infinity to close focus in one turn
• Ergonomically designed for remarkably low weight, balance and easy handling.

More Information

• About Carl Zeiss Binoculars

1. You know the person or people selling it to you
2. You know you can easily return it should it have any collimation problems or any other issues
3. The saving is substantial enough for you to not just get yourself a new binocular instead

Besides, who doesn’t want to own a top of the range binocular like a Zeiss and be able to enjoy their legendary brightness without having to pay full price? That is exactly why I want to bring to your attention some of the huge savings you can make on a selection of factory-refurbished demos and find the perfect Zeiss binocular for your budget and all from a reputable and trusted source.

1) Where To Buy Zeiss factory-refurbished demos?

Eagle Optics has been selling quality optics since 1986 offering a wide selection of equipment from every major sport optics manufacturer. They are also an authorized dealer for all the brands they carry, including Carl Zeiss.

Take a look at the Zeiss Ex-Demo Sale Page on Eagle Optics

2) Returns Policy

From such a trusted source like Eagle Optics, I am sure that the binoculars will have no problems, but should you not be totally happy, you may return it to Eagle Optics for a full exchange or product refund with their 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee.

3) Huge Savings

Unless the savings are big enough you may as well just get yourself a new binocular – so  lets take a look at a few current examples:

Zeiss Victory 8×42 T* FL LT Binocular

• List Price: $2,500.00
• Commonly sold for $1,949.99 means you save $550.01 (22%) – Check Current Prices Here
• Ex-Demo Model: $1,579.99 means you save $920.01 (36%)

Zeiss Conquest 8×40 B T* Binocular

• List Price: $1,278.00
• Commonly sold for $880 to $890 means you save about 379.00 (29%) – Check Current Prices Here
• Ex-Demo Model: $779.99 means you save $498.01 (38%)

So for these and all the other ex-demo models available check out the Zeiss Ex-Demo Sale Page on Eagle Optics

At their orriginal RRP price, these high quality optics were understandably firmly paced in our high value ($500-$1200 / £500-£1200) price bracket, but with these new price reductions you can now get these top of the range binoculars for about $399 – £465 / £399 – £430 (depending on the model), which now means that in terms of price are now regarded on my price scale as Mid-High Value Binoculars, which considering all their top of the range features is really impressive and in my opinion makes them great value for money.

Where to Get these deals:

In the USA
The new Bushnell Elites with ED Glass are  now available for $399 (8×42) and $465 (10×42) on Amazon, a massive saving when you consider they have a list price of  $677 and $699  respectively:
Click Here to Buy on Amazon.com

In the UK
The new Bushnell Elites with ED Glass are  now available for £399 (8×42) and £429 (10×42) at Warehouse Express, a massive saving when you consider they have a list price of  £740 and £800 respectively:
Click here to buy on Warehouseexpress

Sizes Available:

• Elite 10X42 ED Binoculars
• Elite 8X42 ED Binoculars
• Elite 7X26 ED Binoculars

Quality Features
These include the use of ED Glass (Extra low dispersion glass) that prevents chromatic aberration by concentrating and directing the wavelengths of light more effectively onto your eyes. High-quality, high-precision ED glass is able to do this because the glass has less air bubbles and glass deformities in them that are more likely to cause image distortion.

On top of that and as you would expect from a quality pair of optics, the Bushnell Elite Binoculars also feature fully multi-coated optical elements with what they call their XTR technology.

BaK-4 phase corrected high-reflection prisms are also used in all Elite models that give a sharp and high-contrast image over the full field of view.

More Information & Bushnell Elite Reviews
For more information on these great binoculars take a look at the section on Bushnell Elite Binoculars on my page about Bushnell.

Located right to the heart of Wisconsin, USA, Vortex Optics is a family owned and run American company that produce a wide range binoculars – More on Vortex Binoculars.

The Viper range from Vortex were designed to easily handle tough environments as they are both rugged and solidly built, with a serious amount of rubber armoring that will stand up to hard use.

As well as tough they are both fog and waterproof, and use many quality optical elements like extra low-dispersion glass (“XD glass”) and their own high-quality coatings (“XR multi-layer coatings” to produce a binocular that is very bright, with excellent resolution, fine detailing, and true color.

Main Features

• Aluminum Body is sturdy and resistant to corrosion.
• Rubber Armoring ensures a secure, non-slip grip.
• Multi-position Eyecups that twist up and down for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses.
• Locking Right Eye Diopter Adjusts for differences in a user’s eyes
• Tripod Adaptable – Means they  can be mounted on a tripod using a standard ¼-inch threading. Adapter sold separately.
• Waterproof Optics are sealed with O-rings to prevent moisture, dust, and debris from getting inside the binocular.
• Fogproof Barrels are filled with argon gas to inhibit internal fogging.
• Extra-low Dispersion Glass helps to enhance resolution, color, and contrast.
• Phase Correction Coatings – improve resolution and contrast through roof prisms.
• Fully Multi-coated Lenses help to increase light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces.
• Dielectric Prism Coatings – Improves light transmission.
• BaK-4 Prisms  - high quality glass to optimize light transmission.

