Hi Adam, in my experience having used and tested both, (see my Swarovski SLC 10x42 Binoculars Review here: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swarovski10x42SLC-145.htm ) I would say in terms of the view quality, they are extremely similar. Indeed I gave them both a 10/10 in this area. I think the Vortex has the edge in terms of the optical stats, whilst the Swarovski is more lightweight, smaller and they have unbeatable attention to all the small details. So very hard to split them and will depend on what areas you value the most.
@@Bestbinocularsreviews Now that Swarovski have released the NL Pure at £2400+, the EL model is being discounted to about £1540 from the previous £1900. Vortex at £1499 or Swarovski at 40 quid more? Tough.
@@doglover31418 Hi Dean - yes for sure, this new price makes the EL very attractive and seriously tough to beat at the top end of the market. At this level almost all binoculars are excellent and it can often just come down to selecting the features or specifications that are most important to you and then going with whichever one most closely matches them or indeed failing that just the brand that you most closely associate yourself with. Tough choice yes, but I think the comforting fact here is that there is no real wrong option as they are both truly excellent.
I have Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42 binoculars which I really like. I was at Cabellas the other day so I asked to see these Razor UHD 10x42 binoculars. Wow, I thought mine were good, but these blew my Diamondbacks away.
I compared what’s in the box and accessories, warranty, post sunset, predawn, and 1 km sunny day conditions views. 3 binos were chosen. Zeiss SFL 10x42, Swaro EL 10x42 and Vortex UHD 10x42. Guess who was the winner? Vortex UHD
I almost bought the Razor HD but instead I bought the Maven B 1.2 8x42. I did not want to pay for accessories that I will not use nor need so I skipped purchasing a Vortex instrument although I liked the locking diopter on the Razors. Take care!
Thanks! Hope it helps > Do you plan on getting a pair? If so be sure to check out my page on where to buy them www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/buy-binoculars.php?binocular=Vortex10x42Razor%20UHD&id=255
HI Jamie - yes, it is a good idea as both are very popular - I will try, but I will need to get in a new set of Vortex Vipers to teat first as it has been a long time since I last used them.
@@Bestbinocularsreviews Thank you for looking into it! I was able to find an outfitter that carried Fury, Razors and Vipers. It would still be neat to see your entertaining, factual take though! So I loved the Razors and Fury, but not the Vipers (even though Fury uses Viper lens). The Vipers just didn't seem to fit my eyes (as well compared to the other two) and I could tell that it would start causing eye strain. I felt like I could stare through the Razor all day! minuscule difference between the Razor and Fury, yet I eventually decided to go with separate Razor bino/rangefinder. I loved the idea of carrying less total weight and equipment around, yet once I felt how easy it was to deploy a rangefinder on its own, I was sold. It just seemed unnecessary to pull out a relatively heavy bino to quickly range an object. Lastly, I may or may not have been known to ruin electronics because I've left batteries in them that corroded after a long period of inactivity. If I haven't learned my lesson, then I'll just ruin a simple rangefinder and not a rangefinding bino!
I have a couple Vortex DiamondBack HD and Nikon Monarch Binoculars and found them to be awesome binoculars somehow compared to my Leitz 10x40BA Trinovid. The HDs multi and fully coated lens do make a lot of differences though.
Very good review. After researching all I could find on these binos, I was some what suspect of the fact that even the Vortex web site gives no twilight factor, brightness, light transmission % or exit pupil. And although these are just numbers they are paramount when comparing to other quality binos of the same power and objective size
Hi, two of those numbers are (twilight factor and exit pupil) are derived from the configuration and thus and you can work out yourself.Twilight Factor: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/glossary-binoculars.php#twilight_factor and Exit Pupil: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/exit-pupil-06/
Hi, thanks for the question - wow a really specific question, which I am afraid is impossible for me to answer with any accuracy as I I have not had the chance to test the Nikon EDG 10x42 and even if I had, I think you would need to compare them side by side extremely carefully to notice much of a difference between high-end instruments like these. Sorry to not be of more help.
Are you going to do a stand alone review for the harness like you said in the video? Also will those uhd objective covers for the regular razor HD’s of the same size obj?
Hi Nick, yes I do still plan making a review for the harness, just been really busy and this time of year is also always hectic. Also not sure what you mean about the objective covers?
