# Leupold Mojave 8x42 Binoculars



## IFLY4U (Nov 13, 2009)

I decided that I needed a set of truck binoculars and because if my Leicas were stolen out of my truck, it would take me 20 years to convince the wife that I needed another set. After some research, the Nikon Monarchs seemed like a good choice. A business trip had me traveling to Phoenix and like the rest of us, I had to research the perks of the trip. That was when I discovered that Cabelas was in the neighborhood in Glendale AZ. Day one of my trip  found me completely confused at the optics counter in Cabelas. I bounced from one brand to the next in my efforts to drive the sales associate crazy. All binoculars look good in a brightly lit store. I ruled out the Nikons for the Leupold Mojaves in 8x42. One thing is for sure; no all of Leupolds Green Rings series are created equal. The Mojaves and the Pinnacles are far superior to the others. Two nights later, I found myself back in Cabelas looking through the meca of the store. THE BARGAIN CAVE. That was when I located a set of the Leupold Katmai binoculars that had been returned. The Katmai's were not available in the store due to being a close out item. The Katmai's that I looked through were very impressive and bright for 8x32 binoculars. This inspired me to order a set from Bear Basin Outfitters in California. 

The true test without 20 trillion candle watts of fluorescent lighting. A weekend of deer hunting in Tennessee. The comparison was the Katmai and the Mojave binoculars compared to my Leica 8x32's and my buddy's Swarovski 8x30 SLC binoculars. I understand that the 42 mm objective isn't close to the other objectives.  

The Katmais were very bright but the sweet spot for the adjustment was very limited. I could not get both tubes adjusted to my eyes which created eyestrain only after a few minutes.  It may have been the set that I received but I did not like these binoculars. They were shipped back to Bear Basin yesterday.

The Mojave binoculars were an incredible surprise. They were bright, clear, and easy to adjust. They were as good, if not better than the Leicas or Swarovskis that we had with us. The light gathering ability was incredible. We were able to glass deer by moonlight in the open fields. Could not distinguish antlers but the deer were easy to see so the 42 mm was a big plus in low light conditions.

Bottom line:
For $329, the Mojaves were an excellent buy that I am well pleased with. Am I going to be selling my Leicas? Not anytime soon, but I would not hesitate to buy another set of the Mojaves.

For $381, the Katmais were a big disappointment. They have a solid feel but that is the extent of my recommendation.

The Pinnacles are a very good set of binoculars but the retail price is getting very close to the gold ring binoculars. I couldn't justify spending $500 for a set of green ring binoculars. My hunting partner had a set of these on our last Alaska caribou hunt and compared to my Leicas, they were very good if not excellent.

Warranty: the green ring series has the same warranty as Swarovski and the Leicas. It is a "limited lifetime" warranty that applies only to the original purchaser. You must fill out the warranty card by serial number and send it in. Keep this in mind if you decide to buy a set of used ones. Don't confuse this warranty with the Leupold Gold Ring series that have a lifetime warranty regardless of where you got them.

Happy hunting and I hope this helps those in search of great optics at a bargain price.
Gary


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## Diehart (Nov 23, 2009)

I have a pair of Nikon Trailblazer ATB 10x50mm Waterproof Binoculars. I love them clear and bright. I paid $179.00 at Wal-mart for them. I look at the Leupold  but found that the Nikon's had a better price and where clear.


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