Binoculars - £1000 limit

[Oli]

Hi,

Just got myself a second hand pair of Vortex Viper 8x42 binoculars off Ebay for £175 so I will be posting my thoughts of these very shortly. I think these would complement my Canon's rather nicely. I'm still waiting for the 15x50 to come into stock.

Oli

[spike95609]

£175 is an absolute bargain for the Vipers, around £450 is about as cheap as they come brand new in the UK. Are these the HD ones or the older model? Either way they should be very sharp and bright. I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on with them!

[Oli]

These are the older model. They have a little wear and tear but I was over the moon to get them for £175. Should be receiving them by tomorrow.

[Oli]

Too good to be true folks! Just received them today and the eye cups are completely bent so I can't twist them in, meaning that because I wear glasses they are unusable. Also there were numerous scratches on one of the lenses. Neither of this information was advertised. Will be returning these shortly.

[spike95609]

Oh no! Very bad luck indeed. So the person who sold these - exactly how far did they think they were going to get with this?

[BinocularSky]

That's sad. And also remarkably silly of the seller, given Vortex's extensive guarantee. Perhaps you could post a link ot the eBay listing?

FWIW, there are new "pre HD" 8x42 Vipers going for £200 on eBay - see, for example, here. (No connection, etc....)

[Oli]

Oh no! Very bad luck indeed. So the person who sold these - exactly how far did they think they were going to get with this?

He accepted the refund and apologised. I think he never moved the eye cups and didn't realise that they were broken. I spoke to Vortex about whether they could fix them but they required the sellers name and where he bought them from. The seller didn't know where they were originally purchased.

That's sad. And also remarkably silly of the seller, given Vortex's extensive guarantee. Perhaps you could post a link ot the eBay listing?

FWIW, there are new "pre HD" 8x42 Vipers going for £200 on eBay - see, for example, here. (No connection, etc....)

I know! Shhhh! Don't tell anyone

[Bioboybill]

Wow! I had no idea that binoculars could cost so much! I saw the title and thought that you could buy any binoculars in the world for £1000, then I clicked on one of the links and saw binoculars costing £1500. Shows how little I know.

[BinocularSky]

Wow! I had no idea that binoculars could cost so much! I saw the title and thought that you could buy any binoculars in the world for £1000, then I clicked on one of the links and saw binoculars costing £1500. Shows how little I know.

So you didn't find the Swarovskis or Vixens, then? [emoji1]

http://uk.swarovskioptik.com/hunting/el-50-c20011003/el-10x50-p5222918?gclid=CjwKEAiA7f-yBRDAgdv4jZ-78TwSJAA_WdMaxb2MFkNPdcgqzsVqHp8trN9KMPHrPRjtEtXtI_Ah_BoCzZHw_wcB

http://www.tringastro.co.uk/vixen-bt-ed70s-a-binoculars-5610-p.asp

[Psychobilly]

Zeiss SF's run to over £2k for some models...

You often see premium brands being worn as jewellery (apt for Swarovski) and it tickles me when some individuals using them haven't got the faintest idea what they are looking at with them (birding)...I also know a lot of people who use them "properly" ...

In General they are a worthwhile investment as the views are stunning and the service is second to none... I know quite a few people who drop them off for service every few years at the Birdfair...

Peter...

[BinocularSky]

A friend (leads birding tours) has that Swaro I linked to. Far and away the best hand-held binoc I've ever used. Blew my Opticron BGA WP-PC-AG-N (which I thought were very good - and still do) out of the water.

[Bioboybill]

I had a look round your site last night, Steve. Very nice indeed. My wife asked me what I was looking at. Didn't like to say I was considering binoculars after the money I've already spent on a telescope and accessories recently, but after the weather we've had in the last month the idea of using something that could be used to snatch views at a moment's notice looks appealing.

[Psychobilly]

A friend (leads birding tours) has that Swaro I linked to. Far and away the best hand-held binoc I've ever used. Blew my Opticron BGA WP-PC-AG-N (which I thought were very good - and still do) out of the water.

My experience is they are the closest you can get to looking through "nothing" but with a magnified view.... This might seems an odd description but you basically get an un-adulterated magnified view...

While not Binos I recently bought a Mitol Scope adaptor that turns my L series Lenses into scopes... It cost £121 delivered to the UK with the cheapest EP and even the Swaro crowd can't believe the views especially when it's on the back of the 600/f4L  ran it up 91 x mag the other day...  Means I don't need to carry a separate spotting scope but I use it with my 100-400 unless I need to ID something small or distant...

Peter...

[BinocularSky]

My experience is they are the closest you can get to looking through "nothing" but with a magnified view.... This might seems an odd description but you basically get an un-adulterated magnified view...

Not odd at all. I think that describes it perfectly.

