After four years and who knows how many thousands of birds, I’m retiring my Eagle Optics Platinum Class Ranger 8x42 binocular. I recently purchased a new pair, the Vortex Stokes DLS 8x42. While the Ranger has performed very well in dim light, I’ve often birded with a Swarovski 8x30 SLC because it has a much sharper and wider field of view. However, because of the smaller aperture, it never really performed very well at dawn and dusk or in poorly lit woodlands. With the DLS I have the best of both worlds – great sharpness and 42mm aperture for those dense canopies and early morning excursions into Pheasant Branch Conservancy.
You can read more about the new Stokes DLS binoculars by visiting the Vortex website:
www.vortexoptics.com