So we're still waiting on a "viper 8x28" review, correct? Or is it true that they're just Fury's in disguise? Inquiring minds want to know... :-C
Well, I've been mighty good of late, working hard - time for a toy. Since none of you, have seen fit to buy a pair of Vortex Viper 8x28's, I considered it but thought better of it. Purchased Minox HG 8x33's, the old one's made in Japan. I thought that I might get by with 16 mm of ER with my eyeglasses. In the past 16.5 mm has worked for me. Unfortunately, the 8x33's actually only have 15 mm of ER. Did not work for me, but they were mighty nice bins! Very, very good resolution, the best I've seen with 8x. However, they also have quick focus, 350 degrees from close to infinity. Plus, they seemed to me to have very shallow depth of field. The poor ER (for me), combined with the fast focus, combined with narrow depth of field made them extremely difficult for me to focus at distances greater than 50 yards. But when in focus they provided excellent image quality. Also they are very attractive bins, which of course means next to nothing. Back they went.
Once again, I considered the Viper 8x28's. Went so far as to call EO. Spoke initially with a nice young lady who told me the Viper 8x28's were made in Japan? Maybe, but I doubt it. Maybe they are "assembled" in Japan from Chinese parts, but I doubt that also. I keep remembering when Vortex was saying that their entire Fury line was Purged with Argon. Not true, the 8x28, Fury's have always been filled with Nitrogen. Vortex just gets their press releases a bit mixed up. Show me the invoices demonstrating that most if not all parts are made in Japan. Then I'll believe.
Next I spoke with a gentleman who claimed to have extensive knowledge of Vortex's line. When I told him I was interested in Viper 8x28's, he answered my first question before I asked it. "No, the Viper 8x28's are not the same as the Fury 8x28's." I told him I owned both Fury 8x28's and Hurricane 8x28's and as far as I could see the Fury's had only a slight advantage in resolution. I also told him, that the Viper 8x28's are only 28's and I'm not looking for a WOW from a 28, but that I needed to know if there is noticable improvement in resolution for the Viper 28's over the Fury 28's.
He said none that you can see on a optic chart. But that once you use and get use to the Viper 28's, you will not want to go back to the Fury's. He further said the Fury's were (past tense) a good little binocular, but that the Viper 28's are much better. I asked him what the Vipers did better than the Fury's and once again he said you can not see it or measure the difference on an optics chart but it was there. It sounded to me like he was selling religion?
Before I rang off, he suggested that I should go for the WOW and get a pair of Swarovski EL 8x32's. I told him I've seen them and handled them (at Bass Pro Shop) and the only thing that impressed me about them, was their price. Sacrilege!
Well, I'm no longer interested in finding a good, objective review of the Viper 28's. If I run across them in a store where I can compare them to my Fury 28's, then, maybe - if there is a positive and noticable difference. Good luck, there never have been and never will be binoculars perfect for everyone.
bearclawthedonut