• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Vortex Viper UHD beats Zeiss SF and Leica Noctivid! (1 Viewer)

A word about retail pricing in the binocular market in the USA. There are two basic prices shown to the public: MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) and MAP (Minimum Advertised Price). Most manufacturers enforce a MAP policy. This prevents the giant retailers from from undercutting the small retailers, who usually have better customer service with people who are trained to answer the difficult questions and help customers make an informed decision on their optics choice. Some manufacturers do not separate MSRP from MAP in order to better enforce pricing. Retailers who violate these policies are often refused new product or even lose their dealerships.

Most manufacturers would prefer to sell multiple units to dealers rather than single units to private customers. These are the ones who use both an MSRP and an MAP. The manufacturer sells on their site, but only at MSRP, encouraging the consumer to shop around and find a dealer at MAP.
 
Steve O4B said:
I agree with Steve C that the Razor UHD is a hunting binocular, and not really intended for birders. We hear from birders all the time that the Swarovski EL focuses too slowly. 900° of turn from close to infinity makes focusing down to 5' excruciating. The butterfly, dragonfly, or bird at your feet is gone before you can achieve focus. That is why Gerry Dobler didn't make the same mistake with the Victory SF (smart focus). The UHD takes nearly 1080° to accomplish the task. ...
Click to expand...


I remember seeing a message from Lee questioning my "nearly 1080°". It might have been in a private message since I can't find it to respond to. Recently, I visited the Vortex table at the San Diego Birding Festival and reexamined the turning range of the UHD focus wheel. From lock to lock, the travel was about 1035°. Too bad, because I like the glass.
 
[email protected] said:
I don't know about that. You can get the Vortex UHD for $1250.00 and there are a lot of hunter's that really like Vortex's in the US because of their unconditional warranty.
Click to expand...

But....the warranty is there for a reason and chances are the Vortex will not hold up thru the long haul. Just look at some of the responses to this post. Vortex just lacks quality, lacks quality control. Sure it is cheaper but it is cheaper for a reason. In optics, you pay for quality optics. I'll stick with the 'sure thing' as opposed to the one that 'needs' a life time warranty because you might use it several times. My thoughts
 
Last edited:
The brand snobbery on this forum is almost comical.. I’m sure some peeps would say there Swaro was the best bins in the world (even if they were to find out they weren’t’t a Swaro at all but someone had just added the Swaro emblem on them). Even the possibility that a less expensive glass like the Vortex UHD can match the Alpha’s seems to give some guys on here palpitations. “Omg a glass that’s just as good as my Leica, Zeiss, Swaro, but considerably cheaper...... I can’t deal with that.... let’s jump all over it otherwise I’ll be admitting I’ve overpaid”........
clearly though these three brands do consistently produce great glass but please can we try not to be so narrow minded. If you’ve tried the Vortex UHD and thought it doesn’t compare and have tried to be open minded in that judgement that’s fine but I can see so many haven’t even tried them. Perhaps they’re scared in what they might find?
 
I agree, I have the Vortex Razor 10x42 and I think they brilliant. However after reading lots of comments on these forms telling me my Vortex were MIC and therefore couldn't be very good. I decided to buy a pair of Swarovski SLC 10x42 Just to see what all the fuss was about.
Anyway, optically there is nothing to choose between them.
The pluses for the SLC are, you seem to get a slight 3D effect and the whites are whiter. The Vortex seem sharper. These are very subtle differences though. Unless you had then side by side you would never know which ones you were looking through.
And if you swapped the badges over and asked someone who knows nothing about binoculars, which was the most expensive, they would pick the Vortex. Vortex gets a bad rap for moving their production to China, yet there is no evidence that the quality is any different.

