As a point of interest and even though they look and are quite different, they happen to be the same weight as the Vortex 8x42 Viper HD. I really like this as indeed I do the normal open bridge designs as I find it makes them not only more comfortable, but just a bit more secure to hold one handed. Focusing As a hunter, these really give me the advantage of finding game before they see me with clarity. I'd like to say I was blown away by the difference when I looked. So what I do is place my binoculars within price categories and then look for the ones that perform the best within that class. The chassis of the central focussing wheel looked to me like it was metal which has then had a coating of rubber attached on top of it. For me the centrally located focus dial was simple to access and turn without having to change grip. On top of this they are "argon purged" which means all the air inside has been removed and had argon put back in its place which pretty much guarantees that the inside glass surfaces won't fog up. Having properly focussed on something and as you would expect, the image is pin sharp. Rubber armour dampens down the sound and helps to ensure that you don't frighten away easily spooked animals like birds or deer. As far as I understand it and I may be wrong here, but a higher density glass is easier to work with and so they are once again better able to manipulate and therefore focus the light wavelengths, thus improving the resolution and color fidelity of the image even more. Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020. Holding them in this position and in my hands, I though that this 8x42 Razor was nicely balanced which helps to keep them nice and steady for a perfectly still image. They immediately shipped some out and asked me to send the binoculars back when possible so that they could go through them, cleaning them etc at no cost. I say this because your binoculars could gather all the light in the world, but if it is not transmitted to you eyes, it is pointless. (For more on why you can often only notice the difference in image brightness between binoculars in poor light, read my complete guide to the exit-pupil.). This way you can spot the best value for money binoculars within each price category. This exposed magnesium has a slightly rough and a very dull finish to it, which once again provides a good non-slip surface and ensures that the body remains as unreflective as possible. Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2020. The optics are every bit as good as the Zeiss and another brand in the same price range that I tried out. However light transmission of the prism can be improved even further and on the very best, like these Vortex Razor HD binoculars, manufacturers go even further by using a dielectric coating rather than a metallic mirror coating. There was a difference in size and weight in Leica’s favor; however, the optical performance of the Vortex product outweigh the size difference. Going back on-brand, I also took a look at these binos against the Vortex Razors to see what the difference is. The focusing knob works smoothly with a nice intermediate level of resistance. It also means that they make it onto my list of binoculars with long eye-relief. I researched several different brands of binoculars and settled on the Vortex Razors. Take a look at the figures below that display average transmittance levels according to different amounts of these coatings: ArmorTek Coatings What is more, during the manufacture of the lenses, the designers have to take into account things like the temperature dependence of glass and the liquid index of refraction and dispersion to make sure that their design offers a perfect performance optically over a fairly wide temperature range. These Vortex Razors have a cap located on the front face of the central hinge which you can unscrew. What this means that large changes in focusing distance takes more turning of the dial and therefore a little longer than ones that are more aggressively geared (some take only ½ a turn), however the upside is that fine tuning to get the image completely sharp is just that bit easier. So, although they may not be perfect, the Vortex Razor HDs are well worth a look for birders in the market for excellent yet moderately priced binoculars. I like the Vortex object lens cap; it doesn't get in the way when not in use. In 2019, If you are keen on going for an 8x42 binoculars rather than 10x42’s, there is a fair chance that you might be considering the popular Vortex Diamondback 8x42. The lifetime warranty is a huge advantage. I have been using and testing the 8x42 version over a long period and you can read my full review of the Vortex Razor 8x42 HD binoculars below: Outer Design This really small thing may sound obvious, but there are plenty of bino-bags out there that won't close unless you put back your eye-cups which I find time consuming and rather annoying. Although heavier than my old Eagle Ranger platinum's, they are lighter than elite binoculars. This page works best with JavaScript. