[Dylanl]

I'm looking to get a nice pair of bino's with the season about to start and am looking for some comparisons of these two. I won't get a chance to see them side by side to compare so I'm hoping someone else has and can tell me what they think. I'd be going with the 8x42 Talon HD's or the 8x43 ED3's. With the sale Zen-Ray has going those are now in the price range I'm looking for. Hopefully they stay on sale until I make up my mind!

 

[Dylanl]

ttt. Somebody has to have seen both of these.

 

[silverado08]

I would like to know also, I was looking @ the Zenrays. I may also look into the minox bd or bv 8x .

 

[manboy]

i have the zenray ed3...............compared to a $1000 pair of leopolds........zenrays are better

 

[Dylanl]

i have the zenray ed3...............compared to a $1000 pair of leopolds........zenrays are better

Part of what I'm thinking about these two is the ED3's are in a whole different class than the Talon HD's. They're usually a lot more money but the sale is putting them in my price range. All the Vortexs I've seen I've really liked though.

 

[pluckem]

All the comparisons I have read and seen have put the Zen Rays OPTICALLY ahead of the Talons and pretty much every bino except the Alpha brands (Swaro, Zeiss, Leica) and even then side by sides with those have put them pretty close.

The bigger difference or question seems to be more on the lines of build quality/ergonomics. However, that's where the ED3's have improved upon the ED2's.

This is just what I have read in many reviews on many different type of sites/forums. All I know is if people are comparing a $400 pair of bino's to a $2000 pair of bino's and can only find small differences and the $400 pair comes with a lifetime warranty.. you cant really go wrong.

I am ordering a pair of 10x43 ED3's in the next day or so.

 

[ricksmathew]

Never looked through a pair of Zen Rays so I can't comment on them but the Vortex Talon HD's that I looked through were pretty nice! I will probably end up with a pair of Talon HD's sooner or later.

 

[Dylanl]

I've read nothing but good about both of these. I really wish I could see them both but don't have dealers around me who carry them. I'm leaning toward the Zen-Rays because of the great reviews.

 

[05_sprcrw]

I have the ed3's and I have had a pair of ed2s in the past. They are fantastic glass and everything you read about them is absolutely true. I promise after you get them adjusted to your eyes and look through them for the first time you will not even think about the money you spent on them. I love the ed3's new focus knob that can go from min to max focus in 1 revolution of the adjustment knob makes watching moving targets very easy. They are crisp and almost seem to amplify the surrounding light even though they don't. I feel that in the low light situations that are the most critical for hunting is where they really shine. They are super clear and you can definitely tell they are an HD glass.

 

[Dylanl]

All the positive about Zen-Ray is really making me lean toward buying them. I haven't made a decision yet though. I'm really hoping to hear from someone who's tried both or some of the same brand that are close to these.

 

[Dylanl]

Anybody else have any comparisons?

 

[hisnheroutdoors]

i have the ED3 8x43 they are awesome i also had the ED2 i have never looked thru a pair of the talon hd but i have had vortex they were nice till i looked thru the Zens i don't know how much the talons are but you won't be dissapointed with the ED3 they have a 30 day unconditional guarantee also

 

[Dylanl]

i have the ED3 8x43 they are awesome i also had the ED2 i have never looked thru a pair of the talon hd but i have had vortex they were nice till i looked thru the Zens i don't know how much the talons are but you won't be dissapointed with the ED3 they have a 30 day unconditional guarantee also

The Talons are $439 and the ED3's are $416 so they are actually a little cheaper with the sale. I've been wanting a pair of Vortex's for awhile now so I was set on those until I saw the Zen-Ray sale and started looking at their reviews.

 

[Dylanl]

anybody else?

 

[Dylanl]

ttt.

 

[Dylanl]

Back to the top again.

 

[hisnheroutdoors]

i have the ED3 8x43 they are awesome i also had the ED2 i have never looked thru a pair of the talon hd but i have had vortex they were nice till i looked thru the Zens i don't know how much the talons are but you won't be dissapointed with the ED3 they have a 30 day unconditional guarantee also

The Talons are $439 and the ED3's are $416 so they are actually a little cheaper with the sale. I've been wanting a pair of Vortex's for awhile now so I was set on those until I saw the Zen-Ray sale and started looking at their reviews.

You won't be dissapointed with the ED3's

 

[Dylanl]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the ED3's. I've got a cousin with a pair of Vortex Vipers I'll compare em to and see how they stack up there. From what I've read in a couple reviews they should be a little better. One thing I've been reading is the objective lens covers on the Zen's are kind of crappy and fall off and that the neck strap is too long. Is this true? The neck strap really isn't that important but the lens covers falling off would be a little annoying.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Those ED3's look very tempting, especially at the price..Heck I almost went with the ED2s because I heard such good things about them..

From what my research tells me, it sounds like Zen Ray probably edges out Vortex as far as optical quality goes, but the vortex warranty is better. The zen rays have a lifetime warranty, but that is against defects and workmanship and does not cover things caused by the consumer, whereas the vortex warranty covers everything, no matter how or when it happened - and I know they stand behind that first hand..

Either way, you cannot go wrong with either..

 

[Dylanl]

The Vortex warranty is what's keeping them in it right now. I've also read optically the Zen's get the nod so that'll probably win out. If I get them and don't like them they have the 30 day return policy. The objective lens covers falling off seems a little irritating though. Anybody know about that? Are they tethered like the Vortex's?