Vortex Optics Diamondback 10x42 Roof Prism Binocular

This binocular from Vortex has very clear glass, the eyepieces have great eye relief (16mm) and the right-eye diopter placement worked absolutely perfectly for me. The compact design feels very good in hand and the middle finger of my right hand easily accessed and worked the center focus wheel as needed. With a good field of view (345 feet at 1000 yards) and an almost 3D quality true color view, we were impressed by the Vortex Diamondback 10 x 42 Binocular and would recommend it to others. This Vortex binocular is now on its way to a friend who is a world-class collegiate archer, as he wants to test against his Leopolds. I will return here to add comments from his review as completed, and offer the following from my week's worth of testing so far: To begin with, the binocular was shipped quickly in a well packed box, and arrived in perfect condition. The binoc comes with a rainguard, lens covers, carry strap and a semi-hard clamshell zippered carry case. The exterior of the binocs is made of a waterproof, rubberized green and black material that is very comfortable to hold, and the compact size adds to that comfort. Within just a few minutes I had the eye relief of both eyepieces adjusted to my liking, and then set the right-eye diopter to my vision needs. Very easy to do... so we headed out to the back forty. Right away we had a great test experience; we have a family of Barred Owls that live near the creek that runs through the property, and papa owl was sitting right there in a tree surveying the land (looking for dinner, we surmised). I was standing on a little hill, and Mr. Owl was in a tree about 40 yards away. Between us there were various trees and undergrowth, including a beautiful dogwood tree (purple/red fall time leaves) sitting in a small swale. With this Vortex Diamondback 10x42 binocular, I could see the fine detail of the owl's brown, gray and white feathers and seemingly peered right into the dark black pools that were his eyes. Very cool; like a staring match seeing who would blink first (am sure he won). Yet, with an easy turn of the center focus wheel I could back off of the owl and focus in quickly on the dogwood tree, seeing the vivid red-purple leaves, and every vein running through them. Even though the tree was 30 feet or so away, this binocular made it feel as if I could reach out and touch the leaves and small berries. That was my first experience with the Vortex Diamondback Binocular, and the rest of the day, the rest of the week, followed suit. Am very happy with the performance based on the following: * Clarity: Very good; better than any other binocular under $400 that I have experienced * Color: Absolutely true color came back to us through the lens * Ruggedness: The rubberized armor coating helps make them tough, but also makes them easy to hold * Water & fog proof: The lenses are multi-coated and the binoc is argon gas filled, so we had no fogging. Temps ranged from 68 to 16 on our test days * Design: Outstanding compact size, easily adjusting to the distance between my eyes, with controls that are easy to reach and use * Eye relief: One of the best features of all, allowing my eyes to have the space needed to see the full field of view * Field of view: Very good 345 feet at 1000 yards, or about 6.6 degrees * Size & weight: Just right for our needs at about 6 inches long, 5.5 inches from side to side, and just under 1.5 lbs * Warranty: You can't get better than a Lifetime Warranty... Having purchased other Vortex gear (such as their StrikeFire) and been impressed, this Vortex Diamondback 10x42 Binocular maintains the great Vortex track record. This binocular has a fantastic price-to-value ratio and you really have to spend some time comparing it to other units in order to gain full appreciation for how good a deal this is. The VIP Unconditional Lifetime Warranty coverage that Vortex provides also adds value; given that warranty, if an issue ever arises I will return here to update the review and let you know what the issue was and how resolution was handled. I did receive this binocular gratis from the manufacturer and put it to immediate use to objectively find out how well it performed. My statements here reflect that testing, and will be updated when the archery team finishes their review too. If you are looking for a 10x42, waterproof, fogproof, binocular of this style, size, power and price, for use similar to what I have described above, then I highly recommend this Vortex Diamondback 10x42 Binocular to you based on our experience with it. This binocular seems well built and easy to use, and has worked very well for me. Highly recommended. Go for it. (PS: By the way, the fleece hat is nice, soft & warm too)

We’re birders but we’re also cheap. Some of our crazy friends have binoculars worth thousands of dollars (really). When we go out birding, we usually are in a harsh wilderness environment. Sometimes salty with sea spray, sometimes icy with subzero temps. Over the years, we’ve tried a half dozen of the “next best level” birding binoculars, meaning the ones that are under $1,000. Many share the same form factor as this 10x42 waterproof Vortex model. Hands down though, this one takes the cake. Superb optics, bright light capture, sturdiness, and durability. Slightly heavier than our next favorite but quite a bit better. Comfortable to hold and to view with even with glasses. Very little distortion even on the edges of the visual field. Over 25 years of avid bird watching, these are the binocs we grab first.

