Cabelas Viper HD 10X42 Black Friday Sale

[timberlinehunter]

I am sitting in my blind now with my new Vipers. So far so good. Esp given the price paid. We will see how low light is though.


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[35WhelenAI]

Look forward to low light report!

 

[timberlinehunter]

The binos faired well during low light! Certainly no where close to the Swarovski SLCs or ELs Ive had in the past but for the price they did well. I was able to clearly see past legal shooting time. The eye box seems to be a a bit more forgiving than my ELs were so thats a plus.


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[180splitg3]

I received my 10x42 vipers from Cabelas a couple of days ago. My box also specs the 341 fov - assembled in the Philippines. I'm still trying to decide if these are noticeably better than my 2008 Nikon monarch 10x42s - if anyone has any suggestions for testing (other than just looking through them) I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts If I can't tell a difference I'm planning to return them and look for the next step up...

 

[35WhelenAI]

I think you've hit the nail on the head with respect to a lot of this when comparing similar binoculars.

You do have to look through them and see if there is a difference for you as an individual user. IMO, this involves more than the outright perception of what we see but the comfort of holding binoculars, the comfort of the eye spacing, the eye relief that eye cups provide if you are a glasses wearer, etc.

I don't think looking through them in the middle of the day's going to do the trick. It involves using them in the field on a cloudy day, at the beginning of the day as the sun is coming up and you're looking toward the sun, at the end of the day after the sun has set when you're looking back into the timber and pick out elk/deer/unicorns or whatever making their way toward the edge of the timber, etc.

Definitely is not a set group of parameters, but a user-centric group of parameters that is open to debate.

 

[JGRaider]

My sample arrived today in the box marked by 341' FOV as well. I measured mine and they are in the 319-325' range, so definitely the old style. I still see them as as great value at $299, especially with the service and warranty Vortex is known for. IMO/IME Nikon customer service is attrocious and I won't even consider anyting with Nikon on it.

 

[35WhelenAI]

To be clear, yours are also made in the Philippines?

Mine arrived today, same 341 fov box as the China pair from last year. And we know that's the 319 fov version already. I cannot tell any difference in fov, and other than the different country of manufacture, they are identical in appearance.

Can't split hairs over that fov difference, I like the glass at that price no question.

FWIW, I have sent an email to the rep I worked with last year at Vortex, seeing if he has any extra trivia or facts to add.

Bottom line it looks like the previous spec versions are now being made in the same factory the new spec versions are, based on the intel from everyone contributing.

 

[180splitg3]

My sample arrived today in the box marked by 341' FOV as well. I measured mine and they are in the 319-325' range, so definitely the old style. I still see them as as great value at $299, especially with the service and warranty Vortex is known for. IMO/IME Nikon customer service is attrocious and I won't even consider anyting with Nikon on it.

I will say that my nikon monarchs are about 13 years old. I have sent them to Nikon twice to replace eyecups and both times they replaced them free of charge and sent then back with no issues. In my experience, their customer service has been good. I am taking these 10x42 vipers outside tomorrow to compare them to my old Nikon binos - hoping I can find some deer to look at

 

[JGRaider]

Yes, mine are made in Philippines.

 

[fatrascal]

Got three Diamondbacks which are made in China and four Vipers assembled in the Philippines with 341' fov all from Cabelas Black Friday sale. They will be prizes in a Big Buck Contest me and mt wife put on in Spring Creek, Nevada. Fatrascal.

 

[ZackP]

Got three Diamondbacks which are made in China and four Vipers assembled in the Philippines with 341' fov all from Cabelas Black Friday sale. They will be prizes in a Big Buck Contest me and mt wife put on in Spring Creek, Nevada. Fatrascal.View attachment 352414

Ah Spring Creek. Takes me back to wrestling tournament days.

I’ll second the atrocious CS of Nikon. Took 3 months to receive a repair for my father in laws bino’s. That’s with me calling twice.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Got three Diamondbacks which are made in China and four Vipers assembled in the Philippines with 341' fov all from Cabelas Black Friday sale. They will be prizes in a Big Buck Contest me and mt wife put on in Spring Creek, Nevada. Fatrascal.View attachment 352414

The box says 341 ft fov. And the binoculars say made in philippines. However these are physically identical to the previous generation units with the 319 ft field of view. Someone's already done a fov test and verified they are the 319 ft version.

Is it picking nits? I don't know, however I feel there's misinformation that can lead people to believe they got one thing when they actually got something different.

 

[fatrascal]

35WhelenAI, thanks for the heads up and I had seen that up above. Just passing on what was on the box. Still a good deal as a gift in a Big Buck contest considering the Vipers are normally a $499 binocular. They will be used as a second place prize in 4 different categories. The Diamondbacks will be used as like 7th and 8th and 9th place prizes in the youth category. Fatrascal.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I love this discussion with you guys, much more civil and pragmatic than other forums I've been on. Thanks for welcoming me and letting me jump right in.

I've never tested field of view, until this morning. Lol, I am a teacher and tested positive last weekend for Covid so I've been quarantined at home, despite covering all the bases with vaccines, etc . This is the first day I've had any energy and needed to get up and around.

Anyhow, measured 3.41' (3'5") and placed a vertical piece of black electrical tape at each end of that on my white garage door. Measured off 30 feet from the door which would be 10 yards.

At 10 yards the vertical strips of tape should be right at the outer edge of field of view. With both pairs of sale binoculars, the ones from last year and the ones from this year, I had a steady hand and the black tape was right at the far left and far right edges.

I then moved the tape to 3.19' (3'2" roughly) Both pairs of 10x42's easily accommodated that width.

Then checked my 12x50 Vipers. 288' FOV, which would be 2.88 feet at 10 yards, or 2'10.5". The black tape was right at the edges of my view on either side.

Figured the 12x50s were the most known quantity of anything I have. They did just what they should assuming my measurements are even close to what they should be for accuracy purposes in my driveway.

Note: another member here said they checked out at 319-ish feet FOV. I took his description and duplicated that test. So, I have to think I'm pretty dang close.

In a nutshell: It's the first time I've ever checked fov. I may not be perfect and may not have gotten accurate observations from this experiment. I guess when you're talking about 22' FOV difference at 1000 yards probably not that big of a deal. Discriminating between two sets of lines that are 3.5 inches further apart at 10 yards is 1.75 inches on either side. Not exactly a lot of room for error, but tape lines unquestionably fit (were visible at the same time, touching the edges) in the view left to right at 10 yards doing the experiment for 341' fov.

Moral of all the discussion and checking into things: They are a great pair of binoculars IMO for $299 whether 319' or 341'.

 

[sasquatch308]

I love mine and at that price it couldn’t be beat. Absolutely crisp and clear and bright.