May 6, 2025

Vortex Viper 8x42 HD (2018)

There was some revision on these, and the recent ones are 2018.

I was researching these and BH photo offered me a pair for $399 and it was too good to pass up.

Full retail is $720 and the usual price you see is $490.

The price for Vortex Diamondback 8x42 is $239.
At the other end, the Razor 8x42 HD is $980 and the Razor 8x42 UHD is $1300

There is a less expensive series, the "Crossfire". Also note that there is an older diamondback without the HD designation. The Crossfire are a bit heavier and bigger than the Diamondback. The coatings are better on the Diamondback.

I was surprised to learn that the Diamondback HD 10x50 are priced at only $239 on Amazon. Of course these weigh 30 ounces -- exactly the same as my Zeiss 8x42, but you get 10x rather than 8 and 42 percent more light gathering. This might be amazing, and reviews are good. But they say a 50mm objective is wasted for terrestrial viewing and if that is your game, stick to 42mm and save weight. The 10x42 sell for $249.

Vortex 8x42 versus Diamondback 8x32

In full sun, the image is equally clear and sharp. The Diamondbacks really perform well. The most noticeable thing about the 8x42 is the wider field. I am sure the 8x42 will perform better in low light as they have 72 percent greater light gathering capacity.

But the 8x32 are lighter and a pleasure to use. And of course they cost significantly less. I suspect the Diamondback 8x42 are fantastic, but I don't have a pair in hand to compare. Two things come into play. One is that with binoculars you pay more for diminishing returns. You pay twice as much for a little more performance. At some point you pay just for bragging rights next to other binocular owners (the few who know or care). The other thing is that with older eyes, the extra performance of premium binoculars may be lost on me. At any event, if you don't have money for the Vortex, you won't be missing much if you settle for the Diamondbacks. Trust me on this.

Hard case for the 8x42

Vortex supplied a nice hard case with my Diamonback 8x32. They give a curious harness style binocular "bag" with the Vortex 8x42 that I simply don't like. It might work well if you were only carrying the 8x42 and your day out involved nothing but looking at birds, but that is rarely my situation.

A quick search on Amazon turned this up:

The price is $18 and it looks like the same zipper style semi-hard case I have for my 8x32. I am delighted with the 8x32 case, so I have high hopes for this. And the price is right.

One reviewer says that he has the Vortex 10x42 and they fit in it perfectly. The dimensions look just right. I'll report in when it arrives.

Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Bird Info / tom@mmto.org