10x42 Vortex vipers - upgrade or not?

[180splitg3]

Hey guys. I know there are a ton of knowledgeable people here so I'm hoping to get some advice. I have been looking to upgrade my Binos for a while and came across the Vortex viper 10x42s for $299 at Cabelas. My current binos are Nikon monarch 10x42s that I purchased around 2008 - I'm not sure if they have a more specific model number or not. Are these 10x42 vipers going to be a significant step up from my old monarchs? It seems like a lot of people here on the forum are not fans of Vortex optics in general. I have been reading some threads about the Maven C1 binos and they seem well reviewed ($350 on Amazon). Basically, I am wondering if there is a better bino than these vipers out there for around $300 that is a step up from my current binos. I am mainly a treestand whitetail hunter but have been out west a couple of times and plan to go west again next season. I appreciate any help or advice!

 

[Agross]

I thought I read somewhere the maven c1 are going on sale on the 24 or 25th . I have a set of the 10x42’s and love em.

 

[Gmr777]

I can’t speak to your current binos but I bought the vipers last year from Cabelas and love them. I’ve read a lot of independent reviews and most agree the viper HD line is the best bang for your buck and stepping up to the razor is not a big enough difference for the change in price. There’s a thread below that mentioned the Cabelas ones have a different fov so maybe look at that. I personally have been very happy with mine. My buddy tried mine on a hunt and he’s picking up a pair now.

My neighbor has zeiss and swaro binos. We compared all 3 this summer starting at sunset. The vipers surprised us both in clarity and light emission. Really started noticing differences between the 3 with the last 10 mins of light. Then swaro outshined the rest and zeiss were a little better than the vipers. But we’re talking a $300 bino compare to $1,000 and $2,000 binos…

 

[longjoshr]

Another conversation about these here:

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/thr...-10x42-black-friday-sale.241227/#post-2348867

I can't speak specifically about your binos, but I can tell you I'm doing side by side of these and the Diamondback HD's after picking a pair up this morning. The Viper is definitely better glass than those.

 

[Firehawk]

I thought I read somewhere the maven c1 are going on sale on the 24 or 25th . I have a set of the 10x42’s and love em.

I just got my email a few minutes ago. The Maven C1 10x42 goes on sale for 25% off on Wednesday and runs through Cyber Monday. At that price, and considering the specs of the "on sale" Viper at Cabelas, I would choose the Maven for sure. Just my .02 worth anyway.

 

[180splitg3]

I just got my email a few minutes ago. The Maven C1 10x42 goes on sale for 25% off on Wednesday and runs through Cyber Monday. At that price, and considering the specs of the "on sale" Viper at Cabelas, I would choose the Maven for sure. Just my .02 worth anyway.

Thank you for your input. Are there specific reasons why the maven c1s are better than the vipers? I think my current binos are OK - I'm just trying not to make a lateral move

 

[JDalton]

Thank you for your input. Are there specific reasons why the maven c1s are better than the vipers? I think my current binos are OK - I'm just trying not to make a lateral move

I've used both side by side in the field looking at animals and the C1 was slightly brighter and clearer. The Viper has to me a better build feel and the eyecups are much better but optical performance goes to the C1.

 

[Firehawk]

Thank you for your input. Are there specific reasons why the maven c1s are better than the vipers? I think my current binos are OK - I'm just trying not to make a lateral move

I'd agree with ndayton. Viper build quality is probably slightly better on the Viper, but the C1 isn't poorly built at all. I also like the eye cups on the Viper a little better, but the C1 eye cups work fine for my eyes.

Optically, I felt the C1 is sharper, better to the edge, and brighter. Both are very close to each other. But at the normal pricing, Maven is a better buy. With the special Cabela's version, Vortex builds them with the smaller FOV which is almost the same as the C1. Normally the C1 complaint I mention is the narrow FOV. So, considering the Viper FOV on the Cabelas version, that is a non issue between the two. Both will be a little narrow.

I haven't used the Nikons you have. So it is hard to say whether you are moving laterally or if it is an upgrade. I bought the C1 to replace a broken bino for my son. I had the B2 9x45 at the time and it is really really good. I much prefer the B2 to the C1, but it is NOT a fair comparison. The B2 costs 3x as much and it is worth it in my opinion.

FWIW, the Maven B1.2 is awesome and I thought the Maven B3 8x30 I recently sold, bested the 8x42 C1 we have by a significant margin. So...the C1 or Viper are far from perfect binoculars, but they both work really well and with them you start into "good optics" in my opinion. If you could find a deal on a used B1 it would be a BIG step up. But you will probably be pushing $550-600 for that option. Only you can decide if it is worth it.

One thing I have found is that I (me personally) cannot hold a 10x bino steady. I really struggle with every 10x bino I have had to use them for any amount of time unless they are on a tripod. On a tripod, there is no issue. However, a good 8x or similar, I can hold free hand quite well and the shakes are less noticed.

Good luck with your decision. You are on the right track, but I would choose the Maven over the Vortex at the pricing they can be had at right now. If the Viper was the wider FOV version that is normal from Vortex, I would probably go with them. But since they are not, I would go the Maven between the models you are looking at.

