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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kevin Purcell" data-source="post: 1322709" data-attributes="member: 68323">I do find the EO site useful for two thing: price and specs. I have bought quite a few "hot deals" from them (and some regular priced bins).I have looked through Stoke DLS 8x42 in real life late last summer. Some friends have a pair at a holiday home very near the beach and some saltwater and freshwater lagoon habitats. Unfortunately the only bins I'd brought with me to compare was my Yosemite 6x30 and the Eagle Optics Raptors (Vixen Foresta) 10x42 porros so no direct comparisons for power or for prism type (and both of these bins hit above their price when compared to roofs). I was very enthused though: $800 bins ... they must be great.But ... I was not as impressed as I thought I'd be! The "Wow" is at low price levels e.g. the wide field would be impressive but I'd felt that with a Diamondback and the EO Raptor is pretty good for a 10x (with better color). The DLS had some other subtle improvements.FOV is good (7.3 degrees), bright and flat but with notable stray color at the edges of the field. ER was good with eyeglasses. The image is sharp but I suspect not as sharp as the Hawke or Promaster today. I did check for stray stray light control and I suspect they are better than the Diamondbacks (which do have problems with that) but they didn't differ a huge amount from the two porros I had with me. This is not a recent design so those results are not too surprising. They paid around $800 for them and I rather though them overpriced at that. More time and a couple of other bins would have resulted in a better comparison but they didn't move me for $800 like I thought I should have been moved <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />Now we have very good ED bins at the $500 and below price point and competition from other bins (like the Razor and Viper) that make one wonder if they were good for their time but not so good now. Both the Hawkes and the Promaster control stray color very well (much better than the DLS at the edge of field where it is worst).The build quality was good. The grip was excellent: the armor is rather thin but I could wrap my fingers around the barrel (and pointed out how thick the barrel walls are in the plastic enclosure of the Diamondbacks). They felt solid perhaps a little heavier than I'd like: at 26oz heavier than the EO porros but the same as the new EDs.Next time I'm up there I'll take my bins with me and try a more detailed comparison.I don't think I'm totally alone in these views either e.g. see<a href="http://www.birddigiscoping.com/2005/06/vortex-stokes-dls-versus-leupold.html" target="_blank">http://www.birddigiscoping.com/2005/06/vortex-stokes-dls-versus-leupold.html</a><a href="http://www.birddigiscoping.com/2007/02/vortex-razor-8x42-review.html" target="_blank">http://www.birddigiscoping.com/2007/02/vortex-razor-8x42-review.html</a>The 10x FOV seems narrow too: < 6 degrees.But perhaps for some the the tradeoff might be worthwhile (the warranty is good!) but I disagree with the last sentence: the new Chinese ED bins are the current bargain. This is Stokes an old model on closeout.This "mid range bin" region between $200 and $800 is changing dramatically right now with the top end being attacked by $500 bins. I the next year I suspect most of the "brands" including Vortex will have Chinese made ED bins at lower price points. I rather suspect that's why these bins have come to EOL.</blockquote>

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