carjug
Well-known member
I've had a pair of Nikon Monarch 8x42s for about two years, and I love them. I decided to get a pair of Vortex Viper 10x50s; and yesterday afternoon they showed up. I adjusted the Vortexs, then took both bins out for a comparison.
It wasn't like apples and oranges, more like cats and dogs,(pitbulls&kittens?). The Nikons are quite a bit smaller, a little lighter, and cost less than half of the Vortex bill. I started out looking at American Robins perched in a tree a hundred feet away in the dreary twilight. I could swear the Vortex had a better image, but my little Nikons beat it for field width. I then took both sets to an abandoned field, the Vortex really showed it's stuff. A roadsign a quarter mile away was set in a rock foundation; Nikon showed me the foundation, Vortex let me see the individual rocks. The big 50mm objective lenses drink in the light, and they are coated with high tech stuff.
On the way back to the house, I looked at a sign on some condos. Nikon let me see the sign, Vortex let me read it.
So, what to do now? Both Bins are awesome, I think the Nikons will land in my glove compartment, and the Vortex will be for daily tromps through the fields. I dunno which set will be best for Warbler chasing, it will be fun finding out. How does a deer hunter's binoculars stack up against birding bins when chasing something little and quick?
I dearly wish I could compare Nikon's 10x56 to Vortex 10x50. That might be more like apples and oranges. I also wish Nikon would quit with their confusing marketing ploys, and make it simple to know what they sell.
The bottom line, don't try out 10x50's unless you have plenty of spare cash laying around.
It wasn't like apples and oranges, more like cats and dogs,(pitbulls&kittens?). The Nikons are quite a bit smaller, a little lighter, and cost less than half of the Vortex bill. I started out looking at American Robins perched in a tree a hundred feet away in the dreary twilight. I could swear the Vortex had a better image, but my little Nikons beat it for field width. I then took both sets to an abandoned field, the Vortex really showed it's stuff. A roadsign a quarter mile away was set in a rock foundation; Nikon showed me the foundation, Vortex let me see the individual rocks. The big 50mm objective lenses drink in the light, and they are coated with high tech stuff.
On the way back to the house, I looked at a sign on some condos. Nikon let me see the sign, Vortex let me read it.
So, what to do now? Both Bins are awesome, I think the Nikons will land in my glove compartment, and the Vortex will be for daily tromps through the fields. I dunno which set will be best for Warbler chasing, it will be fun finding out. How does a deer hunter's binoculars stack up against birding bins when chasing something little and quick?
I dearly wish I could compare Nikon's 10x56 to Vortex 10x50. That might be more like apples and oranges. I also wish Nikon would quit with their confusing marketing ploys, and make it simple to know what they sell.
The bottom line, don't try out 10x50's unless you have plenty of spare cash laying around.