Are 1 Pair of Swarovski's Worth 2 Vortex Vipers?

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Whip,

I would suggest that you put your Swarovskis on a tripod before you make any decision.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised at just how geat the "low" power glasses work for long range spotting.

Rock solid steady just adds SO MUCH to clarity.  

Bigger and blurry are trumped every time by smaller and clear.

Good luck!
Bob

[amar911]

I have a full range of Leica and Swarovski binoculars and spotting scopes, along with some Vortex, Leupold, Baush & Lomb, and Burris optics. The Vortex binos are very good, but the Leica and Swarovski optics are significantly better than the second tier brands. I would stick with your ELs. I have the 15x56 Swarovski binos, and they are outstanding for long distance viewing. The Vortex Vipers simply do not measure up, especially at the high powers with big glass where smaller defects are literally magnified. Six power magnification and 32 mm objective lenses will not show optical aberrations like binoculars with 15 power and 56 mm objectives. Like others have said -- keep the Swarovskis!!!

Allan

[Sixby]

There may be a teeny bit of difference in the quality of the Vortexs and the Swaro but I can't tell it. I think some of it is in the heads of the owners.
Both are great glasses and if you took the cost difference away and did a test not knowing which one was which I would be willing to bet that a huge percentage of people could not tell the difference. I chose the vortexs over the Swaros and price would not have made a difference if I could have told the difference.
I could and would trade the Swaros for two pairs of Vortexs without blinking an eye or getting a tear in it.

God bless you all, Steve

[tradtusker]

Funny this should come up because iv spent a lot of time on the optics lately.

Firstly I will say the Vortex has been really really good, Nigel has a pair of the Viper hds and they are supper glass for the $.
 
I have a good friend here in the army in a special unit that requires and depends on great glass in the field. They have been using the Vortex for a few years now and absolutely love it. Just yesterday I was looking through the 15x50s and the Razor hd Spotting scope. These things have been battered and beaten and the glass is still crystal clear.

but having said that its not Swaro class
and after spending a lot of time behind glass the last few years, decided that when i did up grade I would go all the way....So i own a set of HD 10x42 SLC Swaro's.

[cacciatore]

I wouldn't do it.Your bino are some of the very best you can have,you can always save some money to have a cheaper back up pair for special use.
For a Western or Alaskan long range hunting a X15 can be small anyway,you need a spotting scope!For hunting close to home:how much you use them and what's the maximum viewing range,any cheap pair of binocular can do the task as well as your great 8,5X42!

[DWT]

Buy nice or buy twice, nough said.

[Bishop]

I had the same decision last year between 8x30 SLCs and the Viper 6x32, I sold the Swaros. It sounds like the majority of your hunting is like mine in the woods and the Vipers worked better for me there. The Swaro is nice glass but I ran the Viper head to head against it in a variety of conditions from dark woods to open country and dusk/dawn. The Swaro was slightly better but not enough to justify keeping them over the Viper.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Easykeeper]

A few months back I spent about six hours over two different days at Cabelas trying to find something as good but cheaper than the Swaro 8.5x42 EL Swarovision binos I bought.  I spent a lot of time with the Vortex Razor HD...really no comparison to the ELs.  The Vortex were definitely good glass but the image was noticeably darker and had less contrast than the Swaros.  Especially noticeable in the dark corners and shadows of the store.  It was a step down in image quality from the Swaros to the Vortex although I wouldn't feel handicapped in any way with the Razors.

I doubt you will see anything with the Swarovskis you couldn't see with the Vortex binos, but since you already have the best I wouldn't go back.  The longer I spend looking through my Swaros the better I feel about the expenditure.

[eflanders]

Joe,
While the difference in glass may seem minimal when comparing them side by side for a few minutes, remember that when hunting the West, you may glass for hours at a time.  I remember my frst trip West for an Elk hunt, I took all of my optics, Spotting scope, 15 x 52 binos, 6 x 32 binos.  What I quickly learned was that while I did use all these at times, the scope was too cumbersome for packing for most times, the 15 x 52's were too heavy and bulky to carry at all times except when spotting from the road and the 6 x 32's were just too small at most times.  When I returned from that trip the first thing I bought were some 8 x 42's as the guys I was with were using either 8 x or 10 x glass exclusively.  From that point on, The only glass I bring West is the scope and the 8 x binos.  But I still use the 6 x glass in the WI woods when stalking.  However if I ever were to part with any pair it would be the the 6 x glass.