Anyway, as your said, some of the brand snobbery on here is almost comical, bordering on laughable.
 
mccarthy22 said:
The brand snobbery on this forum is almost comical.. I’m sure some peeps would say there Swaro was the best bins in the world (even if they were to find out they weren’t’t a Swaro at all but someone had just added the Swaro emblem on them). Even the possibility that a less expensive glass like the Vortex UHD can match the Alpha’s seems to give some guys on here palpitations. “Omg a glass that’s just as good as my Leica, Zeiss, Swaro, but considerably cheaper...... I can’t deal with that.... let’s jump all over it otherwise I’ll be admitting I’ve overpaid”........
clearly though these three brands do consistently produce great glass but please can we try not to be so narrow minded. If you’ve tried the Vortex UHD and thought it doesn’t compare and have tried to be open minded in that judgement that’s fine but I can see so many haven’t even tried them. Perhaps they’re scared in what they might find?
Click to expand...
Wow Mc, a lot of assumptions here, from your end, presented as undisputed facts.

Jan
 
Hi Jan. Definitely not meant to be presented as undisputed facts just an opinion I have. As I said i am not disputing the glass of the top three but again imo the Vortex razor uhd do compare favourably against all three. My wife has a Swaro El and although not much in it overall I prefer the Vortex.
 
mccarthy22 said:
Hi Jan. Definitely not meant to be presented as undisputed facts just an opinion I have. As I said i am not disputing the glass of the top three but again imo the Vortex razor uhd do compare favourably against all three. My wife has a Swaro El and although not much in it overall I prefer the Vortex.
Click to expand...
Point taken, but in your previous post you assumed a lot of thoughts others had, or at least should have.......... in your opinion as it turns out.
 
giosblue said:
I agree, I have the Vortex Razor 10x42 and I think they brilliant. However after reading lots of comments on these forms telling me my Vortex were MIC and therefore couldn't be very good. I decided to buy a pair of Swarovski SLC 10x42 Just to see what all the fuss was about.
Anyway, optically there is nothing to choose between them.
The pluses for the SLC are, you seem to get a slight 3D effect and the whites are whiter. The Vortex seem sharper. These are very subtle differences though. Unless you had then side by side you would never know which ones you were looking through.
And if you swapped the badges over and asked someone who knows nothing about binoculars, which was the most expensive, they would pick the Vortex. Vortex gets a bad rap for moving their production to China, yet there is no evidence that the quality is any different.

Anyway, as your said, some of the brand snobbery on here is almost comical, bordering on laughable.
Click to expand...


Sorry I haven't read the whole thread, but I thought the Razor UHD were made in Japan?
 
zzzzzz said:
https://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex-Razor-UHD-10x42-Binoculars-Review-255.htm

The Vortex Razor UHD 10x42 binoculars is a fantastic instrument and most certainly ranks amongst the very, very best that I have ever come across. For those wondering about the hefty price tag and if they compete with the top 'alpha' level brands from Europe, I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that they are as good or better than anything currently on the market.
Click to expand...
I just read that review of the Vortex Razor-UHD 10x42, very impressed. I am going to put the 8x as well as the 10 x power on my short list to purchase if I see either of those on sale.
 
The Viper UHD undoubtedly has excellent optics (despite the subpar light transmission for AK prisms... really a disappointment. What’s the point of using AK prisms when you’re only getting 88% transmission. Vortex is definitely using an inferior glass or inferior coatings here). What it loses in is weight, size, and ergonomics. Zeiss was able to create the 8x42 and 10x42 Victory HT with AK Prisms in a much more compact package.

The UHD is a fantastic binocular. Vortex is a good company. But I try my best to avoid made in China products if there is a good alternative, even if the UHD may be made in Japan, the company survives on Chinese manufacturing. Chinese people are lovely, but the Chinese government is not a friend of the US.
 