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Are the Vortex Razor HD's twice as good as the Nikons? Weight Access to the inside is via a large flapped lid that is held securely closed with a quick release buckle and strap. You can read more on these fantastic lenses in my complete guide to APO (apochromatic) lenses. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. The first thing to know is that despite all the marketing hype surrounding the new Vortex Razor UHD Binoculars, they are in many ways very similar to the older Razor HD that now sits just below them in the companies hierarchy and so this is most certainly a case of an incremental evolution of the series rather than a drastic change. I thought that the contrast between dark areas lighter ones was also very good, which can really help in defining the depth of an image. Checking on their stats, at 24.2 ounces (686.06 g), these are indeed very light for a pair of full sized 8x42 binoculars. The scope comes with the option for either straight or angled eyepieces and is available in variants of 11-33x50mm, 16-48x65mm, and 20-60x85mm (reviewed here). I purchased these new in box and they arrived with scratches and dirt on the lenses. This strap can be quickly attached or taken off the bag with quick release clips. This covering is also very unreflective, which is imperative if you are trying to stay unnoticed when observing timid birds and other wildlife. 5 Responses to Zeiss Conquest HD vs: Vortex Razor HD review. Depth of Field However if this is your main interest, check out my section on Butterfly Binoculars where I recommend some binoculars with a very short minimum focussing distance. Vortex Viper HD vs Vortex Razor. Great review… thanks. Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2017. To give you some sort of an idea compare the FOV of a few similar top of the range binoculars with magnifications of around 8x that I have reviewed: Near Focus Crossfire HD 8x42 . If size and weight are not critical to you, these 8x42 binoculars would be perfect for safaris or any wildlife adventure. Vortex have also added super-hard coatings that are also resistant to scratching to the exterior of the lenses. These Vortex binoculars have an excellent minimum focussing distance and they have a very good amount of eye-relief. I have a number of pairs of binoculars in the $500 price range from Pentax and Nikon and the Vortex Optics Razor are noticeably sharper and resolve details much better. Diopter Adjustment So, if you are searching for binocular with amazing features, Vortex Razor HD 10×50 is all you need for wildlife observation and other outdoor activities. The width of the image that you see at 1000 yards is 388 feet wide (129m @ 1000m) or 7.4°, therefore I would describe the field of view through the Vortex Razor HD binoculars as very good and well above average but not quite chart topping. I found the helicoid mechanism on the actual eyecups worked very well being both simple and smooth to operate. I have been using a pair of Zeiss 6x35 binoculars, but wanted a more powerful pair. The objective lenses are set quite deeply within the ends of the barrels (about 8mm), this is another aspect of the design that I like because this will help protect your lenses when the lens caps are removed. These include using premium HD glass (High Density) with extra low dispersion properties and the best-quality, hand-selected roof prisms, which according to Vortex means they now produce an even better and brighter image. A quick thanks to Vortex Optics for shipping me these to review. Phase correction & dielectric coatings on the prisms. On the pair I tested, the fit onto the eye-pieces was perfect and thus were not liable to come away by mistake. And as long as you are pretty steady, you can hold it. Dimensions The image quality for the Vortex Razor is outstanding. Because this covering is so hard and thin, it is also not quite as tactile as on some that I have reviewed, but it does have a very fine texture, almost like sandpaper which really helps produce a very dependable non-slip exterior which I really liked. And in review after review, the Diamondback has consistently won top place in its price category. However an improvement was noticeable when the light was poor at sunrise and at sunset. Thanks Jeff. The practice of forming high reflectivity optical coatings with silver also takes substantially more effort than with aluminum, in part because of specific material problems that arise from the aggregated structure of depositing thin metallic films. To my eyes there was no visible colour fringing on these Vortex Razors and I would say that this is where the apochromatic lenses and ED glass on these really makes a difference as you can notice the improvement when compared to my controls that