Vortex Optics Vulture HD Binoculars

I quite like these binoculars in general, although they don't feel quite as nice quality as my old Nikon Monarch's. The similar spec Monarch's appear to be more visually colorful and have a less two dimensional image than these.... I notice that cheaper binoculars make the images look like cardboard cutouts... not that these are what I would call cheap binoculars...! I was surprised that from memory, the Monarch's seemed to have just as good light gathering ability as these in low light, despite being 50mm rather than 56mm.... although, as I don't have them anymore, I can't directly compare now.. To be fair, the Monarch's also cost half as much again as these Vortex's.The one big thing I really don't like about these Vortex's is the stock eyepiece rubbers. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get a clean image without messing around with the position once against my eyes. I eventually fixed this by removing the stock rubbers and using these instead.... AmScope EG-SM Microscope Eyepiece Eyeshields or Eye-guardsAfter carefully removing the lip on the bottom of these with a sharp knife, they fitted the Vortex's perfectly.... held on with a little goop. Note.... I now don't use the swivel eye relief feature as these eyepieces space out more from the lens.... that, and because they are angled to stop light getting in at the sides, wouldn't make these a good choice for users with glasses.I have found that I can use the Vortex's freehand without much problem, but I also use a mono-pod for extended viewing which works great. Nice case. Overall, quite a nice binocular for the money, clean visuals, but unfortunately, I'm not blown away.... its a shame, I really wanted to be....Update....I've just change the eyepiece rubbers again to these: Eyepiece Eyeshields or Eye-guards for AmScope SE300 SE400 Series Stereo MicroscopeThey are stiffer than the EG-SM's, have more eye socket clearance and fit perfectly and more securely on the Vultures without any modification. They do need to be used with the swivels out as they are shorter. Again, not a good choice for eyeglass wearers, but for me, they work far better than the stock rubbers.

We recently bought a home that has a view of a stretch of water from about 3 miles to nearly 15 miles of shipping lanes. We purchased these binoculars, thinking we would eventually need a telescope as well. These binoculars are exceptional. The light gathering is great and the clarity far surpasses what we could have imagined. We later purchased a Celestron C5 Spotting Scope to see further ... but the power alone was not enough to impress us. The clarity and brightness of the image in the Vortex made the C5 image less desirable. We returned it and will probably not try another telescope. The Vortex Binoculars are really that good. They are a bit heavy, but not enough to knock a star off the ratings over.

Nice binoculars. Solid, heavy. VERY heavy. For the added FOV over a 10x42 I'm not sure the 10x56 is worth its weight (literally!).My previous birding bino's are Leupold Wind River Cascades 10x42. Very nice, and really withstanding the test of time, but I found when I went out with others that I was spending a lot of time sharing the binos around. The FOV advantage sounded appealing, all the talk of improved light gathering sounded appealing, so I decided to upgrade and make these Vultures my new primary bino and the old 10x42s my "loaners".I heard a lot of great things about Vortex so checked them out at a brick-and-mortar hunting gear place and ordered these on Amazon.So, as mentioned; heavy! According to my kitchen scale over a pound heavier (a fraction of an ounce under 1.5 pounds vs a fraction over 2.5 pounds, so 66% heavier!).FOV is greater than 10x42, but in actual practice I don't find that it makes that much difference.Light gathering; not as dramatic as I had thought it would be. I could not tell a significant difference, although I don't do much low light viewing so YMMV.My biggest gripe: Fit and finish. One of the eye cups has a noticeably "stiffer" range of extension, but no big deal. The diopter adjustment is non-locking (as opposed to my old Leopold Wind Rivers) and tends to catch on and move with the focus knob (each way!!), and, most unforgivably, the two barrels do not seem to be truly in-line.The diopter issue was my first concern. Once the diopter was adjusted it just seemed to keep coming out of adjustment. I finally noticed that as the focus knob was adjusted it would catch slightly on the diopter adjustment knob and move it slightly each time the focus was moved. I figured out that if I pried on the the gap between the diopter adjustment and the focus knob to separate them that this wouldn't happen anymore, but the process had to be periodically repeated. Also, the diopter adjust knob is "forward" of the focus knob, so could be easily confused when you're trying to adjust focus while looking through the binos and not at the knobs.The biggest issue for me; each time I got the diopter finally adjusted and focused in and spent time checking out a subject, once I pulled off the binos I would have a mini-vertigo episode. As if you tried on the prescription glasses of a friend and your eyes adjusted to the point where you felt you could actually see okay, but when you took the glasses off there was a period of re-adjustment where your eyes came back to their normal focus. Very unpleasant, and I'm sure that spending extended periods making your eyes adjust for bino misalignment is not good for them.Next step; review of the vaunted Vortex guarantee.EDIT: (My aplogies to Vortex for taking so long!)So I had put the binos in a closet after my initial review and must admit I kind of forgot about them for about a year. Came across them one day and decided to send them in. Very impressed by the service! Got them back very quickly; so quickly it seems hard to believe they actually repaired and returned my original binos in that time. My guess is that the "returned" binos were either new or refurbs. Either way, they were in good-as-new condition so no complaints whatever the case.- The barrel misalignment after the service return seems to be completely gone.- The diopter adjustment knob no longer catches on the focus knob.The only less than perfect issue, albeit a minor one, is that I can't get perfect focus on both eyes. It is subtle and easy to live with, but no matter how much I fuss with the diopter there is not a perfect match. I.e., as I roll the focus knob back and forth there is a point where one eye is perfect, then where the other is perfect, but never both are perfect.Oh, well; if I want perfect I guess I'll need to fork out a grand or two. For what these cost I'll say that they are a nice set of binos and a very good value.

The Vortex Vulture 10x56 Bino sold by Opitcal Planet and fulfilled by Amazon. Point out this is the HD model even though it does not state such online. That is an overlooked item of some significance in my opinion. These appear to be very well made binoculars. I am replacing a pair of Zeiss 10x56 that were stolen a few years ago. My second pair of Zeis to be stolen. I currently have a pair of Swarovski as well. (not stolen yet). The 10x56 Vortex is a smaller and lighter optic than the Zeiss. They appear to be well made with some thoughtful engineering. The glass is very good. As good as my Zeiss or Swarovski I am not sure and will need to to make some side by side test. On a cost basis? Outstanding glass. I would probably buy another Vortex product based upon what I have seen so far. 10x56 is a great glass for low light conditions. I suggest you have something to stabilize them as well.

love them makes bird watching a pleasure

Vortex is by far my favorite optics brand, and I first compared their Diamondback model to a Nikon of the same price point and found the glass clarity to be much better in both...

Super happy with this purchase. A little bit on the heavy side but work great.

well worth the money

trophy whitetail deer hunter hunting the thick brush in Mexico, These binoculars are very good in early morning and late evening.. Great price!

excellent binoculars, met all expectations, especially with my tripod, last night I could see the lunar seas on the dark side of the moon.

Great glasses! A little on the heavy side tho

Nice

There a little heavy but do the job I want as expected. Very good light transmission in low light. These have been discontinued by Vortex.

Really surprised at the clarity, scared to order without looking at them first in person but boy was I happy. at 15x56 on a tripod I can glass for wildlife all day.