[walternewton]

Hi all,

I would appreciate any opinions or advice about the Vortex Viper 15-45x65 (non-HD), available new for $350.

Is it a good value, or is it unrealistic to expect long-term satisfaction at that price point?

It is $300 less than the "HD" extra-low dispersion glass model, but apparently has "XD" extra-low dispersion glass - what is the difference between the two?

Any other options to consider?

Thanks in advance.

[davem]

From the Vortex point of view, as this is $50 less than the 60mm Diamondback, the choice between those two is an absolute no-brainer.

The 'XD' Vipers are being phased out so if you can get one at that price, it's a steal especially when compared against the $399 60mm Diamondback.

[Juniper_Jade]

Originally Posted by walternewton

Hi all,

I would appreciate any opinions or advice about the Vortex Viper 15-45x65 (non-HD), available new for $350.

Is it a good value, or is it unrealistic to expect long-term satisfaction at that price point?

It is $300 less than the "HD" extra-low dispersion glass model, but apparently has "XD" extra-low dispersion glass - what is the difference between the two?

Any other options to consider?

Thanks in advance.

Hi walternewton,

Did you make the purchase? I saw the same offer from Eagle Optics, and since my financial situation is rather dismal, I figured it was my best hope of getting a halfway-decent scope any time soon. So I ordered it just yesterday. I figure if it's awful I can always return it and save for an upgrade sometime in the distant future. Up until now, I've been using a Nikon field scope with a 20x eyepiece that I bought when I first started birding....After 20 years of hard use the Nikon is still functional, but it has some problems and is not exactly a joy to use. So I'm hoping that at the very least, this will be comparable to the ancient Nikon--and hopefully a bit of an upgrade.

At $350 even--free shipping and no sales tax!--it seems hard to go wrong. That's about what I paid for my Nikon back in the early 90's. And I loved that scope a lot (at least until the rubber eyecup came off and I dropped it one too many times)!! I abused that scope terribly (even left it out on an exposed bluff during not one but TWO hurricanes!) and it performed admirably for many, many years.

Of course, I'd love to get a mid-level scope rather than the absolute cheapest, but it seems I'd have to pay at least twice the price for the Viper HD or a Razor, even at the very best cyber-Monday sale prices.


Anyway, since I've just purchased this scope, I'm wondering if you bought it and how you like it.

Anyone else who wants to chime in, your input is very welcome!

Thanks!
Juniper J.

[OpticsNerd1]

I would like to hear an answer to this as well, hopefully someone will chime in. If it's made in Japan then it should be a deal worth jumping on while they can still be found.