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New Viper HD's (1 Viewer)

I had a look at the new 10x42 yesterday. So have now looked at 3 of the new ones in different sizes. None of them wow me but they seem to a good alternative at their price point. The Monarch 7 is the same price as the Viper so a much more realistic comparison than the HG in my mind. I’d say they are very close in both optics and build quality. They’re also both Chinese. Tracts entry level glass is about the same price and would probably be a good comparison to the Vipers as well. I also tried a pair of the new Leupold Pro Guides alongside the Vipers and prefered the view of the Leupolds. They are close in price and made in Japan.
 
An update -
I've now been using the new 8x42 viper HDs for about a week. I followed the good advice above and ordered the vipers and the meopros. Optically, I couldn't see a significant difference between them. I'm no expert at teasing tiny optical nuances apart, but both had fantastic, bright, clear, easy views.

What set the vipers apart for me was the ergonomics. They seem perfectly designed for my hands. The balance makes them seem lighter, and I am a lot more comfortable holding them than other pairs. Now, I have unusually short, wide, and stubby hands, so others may have a very different experience, but for me they're great.

The meopros went back, not because there was anything wrong with them at all (they also were great), they were just a bit less comfortable to use (for me).

So, after using them heavily every day of spring migration so far, I'm super happy with the 8x42 viper HDs.
 
Cool. I’m glad you found the pair that works for you best. I’ve found that ergonomics are a real important part of the decision making process for me. I’ve tried a lot of nice binos that were optically great but just didn’t fit my face right. They’re are lots of good options at most price points now so it’s nice to be able to get both good optics and good ergonomics.
 
I wonder how the Meopta Meopro HD 10 x 42 compares to this new Viper?? I dont think the Meopro is made in China, correct??

Tested them both today. More or less identical in terms of optical performance in the field. Meopta much heavier though.
 
Has anyone else actually tried the new Viper HDs? Now that the MiC bashing has stopped, maybe we can get an actual discussion going based upon the optics?
 
Only a quick look. Not too impressed. Colour looked unbalanced and more CA and aberration at the edges than I recall with the old one. Didn't like the Diamondback either, but the Razor HD still looks good and the Crossfire seems good for the money.

David
 
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I had the new Vipers, the Monarch 7, and the Pro Guide HD on hand to compare, indoors only, in Cabelas Lubbock, TX a few weeks ago. To my 57 yr old eyeballs the Leupy and Monarch were sharper and showed better colors (looking at mounted trout on the wall) than the Vipers, and were better built/had better more solid feel. Not impressed with the Viper at all.
 
Has anyone else actually tried the new Viper HDs? Now that the MiC bashing has stopped, maybe we can get an actual discussion going based upon the optics?

I tried Viper out briefly at Bird Fair and as I reported in the Bird Fair thread at the time I didn't like it optically at all. The colours weren't right and the view lacked contrast. Razor was quite different and was sharp with nice contrast and decent colours.

Lee
 
Thanks all. The old Viper HD was very similar optically to the Razor HD, so it seems like they've come up with an alternate optical system for the new Viper. This is disappointing, as I always felt the old Viper HD was one of the best buys in its price range, and was as durable as a tank (I know a lot of field biologist/wildlife manager colleagues that have owned their Viper/Viper HDs for years with no issue or complaint).

Now I think that I will continue recommending the Leupold BX4 or Meopta Meopro HD in this price range.
 
I just recently purchased a pair of Vortex Viper HD 10x42, having upgraded from the Vangaurd Endeavor originals of the same configuration. I did like the EDs, but after seeing what else was out there, I was left wanted a bit more. The Vipers are definitely brighter, clearer, and have higher resolution. They also have FAR less CA and colors appear more natural. This is especially apparent in looking at solid white egrets against a darker background. However, where they really shine is in low light conditions. The picture remains clear and crisp whereas the views out of my EDs tended to be a bit dull in poor light.

I also like the longer focus at 1.5 revolutions as opposed to the EDs shorter revolution of .75. I understand there are pros and cons to both, but as someone who really likes to fine tune the focus, I think the 1.5 revolution is a better fit for me.

The one thing that the EDs I thought did better was the ease of putting the front lens covers back into place when not in use. The Vipers you have to wiggle it around a bit in order to get it to stay in place, but this is a very minor thing.

I'm also aware that Vortex has their own plant in China as opposed to farming it out to another manufacturer, so the Made in China thing doesn't bother me. Overall these are solid bins and I'd buy them again.

I'll also note I tried them against the Monarch 7 in the store several times, and the Vipers ran circles around them in every single instance. I thought the Vipers had better contrast and clarity and less stray light (which was so apparent it was almost bothersome in the Monarchs). I went in expecting to like the Monarchs better, but the Vipers really gave them a run for their money.
 
I'm not so sure Vortex owns their own Chinese plant. Glad you're enjoying the Vipers though.

I think I remember reading it somewhere in this thread, although please don't ask me where. Someone had written to Vortex asking about it and that was their response. I believe I also read this same thing on a separate forum as well, either for astronomy or hunting.
 
RoadsterGirlie,

Now that you have the first symptoms of binocular-itas, it might help to not read any new Cabelas catalogs or visit other optic stores. This is a serious condition, and the symptoms will only increase the more you view the threads on this forum.
Just being funny,

Enjoy the Vipers.

Andy W.
 
RoadsterGirlie,

Now that you have the first symptoms of binocular-itas, it might help to not read any new Cabelas catalogs or visit other optic stores. This is a serious condition, and the symptoms will only increase the more you view the threads on this forum.
Just being funny,

Enjoy the Vipers.