 

[180splitg3]

I'd agree with ndayton. Viper build quality is probably slightly better on the Viper, but the C1 isn't poorly built at all. I also like the eye cups on the Viper a little better, but the C1 eye cups work fine for my eyes.

Optically, I felt the C1 is sharper, better to the edge, and brighter. Both are very close to each other. But at the normal pricing, Maven is a better buy. With the special Cabela's version, Vortex builds them with the smaller FOV which is almost the same as the C1. Normally the C1 complaint I mention is the narrow FOV. So, considering the Viper FOV on the Cabelas version, that is a non issue between the two. Both will be a little narrow.

I haven't used the Nikons you have. So it is hard to say whether you are moving laterally or if it is an upgrade. I bought the C1 to replace a broken bino for my son. I had the B2 9x45 at the time and it is really really good. I much prefer the B2 to the C1, but it is NOT a fair comparison. The B2 costs 3x as much and it is worth it in my opinion.

FWIW, the Maven B1.2 is awesome and I thought the Maven B3 8x30 I recently sold, bested the 8x42 C1 we have by a significant margin. So...the C1 or Viper are far from perfect binoculars, but they both work really well and with them you start into "good optics" in my opinion. If you could find a deal on a used B1 it would be a BIG step up. But you will probably be pushing $550-600 for that option. Only you can decide if it is worth it.

One thing I have found is that I (me personally) cannot hold a 10x bino steady. I really struggle with every 10x bino I have had to use them for any amount of time unless they are on a tripod. On a tripod, there is no issue. However, a good 8x or similar, I can hold free hand quite well and the shakes are less noticed.

Good luck with your decision. You are on the right track, but I would choose the Maven over the Vortex at the pricing they can be had at right now. If the Viper was the wider FOV version that is normal from Vortex, I would probably go with them. But since they are not, I would go the Maven between the models you are looking at.

Thank you so much for your response!

 

[180splitg3]

I've used both side by side in the field looking at animals and the C1 was slightly brighter and clearer. The Viper has to me a better build feel and the eyecups are much better but optical performance goes to the C1.

Good info - thank you. Do you know if the maven will be on sale straight from The Maven website or from a different source?

 

[JDalton]

Good info - thank you. Do you know if the maven will be on sale straight from The Maven website or from a different source?

To my knowledge they only sell direct from their website so that is where you would get the discount.

https://mavenbuilt.com/collections/holiday-specials

 

[nobody]

The maven C1's are worth a look in that same price range, for sure. I ran mine last season and was happy with them, and my hunting partner and good friend ran vipers. We compared them side by side, and there was essentially zero difference optically. The C1 has a narrower field of view, but the clarity and contrast were basically the same.

Something I didn't love about the C1 is the polymer housing. I know polymer's have improved in recent years, but it just doesn't seem as robust as something with a magnesium chassis. The vipers have the magnesium chassis, so that may be something to consider if it's important to you??

At the end of the day, we didn't feel handicapped by either pair of binoculars and didn't really feel like we were missing anything until we both upgraded significantly this season. My buddy bought some used 10x56 Zeiss Night Owl's for a screaming deal, and I picked up the new Vortex Razor UHD 10x50's about a week after they released them. We've legitimately gained about a half hour in the morning and a half hour in the evening of glassing light, and we can both glass for significantly longer spans of time before taking a break.

Something to consider is keeping what you have, saving for 6 months, and then buying a really big jump in quality and performance and stop looking around for something better. Whether it's the C1's or the viper's, you'll probably be back on here asking opinions on the next tier of binoculars looking to upgrade.

 

[180splitg3]

The maven C1's are worth a look in that same price range, for sure. I ran mine last season and was happy with them, and my hunting partner and good friend ran vipers. We compared them side by side, and there was essentially zero difference optically. The C1 has a narrower field of view, but the clarity and contrast were basically the same.

Something I didn't love about the C1 is the polymer housing. I know polymer's have improved in recent years, but it just doesn't seem as robust as something with a magnesium chassis. The vipers have the magnesium chassis, so that may be something to consider if it's important to you??

At the end of the day, we didn't feel handicapped by either pair of binoculars and didn't really feel like we were missing anything until we both upgraded significantly this season. My buddy bought some used 10x56 Zeiss Night Owl's for a screaming deal, and I picked up the new Vortex Razor UHD 10x50's about a week after they released them. We've legitimately gained about a half hour in the morning and a half hour in the evening of glassing light, and we can both glass for significantly longer spans of time before taking a break.

Something to consider is keeping what you have, saving for 6 months, and then buying a really big jump in quality and performance and stop looking around for something better. Whether it's the C1's or the viper's, you'll probably be back on here asking opinions on the next tier of binoculars looking to upgrade.

Thank you for your input. Moving beyond these 10x42 vipers and Maven c1s - what would be the next level up? I've been reading about leupold bx4s, zeiss conquests and meopta Meostars - all being good glass for under $1,000 but there are literally endless threads of opinions on glass...