don't used ED glass. They are very close in sharpness, brightness, and ease of use (both with and without glasses). These Vortex binoculars would also be perfect for most types of wildlife surveillance and very good hunting binoculars especially when you consider that they are also tough, fog & waterproof and will easily take as much of the bad weather as you can handle! The 12x50 weight less than many competitors 10x50 without any compromise. David says: May 6, 2014 at 11:33 pm. An ED glass element helps as it allows the creator of an objective lens with more than one element a greater choice when it comes to focusing and directing the light wavelengths. Only problem I had was losing the rubber eye pieces that protect glasses, etc. Hunter says: May 30, 2014 at 4:09 am. Within the instructions you can also find the details of the "VIP Warranty", which states in basic terms that in the event your Razor HD binocular becomes damaged or defective, Vortex Optics will repair or replace the binocular at no charge to you, which is as good as it gets. Overall and to sum up the image quality, I rate the view through these 8x42 Vortex Razor HDs as excellent and easily on a par or better than any I have ever used. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. Arrived filthy, already scratched and corroded. The gearing on the Vortex Razor HD focussing mechanism is about average - taking a tiny bit more than 1½ rotations to get from close focus to infinity. By shaving more than a few ounces from the Razor HD LHT, Vortex created a true backcountry-ready optic. Review: Vortex Razor HD LHT A lighter, brighter riflescope option for modern hunters. Coming in at only 8 points below the Swarovski EL 8.5x42 in our evaluation and at more than a $2200 price difference, the Vortex Viper 8x42 is an excellent value in the high-end binocular market. First, on a good note, the clarity and brightness were outstanding. Another good example would be when traversing hilly, rocky or other tricky ground it can be somewhat maddening to have your optics swinging around your neck or worse the could get damaged striking a boulder as you scale it. Rated 5 out of 5 by Oring from Amazing!! Their maximum eye-relief of 17.5 mm is also very good and should be more than enough for most eye-glass users. The parts that don't have this armour covering include the bridge, a small inset on the insides of each barrel and approximately the last third of each barrel (nearest to the eye pieces). The Razor HD 4000 can range reflective objects out to 4000 yards with extreme accuracy and I quickly was able to pick out a few targets close to that distance. Manufactured in Japan, the roof prism Vortex Razor HD binoculars have what they call a "True Open Hinge" design. In my rather "average" sized hands, holding them was comfortable and they felt perfectly balanced. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. One thing that I really like is that you can secure it in place (to change your setting you need to click it towards the eye-cup before it will rotate) This prevents any accidental movement and unlike the plastic ones you find on many cheaper optics, the diopter ring on these is made from metal with grooves cut into it. These Vortex binoculars have been made 100% air and watertight with toric joints (seal with an O-shaped cross-section) which stops any sort of dampness from penetrating them. If you remove this strap, it allows you to thread the binoculars neck strap through the sides of the bag and the lid and use it to carry the bag and binoculars instead. On lower quality roof prism optics, an aluminum mirror coating is used due to its low cost and fairly high reflectivity of between 87% to 93%. By David Draper. Glass that is more dense will also not expand or contract as much as with temperature changes than glass that is less dense, this is an important factor as this expansion and contraction can effect the way light travels through the glass and can therefor affect the quality of the image produced. So as you can imagine not only is this very costly, but is extremely complicated to produce and requires highly specialized skills and equipment. If you are a smaller person definiately try these out. Yes! To be honest and as you would expect for a high end binocular in this price range, there are not many weak points. New for 2019 the Vortex Razor UHD Binoculars are Vortex’s entry into the elite glass arena. Until the Fall 2019 launch of the Razor UHD, the Razor HD 8x42 was Vortex's top-of-the-line. Thus I rate them as excellent for image brightness. So as well as the magnification and objective lens size, the image brightness and their low light performance depends greatly on the quality of the optical system and the coatings used. One of the lens elements in this APO optical system uses premium HD (High Density) ED glass (extra-low dispersion). Lens Covers http://www.twobirdersandbinoculars.com We review the Vortex