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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

New Vortex Razor 85 APO (1 Viewer)

I was told by Vortex themselves it wouldn't be available until "around the 1st of May", and is available only in an angled version. They claim they're very, very close to the alpha's, but I'd have to see it to believe it myslef, especially at a $1500 price point.
 
I just heard another "report" today of how well this scope performs (ie, how close it is to the $3000 models from some other well known companies.)

I look forward to eventually giving it a try.
 
stereotruckdriver said:
I have not been able to find out if it will have other EP's or would you be stuck with a zoom? Does look promising though!!!
Click to expand...

The manual does say "bayonet eyepiece". So they are halfway there.

Are there any standard for bayonet eyepiece's currently out there?

But there is a part of me that says you really need to be able to swap EPs (at least have a fixed option unless that zoom is SO good that you wouldn't consider that (i.e. big AFOV for a zoom).

But on that the manual is silent ... no actual specs. As is the web site.

http://www.vortexoptics.com/spotting_scopes/view/vortex-razor-hd-20-60x85-spotting-scope

I suspect this will be a difficult sale at this price. Perhaps < $1000 I can see people going for it but this is upsell territory for the big 5.
 
Yeah, and my 80 mm Vortex Nomad says bayonet eyepiece but, well, we won't get into what happened when I unscrewed it.....

;)
 
Same on the Skyline 80 I have. It is a threaded eyepiece. In fact, when I tested Vortex's digiscoping adapter, it's installation required the removal and replacement of the eyepiece to install the mount base. Not difficult by not a quick release type mount.
 
True, but the Nomad 80 says "bayonet mount" in the owner's manual in the same manner as what has been described her for the Razor 85.
 
In Jayhawk's web page there is a link to the manual,there is a bayonet eyepieces system indeed,but no mention of other eyepieces...mmm perhaps Kowa?..there is a phot of someones hand holding the zoom though ,it is as large as the pentax zoom!!!(can soup size!)
 
there is a phot of someones hand holding the zoom though ,it is as large as the pentax zoom!!!(can soup size!)
Click to expand...

Well, I don't want to jump to conclusions but my understanding was the Pentax needed to be that large in order to deliver the image quality it does. Couldn't we make the same assumption of the Razor's zoom?
 
The astro guy's don't call their high quality eyepieces "hand grenades" for nothing. Same size, shape and heft.

They do have to pack quite a few lens elements in there. And to get decent ER they end up being fairly large at the last lens (and often even larger in the interior of the EP to deal with the rays in the EP).

So it's not too surprising.

That said what photo is mayomayo referring to? I don't see it on the Jayhawk site.
 
But with some of the EPs (Nagler comes to mind) the EPs do have that tapered at both ends quality reminiscent of a Mk2 grenade.

Of course the image that bugs me is not of the grenade exploding but of a person taking the grenade throwing stance with a Nagler in their hand.

Nooooooooo ... ;)

Hmmm, knowing Peter Dunne's propensity to test bins integrity by throwing them perhaps it's not so far fetched!
 
Ahh, with that reference in mind I can see the comparison. I had thought, at one point, that the Pentax XW series was expensive until I saw some of the Televue models. Is it the Nagler that sells for $750 with the 100 degree field of view?
 
Though some of the reviews of the superwide EPs show they have a lot of distortion that is not so noticeable at night (all those points of light and extended features) but become obvious during the day.

I note looked recently but I would have though Naglers were in the $500ish range.
 
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