Vortex viper hd vs. razor hd

[Luke Downing]

Gonna need new binos for my hunt out west next year and would love a pair of swarovskis but just can't pull that kind of cash for them
I have heard really good things about the Vortex lines and was wanting to get your alls opinions on the viper hd vs the razor hd. Is there really that much difference to justify the cost of the razor hd over the viper hd binos?
Need to get a good set and just not sure if it's worth the extra for the razor over the viper at almost double the cost
I know you get what you pay for but I also have to try and go as cheap as I can gear wise


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[ScottR]

I would really look at the Terra models from Zeiss, hard to beat for the price.

 

[jlmoeller]

I just purchased a pair of vortex viper hd 10x42's. I absolutely love them. I can't wait to get out west and give them a good work out. I seriously considered the Zeiss Terra and Vortex Talons as well. I compared the viper hd to the razor in low light. The razor was better, but not $600 better to me. The vipers were optically slightly better then talons, but the feel in the hands and smoothness of the focus knob pushed me into the vipers. I strongly considered the Zeiss Terra's, optically to me they were right with the talons, in a smaller lighter package. I believe there is still a rebate on the terra right now. PM Harkstalk before you buy, he is a great guy to deal with.

Jason Moeller

 

[Luke Downing]

Thanks Scott for the suggestion on the ziess I like the price on them for sure
I'll do September looking around also


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[Ikeepitcold]

I have the Vortex Viper HD in 10x50. Great glass.

 

[Luke Downing]

I'll do some more looking on them
I hate spell check sometimes lol


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[stevevan]

I'm going to differ and suggest the Razor HD. I bought a pair of 10x42 Razor HD's last year and absolutely think they are excellent and a great value. I also own a pair of 8x upper end Zeiss Binos and would put the Vortex Razors at like quality. I used the Vortex's last year and the performance was all I could ask for. If you can spend the extra I would highly recommend the Razors. Especially as a Western Bino where you'll be looking through them a lot and the extra time at daylight and dusk which separates the good glass from the excellent glass.

 

[Fink]

After comparing the Razor HD and the Viper HD, I honestly had a real hard time telling to two apart. Ultimately, I went with the Razor because they fit my face better, as the Vipers don't close together enough for my (apparently) narrow set eyes..

That said, I absolute love my Razor HD's, and don't hardly go anywhere without them.

 

[Luke Downing]

So Fink other than fit you didn't notice a lot of difference in the 2?


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[Fink]

To my highly untrained eye... Not really. But then, I probably don't even know what to look for to separate great binos, from the best. And, admittedly, I only looked through them in cabelas, and outside the store. Not ever at low light conditions, so I can't say how they perform there.

To be perfectly honest, I'm probably the last guy on the forum to take bino advise from, but, I really love the Razors, and am very happy to own them. You're flat out not gonna beat the warrantee, the customer service folks are great, some of the dealers that sell them are the best , and I'm amazed at how clear they are, and how comfortable they are when glued to my eyes all day.

 

[hvfd21walker]

BB should chime in on this soon. He is the optics Guru or Expert. Both of the Vortex are great glass for the money and you can't beat the warranty either


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[Bitterroot Bulls]

The Razors have a wider FOV (in 10x), and much different ergonomics than the Viper HDs. Centerfield performance is similar.

I really like (and own) a lot of Vortex Optics, and their binoculars offer a great price/performance ratio, but Meopta Meostar HDs are my pick in $1000 binoculars.

 

[Luke Downing]

Bitterroot
If I were going to spend say $500 on a pair of binos what would you suggest?
And $500 for a spotter what would you suggest?


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[Bitterroot Bulls]

Bitterroot
If I were going to spend say $500 on a pair of binos what would you suggest?
And $500 for a spotter what would you suggest?

i would suggest you get your hands on as many $500 binoculars as you can, and choose the one you like best.

My personal choice would be the Viper HD for $500.

The Minox MD50 spotter can be found for less than half of $500. It is not my pick for general use, but I would certainly take it over no spotter at all, and it would serve its purpose until you can afford a nice 65mm or 85mm spotter for general use.