These discussions are really subjective. I base my opinions on nearly 50 years in the field and having used and traded in high end optics for many years. I have spent countless hours comparing optics over the years, often with a circle of friends. I operate a small gun business and alot of scopes and binoculars pass through my hands. I am not biased toward any particular brand. As a musician and instrument dealer for years, I learned not to judge an instrument solely by the builder. With this in mind, I believe the Razor line to be outstanding optically. I have compared the HD and UHD models with several Zeiss and Swarovski binoculars and remain impressed with the image quality. Regarding the Razor HD's, a friend and I compared them against a pair 2006 NEU SLC's and we observed virtually no difference (My eyes do not see CA). We did not test in low light. I have compared the Razor HD against the UHD and don't see alot of difference, but the edge goes to the UHD, especially in low light. The AK prisms are a far superior design and its hard for many SP prisms to keep up. I have not used the latest HD version of the SLC's, but can attest the UHD's stand tall (No pun intended) against any SLC I have ever looked through, and I have owned and used SLC's off and on for 25 years. The mammoth Backwoods Pursuit review interestingly placed the UHD's above the SLC's. As you mention, Vortex lacks in build quality, but the warranty compensates for it in many instances. If I were a guide or serious hunter like some on this forum, I would unquestionably use Swarovski. Nothing feels better in my hands. I briefly tested NL Pures and look forward to trying them again. No doubt they are at the top of a steep hill.
