VortexOptics Viper HD Roof Prism Binoculars 8x42

Nice solid pair of binoculars. Clear, sharp. Feels well balanced. Nice rubber grip. All the reviews I read said it was as good as thousand dollar pairs, and I couldn't contradict. The harness bag is a nice plus, and fits well over the shoulders although the strap configuration is a bit hard to figure out at first. The only knock I have on them is that for my eye prescription, left eye nearsighted, right eye farsighted, the difference was too much for the diopter to account for. Which is strange, because I can make it work on my cheaper Celestron Nature DX. But as I mostly use one eye or the other anyway, and I have a new pair of glasses coming, this is not a deal breaker. And would not be an issue for most people. I went back and looked at my instructions from the Celestron, and even they say you may need to wear your glasses if your prescription is nearsighted. Indeed, with glasses, the Vortex diopter works just fine -- I just don't like the extra fringe light that lets in. anyway, I am happy with them and would recommend for the price.

This is a gem of a binocular (with Optimum High Density BAK4 Prisms) rated by some magazines dedicated to boating and yachting as one of the recent most Afffordable Yet Durable/Professional Units, and heartily agree with those sources. I have an excellant mega- bucks Swaro Binocular also in 8X42 and this unit comes very, very close to its performance. Colour and depth of field are suberb and described by the seller exactly and well made too. Argon gassed (better than Nitrogen) and well armoured makes this unit vertually indestructable, and with the Vortex VIP Warranty makes this binocular an optical instrument a treasure. I made use of the Amazon- Time Span Payment Plan which makes this unit very affordable: All Interest Free! Amazon has this priced right and comes well packaged against all sorts of conditions during shipping and came in prestine condition and on time. This is a unit which can be passed from one generation to the next without losing its warranty too! Overall I give it a rating as: OUTSTANDING!The minor item is that the Binocular Case is a bit archaic, but gives great protection, along with pockets to addlens tissue (available from Amazon-economically priced), and lens dusting tools. As a person who has been in the Optical Retail Business and now engaged in the Maritime/Merchant Marine Profession, I highly recommend the 8 Power as any higher the user will notice increased: "Magnification Image Movement" with loss of image stablity/clarity. Ten Power is the Absolute Maximum Magnification as any higher power the user will experience "Image Dance," and the older one gets the harder it will be to keep the binocular steady unless Tripod Mounted. For Birding, Whale Watching, Astronomical Applications, Maritime uses: Bridge Watch, Navigation, Lookout Watches, Safety-At-Sea, Pleasure Craft Use, plus Intra-Coastal Waterway/High Seas applications go with Vortex Viper- you will not regret the purhase.

I ordered these (at 8x42 power) after reading and listening to all the overwhelmingly positive reviews. Some reviewers even claim that the Vortex Viper binoculars are as close as one can get to Swarovski EL's under $2k. Well, yes, I have found them to provide clear, crisp, bright optics--no doubt about it. However, I compared them to my Monarch 5 and Pentax SD's--also at 8x42--and frankly, I cannot really tell a major difference. The Monarchs and Pentax are all in the $200-$250 price range, while the Vipers are double that. The Vipers are heavier than the Monarchs and I cannot tell which one is brighter after countless comparative tests. (The Pentax are slightly less bright.) I feel that the Viper beats the Pentax by a very very slight edge, but it was a tie with the Monarch 5's. The Vipers felt a bit lighter than the Pentax, but significantly heavier than the Monarchs. The Vipers come with superior accessories--the carry case in particular is way better and even comes with a harness. Of the three, the Pentax has the lousiest accessories, especially the objective lens caps-- utter crap on the Pentax. The caps on the Viper and Monarch 5, both attached to the lens barrels, are equal.So, what to conclude? Did I pay an extra $200 for a better carry case and a harness? Don't get me wrong--these are excellent binoculars. The quality of the optics cannot be denied. But I found the Monarch 5 optics just as good, and the Pentax only a smidgen behind. If there is an optical difference between the Viper and the Monarch 5, I couldn't tell. If you are looking for excellent mid-range binoculars and need to save some cash, go with the Monarch 5's. If money is no object, sure, get the Viper. They feel very solid in the hands.

I purchased these to compare with Zeus Conquest and Vortex Razor, all 8x42 HD. My beloved pair of Zeus Victory’s were stolen during travel, and are now prohibitively expensive. I thought that I would select the Razor or Conquest, but I found those to be uncomfortably heavy for long birding. My fault for getting out of shape! These Vipers feel lighter, have sharp optics and nice features with telescopic adjustment of barrels to use with and without glasses. Nicely placed thumb rests for focus. CONS: Overall a bit stiffer in adjustments, particularly note that it took patience to adjust diopter: stiff to rotate, marks not in white like on Razor and tricky to unlock. Also my pair came with severed slot on one side for eye cup covers. I have written seller in hope of getting a replacement. I learned of these options from Audubon review and have not yet birdied with them but hope and expect happiness ; ) even at a more reasonable price point. Value for money.