I agree bkdc with your views completely on the Chinese government but sadly if we didn’t buy Chinese from time to time we wouldn’t have much of anything. Sadly just the way world is. I actually like the ergo on the UHD and disagree that they use inferior glass / coatings but hey the world would be dull if we all liked the same thing.
 
sillyak said:
Sorry I haven't read the whole thread, but I thought the Razor UHD were made in Japan?
Click to expand...
They are, but Vortex gets bashing because they have switched production of all but the the UHD China and the quality has suffered as a result. Personally I have not seen any evidence of this.
 
How long does / might it take for 'quality' loss to show? Certainly not 'right out of the packaging' or even a year perhaps. But my fear is that I will forever be playing with their lifetime warranty due to quality 'inside' ...
 
mccarthy22 said:
. I actually like the ergo on the UHD and disagree that they use inferior glass / coatings but hey the world would be dull if we all liked the same thing.
Click to expand...
Transmission numbers are just numbers and matter very little in real world use but a modern binocular built to compete in the premium binocular level using an Abbe-Koenig prism should give 93-94% transmission. The Vortex UHD is a “wow” effect binocular. The optical quality is alpha level. But the nit picking transmission numbers? You can achieve better numbers with an SP prism. Isn’t this the point of an AK prism? Maybe there are several more optical elements in the UHD which lead to additional transmission loss. I’ll be the first to say the view from a Razor UHD is competes with the best. There was a mint 8x42 UHD selling on the Rokslide forum and sitting unsold at an aggressive price of $950... for months. That tells you how little the demand is for the UHD. Someone scored a steal.
 
Three things make me question Vortex:

1: Made by the Chinese and whether in Japan or in China, ...a China label makes me suspect the product. Yes I know that some material/parts etc...will always be outsourced from China. That is not the issue I have but more over-all impression of quality control of a complete unit.
2: They have a lifetime warranty for a reason. Apparently anything goes, so to have that complete of a warranty for the price being offered makes me suspect what the 'inners' are within the Vortex. There is no way a company can continue to make money and continually offer free replacements for 'anything' optically unless they are cutting costs within the unit itself quite measurable.
3. I have a 7 year old Vortex, and while not the UHD, (I use it as a guest binocular, if I could label it), but the unit is junk falling a part on me. The focus wheel adjustment has way too much play, the rubber lining is pulling.

I don't need that and while others can say that the Swaro, or Leica or Zeiss are over-priced...I will pay for what I perceive as quality.

Lastly....this is all personal...Any purchase of any optic is extremely personal if you really get deep into the purchasing. So what I have to say is based solely upon my experiences, feeling, and impression. I am sure that another person can / might state the same about my binocular and I respect them for that.
 
Why don't you send your worn out Vortex bins back to Vortex? What you say about the Vortex warranty doesn't make any sense.
Surely if a company is willing to stand by it's products in the way Vortex does, the expected returns must relatively small.
 
lmans66 said:
But....the warranty is there for a reason and chances are the Vortex will not hold up thru the long haul. Just look at some of the responses to this post. Vortex just lacks quality, lacks quality control. Sure it is cheaper but it is cheaper for a reason. In optics, you pay for quality optics. I'll stick with the 'sure thing' as opposed to the one that 'needs' a life time warranty because you might use it several times. My thoughts
Click to expand...
 
Warning! This thread is more than 3 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

S
Vortex vs Swarovski vs Zeiss vs Leika bins (~8x42)
2 3
Replies
54
Views
4K
Steves13
S
mauriciolacruz
Have you compared the best Kowa (Genesis Prominar XD) side by side against the best Leica (Noctivid), Swarovski (NL Pure & EL) and Zeiss (Victory SF)?
Replies
17
Views
4K
sonof12
S
D
A Zeiss Conquest HD on steroids.
8 9 10
Replies
183
Views
12K
ArchStanton
A
Ontario
Allbinos Vortex 10x42 UHD Review
2
Replies
33
Views
10K
giosblue
G
Samolot
Conquest HD 8x42 - Some thoughts.
2
Replies
24
Views
6K
Samolot
Samolot

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top