Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Vortex Bino's?

I'm looking to get some new bino's and tried out Votex's ViperHD 10X42's. They seemed great in the store, but am conserned about how they work in low light. Do any of you have experience with these or have other recommendations?

Thanks!

Really hard to beat for anywhere close in $.

Vortex Viper HD 10x42 review on Allbinos.com

David

Depending on the dealer, for 200-300 more you can get trinovids. Dougs has the minox germans for close to the same price, you can be into used alpha for not much more. Not to mention the tracts, which I haven't used, but JGrider seems to speak highly of them and he has some good glasses.

If you're stuck at 600.00, then they're a decent option. If you have wiggle room, then there are better.

I have them and have compared them to a number of pieces of very good glass. For the money they are outstanding, as someone else already said. Doug has them.

Teeder

If your picking them up for say $350-$400 they are not bad. If your spending $600 there are a lot more options. I used a pair that were loaned to me by a fellow forum member when my truck was broken into and my Meopta 10x42's were stolen. They are ok but at $500-$600 I'd be looking at something else.

What, for example?

Thanks, everyone!

Vortex viper 10x42hd are fine optics. I have used them in low light and they are very good.

If you want Vipers they are decent, but IMO glass wise they should be a sub $400 bino, they just don't have any wow in em. To me there's lots of ok glass for $400 or less where you don't get wow factor but you didn't pay for it either and have ok glass. If your willing to spend $600 then you may as well save/spend a little more and find something like the left over trinovids, used Meoptas, or Zeiss Conquest, German Minox HG's. Doug at Cameraland has some demo HG's that are like $499 or $599. My advice is worth what you paid for it.

If you reallywant some Vortex Vipers without paying retail, put an ad in the classifieds. Search the other online forums, I see them all the time for around $400.

Make offers on these?

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/rokslide-classifieds/56456-vortex-viper-10x42.html?highlight=Vortex

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/roks...rtex-viper-8x42-hd.html?highlight=Vortex

I’ve compared the Vipers in the store to the Leupold Mojave Pro Guide HDs and found them comparable, plus they are comparably priced. Doug now has the Mojaves on sale for $379, so it made the decision easy.

For some reason I can't get this to link correctly, so copy and paste:

http://cameralandny.com/product_description.html?catalog[product_guids][0]=7cb7d150-bff0-0134-d5ff-00163e9110c0


Best I have been able to tell, the Mojaves and the Vipers are about the same, so for $200 less, I will gladly take the Leupolds. Thanks Doug!

Vortex Viper are good glass on par at there price range. Build Quality not so much. Easily breakable. Proceed with caution. I personally have used the monox german and they are better build and as good if not better optically.

Update time. Well, I've tried quite a few in the $400.00-$600.00 price range and then made the mistake of comparing them to some Zeiss Conquest HD's. I really liked them! Thoughts or experience with them?

The Tract Toric is better than the Conquest Hd for less money. Side by side in Namibia this past year confirmed it for me.

Interesting! I wish I could try some.

They're good optics, for the money. Doug has some demos on sale for $449.

I had the Viper 10x50 HD. I like the German Minox better, and Doug has a demo for $350 (BL 10x44 HD)

I find it superior to my Vortex Viper 10x50's in view, sharpness and ergonomics.

In addition to the sharpness of the glass, I'm talking about little things that make a big difference in usability: like how the eye cups click solidly into place as you raise them up (or down when wearing glasses - with plenty of eye relief); how the diopter won't be easily bumped out of position, leaving you with a fuzzy image; how easily the lenses line up with my eyes so I don't have to jiggle them around, giving me a sharp view all the way out to the edges; how the focus is smoother and not as fast, making it easier to zero in on a target.

Doug told me the sharpness of this Minox is somewhere in between the Vortex Viper and the Vortex Razor - I haven't used the Razors, but from my experience with the Vipers, I believe him.

The viper HD 6x32's are my favorite set of binos. They are not quite as bright, but they are handier (to me) and get a lot more use than my 10X42 SLC's

Another vote for the Minox BL 10X44 HD.....

I'm with the crowd on the Vipers, good binoculars but not great binoculars and at an odd price point- too much money spent to want to replace them but not enough for Alpha glass. Your eyes tell you what works best for you and mine certainly differ but the Conquest didn't do it for me and I love Zeiss glass. They didn't look much better than the Terra's when I compared them. It doesn't seem worth it to me to spend more than $400 until you get to the $1K ballpark.

The next step up for me are the Meopta Meostars - I've seen the 10x42 HD used for less than $900 and they are way better than the Vipers and to my eyes better than the Razors. I was looking for a deal on those when I found a great deal on Swarovski SLC's that are really sensational but more than twice what you were looking to spend.

This is how I felt about the Conquest compared to the others I tried.

Thanks everyone!

You'd be surprised by the 10x42 Diamondbacks for 1/2 the price.