Vortex binocular range

[TaiRM]

Diamondback HD 10x42 for me. My mate has some swaro 10x42 and although they're nice I'd rather spend the extra £1500 on terminal tackle.
Honestly the vortex diamondback 10x42 are brilliant for the money. They do what you need them to, your scope, rifle and trigger finger do the rest

Yes, I'd agree, I'd rather spend the difference on thermal stuff as I've noticed that the price in thermals does make a big difference in thermal quality!

 

[TaiRM]

I own a pair of 8x42 Diamondbacks that are 8 plus years old and use 10x42 Viper HD (bought last year) at work and have compared them side by side.

For picking up detail such as writing and facial features then the 10x42 Viper HD had the edge but for deerstalking the 8x42 Diamondvacks were miles better. This was because I found the 10x42 Viper HD were more fussy to get a clear picture and I had to blink and squint a few times to get the picture which always seemed to be just not quite there. Whereas the 8x42 Diamondbacks were instant clear picture and for picking out a deer or animal against foliage they are far superior and had better low light resolution.

I'm not sure if it's the mag increase that makes the Vipers worse for stalking or if the coatings just make things seem almost too vivid and a bit too hard to focus on but personally I would always pick my 8x42 Diamondbacks over the 10x42 Vipers.

That's great, thanks for this. In terms of the viper having the edge on facial features and writing, was this a large and notable edge or minor?

 

[nun_hunter]

That's great, thanks for this. In terms of the viper having the edge on facial features and writing, was this a large and notable edge or minor?

It was obvious but some of it was definitely the increased magnification as well as the increased clarity so I'm not sure how if both specs were the same magnification they would compare.

I found it was akin to looking at an Ultra HD TV in Currys etc, where you can tell the image quality is "better" compared to a normal TV but because it's so crisp and bright it ends up looking artificial and is actually a bit of a strain on your eyes.

I was all set to upgrade to the Vipers for stalking when I got them at work but after trying them side by side out in the field I much prefer the Diamondback with lower magnification.

 

[sauer]

Everybody’s eyeball is different …. Good to get advice from users

Better to try get look through them yourself see what suits you

Paul

 

[malmick]

I've used the Fury HD 5000 10x42 for three years and on the strength of those bought a pair of Diamondback 10x42s for my wife this year. The Fury's image is crisper and I can see into woods and foliage a lot better with them, first and last light a bit better too, which is all to be expected. Having said that the Diamondbacks are impressive, my wife uses them for general purpose bird and nature watching and is delighted with them. Optically and mechanically they are excellent value for money. The rubberised coating, lens covers and straps are not up to the same standard as the Furys, the glasspack is the same.

 

[slider]

I've used the Fury HD 5000 10x42 for three years and on the strength of those bought a pair of Diamondback 10x42s for my wife this year. The Fury's image is crisper and I can see into woods and foliage a lot better with them, first and last light a bit better too, which is all to be expected. Having said that the Diamondbacks are impressive, my wife uses them for general purpose bird and nature watching and is delighted with them. Optically and mechanically they are excellent value for money. The rubberised coating, lens covers and straps are not up to the same standard as the Furys, the glasspack is the same.

I have the same bino's and really rate them. I'm pretty sure they use the same glass as the Viper HD's

 

[malmick]

I have the same bino's and really rate them. I'm pretty sure they use the same glass as the Viper HD's

That makes sense and if so I can see where the price of the Viper HD comes from. If that's the case the Vipers are not bad value for money. The devil is in the detail as they say, hair and feather texture stand out out a fair bit more with the Furys.

 

[sy247]

I've got some Vortex Viper 8x42 HD bins. I've had them quite a few years and am very pleased with them.

 

[norcan]

As long as you avoid the Crossfire junk, the rest of the models seem like good value for their price points.

 

[CSW]

I have the same bino's and really rate them. I'm pretty sure they use the same glass as the Viper HD's

I believe the glass in the Furys are very close to the Viper glass albeit slightly different.