Vortex Viper HD Roof Prism Binoculars 8x42

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 a superb mega- bucks Swaro Binocular also in 8X42 and this unit comes very, very close to its performance. Colour and depth of field are sharp/crisp 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 add lens 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.

Overall great for the price. Edge to edge clarity. Obviously cannot compare to the Razor UHD or Razor HD but they are solid and a great mid range bino.

Best bang for your buck great pair of binoculars. Worked great dawn till dusk.

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've had two pairs of these and they offer outstanding optical quality for the price, unfortunatly both had issues with build quiality, after about a year both pairs suffered from issues with the turn-out eyecups, and now work properly, one of the pairs also had internal damage on one side and wont focus properly, this was after about 2 years of use. I do use them often as i work as a Naturalist guide in Costa Rica, but always cared for them properly, including storage in a drybox. I am sending one of them out for warranty, and will update the review if necesary.

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.

These are amazing. When I tell people how much a good pair of binoculars cost they’re always surprised. But the difference in color and clarity is so apparent. We tested these against the Monarchs which are the go to birders binoculars for birders who are getting serious about birding. There is absolutely no comparison. Some day I hope to be able to buy the $1,000 Vipers. But so far these are better than every other pair I’ve tried. And the warranty is the best in the industry! Worth every penny

These binoculars make high quality binoculars available to far more people, which is great news for bird conservation. The clarity and power of these helps you view birds you wouldn't see with any other binoculars in the price range. In fact, Audubon ranks these less than 1% lower on their scale than the famous Nikon Monarch binoculars, but these are half the price! Bird populations are shrinking worldwide and we need more people to learn about them and enjoy watching them.

Los recomiendo, son magníficos. Exteriormente se aprecia que son unos binoculares de calidad. Lo más destacable es la comodidad de uso. En buenas condiciones de luz se ve con la misma claridad que prismáticos de menor precio. Tengo unos Nikon que me costaron 190€ y casi no se aprecia la diferencia en la calidad de la imagen.

Excellent optics, bright wide field of view, great colour, rugged and waterproof. As a birder, these bins are brilliant. I love them.

After doing some research I ended up purchasing the Vortex Viper 8x42. Im very happy with this purchase. To start with the uncondtional Vip lifetime warranty is amazing. It adds to peace of mind! It comes with the glaspak chest harness and it really fits well. I used the manual to set my binos up and I was really amazed at the clarity. Some say these binos are a tad heavy but I think I prefer it being heavy. It feels very stable in my hands and the construction just feels very sturdy. The ultimate test for these binos will call in the following 2 weeks. But so far just in the backyard it's really impressed me.

Was looking to get a really good pair of binoculars for all round use. Settled on these. I wear glasses and the 18mm eye relief with the 8x42 are a joy to look through. I have a pair of Celestron 15x70 for stargazing and they do the job for up close objects. But for just looking at satellites or nighttime sky, these surprised me for 42mm. Also, you can't beat the Vortex lifetime warranty. If you're looking for a really good pair of binoculars for sight seeing, stargazing, bird watching, and with peace of mind warranty, these are the ones for you.

Nothing to dislike about these they are everything they said they were light weight bright. A a great value. Thankd