Andy W.

I am laughing so hard I'm in tears right now. 3:)

I was wondering when someone who remembered my trip down the rabbit hole with the Endeavors would call me out on this!!!! Thank you for remembering!!! LOL LOL LOL

The Endeavors are great - don't get me wrong. But every time I would use them, I would imagine how they could be improved. Given how much I loved the brightness and clarity of the Monarch 5's which I tested before I got the Endeavors, I thought the Monarch 7 would be it for me as I really wanted a wider FOV than the 5's offered. Well I picked up the Vipers for a comparison and I couldn't believe how much of a step up they were from the Monarch 7's given they're the same exact price.

Example - the Monarchs had much more stray light (probably more than my Endeavors), whereas the Vipers had almost none. The Cabelas associated let me take both outside, and the differences were even more apparent. With the Vipers, I could make out small detail in the trees half a mile away with still nice color contrast, while the Monarchs once you got to a certain distance the views became a bit cloudy with less color contrast. It was a no brainer and a really easy decision.


Also from what I've read, Nikon can be prickly about honoring the warranty whereas Vortex is really no questions asked.

I was making jokes to myself about how long it would be before I had a pair of Swarovski EL's, but right now I truly think I'm good to go. I really love these!

EDIT: Is this a good time to say the guys at BOTH Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops know me by name now???
 
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RoadsterGirlie,

Binocular-itas = "I was making jokes to myself about how long it would be before I had a pair of Swarovski EL's"

Andy W.
 
Hi Everybody,
I bought a pair of 2018 Viper 12x50s a couple months ago. I like them. I may get some first-class 12s sometime soon, so I needed verification that I liked the platform. I've never tried the previous Vipers, but a few years ago I bought the Diamondback 12x50s and I can say without question that the 2018 Vipers are far superior to those. I bought the Vipers because they were the cheapest HD binoculars that I found.
What I like:
The clarity is good for the price, and kind of remind me of my Nikon Monarch 7s in that respect. Not perfect or anything, but acceptable.
They are bright, far brighter than those old Diamondbacks anyway.
The color is decently neutral, with aberrations only becoming bothersome near the field stop.
They are light and comfortable to hold and carry.
What I don't like:
The focus knob is pretty trashy. The resistance is variable, and generally too stiff, which makes them slow.
The locking diopter is a joke. It never actually stays locked. I find that it has popped up into the unlocked position pretty regularly. Also, there seem to be some discrete positions that it can occupy (like there are some interlocking teeth in there) and I can't quite set mine to zero.
The eyecups are ok, but they don't actually stay in any position other than all the way in or all the way out. If you set them to any of the middle positions then they will eventually migrate to the all the way in position.
Overall, they are decent glass. I'd buy them again.
-as you were, q
ps. They sent me this weird harness deal in place of a regular bag for them. That thing was super cheap and I broke one of the buckles before I even got done adjusting it to fit me.
 
Hi Everybody,
I bought a pair of 2018 Viper 12x50s a couple months ago. I like them. I may get some first-class 12s sometime soon, so I needed verification that I liked the platform. I've never tried the previous Vipers, but a few years ago I bought the Diamondback 12x50s and I can say without question that the 2018 Vipers are far superior to those. I bought the Vipers because they were the cheapest HD binoculars that I found.
What I like:
The clarity is good for the price, and kind of remind me of my Nikon Monarch 7s in that respect. Not perfect or anything, but acceptable.
They are bright, far brighter than those old Diamondbacks anyway.
The color is decently neutral, with aberrations only becoming bothersome near the field stop.
They are light and comfortable to hold and carry.
What I don't like:
The focus knob is pretty trashy. The resistance is variable, and generally too stiff, which makes them slow.
The locking diopter is a joke. It never actually stays locked. I find that it has popped up into the unlocked position pretty regularly. Also, there seem to be some discrete positions that it can occupy (like there are some interlocking teeth in there) and I can't quite set mine to zero.
The eyecups are ok, but they don't actually stay in any position other than all the way in or all the way out. If you set them to any of the middle positions then they will eventually migrate to the all the way in position.
Overall, they are decent glass. I'd buy them again.
-as you were, q
ps. They sent me this weird harness deal in place of a regular bag for them. That thing was super cheap and I broke one of the buckles before I even got done adjusting it to fit me.

I have not had any issues with the eye cups but I also find them most comfortable fully extended so that’s probably why. I like the slower focus on these as opposed to the faster focus on my endeavors as it allows me to really fine tune it for the best image possible.

CA control is WORLDS ABOVE the endeavors which is what prompted me to upgrade in the first place. It’s so nice to look at great egrets and not have them be yellow, surrounding by a purple halo. Hehe

My one complaint is probably glare and ghosting when in overtly sunny conditions, but I’ve read these is a hard thing to resolve in bins costing $2k+. I’m also not a huge fan of the harness bag - a regular bag with a strap would have been fine. If anyone has suggestions for a replacement for this, I’m open to suggestions.

Overall though, I’m really happy with them and feel they’re an excellent buy. I use them daily
 
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You can get the OEM Vortex Viper HD cases on Amazon.com in 42mm or 50mm size. I purchased a 50mm for my 12x50 Vortex Viper's HD since I don't use a harness either. I sold the Vortex GlassPak Harness that comes with them on Ebay. Paid for the case.

https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Optic...pID=51HwgXXsMjL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Optic...pID=51HwgXXsMjL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

So the new Viper HDs don't come with a CASE?
 
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