The are markings on both the barrel and diopter ring so you can easily see where the middle point is. This will ensure that once you have correctly set up and focused your binoculars to your particular eyesight, your setting will not easily be accidentally moved. It is also lockable, meaning that to adjust the setting you first have to pull it outwards before twisting. It is located on the right barrel, near the eyecup. The diopter adjustment ring on the Viper HD is made from hard rubber and has been etched for extra grip. This is a fairly low geared mechanism, meaning that focusing from far to near (or vise versa) is not as quick as you find on some binoculars (some take as little as half a turn), but it does have the advantage of making fine tuning your focus to get it exactly right that much easier. It takes 1 and a half turns to go from infinity to it's very impressive closest focusing distance of 5.1 feet. The focussing wheel on the 8x42 Viper HD has a hard rubber coating that has been etched for extra grip and turns very smoothly. Non-eyeglass wearers just use the eyecups in the fully extended position. The twist-up mechanism on the eyecups works very well and they have two fixed intermediate stops that should enable eyeglass wearers get the exact amount of eye relief to ensure that they get the perfect view through the optics. One of the real highlights of these Vortex binoculars is their excellent maximum eye relief of 20mm, which should be more than enough for most people who wear glasses and they easily make it onto my list of long eye relief binoculars where anything over 16mm is considered as long. These are good, but I must confess that personally I do like the ones that you find on some binoculars that have side wings that help to block out light from the sides. Eye-cups are often overlooked, but as they are the point at which your instrument meets your face they can sometimes make the difference between a good and a bad view. The eyecups on the Vortex Viper HD have a very thin soft rubber coating that makes them feel comfortable even when pushed firmly against your face. Another side benefit of this is that it will protect the inner workings from corrosion. The air inside of the binocular has also been replaced with argon gas which almost guarantees them against internal fogging that can occur in places that have a high humidity level or where you get rapid temperature changes. The whole range of Vortex Viper HD binoculars are 100% waterproof and because they are and have been sealed with O-rings, which not only prevents moisture from getting into the system, but also any dust and other debris. Light, comfortable and a well balanced these are not qualities that should be underestimated in a pair of binoculars, especially if you use them for longer periods of observation.īest Binoculars Rating for Body Stats: 9/10 Their dimensions of 5.8in (14.7cm) x 5.3in (13.5cm) is fairly standard for a full sized binocular. I have emphasized quality because you can find some very light pairs of optics out there, but they also come with cheap plastic components. Their weight of 24.2oz (686g) makes them fairly light for a quality full sized binocular. The focussing wheel was easy to adjust and reach with the binoculars held up to your eyes. These Vipers are well balanced and very comfortable to hold and I like the thumb indents on the underside of the barrels. Other benefits include that it helps with grip in wet conditions and is less reflective than bare metal - bright sunlight shining of a metal object once again could frighten away wildlife. An example of this would be something like your watch or a wedding ring - something that often happens to me when I grab hold of the binoculars. It also helps reduce the sound made from objects especially metal ones striking against them that could frighten away birds or other timid animals. This has become so common because it has a number of benefits beyond just protecting the optics from small bumps and day to day knocks. The BodyĪs with most quality binoculars that you get these days, the body of the 8x42 Vortex Viper HD is covered in a hard rubber armouring. Update: Be sure to check out my latest thoughts on the Vortex Viper HD 10x42 Binoculars. I have been wanting to review a top of the range Vortex binocular for a while now as I have heard so many good things about them but had not as yet had the opportunity to give one a really good testing, so when the guys at Eagle Optics said they would like me to review their 8x42 Viper HD, I could not wait for it to arrive.
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