I hunt for deer, pig, bear and turkey. After using a Bushnell 10 x 50 binocular for several years, I was looking for something more compact, lighter in weight, easier to hold the image, and not as heavy. I researched various manufacturers for several months before selecting the Vortex Diamondback. I just needed to determine whether I wanted the 8x32, 10x42 or 10x50 model. I happened to be at a large catalog retailer store and checked out all three. For me, the 10x42 was exactly what I needed. I couldn't believe the clarity of the optics in the store. But as we all know, the proof comes when you are out in the field. I just returned from pig hunting at Lake Sonoma in California. I put these binoculars through their paces from pre-dawn to dark. I have to say I was able to clearly see movement at distance approximately 45 minutes before sunrise. Throughout the day I was continually amazed at the clarity and ease of use. I was bow hunting, and with my bow in my left hand and the binoculars on a chest harness I was able to effortlessly hold the image still and focus with my right index finger to search under every tree and every clump of manzanita for pigs. I also was able to clearly see detail at distance after sunset, when I could not see detail by eye. In my humble opinion I would say that the low light capability of these binoculars is really good--good enough for this 52 year old hunter that has worn glasses since age 16!!! I was able to comfortably use these binoculars with the eye piece cups in all positions. I tested this just to make sure. I did find that It is easier for me to keep the rubber eye piece and objective lens covers in my day pack, rather than deal with putting them on/taking them off multiple times per day. Once you set the diopter you are good to go, with no further adjustments needed, other than focus for varying distance. These binoculars even have a threaded connection for a tripod, if you need to use one. I had previously asked this question on Amazon and had received several replies saying it didn't have a threaded connection, but when you read the instructions included with the binoculars, you will see that all you have to do is unscrew the cap located below the focus wheel--and there it is. The binoculars come with a very comfortable neck strap, rubber objective and eyepiece covers, and a nice zippered storage case with shoulder strap. The case is large enough to accommodate the binoculars with the chest harness attached. The binoculars are both fog-proof and waterproof. I read another review on Amazon that said these binoculars aren't as good as some $600-$1,500 models. Well, I wouldn't know about that and it might be true, but as a blue collar hunter, I was able to purchase these binoculars for under $200 on Amazon (the vendor had a screamin' deal), and this put me in to a whole new world of hunting! More scanning, less hiking, and more meat on the table! One major reason I decided on the Vortex Diamondback binoculars over other manufacturers is their unconditional lifetime warranty. I saw other manufacturers had a "limited lifetime" warranty. For me, if a manufacturer is willing to stand behind their product 100% unconditionally, I will choose them over the other "limited lifetime" manufacturers--100% of the time. In closing, if you are a hunter or outdoorsman that needs a high quality pair of binoculars at a very reasonable price, I very highly recommend you take the time to evaluate the Vortex Diamondback 10x42 binoculars. You will be pleased you did---year after year, after year, after year!!!!!!!!!! I purchased these for myself for the upcoming Christmas, and I can tell you that after using these binoculars while hunting, this will be a Christmas to remember!! I am serious-if you are a blue collar hunter like me without a lot of money to spend, GET THESE GLASSES---you will be very happy you did!

