new kid's edition roofie 6.5x32 voretx- comments? (2 Viewers)

[pat mitchel]

Bantam HD 6.5x32 Youth Binocular

Streamlined and lightweight so they’re easy to carry around. Solid construction and simple-to-use controls so it’s easy to find distant wildlife fast.

vortexoptics.com

Looks interesting. Pat

 

[has530]

50° AFOV, no phase coating, doesn't mention multicoatings. Looks like it is probably the same quality as their crossfire line but in a smaller package which is probably good because the optical shortcomings should be less visible at 6.5x. While the vortex warranty is enticing for kid binos, I would still probably go with the kowa yf.

 

[MiddleRiver]

50° AFOV, no phase coating, doesn't mention multicoatings. Looks like it is probably the same quality as their crossfire line but in a smaller package which is probably good because the optical shortcomings should be less visible at 6.5x. While the vortex warranty is enticing for kid binos, I would still probably go with the kowa yf.

Why?

 

[w.travis]

50° AFOV, no phase coating, doesn't mention multicoatings. Looks like it is probably the same quality as their crossfire line but in a smaller package which is probably good because the optical shortcomings should be less visible at 6.5x. While the vortex warranty is enticing for kid binos, I would still probably go with the kowa yf.

The Kowa YF 6x and 8x are both great little bins. I have them for my kids and I often find myself looking through them as well. I discern they are obviously better optically than the Bantam. Also currently made in Philippines vs Bantam MIC.

 

[has530]

Why?

From a quality standpoint the YF is very good for the price. The coatings are good, central contrast and sharpness good, overall excellent optics and probably the best in their price range. On the other hand the low end vortex like the crossfire are very bad. My first pair of new binoculars were an 8x42 crossfire and they were so bad it sparked my passion to find something better! Dim image with lots of ghosting from poor AR coatings, bad contrast from lack of phase coating. Kids don't need the best optics but having good enough optics to give a bit of a wow factor can really help spark their passion.

From a haptics standpoint the YF is great for kids. The wider barrels and general shape of porro prisms is generally a lot easier for small hands. They also accommodate small IPDs more naturally. IMO the yf is the ideal kids binocular and the vortex is unlikely to improve upon it. They are likely $25 amazon type bins with a vortex warranty.

 

[oldfortyfive]

Got to try a pair in Cabelas this afternoon. The sample I tried just couldn’t be focused in sharp across the store. Seemed clearer around the outer edges than in the middle.

 

[Paultricounty]

The Kowa YF 6x and 8x are both great little bins. I have them for my kids and I often find myself looking through them as well. I discern they are obviously better optically than the Bantam. Also currently made in Philippines vs Bantam MIC. View attachment 1532250View attachment 1532251

Very nice collection. Which is your favorite?

Is that the St. Lucie nuclear power plant In the background?

Paul

 

[Swedpat]

Interesting binoculars not only for children but also what you can have in the car or other place where you don't need to be too depressed if you lose them.

 

[Cest]

I ordered one and it came today. It is actually a pretty decent binocular and fits its price point. Light, clear and sharp views at the center, good eye relief. You won't do better at $69.99. I was surprised. The Oberwerk lw and Kowa YF are better, but also cost more. This would be a good first binocular for a child and you could later get him or her a better one. It would also be handy for adults who want an inexpensive decent roof at low mag. It's not bad at all. If you get a bad sample the warranty is the best in the business.

 

[Elkhornsun]

I like the Pentax 6.5x21Papilio II binoculars that focus down to 19 inches. Great for birds, butterflies, reptiles, and insects. There is also a 8.5x21 version selling for $120 and weighing only 10 ounces.

 

[w.travis]

Very nice collection. Which is your favorite?

Is that the St. Lucie nuclear power plant In the background?

Paul

Good question. Honestly, I can't pick a favorite. The 6x depth of field and stable view is very enjoyable, but a narrow AFOV. The 8x has a wider AFOV and decent depth of field / 3d.

If I could only have one, and still have the rest of my bins, then I'd take the YF 6x.
If I could only have one, and it would be my ONLY bin, then I'd take the YF 8x.


Not sure the name of the power plant. We are standing in Petersburg, KY. That is the Ohio River. The power plant is in Ohio, but straight across from us is Indiana.

 

[Swedpat]

I ordered a Bantam 6,5x32 at a middle day sale. Received it today.
Not as cheap as in some other countries, but it's still a very good binocular for ~$100. I have actually hard to see a difference in sharpness compared to Viper HD 6x32. Which is discontinued but was ~$500 11 years ago.

Here beside Viper HD 6x32.



The eyelens is ~20mm compared to ~22mm of Viper. It's also more recessed.



They are exactly the same length.



But Bantam is thinner and lighter. Around 150gram lighter actually. Here you can see it's thinner than Viper.