Crossfire 8x42 Binoculars in this video. I also really like the fact that the objective lenses are set quite deeply within the body (about 8mm) - which will help protect them when the lens caps are removed. The reason I say this is that some very poor quality materials used to make low quality bins also happen to be very light, but certainly no where near as strong or long lasting. As we have already discovered, these Vortex Razor HDs use very high quality glass and coatings that contribute to them transmitting more light to your eyes and therefore produce a brighter image than inferior binoculars of the same configuration. Carry Case Awards: Winner Binocular of the Year 2012. Vortex Optics Razor HD Binoculars Honest Review Updated on November 26, 2019 by Owen Davids Of all the binoculars I have reviewed in the past, the Vortex Optics Razor HD Binoculars are by one of the most impressive I have come across. Highly recommend you mount these on a tripod using the Vortex quick release if you're game spotting. Both were very clear and sharp in near dusk time. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Vortex Optics Razor HD Roof Prism Binoculars 8x42 at Amazon.com. Such a great company. If you’ve got some cash burning a hole in your pocket, you’re probably fighting the urge to ditch the red-dot on your AR in favor of a low-power, variable optic. Vortex have also added multiple layers of dielectric coatings on the prisms, which is excellent as these are the best of the available high reflectivity prism coatings, but what exactly are they and why do you need them: The one downside to the roof prisms design is that the first prism in the roof prism system has one surface that does not feature total internal reflection, this results in the loss of some light. The appearance of exit pupils, definitely more truncated than they should be, is an evident flaw. I wished I didnt have to send them back. Tripod Mountable Vortex has 3 lines of spotting scopes. Pros: good looks, superb ergonomics and tough, lightweight design coupled with premium optics and coatings make for a very compelling package that rivals top tier European binoculars. The part that wraps around your neck has a good amount of padding and is also wide enough to spread out the load over a larger area. On the rear of the case there are a couple of loops that also enable you to thread the case through your belt to carry your binoculars on your hip if you prefer. My guess based on the quality of all the other components would be that they are probably using something like the good quality BaK-4 glass and almost certainly not BK-7 prisms that is found on lower end binoculars. These ArmorTek Coatings provide improved protection but also repel dirt and oil, keeping them clean for longer and thus require cleaning far less often and when you do need to clean them, it is far easier which ensures that they remain in perfect condition. I was looking for a new pair of binoculars suitable for daily birding. This adapter can then be fixed to a tripod. Being very, very critical - even though the carry case looks to be well made, functions very well as well as having and doing everything you need from a carry case, it is possibly not quite as luxurious as some I have seen that come with binoculars in this price range. There was already corrosion building up at the hinge, and the "made in china" sticker was peeling off. I just bought a demo pair of the Razors and have been very happy in my limited time using them so far. The ocular lens is bigger than the majority that I have reviewed in this size class and has a diameter of 23mm and the eyecup has an external diameter of 40mm, which is fairly large. I have read that they can in some cases double the quantity of light that comes out of the ocular lens and into your eyes. I have been a casual birder for many years. I send mine in annually for free cleaning and maintenance. UHD stands for Ultra High Definition. Vortex has brought the Razor HD back to the classic \"H\" roof prism hinge design. In fact it is so few that it does not justify the more than 2 times price difference. For years, Diamondback binoculars from Vortex Optics have been the best buy in relatively inexpensive binoculars. This can sometimes happen with very quick temperature fluctuations or lots of humidity. Neck Strap High Density, ED Glass We've generally felt that as long as the optical quality was good, we could be happy with nearly any hinge design.Vortex has retained the magnesium chassis for this update of the Razor HD and has found ways to reduce the weight by about 4oz (113g). Also included is a basic instruction leaflet that includes basic information like the different parts of the device, attaching the strap, setting the eyecups, inter-pupillary settings, focusing as well as cleaning and caring for your lenses. Vortex Razor HD 10×50 Review. Great binoculars. 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