Product Review: Vortex Diamondback HD 10 x 32. (1 Viewer)

[Dipperdapper]

Evening all,

Please find attached my completed review of the Vortex Diamondback HD 10 x 32.

Product Review: Vortex Diamondback HD 10 x 32. | Neil English.net

I hope you find it informative!

Kind Regards,

Neil.

 

[yarrellii]

Nice review, Neil. I have only tried the 8x32, not the 10x32, but find your experience to match mine (except for the fact that both my 8x32 and 10x50 show a ring of reflection around the field stop). I think the DBHD represent a great value and offer great views and feeling of quality at an affordable price, even more so at the prices you can get them in the US, which I guess is their primary market.

 

[Dipperdapper]

Thanks yarrellii, much appreciated.

Absolutely agree; having sampled just a few models of the DBHD, they represent great value for money and are very enjoyable tools to explore the great outdoors!

They certainly get my vote!

Best wishes,

Neil.

 

[cpupton]

Thanks for the review. Very informative. My only complaint with my Vortex HD 10x50 is the glare when the sun is overhead or directly in front. My understanding is its quite common at this price point though. In fact I think the first time I noticed the glare was about a year after purchasing them since my HD's are my dedicated handheld stargazing bins. That is their purpose for me and they are excellent to my eyes under the night skies, so glare is not an issue at all.

 

[Dipperdapper]

Thanks cpupton!

I've just come in from a brief spell under a clear but twilit sky( it doesn't get properly dark up here this time of year). I can readily see why the DBHDs are great for stargazing. They have a nice big sweetspot with only minor field curvature kicking in near the field stops. The 10 x 32 did extremely well maintaining good sharpness across most of the field. Even at the field stops, distortion wasn't at all bad. Way better in fact than many other binos in this price class. The 10 x 42 model was also good in this regard, as my notes show. I bet the 10 x 50 is awesome for stargazing!

All the best,

Neil.

 

[yarrellii]

@cpupton I think the DBHD 10x50 excel in handling. They're so compact, light and well balanced. I had the same impression with their bigger brother, the Viper HD 10x50, also a joy to use despite the objective diameter. When using both the 8x32 and the 10x50 I can't help remembering what Allbinos wrote about them in the line that the body is so nice, that it actually leaves the optics lagging behind a little bit. I really like the form factor, shape, handling of both the 8x32 and 10x50. I have tried my 10x50 for casual stargazing, but there I'm spoilt by IS, so I stick to Canon.

 

[Dipperdapper]

Quick Update: I was playing around with the 12x 50 Diamondback HD as well as the 10x 32 today. I noticed that if you twist the eyecups up to their intermediate position, both instruments displayed significantly less glare in critical tests. I don't wear eye glasses but I was able to see the entire field with both instruments in this position. The only downside is that you get a few blackouts in this position but the reduction in glare provides greater dividends in my opinion.

Might be worth checking out other models to see if this is more generally the case. Would be interested to hear of anyone's findings.

Kind Regards,

Neil.

 

[Pepitogrillo]

hello,
I had the opportunity to try the 8x32 model, although not in depth... and it seemed to me to be a good binocular, especially from the point of view of ergonomics and materials and design, the focus knob was fantastic and the eyepiece holders too... but I think the image was a bit cold... I only used it for a while in the afternoon, for terrestrial images, I didn't use it for astronomical observation, in your opinion, which model would be the best to use for both types of observations?
Thanks in advance.
PG.

 

[Dipperdapper]

Hello PG,

I'd say the 8 x 32 is a better allrounder over the 10 x 32, but I personally would prefer the 10 x 32 for stargazing.

Best wishes,

Neil

 

[Barbican1987]

Evening all,

Please find attached my completed review of the Vortex Diamondback HD 10 x 32.

Product Review: Vortex Diamondback HD 10 x 32. | Neil English.net

I hope you find it informative!

Kind Regards,

Neil.

Thanks for your review Neil. I thought members may be interested in my story regarding Vortex. I bought a second hand pair of Vortex Spitfires I think they were 7.5 x 32. I only paid £30 for them but when they arrived, the Right Hand diopter was seized and impossible to move. I learnt subsequently of the Vortex lifetime guarantee and contacted the UK agent and they were eventually replaced by a new pair Diamondback 10x32, free of charge, which was a revelation to me. The optics were so much better than anything I had experienced and I still like them . They are light and compact and a reasonable fov for this size.

 

[Dipperdapper]

Hello Barbican1987,

Many thanks for the feedback and for your amusing story.
That’s like finding money in an old coat pocket lol!

I enjoyed the 10 x 32 DB: a solid performer for sure!

Kind Regards,

Neil.