Alternatives to the Vortex Viper HD 10x42

[Mtnwalker]

Zeiss terra.

+1 for Terra. Comparible to razors. Buddy just dropped my terras tumbling Dow 20 feet of Rocky slope, still good

Does Zeiss have the same warranty as Vortex/Leupold though?

Zeiss is great with warranty stuff. Just sent in an old conquest 3-9 scope that I had a target turret added to, it wasn't tracking right. They sent me a brand new HD5 2-10 as a replacement no cost, then upgraded me to a 3-15 for super cheap at my request.

[JeffRaines]

These manufacturers didn't get to where they are today by offering bad service. Yes, Zeiss/Swaro/Meopta/etc may ask for a minor repair fee depending on what needs to be done... but this is typically massive repairs(ex - "i dropped my binos off the cliff and was able to recover them but one of the objective lenses broke"). I've even heard stories of people recovering stolen binoculars via Swarovski. If you register them, then report them stolen and someone sends them in for repair/inspection they will hold them and call you. Pretty extreme case, sure, but thats awesome.

Honestly, instead of us sitting here blowing smoke about this bino or that bino, why don't you get yourself some field time - not in-store time, but field time with some of these binos. Once you see the low light performance(or lack thereof) on some of these you'll change your mind.

[yakimanoob]

Welp, I chose my alternative! 

Leupold BX-4 10x42
Vortex tripod and bino mount

Also HOLY FREAKING HECK, I'm 100% sold on the whole binos-on-a-tripod thing.  Now I'm thinking about selling my little bushnell spotter and saving up for a pair of 15x binos (probably going for the Vipers there, as I don't want to spend the $$ on the BX-5s). 


It's not letting me post the photo I took of the binos for some reason...

[7mmfan]

You'll love them, I love mine. So much so I sold my Vipers to get them. I haven't gone to the tripod for binos yet, but I pack extendable shooting sticks with me everywhere, and I use them all the time for the glassing. Night and day difference from holding them.

[D-Rock425]

Just picked up a pair of Sig Zulu 5's for my wife on camo fire $270 shipped to the house.

[wildwood]

I ended up with the vipers myself between the bx4s and Terra’s  had a hell of a time focusing the bx4 and keeping them focused for some reason

[BLR 243]

I just got Leupold BX-4s like em alot guess my zen rays are collector item not too impresed with em anyway.

[yakimanoob]

I ended up with the vipers myself between the bx4s and Terra’s  had a hell of a time focusing the bx4 and keeping them focused for some reason

The Vipers seemed like a great product overall.  They just didn't "fit" my face and hands nearly as well as the BX-4s.  I'm 100% sure I would not dislike the Vipers if I had them. 

My first day review: The BX-4s are many leagues ahead of my other binos (Nikon Trailblazer 10x28), and the ability to put them on a tripod is a total game-changer.  I've never really been able to see thermals well until today, nor have I ever been able to tell the subtle direction of wind through the leaves until today.  I'm SUPER impressed with the optics and especially the glare-reduction of the BX-4s. 

The only negatives I can come up with so far is that the field of focus isn't quite flat.  If the center of the frame is in focus, the edges are soft, and vice-versa.  I get how that could be $$$$$$ to fix and I'm sure the top-end Swaros/Leicas/etc are notably better in that regard.  To their credit, I can also see how one would pick out more animals with the entire frame in focus, especially if using a tripod. 

Main takeaway: I really really love my new binos, and if you're not putting your binos on a tripod you're just nuts.  DO IT. 

[buglebrush]

I'm shocked no one had mentioned Nikon's Monarch 7.   Less money, but I'd take them all day every day over the vortex.

[thinkingman]

I'm shocked no one had mentioned Nikon's Monarch 7.   Less money, but I'd take them all day every day over the vortex.

IMHO, the best glass in that category.

[yakimanoob]

I'm shocked no one had mentioned Nikon's Monarch 7.   Less money, but I'd take them all day every day over the vortex.

IMHO, the best glass in that category.

I love Nikon glass.  My DSLR is a Nikon and when it dies, I'll get another one.  My riflescope is a Nikon Prostaff 5 and I love it (for the price).  I put the Monarch 7s against the BX-4s at Cabelas and found them to be about the same.  I realize everyone's not on the same page with me on this, but the lifetime no-fault warranty means a lot to me.  That, plus I got the BX-4s for less than I've seen the Monarch 7s going for made it a pretty easy choice for me . 

[yakimanoob]

On that same note, I mentioned my other binos are the Nikon Trailblazer 10x25s.  With a 25mm objective and an $80 price point, they're obviously in no way comparable to a $500-class 10x42, but that's not to say they're not awesome.  I've put them up against a fair number of pocket binos (and these things really are pocket binos.  They carry perfectly in the hipbelt pocket of my Osprey packs), and I've never seen them beaten.

After using them for several hunting seasons though, I realized that they're simply not the right product for the job.  If I didn't have the $$ for the nicer binos I just bought, I would still have gotten a 10x42.  Diamondback or something comparable.  Although I am intrigued by the Diamondback 10x28s.  I wonder how they compare to my Nikons, and I definitely appreciate that they fit on a tripod... 

Anyway, thanks for the discussion everybody!