I recently purchased the Vortex DiamondBack HD 10x50's which were awesome relatively light weight very clear and bright optics. Unfortunately there was dust inside the binoculars so I have had to send them back. I am contemplating going for the Razor HD 10x50's as I don't want to go too crazy with just starting out with binoculars. Do you still think they are a good choice or with the price reductions on some of the other big 3 do you think other options are better for the 1k price bracket ?
What did you end up going with? I just bought Diamondback HD 10x50's as they were on sale and I had a gift card to REI. I'm looking for an upgrade already, I'm noticing a bit of CA in the Diamondbacks, and a falloff from the center in terms of sharpness. They are great for $200, but as a wildlife photographer used to high-quality optics, I think I'm going to use binoculars more if they closely match the quality of my telephoto lenses.
Hi LC - sure, along a lakeside is one of my personal favorite places to go birding, always loads going on and a wide variety of birds. I would generally opt for a higher magnification than a bino for forest birding as you are out in the open so generally more light and viewing at greater distances. Take a look at this article on 10x42 Binoculars for Bird Watching www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/10x42-binoculars-for-bird-watching-02/ that contains info and some recommendations. You could go higher, but I would not go more than 12x unless you plan to also use a tripod. I also have an article on Best Binoculars for Watching Sailing that will be relevant: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/binoculars-for-watching-sailing.php - it also contains recommendations at the foot of the page. Hope this helps.
Oogh tough question. Both are excellent binoculars. So I would look at it this way. If you do a lot of your birding in low light (like at sunrise or sunset or in deep forests) then I would go for the 10x50 and it's better light gathering ability. Otherwise the smaller size and lower weight of the 10x42 maybe a better option in wide open spaces with good light.
Hi, thanks for the question. However, as I have not used them I cannot comment other than to say that from the specification sheet which I have just looked at, they look to offer decent value for money.
Hi, love your reviews. I am just confused actually. I am a birder and want a good pair of binoculars for birding. What would be your suggestion. Price is not the criteria. Please guide me what to buy. Thanks in advance Shri
Hi Shiriyog - Firstly sorry for late reply, but I have been a bit ill lately - all good now though - Back to your question - Have you looked at my guide to Birding Binoculars: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/birding/ - there is tons of advice on there and recommendations in all price ranges and definitely a good place to start
Please bring the binocular out and give us some through the lens footage compared to others. Don’t care so much about the case, want to see the images.
Hi John, I have found that even with an adapter and a good quality camera, the image that I am able to capture through a binocular is not representative of what you see when looking through them so I tend to not add this to my reviews. For example by using a camera, the image often shows much more color fringing than what is visible with just your eyes and depending on the available light can show the image to be far less bright. I do describe the view with an emphasis of how it compares to others in this and other configurations in my full review: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex-Razor-UHD-10x42-Binoculars-Review-255.htm - I hope you understand, and I hope this helps.
would there be a reason to purchase the 10x42 over the 8x42? Is the view sharper or have less CA or other aberrations on the 8x42? You mentioned you would purchase a set of 8x42 UHD for personal use. How do you like them?
Hi Christopher, I actually ended up going with the 10x42 UHD as I had the 8x42 HD version, I thought it would be nice to change the power with this one. Have you seen my video and guide to 8x42 vs 10x42 Binoculars www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/8x42-vs-10x42-binoculars-10/ You can also see my full review of the Razor UHD 10x42 here: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex-Razor-UHD-10x42-Binoculars-Review-255.htm - Hope this helps.
Best Binocular Reviews I did watch the 10x42 review, excellent information. I just scored a deal on eBay for a lightly used 8x42 UHD for 1000 dollars. Pretty excited about that. I have a pair of 16x80 Orion giantview ED which I use for stargazing.
Ooogh very nice deal! I am sure you will be very happy with them and will be a nice combination to have with your 16x80s! BTW - Whilst a different experience, stargazing with an 8x42 can also be pretty good.,
Hei hello sir hope this finds you well. I’m debating my self in which one to buy the Raptor 8.5x32 or the Raptor 10x32. I’m not a hunter yet but I do want to buy some binoculars that will last me few year down the road since I’m not cheap person anything like that I do believe you only spend the money once, then spent it right. Please hope to hear from you soon. Warmest thanks in advance.
Hi, I have not tested any of the Raptor's so I can't comment directly on those, but as for choosing between the 8.5x32 or 10x32 configurations and which is best for your needs and preferences, take a look at my BinoWars series and in particular the one on 8x42 vs 10x42 binoculars: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/8x42-vs-10x42-binoculars-10/ and then the one on 8x32 vs 8x42 www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/8x32-vs-8x42-binoculars-11/ - whilst not exactly the same configurations as your choice, they will give you a good understanding of what you can expect from 8x vs 10x binoculars and then how a 32mm binocular is different from a 42mm one.
