Vortex Question? Razor HD VS. Viper HD...both HD??

[JeffRaines]

I didn't notice the spinning globe effect for myself - the ELs looked ever so slightly better... but not $1000 better.

[mtn.goat]

Well, holy crap Thank You ALL for a wealth of great info. thus far!!!  I've got a S-ton to learn for sure.  I'm watching this thread daily.  Jeff would you post or PM me who/ where you got the demo Swaros'?

Thank you all once again!  Hopefully a great info./ learning thread for others as well.

[JoeE]

I had a new set of Viper 12x50s and I was not impressed. Sold them in favor of some Leupold binos.

[JeffRaines]

Well, holy crap Thank You ALL for a wealth of great info. thus far!!!  I've got a S-ton to learn for sure.  I'm watching this thread daily.  Jeff would you post or PM me who/ where you got the demo Swaros'?

Thank you all once again!  Hopefully a great info./ learning thread for others as well.

Clear out your PMs!

As for general demo deals - Natchez Shooter Supply, Samplelist.com, cameralandny and Red Hawk Rifles are a few to check out. Anytime you need optics take a look - all demo items are sold as new so you still get the factory warranty, you just save money.

[JDHasty]

I had a new set of Viper 12x50s and I was not impressed. Sold them in favor of some Leupold binos.

Always remember that most all of the bigger players are happy to have a look at your binocular and will return it to you AT THEIR EXPENSE.  It doesn't get much better than that.  if you have a binocular that you think is not delivering up to expectations, it can be something being a bit out of whack with it, particularly columation (alignment), and that is easy for them to correct. 

[Mtnwalker]

If you're on a budget don't forget to check out the Zeiss conquest HD's. Bought a pair for my ol man for $1000 and was more than happy with them, now they're on sale for $699, hell of a deal! Spent a week going back and forth between those and my Leica ultravid's on an elk hunt, the differences were almost too small to notice

[JeffRaines]

If you're on a budget don't forget to check out the Zeiss conquest HD's. Bought a pair for my ol man for $1000 and was more than happy with them, now they're on sale for $699, hell of a deal! Spent a week going back and forth between those and my Leica ultravid's on an elk hunt, the differences were almost too small to notice

I found the glass in the Conquests to be better than the Razors, to my eyes at least.

[JPhelps]

Just got back from a 9 day trip where we had 10x42 Viper HD, 10x42 Razor HD, 10x42 Swarovski EL and 15x56 Swarovski SLC binoculars that we sat behind for 10 hours a day.

Multiple times we tested them throughout the hunt. We would switch glass for an entire day to make sure that fatigue was accounted for.  Looking at the same exact group of deer or shed horn someone spotted. In the sun in the shade. Into the sun and with the sun at our back. First few minutes of visible light and the last couple minutes at night.

What we found was that two out of three of us preferred to be behind the Razor glass over any other and one preferred the Swaro EL. The Razor glass may give up a little at the edge (which I don't ever look at anyways) but the resolution in the center seemed to be better. The Swaro glass had an advantage all the way to the edge but no one thought that was of great importance and it didn't effect fatigue. The Vipers are good glass for the money but in big country when glassing all day they aren't as good as the Razor or Swaro.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy the "new" razor binos and feel like I was giving anything up to the other glass. My 

[JDHasty]

Just got back from a 9 day trip where we had 10x42 Viper HD, 10x42 Razor HD, 10x42 Swarovski EL and 15x56 Swarovski SLC binoculars that we sat behind for 10 hours a day.

Multiple times we tested them throughout the hunt. We would switch glass for an entire day to make sure that fatigue was accounted for.  Looking at the same exact group of deer or shed horn someone spotted. In the sun in the shade. Into the sun and with the sun at our back. First few minutes of visible light and the last couple minutes at night.

What we found was that two out of three of us preferred to be behind the Razor glass over any other and one preferred the Swaro EL. The Razor glass may give up a little at the edge (which I don't ever look at anyways) but the resolution in the center seemed to be better. The Swaro glass had an advantage all the way to the edge but no one thought that was of great importance and it didn't effect fatigue. The Vipers are good glass for the money but in big country when glassing all day they aren't as good as the Razor or Swaro.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy the "new" razor binos and feel like I was giving anything up to the other glass. My 

Having everything in focus all the way to the edge of the FOV is what field flattener lens group is for. 

[BULLBLASTER]

Just got back from a 9 day trip where we had 10x42 Viper HD, 10x42 Razor HD, 10x42 Swarovski EL and 15x56 Swarovski SLC binoculars that we sat behind for 10 hours a day.

Multiple times we tested them throughout the hunt. We would switch glass for an entire day to make sure that fatigue was accounted for.  Looking at the same exact group of deer or shed horn someone spotted. In the sun in the shade. Into the sun and with the sun at our back. First few minutes of visible light and the last couple minutes at night.

What we found was that two out of three of us preferred to be behind the Razor glass over any other and one preferred the Swaro EL. The Razor glass may give up a little at the edge (which I don't ever look at anyways) but the resolution in the center seemed to be better. The Swaro glass had an advantage all the way to the edge but no one thought that was of great importance and it didn't effect fatigue. The Vipers are good glass for the money but in big country when glassing all day they aren't as good as the Razor or Swaro.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy the "new" razor binos and feel like I was giving anything up to the other glass. My 

Having everything in focus all the way to the edge of the FOV is what field flattener lens group is for.

Dang... I was hoping it would flatten the hills for easier walking!

[JeffRaines]

Just got back from a 9 day trip where we had 10x42 Viper HD, 10x42 Razor HD, 10x42 Swarovski EL and 15x56 Swarovski SLC binoculars that we sat behind for 10 hours a day.

Multiple times we tested them throughout the hunt. We would switch glass for an entire day to make sure that fatigue was accounted for.  Looking at the same exact group of deer or shed horn someone spotted. In the sun in the shade. Into the sun and with the sun at our back. First few minutes of visible light and the last couple minutes at night.

What we found was that two out of three of us preferred to be behind the Razor glass over any other and one preferred the Swaro EL. The Razor glass may give up a little at the edge (which I don't ever look at anyways) but the resolution in the center seemed to be better. The Swaro glass had an advantage all the way to the edge but no one thought that was of great importance and it didn't effect fatigue. The Vipers are good glass for the money but in big country when glassing all day they aren't as good as the Razor or Swaro.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy the "new" razor binos and feel like I was giving anything up to the other glass. My 

Having everything in focus all the way to the edge of the FOV is what field flattener lens group is for.

Dang... I was hoping it would flatten the hills for easier walking!

It is called field flattener... thats false advertising, man!