The TFOV is stated as 7,6deg. With 6,5x it should be 49deg AFOV. Still the AFOV is smaller than Viper 6x32 which has 48deg. I cannot either see a difference in magnification when comparing side by side. Viper 6x32 has slightly wider as well true and apparant FOV. I draw the conclusion Bantam is actually a 6x32. And comparing the exit pupils they look very much the same.



When I look into the objectives I can see a completely white mirroring in Bantam while not in Viper. It's obviously some prism part which is not coated in Bantam. Still it's difficult to see a brightness difference at day.

Bantam works with eyeglasses but not that comfortable open view as Viper. It's a pity 1-2mm of eye relief is unnecessary wasted because of the more recessed eye lens.
Still I find this acceptable for a glass of this price. It works, and Bantam is a binocular I dare yo use in cases I don't want to risk to loose the Viper and to lend out to a friend.
When it comes to the eyecups I find with both Bantam and Viper that they are not possible to extend enough to get the perfect distance when observing without eyeglasses. It's a pity this is still not made right.
When I look against a bright light source Bantam shows significantly more glare than Viper.
Another drawback worth to mention with Bantam is the close focus: 4-5m which is about twice of Viper. I usually don't care much about that but when I try out and compare binoculars sitting by the kitchen table I noticed that it was hard to get focus to the other side of the kitchen.

Conclusion:
Bantam 6,5(6)x32 HD is not as good as Viper HD 6x32 which was not either expected. But for 1/5 of the price it's an excellent value!
The image quality is very good and it works pretty good with eyeglasses.
6x means a stable view and 5+mm exit pupil provides a bright image in dim conditions.
As a gift to as well a child and adult, and as an extra binocular for example in the car, when you don't loose a fortune if it is stolen, I think Bantam is a great choice.
It will not replace my Viper HD but will be a complement.

Edit:

I pondered a while about the eyecup design and found it should be possible to increase the useable eye relief a bit. I realised that I can cut away a bit of the eyecup edges without risking for physical contact between eyeglass lens and eyepiece lens/metal rim. And it worked! I got probably 1-1,5mm extra useful eye relief, which is a valuable improvement.







I may later try to polish the rubber for a nicer look.
But the important thing is that it works.

A while later: I have levelled out the edge completely.

 

[Swedpat]

I have continued the process of increasing the useable eye relief. I have now also sanded the inner edge of the rubber eyecup. From being "pretty decent", I've now gotten to the point where I "climb into the picture" and have the perfect open view.
This should not be necessary if the eye lens of ocular was not unnecessary recessed. And the rubber parts of the eyecup decreased the useable eye relief even more. But I am very happy I could solve the problem completely satisfactory!

Before:



After:



Here is a sketch describing the change:

 

[chill6x6]

I've trimmed the eyepiece like that. First tried it on a Habicht 8X30. As you say, you shouldn't have to.

The MIJ Vortex's were really nice binoculars...well made, I still have the counterpart to yours, the 8X32.

Nice write up!

 

[dalat]

Just saw this. Looks like a good children's bin indeed. The minimum IPD of 51 mm is better than of most small roofs, which is an important criteria for bins to work with kids.

From a haptics standpoint the YF is great for kids. The wider barrels and general shape of porro prisms is generally a lot easier for small hands. They also accommodate small IPDs more naturally. IMO the yf is the ideal kids binocular and the vortex is unlikely to improve upon it.

My experience, well my kid's, is different. They never liked the porros and always preferred small roofs or the Papillo. One issue is that it is difficult to reach the focus wheel of the porro with small hands.

 

[Elkhornsun]

Bantam HD 6.5x32 Youth Binocular

Streamlined and lightweight so they’re easy to carry around. Solid construction and simple-to-use controls so it’s easy to find distant wildlife fast.

vortexoptics.com

Looks interesting. Pat

Close focus distance is 12 feet. Far better to buy the Pentax Papilio II binoculars that focus down to 19 inches. Available in a 6.5x21 and 8.5x21 and selling for $106 at BH Photo Video. Great for birds but also for butterflies, frogs, insects, and reptiles.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1113227-REG/pentax_62001_6_5x21_papilio_ii_binocular.html

 

[Swedpat]

Kowa yf compared to Bantam:

Pros:
*sharper image
*longer ER(without cutting/sanding the eye cup)

Cons:
*outer focusing part makes it more vulnerable for impacts
*porro design makes it easier to get out of collimation

So both have pros and cons. For a smaller child I think Bantam is better.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

I ordered a Bantam 6,5x32 at a middle day sale. Received it today.
Not as cheap as in some other countries, but it's still a very good binocular for ~$100. I have actually hard to see a difference in sharpness compared to Viper HD 6x32. Which is discontinued but was ~$500 11 years ago.

Here beside Viper HD 6x32.

View attachment 1551014

The eyelens is ~20mm compared to ~22mm of Viper. It's also more recessed.

View attachment 1551015

They are exactly the same length.

