Which Binoculars to Purchase (Vortex v.s. Leupold)

Hi there TW,

Looking to purchase some new Bino's and I'm torn between the Vortex Diamond Back and the Leupold BX2's.

Anyone have experience with either of these? I've heard great things about the Vortex, but Leupold has been around for a while.

Thanks!

 

I recently picked up the new 2016 Vortex Diamondbacks, 10x42, and love them. Crystal clear glass and pretty lightweight. The tripod adapter on the front is a pretty nice feature for glassing if you don't want to lug around a spotting scope. Plus the unconditional VIP warranty is second to none.

 

Have you heard of Eagle Optic's? Apparently it's the same manufacturer, same warranty, only a better value?

 

Best thing is to go somewhere that lets you take them both outside to get a decent look through them. Everyone's eyes are different and you may like what someone else doesn't. Glass today is all pretty good. It usually comes down to how well collimated they are as well as whether they are clear all the way to the edge. If you spend several hours glassing, those two issues will make your head hurt like a migraine. Modern glass should be like looking at an HD TV. Clear and bright all the way to the edge.

 

I havent looked through leupold. but we have vortex bino's and they are great! You can run over the bino's with a truck and Vortex will still fix or replace them.

 

What Model Vortex do you have? I'm thinking about spending the extra cash and purchasing the Vipers.

 

I have not heard of them. I would follow what @kodiakisland said up above and find something that looks good with your eyes. We can only speak to the quality, value, and how they perform for us.

 

We have the 8x42 Diamondback. The only down side IMO is out past 500yd at low light its hard to distinguish a buck's points. It may be a common prob with all binoculars but thats the only thing I could say negative. I can count deer or elk well over a mile away.

 

Picked up the Vortex Viper HD 10x42. A lot more than I budgeted for but I figure I'm set for life, or until I get rich. lol

 

X2, I bought a pair 8 years ago. They have been all over the place hiking, hunting, riding in a SAR rig. Great products with a warranty that is hard to beat.

 

Just thought I'd give a heads up to anyone looking for a good pair of binos. Camera Land has the Leupold 10X42 Mojave pro guide HDs on sale for $379 shipped. These normally sell for around $550.
http://cameralandny.com/spec-sheet....s-pro-guide&catalog[product_guids][0]=1357930

If you haven't looked at Camera Land for optics before, you should. The owner Doug is an outdoorsman who hunts and fishes and understands optic needs for the outdoors. He gets some great deals from the manufacturers and passes it on to the customer. Seems odd considering he is in downtown NY City. He gets a lot of samples from Shot Show as well for huge discounts. I bought a couple of Zeiss scopes a few years ago that were shot show demos for around 60% of the normal price that were probably never even taken out of the box.

Here is a link to Dougs Shot Show review: http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...11752482/gonew/1/SHOT_Show_Report_2017#UNREAD
Pretty lengthy, but has a lot of info on what's new in optics this year. Looks like he got some great deals on Vortex and other optics from this years show.

 

I ended up purchasing the vortex viper and I'm very happy with them, but thanks for the heads up.
JP

 

I've been trying to decide between the Mojaves and the Vipers as they seemed about the same for the same amount of money. Having Leupold reduce the price by $200 helped me decide. Apparently they have dropped the black color and are liquidating the stock. Funny how color is an issue, but I guess they weren't selling.

 

Are you law enforcement or ex military by any chance?

JP

 

Military

 

Bro, vortex offers an awesome discount for military and peace officers. Something like 40% off retail.

Contact them
http://vortexoptics.com/search/76

 

I'll check it out.
Thanks

 

No problem.

 

Vortex are great binos. I have the diamondbacks and would buy the again in a heartbeat. Outstanding warranty too