Hi Stuart - thanks for the comment - In general, a visibly brighter binocular often depends on light conditions, In good light it can be hard to tell many instruments apart but with very low light situations it separates better instruments and more ideal configurations from the less good and ideal. I have a 8x42 Vortex Razor HD ( www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex8x42RazorHD-104.htm) and the 10x42 version of the Vortex Razor UHD ( www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex-Razor-UHD-10x42-Binoculars-Review-255.htm) - so a direct comparison would not really be fair as the larger exit pupil ( www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/exit-pupil-06/ ) you get with an 8x42 makes them better suited for low light situations and in good light, to me they look the same. If the were both the same configuration , because both the UHD and HD are really high quality, my guess would be that even in low light the difference in brightness would be very or even extremely minor - so as always with binoculars you get diminishing returns and you have to spend more and more to get smaller and smaller improvements, however the UHD does improve on the HD , and not just in this area, but then as I say in the review, you pay for that with money and also increased weight and bulk.
Yes most certainly - Infact, as well as just being waterproof they are fully sealed and filled with a dry gas to prevent internal fogging of the lenses.
Good review! These are really attractive binoculars! I wonder how they compare to the new Viper HD series which looks similar to the former Razor HD. Have you compared them?
@@Bestbinocularsreviews Ok! I own a Viper HD 6X32 since several years and it's a keeper, probably the best 6x32 on the market. So I really like Vortex optics but have still not tried any of the Razor models. I am looking forward to more of your reviews. Regards from Sweden, Patric
Patric J I own the Razor HD 10x50 and the Viper HD 10x42 binoculars as well as the Viper PST 5-25 and Razor HD 1-6 scopes. The razor is leaps and bounds better than the Viper. Chromatic aberrations, build quality, glass, ease of focus, etc are all better than the Viper. That being said, I don't think any binocular on earth can beat the Viper HD for the price. They are amazing at their price point. The razor is just one step above in every way. same with the rifle scopes. The razor is more durable and nicer glass. The razor binoculars also have a magnesium chasis vs plastic.
My two dream binoculars are: 1) Leica Noctivid 8x42 (in olive green) - as Optica Exotica pointed out its colors are unbeatable in a real field test (shown in his video)! 2) Zeiss Victory HT 8x54 - light weight (compared to those heavier 8x56 "normal" models by Swarovski SLC; with a 95% light transmission)! Therefore no need for any Vortex binoculars! 😛
Hi, In my opinion it is not silly at all. But it does depend in which areas you are talking about. The 42mm Swarovski EL's (eg www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swarovski-EL-85x42-Binoculars-Review-165.htm) are certainly more lightweight and compact which is largely down to the different prism design. In terms of build quality - phew difficult to say.. both have their weaknesses and flaws.. then the optics.. I have to say I prefer knowing that I get 100% internal reflection with the Abbe-Koenig prism (and porro prisms), but having said that, the dielectric coatings that high-end binoculars like Swaro use on their Schmidt Pechan prisms is so good that in reality I doubt if many people would be able to notice a difference (if at all). So a lot depends on the outer features, your personal brand affinity and even the aesthetics. The extras that you get from each are also quite different (eg the bino harness with the Vortex) and so, depending on your intended use, this may also be a factor.
How well does the UHD compare to Swarovski SLC?
Hi Adam, in my experience having used and tested both, (see my Swarovski SLC 10x42 Binoculars Review here: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swarovski10x42SLC-145.htm ) I would say in terms of the view quality, they are extremely similar. Indeed I gave them both a 10/10 in this area. I think the Vortex has the edge in terms of the optical stats, whilst the Swarovski is more lightweight, smaller and they have unbeatable attention to all the small details. So very hard to split them and will depend on what areas you value the most.
@@Bestbinocularsreviews Now that Swarovski have released the NL Pure at £2400+, the EL model is being discounted to about £1540 from the previous £1900.
Vortex at £1499 or Swarovski at 40 quid more? Tough.
@@doglover31418 Hi Dean - yes for sure, this new price makes the EL very attractive and seriously tough to beat at the top end of the market. At this level almost all binoculars are excellent and it can often just come down to selecting the features or specifications that are most important to you and then going with whichever one most closely matches them or indeed failing that just the brand that you most closely associate yourself with. Tough choice yes, but I think the comforting fact here is that there is no real wrong option as they are both truly excellent.