View attachment 1551018

But Bantam is thinner and lighter. Around 150gram lighter actually. Here you can see it's thinner than Viper.

View attachment 1551020

The TFOV is stated as 7,6deg. With 6,5x it should be 49deg AFOV. Still the AFOV is smaller than Viper 6x32 which has 48deg. I cannot either see a difference in magnification when comparing side by side. Viper 6x32 has slightly wider as well true and apparant FOV. I draw the conclusion Bantam is actually a 6x32. And comparing the exit pupils they look very much the same.

View attachment 1551021

When I look into the objectives I can see a completely white mirroring in Bantam while not in Viper. It's obviously some prism part which is not coated in Bantam. Still it's difficult to see a brightness difference at day.

Bantam works with eyeglasses but not that comfortable open view as Viper. It's a pity 1-2mm of eye relief is unnecessary wasted because of the more recessed eye lens.
Still I find this acceptable for a glass of this price. It works, and Bantam is a binocular I dare yo use in cases I don't want to risk to loose the Viper and to lend out to a friend.
When it comes to the eyecups I find with both Bantam and Viper that they are not possible to extend enough to get the perfect distance when observing without eyeglasses. It's a pity this is still not made right.
When I look against a bright light source Bantam shows significantly more glare than Viper.
Another drawback worth to mention with Bantam is the close focus: 4-5m which is about twice of Viper. I usually don't care much about that but when I try out and compare binoculars sitting by the kitchen table I noticed that it was hard to get focus to the other side of the kitchen.

Conclusion:
Bantam 6,5(6)x32 HD is not as good as Viper HD 6x32 which was not either expected. But for 1/5 of the price it's an excellent value!
The image quality is very good and it works pretty good with eyeglasses.
6x means a stable view and 5+mm exit pupil provides a bright image in dim conditions.
As a gift to as well a child and adult, and as an extra binocular for example in the car, when you don't loose a fortune if it is stolen, I think Bantam is a great choice.
It will not replace my Viper HD but will be a complement.

Edit:

I pondered a while about the eyecup design and found it should be possible to increase the useable eye relief a bit. I realised that I can cut away a bit of the eyecup edges without risking for physical contact between eyeglass lens and eyepiece lens/metal rim. And it worked! I got probably 1-1,5mm extra useful eye relief, which is a valuable improvement.

View attachment 1551061

View attachment 1551046

View attachment 1551058

I may later try to polish the rubber for a nicer look.
But the important thing is that it works.

A while later: I have levelled out the edge complete

Great write up. Thank you for all the pictures. I'm thinking about picking one of these up for fun.

 

[FredinZona]

The Bantams with their lower price may be good for younger kids who might be less careful. Not that the Vortex and Kowa are fragile, but he being a roof prism tends to make them tougher to mess up.

The Kowa and the Vortex Raptor are hard to beat. They are incredible for the money. The discontinued Leupold Yosemite 6x was my favorite but its eyecups were cheap plastic that fell apart. Sent them back to Leupold for repair and they don't mess with them. Returned to me a new pair of 8x42 BX1 binos-- which I don't need as I have one of the last Swift 8.5x44 Audubons for 8x serious viewing. BTW the BX1 and the Swift are the same weight at 24 ounces and the YFII and Raptor are 16.7 and 17.7 ounces respectively.

I have both the Kowa and the Vortex . Vortex in their infinite wisdom discontinued their 6.5X Raptor. but they still can be had for $80 new on ebay. Bought these for the grandkids but with their good optics, small size and easy handling they ended up as our "go to" binos for "backyard birding." They each have a different "feel" to the eyes. Hard to describe but nevertheless, it's there. Neither is a negative attribute, but be aware. Kowa eyebox is slightly more forgiving but the Raptor image is a bit sharper. The extra .5x does not seem to impact the real life Field of View.

 

[Central CO Mark]

I probably concur with most of what I've read. I recently bought the Bantam 6.5x32 (for <$69del'd) for my wife (lighter and easier to hold). I think if you get your diopter dialed in, the optics are far more than acceptable at that price. The problem (as noted by Swedpat and perhaps others) is that the eye-cups needed to screw out another 1-2 click stops to be comfortable to use. The binos are 'floaters' for us as well. (You can try to learn to rest on your forehead.)

Since I'm somehow in a binocular accumulating mode I reluctantly gave my Dia. HD 8x32 to my wife (and prayed they'd be treated gently...). The eye relief on those with the cups is great for both of us and she appreciates that alone. I'd like to think she could observe an optical difference from the Bantam, but.)

Unrelated. Since I'm familiar with SvBony, I bit and expect SA205 8x42 HD binos tomorrow. Flat-field lens system, and with ED glass for $132.18 del'd (listing @$239). We'll see what the are worth (bad pun). This is idle curiosity in part. I love great glass (no considerations) and great 'value' bins just as much for their achievements on small budgets. (Is it fair to compare them to EDG 10x42s?