PCH BIRDER
Well-known member
I just picked up a pair of Vortex Stokes DLS 8x42's a few days ago. My first impressions are very positive. Under good to fair lighting coditions, the brightness and resolution seems to be outstanding. I'm still not sure if they are delivering excellent low-light performance; I have a pair of Swift Ultralite 8x43's that seem to be a tad brighter in very low light, but they don't deliver nearly the same overall quality of image.
I find the ergonomics excellent, and the foucs wonderfully easy and quick. I'm finding that I can get a bird in foucs as fast with these bins as with any I've ever used. I wish they were a tad lighter, but the balance is excellent and I find they are very easy to hold steady.
In the next few days I will be receiving a new pair of Pentax 8x32 DCF SP's which I am looking forward to comparing with the these. Since I have 30 days in which to return either, it will be interesting to give both good field trials, which is the only way I find I can get a really good feel for how much I like a binocular. I'm particularly interested in finding out if the Vortex 8x43 really does deliver significantly better low light performance than the Pentax 8x32's. If not, then they might not be worth the extra 4 ounces around the neck. I will say that the Vortex, in comparisons at the store, delivered an image that was only slightly less than the highest priced glass, with handling characteristics that equaled any. I also find that they are giving me a "perfect" image with no blackouts, something that seems to be a problem for me with many other models (I don't wear glasses and I seem to require just the right eye relief for my eyes).
I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who is using either the Vortex or the Pentax. I will give further impressions as I continue to use them.
I find the ergonomics excellent, and the foucs wonderfully easy and quick. I'm finding that I can get a bird in foucs as fast with these bins as with any I've ever used. I wish they were a tad lighter, but the balance is excellent and I find they are very easy to hold steady.
In the next few days I will be receiving a new pair of Pentax 8x32 DCF SP's which I am looking forward to comparing with the these. Since I have 30 days in which to return either, it will be interesting to give both good field trials, which is the only way I find I can get a really good feel for how much I like a binocular. I'm particularly interested in finding out if the Vortex 8x43 really does deliver significantly better low light performance than the Pentax 8x32's. If not, then they might not be worth the extra 4 ounces around the neck. I will say that the Vortex, in comparisons at the store, delivered an image that was only slightly less than the highest priced glass, with handling characteristics that equaled any. I also find that they are giving me a "perfect" image with no blackouts, something that seems to be a problem for me with many other models (I don't wear glasses and I seem to require just the right eye relief for my eyes).
I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who is using either the Vortex or the Pentax. I will give further impressions as I continue to use them.