Vortex Diamondback HD 12x50 Binoculars

Exactly what I was looking for in lightweight binoculars. Great clarity and brightness. My hand falls naturally on the super smooth focus. Easy one handed use.

Love these. Small, lightweight, and clear!

I’ve been really impressed with the Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 8x42 binoculars. The image quality is crisp and bright, with excellent clarity even in low-light conditions, and the colors look natural without that washed-out feel cheaper binoculars can have. They feel solid and well-made in the hands but aren’t heavy, so they’re comfortable to use for long periods whether I’m hiking, birdwatching, or just scanning the landscape. The focus wheel is smooth and precise, making it easy to dial in a sharp image quickly. On top of that, the wide field of view is a huge plus for tracking movement. For the price, the performance and build quality are outstanding, and they honestly feel like binoculars that cost much more.

Excellent for the price. The glass is Diamondback series clear. Magnification is excellent. The weight is good for 15x magnification. Tons of accessories came with it. I would recommend these.

A couple of years ago my Zeiss 8x20 pocket mini of 40 years of use took a swim which ruined the coatings. I began to use my backup pair of Nikon Sportstar III 8x25 DCF (now marketed as Trailblazer 8x25 ATB)-$87. Well I figured that it was time to purchase a new set of glass but I wasn’t going to spend a small fortune on the German name brands. After I saw the evaluation of the best binoculars under $400, the top brand was the Vortex Diamondback 8x28 which surprisingly was under $200, I thought this would be easy. Well, not so fast. My first requirement for a binocular is that it fit in my shirt pocket. With birding,it’s a game of seconds and mental concentration. One must go through a mental checklist very quickly. I don’t backpack any longer but enjoy much birding in a very large managed area and use my gravel bike to get to the distant pools. A Columbia shirt has two large breast pockets which were large enough for the Vortex. OK, but two things about the 8 x 28 bothered me. One, I needed a higher power and the eye relief at 18mm kept the binos too far from my brow. I like to have the edge of the eye cup touch the brow which helps to steady the shake factor. I next tried the Occer 15x30. For $37 this little rascal has pretty good glass. Problem is it’s not 25x30, it’s 8x25 and I wanted a set that will give me more detail on shorebirds. It’s a cheap build and I really don’t know if any of the specs are accurate. Still, it has pretty good glass and I think it shows that the Chinese mass production of optical glass has advanced quite a bit. Another bono in the gift pile. Next I tried out the Pentax UP 8-26x21 ($84) The specs looked good but OMG the optics were junk! The 8x had maybe 20% focus in the center and the 16x had none of the field in focus. Where was Quality Control? So back they go on the return truck. All this time I kept looking at my 2003 Nikons to get a baseline to compare the others to. It’s not a bad little bump with good clear optics and a wide FOV. So I bet you’re saying “what about the Vortex Diamondback 10x28”? Yep, I got it and after my efforts at learning about the competition , I’m so glad I did. The optics are excellent. I figure every person has their own subjective opinion on optics, but the Diamondback is not only very clear, but the colors are so vivid and the picture takes on a 3D effect. The eye relief is 16mm which is fine (I don’t wear glasses). The eye cups lock in two positions and feel very solid with no jiggle. Some have complained that there isn’t a lock for the diopter, but it doesn’t need one. The wheel is very tight with no way to accidentally move it. The aluminum frame is very solid and covered with rubber. The barrels are sealed and purged with Argon for waterproofing. This bono does not have a cheap feel to it, and best of all it’s only $144 on Amazon with free shipping! And it comes with the Vortex lifetime unconditionall warranty if it ever does have an accident! It’s been on two outings and so far I love it. Oh, and yes, it does fit in my shirt pocket.

Bought the 15X56 Diamondback this week to provide me the ability to see additional detail over my 10X42 Nikon Monarchs. I made the comparison before first light through the morning, during the middle of the day, and at last light into darkness. I found the Vortex to definitely provide more detail during low light over the Nikon. I'm not sure they were much brighter than the Nikon's but they were a least as bright and the additional detail provided by the increase in power was noticeable. During mid-day, I found the difference to be less noticeable. I don't think the Vortex are as clear as the Nikon's but the Nikon's were more expensive so I'm not really surprised. But regarding the ability to see detail, I still give a slight edge to the Vortex, again due to the increase in power. The only thing I don't like about the Vortex, and it was the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is the focus adjustment knob is too sensitive. What I mean by that is that the difference in focus when changing from 200 yards to 300 yards is only a hair or a degree or two in the knob adjustment. I suspect this is the reason why I found it hard to get an absolute clear picture when focusing at any distance. It is a little frustrating and something that wont improve once I get used to the binoculars. When trying to get the binoculars focused on an object at any distance, the focus goes from blurry to clear to blurry in only a very very minor turn of the focus knob. Overall, very good for a binocular at that price and I am happy with the purchase.