    While not Binos I recently bought a Mitol Scope adaptor

[Tries Google, draws a blank]

??

[Psychobilly]

Not odd at all. I think that describes it perfectly.

[Tries Google, draws a blank]

??

Sorry my mistake - Finger trouble it should have been Miltol (Part of a Kenko Tokina) http://www.kenkoglobal.com/optics/miltol/miltol_lens/  Looks like I am going to have to source the Zoom  EP's I am after from Japan as well...

They do a Canon EF , Nikon and T-mount version... You get a fully corrected image orientation wise.

[spike95609]

A friend of mine has a pair of Swarovski ELs which he bought 10 years ago for a mere £800. I say "mere" because after that the price exploded and they're now £1,700 - though if you shop around for a second hand bargain you might get them for £1,695. The point of diminishing returns is well known with optics, where you start to pay an awful lot more and don't get a proportionate degree of improvement. Nevertheless I have had many a good look through these Swarovski's and they are the only binoculars I've used which made my own eyes obsolete. My eyesight is very good, but having to go back to it was a terrible disappointment.

[Oli]

That's sad. And also remarkably silly of the seller, given Vortex's extensive guarantee. Perhaps you could post a link ot the eBay listing?

FWIW, there are new "pre HD" 8x42 Vipers going for £200 on eBay - see, for example, here. (No connection, etc....)

Link is here. He has now added that the eye cups are damaged and the binoculars are not under vortex warranty.

[Oli]

In case anyone is interesting in repairing them. This was the image I took of the eye cups.

http://i.imgsafe.org/a04ef03.jpg

http://i.imgsafe.org/a426f19.jpg

[melsky]

I still have a pair of the original 12x36 canon IS binoculars so going on 14-15 years old and they are still working perfectly. They don't get much use these days though, since trading in some Leica ultravids in for a pair of 8.5x42 Swarovski's, they are the closest to perfect bino's I've seen, super crisp all the way to the field stop.

Mel

[Oli]

Finally got some clear skies when I visited my parents this weekend and so could finally test the Vortex Viper 8x42 (I purchased the one Olly linked from Ebay). Very impressive, bright and sharp with great colour. My Dad had a pair of Nikon Aculon 12x50's and we both agreed that the Vipers were leagues above it. We were both looking at pleiades and noticed that with the Vipers we could actually see more stars within the cluster. Also I find the 8x magnification just right for me when hand holding. 

I'm hoping to test out the Canon 15x50 next week!

[spike95609]

I'm glad to hear that you got there in the end and that the Vipers have impressed. I've read an awful lot about binoculars in that price range and I can't find anything that touches the Vipers without going over the £1,000 mark. Sometimes the Vanguard Endeavor ED IIs get a better review, and they're cheaper, but I suspect they're not as good for astronomy as their light transmission is significantly lower so you might not have made out quite so many faint stars in the Pleiades with them.

[Bioboybill]

Decided to get the Pentax Bins in the end, and this morning found my missus had got them from FLO along with a Telrad and RACI finder for my scope. Awesome!

Btw, she said the service from FLO was first class, from communication through to delivery.

Sorry wrong place lol.

[Oli]

I'm glad to hear that you got there in the end and that the Vipers have impressed. I've read an awful lot about binoculars in that price range and I can't find anything that touches the Vipers without going over the £1,000 mark. Sometimes the Vanguard Endeavor ED IIs get a better review, and they're cheaper, but I suspect they're not as good for astronomy as their light transmission is significantly lower so you might not have made out quite so many faint stars in the Pleiades with them.

Thanks. I also did my research on the Vipers and found that were highly recommended, especially Vortex's customer service. I also like the build of the binoculars, they are very sturdy but also feel very comfortable to hold. They feel like high quality binoculars.

Good News! I finally got my hands on pair of 15x50 today and tested them in store against the 18x50. I chose the 15x50. The stabilisation on the 15x50 was superior to the 18x50. I found again (like my previous review in this topic) that the stabilisation was just too twitchy for my liking on the 18x50. It would be fine for 5 seconds and than the image would jump. Also I found the larger FOV and exit pupil on the 15x50 just won it for me. Can't wait to get some clear skies so I can test them.

Oli

[chops]

What did you choose Oli?

If I were very flush and forced to have one pair I'd probably go for a superb quality 10x50 or maybe 42. I've a small Swarovski which are simply incredible to use, but I've not touched any of the larger models for fear of wanting a pair.

[Oli]

Hi chops,

I bought the Vortex Viper 8x42 and the Canon IS 15x50. I had a lovely clear night on New Years Eve to test out the Canon's and I was very happy with the results. I could make out quite a few clusters and the orion nebula was just an amazing sight to behold. Also panning the sky with the Image stabilisation on feels like I'm on a plane going through space. Well worth the money.

Kind Regards,

Oli