I have Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42 binoculars which I really like. I was at Cabellas the other day so I asked to see these Razor UHD 10x42 binoculars. Wow, I thought mine were good, but these blew my Diamondbacks away.
I compared what’s in the box and accessories, warranty, post sunset, predawn, and 1 km sunny day conditions views. 3 binos were chosen. Zeiss SFL 10x42, Swaro EL 10x42 and Vortex UHD 10x42. Guess who was the winner?
Vortex UHD
Yup, for the money these are up there with the best for sure.
I almost bought the Razor HD but instead I bought the Maven B 1.2 8x42. I did not want to pay for accessories that I will not use nor need so I skipped purchasing a Vortex instrument although I liked the locking diopter on the Razors. Take care!
Outstanding review
Thanks! Hope it helps > Do you plan on getting a pair? If so be sure to check out my page on where to buy them www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/buy-binoculars.php?binocular=Vortex10x42Razor%20UHD&id=255
Thank you for the wonderful review! Will you please do a comparison review or give your opinion on Razors vs Vipers?
HI Jamie - yes, it is a good idea as both are very popular - I will try, but I will need to get in a new set of Vortex Vipers to teat first as it has been a long time since I last used them.
@@Bestbinocularsreviews Thank you for looking into it! I was able to find an outfitter that carried Fury, Razors and Vipers. It would still be neat to see your entertaining, factual take though!
So I loved the Razors and Fury, but not the Vipers (even though Fury uses Viper lens). The Vipers just didn't seem to fit my eyes (as well compared to the other two) and I could tell that it would start causing eye strain. I felt like I could stare through the Razor all day!
minuscule difference between the Razor and Fury, yet I eventually decided to go with separate Razor bino/rangefinder. I loved the idea of carrying less total weight and equipment around, yet once I felt how easy it was to deploy a rangefinder on its own, I was sold. It just seemed unnecessary to pull out a relatively heavy bino to quickly range an object.
Lastly, I may or may not have been known to ruin electronics because I've left batteries in them that corroded after a long period of inactivity. If I haven't learned my lesson, then I'll just ruin a simple rangefinder and not a rangefinding bino!
I have a couple Vortex DiamondBack HD and Nikon Monarch Binoculars and found them to be awesome binoculars somehow compared to my Leitz 10x40BA Trinovid. The HDs multi and fully coated lens do make a lot of differences though.
How do the Vortex Razor UHD compare to the Steiner HX binoculars? I’m thinking of getting either the Razor UHD 18x56 or Steiner HX 15x56. Cheers!
Very good review. After researching all I could find on these binos, I was some what suspect of the fact that even the Vortex web site gives no twilight factor, brightness, light transmission % or exit pupil. And although these are just numbers they are paramount when comparing to other quality binos of the same power and objective size
Hi, two of those numbers are (twilight factor and exit pupil) are derived from the configuration and thus and you can work out yourself.Twilight Factor: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/glossary-binoculars.php#twilight_factor and Exit Pupil: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/exit-pupil-06/
Great video
Hi Matt, thanks for the feedback and kind words, it is much appreciated.
Compared to the nikon EDG 10x42, which is better against parasitic lights, internal reflections and flares?
Thankful!
Hi, thanks for the question - wow a really specific question, which I am afraid is impossible for me to answer with any accuracy as I I have not had the chance to test the Nikon EDG 10x42 and even if I had, I think you would need to compare them side by side extremely carefully to notice much of a difference between high-end instruments like these. Sorry to not be of more help.
Nikons EDGs are one of the best pairs of binos ever made.
Are you going to do a stand alone review for the harness like you said in the video? Also will those uhd objective covers for the regular razor HD’s of the same size obj?
Hi Nick, yes I do still plan making a review for the harness, just been really busy and this time of year is also always hectic. Also not sure what you mean about the objective covers?
What would you recommend between the Vortex Razor UHD 10x42 v the Maven B.2 11x45? Thanks!
I recently purchased the Vortex DiamondBack HD 10x50's which were awesome relatively light weight very clear and bright optics. Unfortunately there was dust inside the binoculars so I have had to send them back. I am contemplating going for the Razor HD 10x50's as I don't want to go too crazy with just starting out with binoculars. Do you still think they are a good choice or with the price reductions on some of the other big 3 do you think other options are better for the 1k price bracket ?
