While I no doubt appreciate the highest end of the optics bell curve, I, like most people, also look for the perfect intersection of quality and value — the ideal middle slice of the Venn diagram .This exists in the Vortex Viper series of binoculars, particularly their 50mm offering.
I had somehow made it through my entire life using the old Porro prism-style binos. ‘Nam vibes. “Me and Charlie… eyeball to eyeball.” I even shot my first deer with a moldy old pair of Bushnells. Until you look through something better, they’re fine, and around two years ago I began to upgrade all of the optic arrows in my quiver.
The Vipers present outstanding clarity and, for the larger objective sizes, excellent light-gathering ability. If you are using less transmissive optics, you can likely add a minimum five to ten minutes onto your morning and evening glassing sessions with the Vipers. Indeed, during those later twilight hours, the view through the Vipers is brighter than that of the naked eye.
You can easily add an Arca-Swiss plate for tripod use via a Vortex adapter, and the binos themselves ship with a nice bevy of accessories, cleaning cloths, and caps. I threw all of that stuff in a drawer and they live permanently and with room to spare in my beloved Alaska Guide Creations Kodiak chest pack. When I’m packing around, I’ll throw a GFI Kenai chest holster on underneath the bino pack, and while there are a few buckles that need juggling to shed a layer or two, the ergonomics of the setup are surprisingly good.
If there is another pair of binoculars on the market with better optical and build quality for the same amount of dough, I sure as hell would like to see them. They will meet the needs of even the most demanding hunters.
