HawkD said:
Hi MELANERPES, I just returned the Razors. Although they were optically wonderful, they just weren't comfortable... I wish I had more information to give about a possible "revised focus knob edition." Perhaps someone out there has bought a set recently???
Don't hold your breath for the answer! I wrote to the Vortex rep above with the same question and never received a reply. Doesn't exactly make me feel "warm and fuzzy" about the company.
The news is that Vortex is offering new configurations in the Razor line for 2007:
8.5X50, 10x50, and 12x50:
http://www.vortexoptics.com/binoculars
The specs might change, according to the disclaimer below the specifications table, but if the specs are as listed, they look very promising, particularly the 8.5x50, which offers a wider than usual AFOV of 57.8*, nearly 2* wider than the Nikon 8x42 LX and only 2/10* behind in TFOV (6.8 vs. 7).
I would hope that the co. solved the issues of the hard to turn focuser and slipping eyecups on the newer configurations since they were aware of the problems, but they won't get my business until I read a public announcement about the fixes or several rave reviews by buyers who also tried the first version. I hope they don't overcompensate by making the focusers too "fast" or too loose like some LX samples I've tried.
Also new is the 6.5x32 Fury model, which has silver coated prisms, a W-I-D-E 8.3* TFOV, 4.9' close focus, 21mm ER, large exit pupil -- 4.92mm, and a nice price (maybe less than $300 since the MSRP on the 8x42mm Razor is $150 higher than the "street price").
They also have some new models: Diamondback, Vanquish, Hurricane binoculars. Curiously, the much praised mid-priced Broadwings are missing from the 2007 line-up or at least from their Webpage.
With three brands and numerous models, the company seems ready to compete with the likes of Nikon and Bushnell, which offer a variety of bins, from inexpensive porros to premium roofs.
However, after the Razor experience, I'm wondering how many other Vortex models have "kinks" that need to be worked out, and if buyers will have to find out the hard way like Hawk did.
I'm not snobbish about name brand and applaud Vortex for offering new binoculars, but I would like to see better communication about their products both privately and publicly.