Vortex Optics Razor UHD 10x42 Binoculars & GlassPak Pro Binocular Harness

My wife wanted to get me something special to mark my 65th birthday and complained that I always buy the stuff I want anyway so why not just tell her and she could buy it. I thought about it and decided a nice pair of birding binoculars would be great. I already own a nice pair that are 12 x 50 and while that is great for distant things one often finds birds a bit closer and the 12x offer too much magnification.I decided on the 8 x 42 Razor USD binoculars. They are a bit heavier but they have greater quality glass as well as the Abbe–Koenig prism which is a bigger but has better light transmission. I don't do a lot of hiking now and often am doing walks at our parks or to a bird blind at a state park so I felt the extra weight was ok since I was getting superior optics.I was impressed as soon as I opened the box. The binoculars come in a nice box and inside was a message that my binoculars were inspected and packed by Cindy! They come with a well designed case, harness, add on pocket for the case and a cleaning micro fiber cloth. There is also a nice neck/shoulder strap.I was very impressed when I went outside to have a look through them. They are truly well made and everything was crystal clear. I didn't notice any chromatic issues like a color shift fringe where tree branches meet a flat sky. The edge to edge sharpness is superb.These are not cheap but when you compare them to other Alpha level binoculars made by companies like Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski the price is really reasonable. The build quality is excellent and while I hope to keep them clean and dry I don't think dusty or wet conditions would be any real issue as far as getting into the lens tubes, one would just need to be careful how the outer elements were cleaned.The only thing I wish was just a bit better designed is the case that is supplied with the chest harness. The case is really tight with my 8 x 42 model, can't imagine anything bigger fitting in. When you put the binoculars into the case and pull the cover over (it is held with strong elastic bands) the binoculars case is not completely shut, if out in some rain it would get inside the case. I wish they had made the case a bit deeper to fit these binoculars.

I have the 18x56 UHDs and needed to fill the gap between tripod stabilized to handheld. The 10x50 UHDs do this in spades. My neighbor is a big time Swarovski guy and has their latest and greatest; the both of us can't see any comparable difference between his and mine glass match up. WELL WORTH THE MONEY. The only con I have is the accessories that comes with the glass is garbage, but who buys quality glass for the accessories? I have Marsupial and KUIU harnesses for this.

These are really great. I wanted a set of binoculars for the sailboat... I'd loved my Razor HD 10x42's that I've had for 6 or so years but I'd often forget them at home. So I needed a specific set of binos to leave at the boat. I'd compared my Razor 10x42's to the quintessential Steiner 7x50's that are often considered the perfect marine binocular. My 10x42's had a larger magnification (10 vs 7 power) but had quite a bit wider field of view. The wider field of view helped provide better context and allowed you to stabilize with your eyes better while the boat moved. However, the Steiner's were a bit brighter when night fell. Not by a lot but definitely brighter. Should be said that I was comparing to the lower end Steiner's...When trying to find unlit crab pot buoys at dead night with a new moon off shore while running the motor its a bit of a stressful time. My Razor HD 10x42's were my go to bino's because the slightly higher mag worked pretty well but I was often wishing for the brightness of the 7x50's. These Razor UHD's are that perfect mix. The improved prism design makes them a good bit brighter. The enhanced lens coatings help make them brighter and the fact that I bought the 8x42 makes them brighter. These make it much easier to see and I think that only a FLIR system would do a better job. But this way it is always ready to go, never needs recharging, and costs less for better opitcs that will last longer.As I compare my Razor HD 10x42 to my Razor UHD 8x42 I find them to be very similar during the day. They both have slight CA issue when looking at a very dark item against a bright background you will see a bit of purple/green fringing but only when brightness differences are stark and you're only annoyed by it if you're looking specifically for it.However, as the light dims the differences really become a lot bigger. What I don't know for sure is how much of the difference is because I'm comparing UHD to HD and how much of it is simply because I'm comparing 8x42 to 10x42... That all being said I bought the UHD 8x42's for $930 and at that price I feel like I really got a wonderful piece of glass.Lastly the larger form factor and the ergonomics of the larger binocular will suit our application to using these on the boat well.. They are easier to stabilize while underway with the seas are moving you around. As well thankfully their larger weight isn't something that I have to carry around very much while on the boat. So while I'm extremely happy with my purchase I still prefer my Razor HD 10x42's for use on stable land and/or when I have to pack them around a lot... The weight and size savings for the HDs is a big advantage when you have to carry them. So I FULLY understand why Vortex is keeping the Razor HD and the UHD lines at the same time.So somehow Vortex has sold me the best pair of binoculars I've ever owned and could ever imagine owning twice. And the most amazing part is that with Vortexs' warranty I'll probably own these for the rest of my life.

Amazing product, crystal clear sights and everything i expected from this product.