What did you end up going with? I just bought Diamondback HD 10x50's as they were on sale and I had a gift card to REI. I'm looking for an upgrade already, I'm noticing a bit of CA in the Diamondbacks, and a falloff from the center in terms of sharpness. They are great for $200, but as a wildlife photographer used to high-quality optics, I think I'm going to use binoculars more if they closely match the quality of my telephoto lenses.
Could you recommend a few bins for living on a lake, viewing boat life and bird watching?
Thank you!
Hi LC - sure, along a lakeside is one of my personal favorite places to go birding, always loads going on and a wide variety of birds. I would generally opt for a higher magnification than a bino for forest birding as you are out in the open so generally more light and viewing at greater distances. Take a look at this article on 10x42 Binoculars for Bird Watching www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/10x42-binoculars-for-bird-watching-02/ that contains info and some recommendations. You could go higher, but I would not go more than 12x unless you plan to also use a tripod. I also have an article on Best Binoculars for Watching Sailing that will be relevant: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/binoculars-for-watching-sailing.php - it also contains recommendations at the foot of the page. Hope this helps.
I am in the market for a new higher quality bino for birding. I love 10x42s. Would you recommend UHD10x42 or HD 10x50?
Oogh tough question. Both are excellent binoculars. So I would look at it this way. If you do a lot of your birding in low light (like at sunrise or sunset or in deep forests) then I would go for the 10x50 and it's better light gathering ability. Otherwise the smaller size and lower weight of the 10x42 maybe a better option in wide open spaces with good light.
Thanks
How do those compare to Nikon monarch 5 ......?????
Hi Abel. Unfortunately Nikon do not send me samples to test.. so I cannot say :-(
Love it
Thanks.. Much appreciated 👍
Hi sir,
Can u tell me about SAGA 12×56 Binoculars present in the AliExpress,
Thanks
Hi, thanks for the question. However, as I have not used them I cannot comment other than to say that from the specification sheet which I have just looked at, they look to offer decent value for money.
Hi, love your reviews. I am just confused actually. I am a birder and want a good pair of binoculars for birding. What would be your suggestion. Price is not the criteria. Please guide me what to buy. Thanks in advance
Shri
Hi Shiriyog - Firstly sorry for late reply, but I have been a bit ill lately - all good now though - Back to your question - Have you looked at my guide to Birding Binoculars: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/birding/ - there is tons of advice on there and recommendations in all price ranges and definitely a good place to start
Please bring the binocular out and give us some through the lens footage compared to others. Don’t care so much about the case, want to see the images.
Hi John, I have found that even with an adapter and a good quality camera, the image that I am able to capture through a binocular is not representative of what you see when looking through them so I tend to not add this to my reviews. For example by using a camera, the image often shows much more color fringing than what is visible with just your eyes and depending on the available light can show the image to be far less bright. I do describe the view with an emphasis of how it compares to others in this and other configurations in my full review: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex-Razor-UHD-10x42-Binoculars-Review-255.htm - I hope you understand, and I hope this helps.
would there be a reason to purchase the 10x42 over the 8x42? Is the view sharper or have less CA or other aberrations on the 8x42? You mentioned you would purchase a set of 8x42 UHD for personal use. How do you like them?
Hi Christopher, I actually ended up going with the 10x42 UHD as I had the 8x42 HD version, I thought it would be nice to change the power with this one. Have you seen my video and guide to 8x42 vs 10x42 Binoculars www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/8x42-vs-10x42-binoculars-10/ You can also see my full review of the Razor UHD 10x42 here: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex-Razor-UHD-10x42-Binoculars-Review-255.htm - Hope this helps.
Best Binocular Reviews I did watch the 10x42 review, excellent information. I just scored a deal on eBay for a lightly used 8x42 UHD for 1000 dollars. Pretty excited about that. I have a pair of 16x80 Orion giantview ED which I use for stargazing.
Ooogh very nice deal! I am sure you will be very happy with them and will be a nice combination to have with your 16x80s! BTW - Whilst a different experience, stargazing with an 8x42 can also be pretty good.,
Hei hello sir hope this finds you well. I’m debating my self in which one to buy the Raptor 8.5x32 or the Raptor 10x32. I’m not a hunter yet but I do want to buy some binoculars that will last me few year down the road since I’m not cheap person anything like that I do believe you only spend the money once, then spent it right. Please hope to hear from you soon. Warmest thanks in advance.
