SOLID. The first words that came to mind when I held these. Compact and even though only 20.6 oz, they feel heavier only because this is all packed in a smaller package.
I'm not an expert in binoculars, just an overly obsessed enthusiast, always wanting more.
So when I decided I needed a compact set of binoculars and a brand new set of Bushnell Ultra HD Legends 10x32s failed me on the first day of ownership, that was the straw that stopped me from being cheap on binoculars. Yes you can get ED Glass in under $300, but the trade-off appears to be the quality of the build.
These Viper HD meets my needs for HD optics in a travel-friendly size, wide FOV (400 ft/1000 yd), close focus (3 ft), comfortable with or without my glasses, a worry-free warranty.
Comparing these with my Vortex Diamondback 8x42s reveals that the Vipers are indeed better, but not as much as I thought they'd be. A shade better light transmission (especially given the smaller objectives), finer detail, almost no noticeable CA, and all in a small, packable, and very solid, package.
Focusing is much smoother and more fluid than the Diamondbacks and the dimensionality of what I see looks more 3D. Given that the Vipers are 2.5X more than the Diamondbacks, this speaks the quality of the Diamondbacks and the law of diminishing returns. I'm not sure how much more I'd get from a pair of Zeiss Conquests or Victories.
Am I glad I made the leap (albeit modest)? Yes. Any buyer's remorse? No, but I would like to see these in 10X version too
. The main reason I went with 8x32s is I thought they'd be more versatile for more activities both with their wider FOV for birding and their incredibly close focus (nothing like seeing every feather's barb and vane while viewing a bird at your feeder just a few feet away).
These Vipers are a great balance of size, features, quality and cost and I would highly recommend them to anyone both starting out and those who might have never thought of spending more than $500 for a pair of quality optics.