 

[nobody]

Thank you for your input. Moving beyond these 10x42 vipers and Maven c1s - what would be the next level up? I've been reading about leupold bx4s, zeiss conquests and meopta Meostars - all being good glass for under $1,000 but there are literally endless threads of opinions on glass...

The BX4's will be essentially an optical match to the Viper and C1's. The Conquest's and Meostars should be the next step up.

Here's something to consider. I always recommend to people that you save for as long as possible and buy less pairs of optics but a better pair of optics each time. If you buy your entry level binos, then a $200 pair, then a $500 pair, then a $700 pair, then a $1000 pair, then a $1200 pair, then an "alpha" level pair, you'll spend so much more money on that last pair in the long run just because of the losses you've taken on sale of your other binoculars.

Here's the math. The first number in each equation is what you buy them for and the second number is what you can realistically sell them for. I'm going to use Vortex's lineup as the main catalyst for this math, just because they have one pair in each of these price categories, but the same can be done swapping in other optics companies.

Diamondback HD's: $260 = $260 (don't sell because you'll need an extra/truck bino) loss
Viper HD's: $500 - $300 = $200 loss
Razor HD's: $1000 - $700 = $300 loss
Razor UHD's: $1500 = $1500 spent

If you add all the totals up, in order to pay for one pair of truck binos and one pair of the UHD's, you've spent $2,260.00. If you just buy the Diamondback's and save until you can afford and buy the UHD's, you're $1760 into the same end result, leaving $500 for tags and other gear upgrades along the way.

Again, you can swap in Leupold Alpines on the low end and Swarovski NL's on the upper end. But if you spend tons of money buying just small incremental increases, you'll end up spending so much more money to get to the end result of one backup pair and one high end pair.

Not everybody needs or wants alpha glass either, so that top end of where you'll spend money will change depending on what you want from your optics. But the concept holds true. If you are plenty happy with a $500 pair, then buy as few pairs to get to the $500 pair as possible and spend the other money on more gear and tags.

 

[180splitg3]

The BX4's will be essentially an optical match to the Viper and C1's. The Conquest's and Meostars should be the next step up.

Here's something to consider. I always recommend to people that you save for as long as possible and buy less pairs of optics but a better pair of optics each time. If you buy your entry level binos, then a $200 pair, then a $500 pair, then a $700 pair, then a $1000 pair, then a $1200 pair, then an "alpha" level pair, you'll spend so much more money on that last pair in the long run just because of the losses you've taken on sale of your other binoculars.

Here's the math. The first number in each equation is what you buy them for and the second number is what you can realistically sell them for. I'm going to use Vortex's lineup as the main catalyst for this math, just because they have one pair in each of these price categories, but the same can be done swapping in other optics companies.

Diamondback HD's: $260 = $260 (don't sell because you'll need an extra/truck bino) loss
Viper HD's: $500 - $300 = $200 loss
Razor HD's: $1000 - $700 = $300 loss
Razor UHD's: $1500 = $1500 spent

If you add all the totals up, in order to pay for one pair of truck binos and one pair of the UHD's, you've spent $2,260.00. If you just buy the Diamondback's and save until you can afford and buy the UHD's, you're $1760 into the same end result, leaving $500 for tags and other gear upgrades along the way.

Again, you can swap in Leupold Alpines on the low end and Swarovski NL's on the upper end. But if you spend tons of money buying just small incremental increases, you'll end up spending so much more money to get to the end result of one backup pair and one high end pair.

Not everybody needs or wants alpha glass either, so that top end of where you'll spend money will change depending on what you want from your optics. But the concept holds true. If you are plenty happy with a $500 pair, then buy as few pairs to get to the $500 pair as possible and spend the other money on more gear and tags.

Thanks for the response. I took the binos out to a hunting blind to compare to my Nikons. I really can't see any difference between the two so I am thinking I will return the Vipers and wait until I can move up to the next tier. I glassed for the last two hours of daylight and even at dark they were too close to be able to tell a difference. I think I paid $300 for these nikon monarchs back in 2008. Also, I think they were made in Japan which seems to be better glass. I think the Vortex glass is Chinese and assembled in the Philippines...

 

[Peaks&Creeks]

These are wise words. This is exactly what I did. 6 years ago I bought a pair of Diamondback 8x42 for $150 at a Sportsmans Sale. I was lucky enough to win a pair of Viper HDs which I’ve ran over the last 5 years, but if I hadn’t won those, I’d have kept going with the Diamondbacks. Anyways, after 6 years of putting money to the side, I purchased some Swaro NLs. I live out west and live and breathe western hunting and do a little guiding every once in a while, so to me they were worth the price. Many of my friends also have alpha glass but have gone the way of incrementally upgrading and not getting much in return with the sale of those.

I’m not saying you need to jump to alpha glass at all, but a lateral move in optics is quite pointless in my opinion. I would keep saving and jump to something like the Meopta Meostars, Kowa Genesis, or Maven B series. Lots of other quality glass in that $900-$1200 range.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sasquatch308]

I got a pair of the vipers and they are super bright and clear. The optical clarity is amazing and at $299, such a great deal.