[DarkTimber]

I'll jump on the "Don't Do It" bandwagon.  I bought a pair of 10x42 SLC Swaros as a college graduation present for myself in 2004 and it's been the single best hunting gear purchase I've made.  I know if I ever got rid of them I'd regret it and with the current costs I wouldn't be able to replace them.

[Whip]

There's sure no doubt that everyone thinks Swarovski's are better glass than the Vipers.  I couldn't agree more.  That was never in question, and I'm not trying to argue that at all.  I'm also not asking whether Swaro's are worth the higher price.

The real question in my mind is who is going to see more game - the guy with one pair of 8.5 x 42 Swaro's.  Or his buddy who has a pair of Viper HD 8x42's AND a pair of 15x50's.  Naturally this question is only relevant in situations where long range detail is sometimes important.

Ultimately of course I may end up keeping what I have and eventually buying a high powered pair to go with them.  But what I'm really interested in hearing is opinions on my question above.

Thanks for all the input - it is an interesting discussion.

[Lost Arra]

I think you have a perfect combination right now with your Vortex and Swaros.

But I just don't care for big (12-15x) glass probably because I have very limited use for them.

[Steve O]

Joe,

15s are a VERY specialized piece of equipment.  If you have the need for them, you are best off saving for one of the big 3.  You are not going to see the same thing.  I hunted the Navajo in NM with guys that had Vortex 15s...they were crying for Swarovski's.

[steadman]

Having read the responses, if I had a pair of swaros right now, I would not sell them. And I do quite a bit of glassing. I can't see a need for 15X for any hunt. The reason I say that, is if the animal, even at long distances, looks good, I don't need to nit pick to go after it. I don't think you will see more with a high power glass vs a great pair of high quality glass. That being said, I will probably never be able to afford a high quality pair and would really like some vortex. I'd rather go hunting, than buy a pair of glasses that cost over $1800. But that's my opinion, and only you will be able to decide what's right for your situation. Good Luck  

[cacciatore]

Same is true in spotting scopes!
I am with Steve O,damn we are PBSers,it means we are pros.LOL.

[Whip]

I know they are specialized.  And I don't need them on all of my hunts.  But there are times when they would be nice.  Just not $2,000 or more nice.  Guys that do that type of spotting all fall year after year can probably justify the money for the best.  I can't, and won't be buying top of the line glass in a pair of 15's.

Who wouldn't like to be able to afford the very best of everything?  But the reality is that there are some very functional products that can do the job for the average guy without breaking the bank.  

It goes back to the question posed in my second paragraph above.  Given the need (or at least desire) for a long range glass, will the guy with 8.5x42 Swaro's see more game than the guy with 8x42 AND 15x50 Vortex?  

When a bull elk steps out into a meadow a mile and a half away, who is going to get the better look at him?

Ahhh, how it wish it were fall and I could be trying out my theories on a mountainside rather than debating them here!  

[steadman]

Honestly Joe, I think the guy who see's the bull first is the one who knows how to spot game, I don't think glass has anything to do with that. I have out spotted game with my 12 year old nikons than my Dad whoe has the swaro el's. But once spotted, I'm trying to get his glass away from him  

[Steve O]

Originally posted by Whip:
It goes back to the question posed in my second paragraph above.  Given the need (or at least desire) for a long range glass, will the guy with 8.5x42 Swaro's see more game than the guy with 8x42 AND 15x50 Vortex?  

When a bull elk steps out into a meadow a mile and a half away, who is going to get the better look at him?
 

You are posing two   very different questions there as the same one...


To judge the bull at  1.5  miles you want a spotting scope.  You could   probably get by with a Vortex or Leupold.    

Who is going to see more game?  I bet it would be a toss up.

You know, if you are trying to save money, just get a doubler for your 8.5s.      

I will say it one last time, in case you missed it earlier, you will regret it.

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It takes a fair amount of time to set for glassing with 15s and you really do need a tripod to do it right.

Just finding the right location that gives you the best (most) country to glass can take some time.  And a pad for your butt is probably worth the effort to drag along.

Me, I betting on the guy who can cover more country, faster and quicker with the 8.5.

True he may miss some animals that are tucked away in shadows but thats more mule deer hunting than elk.

And are you hunting "out" of the truck or on your back?  Makes a difference.

Its a good problem to have...

Bob

[kadbow]

I have been very happy with my Vipers and they served me well on my sheep hunt last year where I spent hours a day glassing.