These are great binoculars. Focusing is quick and easy and they seem to stay in focus between uses. I like the 10x42 size as a good size for multiple uses, from wildlife, sports, and even observations of the moon and some planets (but you are not going to see Saturn's rings with 10x). The unconditional warranty is refreshing in this day of very limited warranties on practically everything. To compare, I had an issue with some Celestron binoculars that were shipped out of collimation. Celestron would not help since it had been more than 30 days from purchase. These are very comfortable binoculars. Not lightwight, but not too heavy to use all day. The lens caps stay on the binoculars (but out of the way) when open, which I think is a huge benefit and will, no doubt, result in keeping my binoculars in better condition, not to mention I won't loose the lens caps.. I like these so much that I now want an additional pair in a different size. I wear eyeglasses, no line tri-focals. I can use these binoculars while wearing my glasses with no problem. I just leave the eyecups flush with the eyepieces. If I do choose to take my glasses off to view, I just extend the eyecups for a great view. Either way seems to work well. It does seem that removing my eyeglasses does work better for low light (dusk, night viewing) because it reduces ambient light that leaks in from under my eyeglasses. If you need a good all-around pair of binoculars, then you should give serious consideration to these. They are a good size, with good light and magnification, a pleasure to use. They are well designed, high quality, and fairly priced. I guess you can tell that I am impressed. You will be too.

This review is for the second binocular I received, the first one having been purchased from OpticsPlanet and this one a replacement for the original coming directly from Vortex. The first binocular was bad, real bad, as confirmed by Vortex. Hey, it happens. Anything mass produced is bound to have a lemon once in a while. I just happened to get one. In addition I will go so far as to say I suspect the original binocular was a return to OpticsPlanet which of course was subsequently resold. Certainly I can't prove that, but given all the other trouble I had with OpticsPlanet I would strongly advise anyone to avoid purchasing through them. There is very good news to report about the replacement from Vortex; this is one damn fine binocular! I was pleasantly shocked when I finally had a chance to give this thing a workout, as it were. The first thing I noticed was how sensitive the focus is. I consider this to be a good thing; I hardly mind having to readjust the focus as often as I did and got used to it quickly. The diopter setting was a cinch to dial in and I did not have to readjust once done. Image clarity is excellent, with only the slightest chromatic aberration. You practically have to be looking for it; I first tried this binocular late in the afternoon, looking at mountains perhaps 2 miles away. Between the light at that time of day and the colors of the mountains (mostly medium to dark brown) a lesser binocular would have shown its true colors, pun more or less intended. I expect you make out a rabbit bounding through the brush at well over a mile with this. I like the size of this binocular; it's fairly compact. The crosshatch in the rubber skin makes it easy to grip. Overall the binocular feels good in the hands. The neck strap is comfortable and should be plenty sturdy. I also appreciate that it comes with thick rubber covers for both the ocular and objective lenses. You can loop the neck strap through the ocular lens cover; one side of the cover has a break in the loop, making it easy to get it out of the way. The carrying case is nice, if a bit on the large side. You won't have any trouble putting the binocular back in its case and won't have to stuff the neck strap into a tight fit. I found the performance of this binocular to be superior. Clarity, color accuracy, focus...it has everything for which one could ask or expect, certainly at this price point. Best of luck finding anything that compares without rapidly moving toward 4 figures. One other thing absolutely must be stated: the customer service I received from Vortex is as good as I've ever seen. The only thing they could have done to make it better would have been to hop on a plane and hand deliver my replacement unit. The CSR I dealt with was exceptionally helpful and quite prompt in replying to me each time I wrote. If you have a problem with a Vortex product, do not hesitate to contact them directly. Unfortunately Vortex cannot sell directly to the end user at this time. If they did I would in the future buy from them with no regard to any discount off MSRP I might get on Amazon. Even so, I stress again that if you have problems or questions, contact them. This binocular will remain my favorite for a long time to come. Highest praise for Vortex, and boo-hiss for OpticsPlanet.