Hi, I have not tested any of the Raptor's so I can't comment directly on those, but as for choosing between the 8.5x32 or 10x32 configurations and which is best for your needs and preferences, take a look at my BinoWars series and in particular the one on 8x42 vs 10x42 binoculars: www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/8x42-vs-10x42-binoculars-10/ and then the one on 8x32 vs 8x42 www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/8x32-vs-8x42-binoculars-11/ - whilst not exactly the same configurations as your choice, they will give you a good understanding of what you can expect from 8x vs 10x binoculars and then how a 32mm binocular is different from a 42mm one.
When you are going to make a review of Nikon WX 10x50??
Not sure to be honest. I have not had a one from Nikon contact me wanting me to review their binoculars
Is the UHD visibly brighter than the HD? IMO the view would have to be significantly better to compensate for the increased weight and bulk.
Hi Stuart - thanks for the comment - In general, a visibly brighter binocular often depends on light conditions, In good light it can be hard to tell many instruments apart but with very low light situations it separates better instruments and more ideal configurations from the less good and ideal. I have a 8x42 Vortex Razor HD ( www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex8x42RazorHD-104.htm) and the 10x42 version of the Vortex Razor UHD ( www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex-Razor-UHD-10x42-Binoculars-Review-255.htm) - so a direct comparison would not really be fair as the larger exit pupil ( www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/exit-pupil-06/ ) you get with an 8x42 makes them better suited for low light situations and in good light, to me they look the same. If the were both the same configuration , because both the UHD and HD are really high quality, my guess would be that even in low light the difference in brightness would be very or even extremely minor - so as always with binoculars you get diminishing returns and you have to spend more and more to get smaller and smaller improvements, however the UHD does improve on the HD , and not just in this area, but then as I say in the review, you pay for that with money and also increased weight and bulk.
Are theses waterproof
Yes most certainly - Infact, as well as just being waterproof they are fully sealed and filled with a dry gas to prevent internal fogging of the lenses.
Good review! These are really attractive binoculars!
I wonder how they compare to the new Viper HD series which looks similar to the former Razor HD. Have you compared them?
Thanks for the kind words and no sorry, I have not got my hands on the new Viper HD, sorry
@@Bestbinocularsreviews Ok!
I own a Viper HD 6X32 since several years and it's a keeper, probably the best 6x32 on the market. So I really like Vortex optics but have still not tried any of the Razor models. I am looking forward to more of your reviews.
Regards from Sweden, Patric
Patric J I own the Razor HD 10x50 and the Viper HD 10x42 binoculars as well as the Viper PST 5-25 and Razor HD 1-6 scopes. The razor is leaps and bounds better than the Viper. Chromatic aberrations, build quality, glass, ease of focus, etc are all better than the Viper. That being said, I don't think any binocular on earth can beat the Viper HD for the price. They are amazing at their price point. The razor is just one step above in every way. same with the rifle scopes. The razor is more durable and nicer glass. The razor binoculars also have a magnesium chasis vs plastic.
Hi Dizzy, Many thanks for taking the time to add some feedback - it really helps
You might want to add that vortex has a lifetime warranty
My two dream binoculars are:
1) Leica Noctivid 8x42 (in olive green) - as Optica Exotica pointed out its colors are unbeatable in a real field test (shown in his video)!
2) Zeiss Victory HT 8x54 - light weight (compared to those heavier 8x56 "normal" models by Swarovski SLC; with a 95% light transmission)!
Therefore no need for any Vortex binoculars! 😛
How come the us army don't use vortex razor uhd
I am not sure, but I am sure that the contract that US Army has with whoever does currently supply them has something to do with it... :-)
Dude if Swarovski offered a Mil discount like Vortex, I would have Swaros in my hands right now!
Is it silly to think these can compete with the Swaro EL's?
Hi, In my opinion it is not silly at all. But it does depend in which areas you are talking about. The 42mm Swarovski EL's (eg www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swarovski-EL-85x42-Binoculars-Review-165.htm) are certainly more lightweight and compact which is largely down to the different prism design. In terms of build quality - phew difficult to say.. both have their weaknesses and flaws.. then the optics.. I have to say I prefer knowing that I get 100% internal reflection with the Abbe-Koenig prism (and porro prisms), but having said that, the dielectric coatings that high-end binoculars like Swaro use on their Schmidt Pechan prisms is so good that in reality I doubt if many people would be able to notice a difference (if at all). So a lot depends on the outer features, your personal brand affinity and even the aesthetics. The extras that you get from each are also quite different (eg the bino harness with the Vortex) and so, depending on your intended use, this may also be a factor.
Where is it made?