Vortex diamondback 10x42 vs Vortex Viper 10x42 (2 Viewers)

[BAL Land]

Hi all,
I’m planning on buying new binos. I tried out both of the models listed in the title today at a store and around the parking lot, and I saw that the viper, as expected, was overall the better bino. My budget fits both the viper and the diamondback, but to be honest, I don’t see that much of a difference. Is it worth the extra money to get the vipers, or save the money and go with the diamondbacks? Thanks!

 

[stevenberk]

I have never used the Viper. But my 10x42 DB is light in weight, handy, and "good enough," but obviously not great, If you compare it to the brighter, heavier, and sharper Zeiss Conquest, which I have, you will see the difference immediately. My guess, you will be sorry if you don't buy the Viper. Sorrier, if you don't buy the Conquest. Or, the Kowa 10x33 (try it). If you wait, you can get any of these at a very good price.

 

[lilcrazy2]

It is hard to get the real impact of the differences between the two with the limited type of testing/comparison you described. If you were to spend some time in the field with the two, and at different times of the day, I think you would find a much greater difference in the optical quality between the two. Since you also seem to be into photography, I would think you would be much happier with the Viper HD's superior performance in the long run.
My vote would be for the Viper HD's and don't look back, but then again, you may have differing requirements.

 

[Paultricounty]

Viper is a step up from the entry level diamondback. They are brighter and have better edge, larger sweet spot. As Lilcrazy2 said it takes some time in the field under different lighting conditions to appreciate the difference.

Paul

 

[BAL Land]

Thanks all!

 

[Cest]

I just upgraded my 8x42 from a Diamondback to the Viper. So far the Viper is impressive. Glad I did it.

 

[Will K]

I know they are more expensive, but it might be worth trying the Vortex Razors before you make a decision. They're a step up from the Vipers, and are currently Vortex's attempt to compete with the higher-end glass models from Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski (Victory, EL/NL, Noctivid, etc.). Some people might prefer the Razors over these more expensive binos due to Vortex's famous warranty.

The Razors have HD and UHD options; the latter are more expensive, but the ordinary HDs are almost as good, and quite a bit cheaper.

If the Razors are pushing your budget too far, and the Diamondback does not quite give you what you need, then the Vipers are probably somewhat of a compromise option. A good one, though.

Either way, the key is trying them out in person, to see which one is the best fit for you.

 

[has530]

Also worth pointing out... the last 2 years cabelas has run black Friday specials on vortex vipers for $300. They were the old model (prior to the 2018 redesign) but still quite nice and near unbeatable for that price. I don't know if these specials were just old stock or if there were new production runs of the old design for black Friday specials but it may be worth waiting for the cabelas black Friday ad to see if they'll be back this year.

 

[BAL Land]

Thanks all! I ended up going with the viper 10x42s. So far they seem really good!

 

[Paultricounty]

Thanks all! I ended up going with the viper 10x42s. So far they seem really good!

That’s a nice binocular , and you have Vortex customer service.

Paul

 

[Trinovid]

Can anyone tell me the process to contact Vortex about repair on a 10x42 Viper HD?

 

[Upland]

Call them. Number is on their website. They’ve always been very helpful to me.

 

[Trinovid]

Call them. Number is on their website. They’ve always been very helpful to me.

I just did and they were just as you described. Now to go and box them up for shipping.

 

[mwhogue]

Thanks all! I ended up going with the viper 10x42s. So far they seem really good!

Bal Land,

When / if you are inclined I'd be interested in your thoughts. Below is a copy of my recent post to the Bargains thread"

Vortex Viper HD 10x42 on at Cabela's and Bass Pro for $299.97.

No affiliation but had the chance to compare them for about and hour yesterday with EDG II 7x42 , SW FP 12x50 and others. The Viper's performance, handling, focus function, construction, image quality (nicely saturated color but bright and accurate), FOV, ER, were all very competitive. Highly subjective but with the smaller than more common size and slightly lower weight it was easy to hold as steady as an 8x very close to 7x.

Mike

Mike

 

[BAL Land]

Bal Land,

When / if you are inclined I'd be interested in your thoughts. Below is a copy of my recent post to the Bargains thread"



Mike

Well, this is my first pair of real binoculars, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. That being said, I’m super happy with them for the price. Surely there’s flaws that I’m not familiar with, but the image is great, they’re super light,, and I don’t really know what else to say.

 

[Elkhornsun]

I ran into some birders at a local hot spot and one was using the Nikon Monarch 5 12x42 binos. I was surprised that they were 12x as they were no larger than my 10x binos. As I get older I see the benefits of having more image magnification and have found myself no longer using my 8x binos.

I had the Vortex 12x50 and their 15x56 binos and have most recently added the Nikon Monard 5 12x42 which are 5.7 x 5.1 x 2.1" in size and weigh only 22.6 ounces. They are no heavier than my 8x42 binos.

For low light viewing the objectives are important but so is the amount of image magnification to see details in subjects. So instead of choosing an objectives size and then the magnification, I now do the reverse.

 

[Elkhornsun]

BH Photo Video is offering great discounts on Vortex binos at this point in time. They do not show the discount price but will email it on request and then provide a link to a page with the reduced price.