I won a pretty high dollar gift card through work and am considering upgrading to high end binos. I currently have Vortex Viper HD 15x50 that I will sell or trade in to help fund the purchase.

https://vortexoptics.com/catalog/product/view/id/3486

If you had about $2000 to spend, what would you buy and why? Also, these will have to be bought new due to the gift card at a specific gun shop.

A mint condition, used, Swarovski Swarovision 8.5x42 as a do it all binocular.

Used probably isn’t an option bc of the gun shop the gift card is for. Haven’t been there yet, but I’m thinking these will have to be bought new.

Swarovski SLC HD in either 8 or 10x42, whatever your preference is.

I agree with raider

are you wanting to stay 15x?

If you are would be between SLC and new Zeiss.

Under 15x just go with used EL’s

For 15x under $2k I'm going Meopta Meostar HD.

I got behind a set of new Zeiss conquest and was highly impressed for $1600.

With that said Meopta probably the only 15x I haven’t been behind

Swarovski or Leica

10X does it all.

Swaro 10x42, we've been using them for many years.
Swarovski has excellent customer service as well.
I have pocket Leicas and they are great as well , I would imagine their high end binos are on par with the pockets.

Rock solid suggestion!

If I got that gift card, I'd be buying some Leica rangefinding binos...GeoVids. Great binos and great rangefinder. 2 for 1!

Where can you get new Geovids for $2k?

Swaro EL 10x50 or 12x50- no better pair of binos out there. If you want to save a little coin get the SLC 10x42 or 10x56.

You can find very gently used sets for your price range if you can figure out how to cash in on that gift card.

I went to the Outdoorsmans in Arizona and we put every brand and model imaginable on tripod and looked at hikers over 2 miles away. There is a very pronounced different in the out of doors and at longer ranges. Even in the whitetail woods I would pick up deer that my buddy in the treestand (we were filming bowhunts) never found.

Probably the older Geovid R’s.

These were the ones that caught my eye at the $2k mark

https://www.eurooptic.com/Leica-Geo...Tn9CK4gIVAttkCh0hdgqnEAQYBCABEgKjGvD_BwE

That's a nice find there SOB. Thanks.

You are welcome! Now all I have to do is win a high dollar gift card, so I can afford them!

Holy $& I stand corrected, that’s a steal

I'd be inclined to take Jgraider's advice here. The man knows his binos, probably more than anyone on this forum.

Yep..... Swarovski rule!!

Those Leicas are regularly 1799 on camofire, right?

SLC would be the easy call for new and under $2k

Meopta's are hard to beat for the $.

I'll admit that I'm probably newer into this world than most of you. But I recently tried out some Swaro SLCs and while they were great, I honestly didn't think they were any better than my Meostars. I did not have the chance to try them in low light, although I know the Meostars are great in low light so I'm not sure if the Swaros could have been noticeably better there.

I have heard the Swaros with Swarovision are amazing, and I have tried Leicas and personally, they're the only binos I've tried that I liked more than my Meostars. But again, I haven't tried everything. I love my Meostars and I'm sure the 15x are fantastic, but for $2k to get rangefinder and binos with Leica quality, I don't think you're going to do any better than that.