[black crow]

It's unlikely that anyone here uses these bottom line Vortex but just on the chance that someone does I have a question. I have a pair of them and really the optics are quite good for the money. What sucks however is the focus. It's really stiff and hard to move and not smooth at all. I have a little arthritis in my hands and on really cold days afield it's not worth having them out at all. I can't focus them fast enough to view anything but frozen tree stumps. Is this normal or do I have a defective binoc that I could return and have fixed up? Cause even though inexpensive I kind of like em.

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by black crow

It's unlikely that anyone here uses these bottom line Vortex but just on the chance that someone does I have a question. I have a pair of them and really the optics are quite good for the money. What sucks however is the focus. It's really stiff and hard to move and not smooth at all. I have a little arthritis in my hands and on really cold days afield it's not worth having them out at all. I can't focus them fast enough to view anything but frozen tree stumps. Is this normal or do I have a defective binoc that I could return and have fixed up? Cause even though inexpensive I kind of like em.

I have the equivalent in the Eagle Optics Raven. Yes the focus is stiff. A consequence of having either a large, or a double O ring to make it waterproof. Mine is the 6.5x32. The Leupold Yosemite is the same way.

[black crow]

Thanks brother. I'll just learn to live with it then. I'll get some hand grips and develop bulging finger muscles.

The optics are very decent and I like the 8.5x and good FOV. The colors seem a little weak though, at least green. I have a medium green house next door and all my binocs but these do a good job of matching what I see with the naked eye. The Raptors show a somewhat faded and yellowish green.

[WiscTJK]

Originally Posted by Steve C

I have the equivalent in the Eagle Optics Raven. Yes the focus is stiff. A consequence of having either a large, or a double O ring to make it waterproof. Mine is the 6.5x32. The Leupold Yosemite is the same way.

I have the Raptor 6.5 and can confirm that the focus is a bit stiff in warm weather but gets really stiff in the cold just like my yosemite. I gave them to my 11 year old son and he loves them.

[black crow]

I'll use them for guest binoculars. The optics are great and with the kind of friends I entertain they won't know enough to care about that.

[black crow]

You know what I was using them to watch birds at my feeder this afternoon and happen to have my Monarch 3's out too and guess what? Given the conditions of this cloudy foggy day I liked the optical quality of the Vortex more. At half the price.

[black crow]

And after comparing them to the Diamondback today I would say they are much nicer. Clearer, bigger sweet spot and brighter.

[LabradorDuck]

I also use this model (8.5x32). The focus takes some effort to move in cold weather, but I don't have much to compare it to. I've been pretty satisfied with the views.

[black crow]

It's a good bin IMO. I'm glad I own it and use it often.