After reading MANY good reviews about the Diamond Backs I had to give them a try. I had actually purchased the Nikon Monarch 5 bino and couldn't loose the nagging feeling that the Diamond Backs were better and less expensive. The Diamond Backs have a very rugged look and feel them. They are light and feel good in the hand. The eye relief is decent but could be better for those who, like me, wear glasses. The hinge pivot was a little tight but nothing to complain about. The case that comes with the DBs is a soft shell clam type case. It looks nice but may be a bit harder to stow if your needing space because its not something you want to "crush". As far as the optics, they are good but not what I would call fantastic. There is clarity but not an impressive amount crisp definition or color "pop out". If you are coming from a $40 bino to these you'll probably be quite impressed. If you are comparing these to other mid-range binoculars, you probably won't be disappointed but not overly impressed either. Many reviewers in other forums preferred the DBs over Nikon Monarchs. Because of the dates on the posts, I really think that they were comparing older Monarchs to the DBs, maybe the Monarch 3 or ATB. As compared to the newer Monarch 5, the Diamond Backs don't measure up. However, in their price range the Diamond Backs are a good choice that I am sure many people would be satisfied with. The Nikon Monarch 5 is more expensive, but I feel like the extra quality was worth the cost. I returned the Diamond Backs after my field test. I was able to obtain a set of Vortex Talon HD binos and test them. The Talon's are far superior to the Diamond Backs in every way except weight and comfort. They are also $250 more. If you are on a budget, don't want to spend more than $300 on a pair of binoculars or have never had a quality pair of binos you will probably be happy with the Diamond Backs. If you are looking for the best in a mid-range bino and don't mind the added cost, I'd go for the Vortex Talon or Nikon Monarch 5 or 7 (there are others out there also but I have not used them). It really is best to test a pair of binos before you buy because, as with many things, what makes a good binocular is a matter of preference.

Excellent in every way, and at this price... well, a bargain! I find the views bright, sharp, and completely without residual color fringing. The collimation seems perfect, so there is no eyestrain at all with prolonged viewing. The field of view is in good accurate sharp focus from the center of the field of view to edge of the field. The apparent field of view is huge, wide, and this heightens the perception of the 3-D effect that the binoculars give (it's clear that the eyepieces are a wide-field-of-view design-type). I also use the binocs for stargazing, and find the star images very sharp and without astigmatism or flaring, a stringent test for any optics! Viewing very bright objects such as the moon does not result in ghost images or multiple images: the anti-reflection coatings on all the optics and internal parts thus seem very efficient and effective. And I see no evidence of internal reflections from scattering when viewing bright objects: clean! The weight of the binocs is good, and not excessive, and they feel very solid; the focus control is easy and conveniently placed, and the variable diopter adjustment on the right-hand eyepiece is easy to adjust and it "stays put" once set, yet is always easy to re-adjust (say, when you hand the binocs to a friend with differing eyesight details). I'm very happy with these binocs, and will use them in all applications where 10x42mm binocs are appropriate, and especially in birding and Astronomy. I purchased a Vortex binocular Harness strap for easy carrying in the field, although the neck strap already included with the binocs is very fine and has a nice comfortably padded neck-piece cushion. The included binocular case is good, but my pair will spend most of its time out in the open and ready to use (read, "grab") in an instant. Again, this is a bargain and really a beautiful marriage of very high optical quality and mechanical design & implementation. Kudos!, Vortex. The 10 x 42mm Vortex Diamondback binocular is a hit with me, a retired Astronomer who appreciates fine optics and mechanism.

Binoculars are my hobby. And have many. I say these are the best binoculars for the money and I have compared with most all of the competion. O and by the way these old generation new production 10x42s are as good as the new generation diamondbacks (but different), just a little more weight that has advantages Have the feeling they put even better optics in these older generation than the early production. And the life of the company warrenty is great of course.

These are as good as they say

Il Diamondback 10 x 42 della Vortex è un ottimo binocolo, ben costruito, robusto, ma leggero da trasportare. Con il gas interno anti appannamento. I 10 ingrandimenti sono la miglior soluzione per il birdwatching. La qualità ottica, rapportata al costo del binocolo, è eccezionale. La confezione è completa di cinghia morbida per il collo e borsa semi rigida per il trasporto. Uno strumento sicuro e affidabile ad un ottimo prezzo.

Mom loved it

Es ist zwar das „ alte“ Modell, aber zu dem Preis unschlagbar. Wir sind rundherum zufrieden.

Vortex Optics D241 Jumelles - very easy to use, very bright, feel lighter than expected, which is good when you are treking