The Best Vortex Vipers HD 10x42Binoculars Review

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Vortex Viper HD Binoculars’ design and shape is tried and tested, with the 10×42 version being comfortable to hold and well balanced. Their overall shape (42mm, 6 inches long with fully extended eye-cups,and 5 inches wide) is typical for an up-to-date roof prism binocular. The Viper HD 10×42 binoculars are heavier than older models, and that difference includes a number of changes in design.

A well-indicated alternation where the thumbs are placed on the underside encourages holding the binoculars to have the best possible balance correctly. The feeling when holding the binoculars is steady and comfortable.

Apart from its balanced body design, a few more things stood out. For instance, the focus wheel, located on the juncture between the eye tubes, is large enough and has a stippled exterior for extra grip, especially during the winter months when thick gloves make focus adjustment hard.

More user-focused adjustments are concerning the eye-cups and the dioptre. It is a significant improvement that the dioptre on Vortex Viper HD 10X42 binoculars is lockable, making the settings unable to change, thus unlikely to move by accident—small detail but essential nonetheless. Regarding the eye-cups, they have a mechanism that helps them twist, covering a range of four positions. That makes them highly adjustable and hard to collapse. That is how most manufacturers make their products, but only a few get smooth operation and a solid feel. They are reinforced with metal, so it’s unlikely to fall apart.

The Viper 10×42 binocular is fully waterproof and o-ring sealed. Vortex binoculars contain argon and not nitrogen gas, and according to theories,the first is harder to diffuse or start leaking of the device.

Of the utmost importance is for the Vortex Viper HD 10X42 are the high-level optics. It is the best possible product for its class, and the multi-coated system enhances the brightness and the quality of the image. The mirror coatings are extremely reflective and allow almost 99% of the prism’s light to make its way through. These coatings are expensive and difficult to apply, so once more, there is an indication of the very high quality of the Viper HD 10×42.

A reference to the optical statistics confirms Vortex Viper HD 10×42 binoculars’ high quality. Their field of view is 319ft wide and up to 1000 yards away, a good feature for the money the cost. They also have very good eye relief (16.5mm),more than enough for eyeglass wearers. Lastly, the minimum focal distance is only 5.1 feet, an excellent feature that makes the binoculars ideal for close-range viewings.

Worthy of note is the Vortex Viper 10X42 binoculars’ warranty policy, so if service is required, the company is entitled to repair or replace the faulty binoculars free of charge. The only exceptions are deliberate damage, theft, or loss. Vortex’s warranty has no time limit.

Pros

• Good price
• Bright image
• Lightweight
• No chromatic aberration or fringing
• Good neck strap
• Easy to hold
• Good eye-relief
• Warranty

Cons

• Uncomfortable eyepiece
• Bad light scatter
• Stiff focuser
• Price could be lower

Bottom Line

Vortex Viper 10×42 binoculars are great devices that provide comfortable viewing at a decent price, considering all the well-placed features and the attention paid to details. It is undoubtedly rare to get quality high-end instruments, and it is all the small things added up which separates the very good from the excellent.