Crystal clear, easy to adjust and I also like the fact that you do not have to put the eye cups all the way to your face. As it makes it to where the glass doesn't fog up from your body hear on a cool brisk morning. Used them during spring turkey season here in Missouri and am looking forward to using them this fall in the deer stand. I am now entertaining the idea of getting a Vortex scope for one of my favorite deer rifles. Would highly recommend these binoculars.

Clarity is amazing. 12x50, can really see across the way.Objective Lenses are so big that I have them pretty much touching so my eyes line up with ocular lenses. Very nice though. Nice weight, feel really well made.

Amazing

■Vortex / Diamondback HD 8x32 ・小型軽量、頑丈で防水。 ・視界も広く画質もそこそこ良い。 ・レンズカバー、ネックストラップ、セミハードケース、クリーニングクロス付属。 ・質実剛健さを求める方におすすめ。 ●ビノジャパンからDiamondback HD 8x32を購入。アメリカ本国では実勢$200ちょっとで、ニコンP7やコーワSVIIと同じくEDレンズ不使用のエントリークラスに相当するモデルです。 ●視野周辺の各収差や逆光耐性などは値段なりですが、8.3°という広視界に加えて中心像のキレはなかなか鋭く、快晴時には少々ギラつくくらい高めのコントラストのおかげで近距離の水鳥なら羽毛の模様まで鮮やかに見えるし、100メートル以上先の人相の判別やクルマのナンバープレートの4桁も判読できます。トイ双眼鏡しか覗いたことのない初心者なら「ここまで見えるのか！」と驚くことでしょう。像の色合いもやや暖色の自然な感じで、夜間の街灯によるフレアやゴーストもそれほど強くなく明るく見えるので、照明きらめくライブステージなどは迫力ある画が楽しめます。 ●シャーシはマグネシウム合金製。8x32で450g、10x42で605gと軽いながらもカッチリとした剛性感があり、2回ほど硬い床に落としてしまいましたが無事でした。ヒンジ調整用のカニ目ネジは見当たらないものの、ヒンジは重い（というか固い）ままなので耐久性も問題なさそう。鏡筒は窒素よりもガス抜けしにくいアルゴンガスが封入された防水仕様で、何度か雨に降られていますが内部に曇りやカビは出てません。大径のピントリングは指のかかりが良く、慣れてくると回転もスムーズになりピントの山も合わせやすい。元の値段を考えるとボディの質感が良いです。 ●国内メーカーにはないアグレッシブなデザインが格好よく、ダメージ覚悟で使い倒せるので「とりあえず」という時に持ち出すのはいつもこれです。欧米のハンターやシューターにもそういった点が人気のようで、シーンを選ばない質実剛健さを求める方におすすめします。

Ayant déjà les 10x32 de même marque et modèle j'ai également pris les 10x42 pour un peu plus de luminosité. Comparé à des leica que l'on m'a prêté elles restent bien sur moins bonnes, avec un peu plus de flou sur l'extérieur de l'image, des couleurs tirant a peine sur le jaune et un peu d'aberration chromatique dans certains contextes mais je n'arrive pas le voir à chaque fois. Elle n'ont pas à rougir au vu du prix. Elles proposent une image très détaillées et nette. Si l'on compare les 32 et les 42, je ne trouve pas flagrant l'apport de luminosité des 42mm mais je note que la zone nette est plus étendue avec moins d'effet flou sur l'extérieur de l'image. Au final pour le gain de poids je prend plus souvent les 32mm. La qualité de construction est sérieuse, les molettes sont très agréables à utiliser. La pochette ventrale livré avec est utile, mais au finale elle ajoute encore du poids et un harnais plus simple me serait mieux aller. Je recommande la marque et le modèle. Bonne observations à tous

Ziet er degelijk uit,moet hem nog wel verder uitproberen,is wel wat forser dan ik had gedacht ,wel compleet.

Excellentes petites jumelles. Robustes, fluides, nettes. Vraiment top. Tiennent la comparaison en plein jour avec des Zwaro : étonnant !