Also Included

• Rainguard
• Tethered objective lens covers
• Neck strap
• Case
• Vortex VIP lifetime warranty

Cost & Where to Buy

• The Vortex Viper 10X42 Binocular has a list price of $609.00, but is now available for $449.99
• The Vortex Viper 8X42 Binocular has a list price of $599.00 and is currently on sale for $449.99

Where To Get the Discounted Sale Price
This is available on Amazon.com and Eagle Optics in the USA – Vortex Viper Binoculars on Eagle Optics

8×30 SLC Swarovski Binoculars Sale

The good news is that you can now get the mid-sized Swarovski SLC 8×30 Binoculars at even a better price than normal as they are available at a hugely discounted price, both in the UK and in the US:

In the USA
The 8×30 SLC has a list price of $1,276.67, but they are available from Eagle Optics for only $899.99, that is a massive saving of $376.68 (29%)
Click here for more information & to buy on Eagle Optics

In the UK
The Swarovski 8×30 SLC is now available for £749 at Warehouse Express, another massive saving when you consider they have a list price of over £1000
Click here for more information & to buy on Warehouseexpress

Swarovski 8×30 SLC WB Binoculars

The 8×30 SLC is ideal for anyone looking for a more compact binocular, perfect for birding and general use. As the name suggests, they are Slim, Light an Compact and the 8x magnification is strong enough to get you close into the action, but still with plenty of field of view.

Features include:A patented focusing wheel for rapid adjustments, Phase corrected Bak-4 Prisms, Swaroviski’s Swarobright coating for maximum color fidelity across the whole light spectrum and their Swaroclean coating on the outer surface of the lens that makes cleaning objective and eyepiece lenses considerably easier, which may not sound like much, but lenses that require less intensive cleaning significantly increases the longevity of any optical device.

Snap Shot Adapter

These Swarovski SLC 8×30 WB Binoculars also come with Swarovski’s Snap Shot Adapter that enables you to connect your digital camera to the binoculars and take surprisingly good quality photos even at long distances, this is called Digibinning.

Also Included:

• Rainguard
• Tethered objective lens covers
• Neck strap
• Case
• Swarovski limited lifetime warranty

If you live in the US, there has never been a better time to buy a Nikon 8×32 EDG binocular, one of the finest pair of binoculars available and and ideal safari binocular. Let me explain:

The Nikon EDG 8×32 Binocular has a list price of $2,700.95, but you can now buy it for just $999.00, that’s a massive saving of $1,701.95 (63%). As a point of reference, I have just checked and the same binoculars are being sold on Amazon for $1,294.95.

But there is more….

Nikon are currently running a promotion known as Take it to the EDG, where they will send you a free D3000 camera kit with 18-55VR Nikkor lens worth $549.95 when you buy a Nikon EDG binocular or spotting scope.

So not only can you get fantastic binocular at a great price, but you get a camera totally free! This deal is great for everyone, but is absolutely ideal for anyone going on safari as these are the two essential pieces of kit that you need.

Where to get this Deal

You can get the Camera kit so long as you buy the binoculars from any authorised dealer in the US, but to get the great price, you need to buy it from Eagle Optics, who are approved Nikon dealers.

Nikon 8×32 EDG Binoculars on Eagle Optics

Get a FREE Nikon D3000 Digital SLR Camera Kit worth $549.95 with any purchase of a Nikon EDG Binocular or EDG Fieldscope.

Yes, you read it right, Nikon will send you a free D3000 camera kit with 18-55VR Nikkor lens if you buy a Nikon EDG binocular or spotting scope from an authorised dealer Nikon EDG dealer.

But hurry, the Nikon’s Take it to the EDG promotion ends on October 31st 2010.

Where can I get this offer?
The two major binocular online retailers in the US are also authorised dealers of Nikon EDG Binoculars and Fieldscopes which is great news:

Nikon EDG on Binoculars.com

Nikon EDG on Eagle Optics

So not only can you now get some of the best binoculars ever reviewed on Binocular Reviews, but you also get an excellent DSLR camera as well. This is a truly great offer, but especially great if you are planning on going on safari or any other wildlife holiday as now you can get both essential pieces of equipment for the price of one.

The full terms and conditions are available from the above retailers, the main ones being that the offer ends on October 31st 2010 and is offered exclusively for consumer purchasers of new eligible Nikon EDG products (see below) imported by and distributed for retail sale within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands by Nikon Inc., Melville, New York. Purchases made in or delivered to other countries are ineligible.

Eligible Nikon EDG Binoculars

• Nikon 8×32 EDG Binocular – Read Full Review
• Nikon 10×32 EDG Binocular – Read Full Review
• Nikon 7×42 EDG Binocular
• Nikon 8×42 EDG Binocular
• Nikon 10×42 EDG Binocular – Read Full Review

Nikon EDG Features
Nikon’s exclusive and legendary ED glass lenses (Extra-low Dispersion) deliver superior sharpness and color correction for unmatched detail resolution with Dielectric coated prisms meaning that Nikon’s coatings deliver brighter views. The optics are fully multicoated meaning that there are multiple layers of anti-reflective compounds on every glass surface for bright, vivid sight pictures.

The design of the binocular has open bridge style which is ergonomic making sure the binoculars balance perfectly in the hand for extended use. A quick, central focusing knob has been paired with pop-up diopter adjustments for unparalleled speed and convenience. The Horn-shaped detachable eyecups are ergonomically contoured to block out peripheral light for a clear field of view on top of this you get a long eye relief with ratcheting eyecup adjustments that allow for a perfect view, with or without eyeglasses.

All EDG Binoculars are O-ring sealed making them 100% Waterproof and fogproof as they are dry nitrogen filled to handle the toughest conditions on the planet.

If binoculars are not your thing, then the offer is also valid with Nikon EDG Fieldscopes:

Eligible Nikon EDG Fieldscopes

• Nikon 16-48×65 EDG Fieldscope
• Nikon 16-48×65 EDG Fieldscope
• Nikon 20-60×85 EDG Fieldscope
• Nikon 20-60×85 EDG Fieldscope

Related Articles on Best Binocular Reviews:
Nikon EDG Binoculars
Nikon EDG Binoculars – Value for Money?
Nikon EDG Instruction Manual (pdf)