The new Vortex 15x56 Diamondback HD

[amassi]

for those who have the 15x’s; do you think they could replace a spotting scope for most use cases?

Yes

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[TheGDog]

for those who have the 15x’s; do you think they could replace a spotting scope for most use cases?

Definitely try glassing with 15s BEFORE you try using a small spotter. They are way easier to grind thru a hillside with. They are for finding... the spotter is for "judging".

Right off the bat, you got twice the FOV. AND... you're making use of your stereoscopic vision for better motion detection.

 

[timberlinehunter]

So do you guys think these are worth spending the money on? Is the clarity good enough? I have Swaro 8x42s now but I was looking for something for longer range glassing. I am having a hard time justifying the money for the Swaro 15x56 when they would only be used for two weeks out of the year. That extra money saved could buy a lot of tags or other gear.

 

[TheGDog]

If they are similar to my Vortex Vultures (which I suspect they are, since they took away the Vultures line), I'd do it.

 

[timberlinehunter]

Well I bit the bullet and have a pair coming. Just in time for my upcoming WY antelope next week. I think these will be real handy glass the open country. I just can't do a spotting scope so for my eyes binos are the way to go.

 

[TheGDog]

I assume you already have your Tripod, yes? You have to have a Tripod with 15's.

 

[timberlinehunter]

Yes I already have a nice tripod and outdoorsmans pistol grip with panner. Should be a nice setup.


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[MeatBuck]

I assume you already have your Tripod, yes? You have to have a Tripod with 15's.

This is bad information. Do not listen to this.
May as well just run a spotter if you’re going to lug around a tripod. Totally unnecessary.

 

[ChrisAU]

This is bad information. Do not listen to this.
May as well just run a spotter if you’re going to lug around a tripod. Totally unnecessary.

No tripod for 15x Binos?

I can sit all day behind binos on a tripod a lot easier and more comfortably than I can with a spotter. In no world can I get more information at distance when hand holding 15's than I can with a good 10x, for more than a few seconds anyway. Zero chance I haul around 15x without a tripod. I'm pretty sure that's pretty universal here and even applies to 12x...I won't hunt out west without a tripod for 10x for that matter. When glassing distance is a big part of the day, regardless of glass on hand, I want a tripod.

 

[Blue72]

Well I bit the bullet and have a pair coming. Just in time for my upcoming WY antelope next week. I think these will be real handy glass the open country. I just can't do a spotting scope so for my eyes binos are the way to go.

loveto hear your opinion on them since you already own swaro's.

 

[TheGDog]

"lug around" a Tripod? The one I have is not "all that and a bag of chips"... but it's also not heavy. When extended fully to standing height.. it's certainly a bit susceptible to wind shake, but when at seated heights, like you're going to do most of the time anyway. It's just fine. It's just some inexpensive SLIK I bought off amazon at the recommendation of some serious Elk dudes. That... and the Outdoorsman Micro Pan head, and Bino Stud Adapter. So easy to setup in a big hurry with the Bino Stud Adapter.

SLIK Sprint Pro II

 

[timberlinehunter]

I will post my thoughts on these binos once I get some time behind them and get back from my hunt.

 

[FLAK]

Love my Vultures.

 

[TheGDog]

Love my Vultures.

Love mine too... but after getting these ZEISS man... I dunno...I'll have to see about that. The back-and-forth comparison I did the other day... their sharpness/crispness of the image is definitely noticeable.

At first I was trippin' cause it seemed like it was giving me the same magnification, or so I thought. So I picked some stationary objects... paid attention to their perceived size... then swapped. Indeed the Vultures were showing it to me bigger. But the things I for sure noticed was a small bit of step down in clarity... and not all the FOV is providing you image that is in good focus on the Vultures... and also.. the Depth-of-Field with the ZEISS was a "Whole nutha level".. and I reasoned that this is why I at first I was taken aback... thinking the ZEISS was giving me same magnification.

It wasn't... but it was providing me with a significant bit more data and detail for my eyes to take-in since you're getting the entire FOV and the Detail is better AND you get to see so much more detail since the Depth-of-field is like night-and-day better.

The Depth-of-field is the single biggest thing to set'em apart.. followed then by the clarity... followed by how the entire FOV is giving it to you, vs the Vultures kinda having a rim around the edge that isn't providing me with that in focus clarity that the middle area of its FOV is. The ZEISS are straight-up Edge-to-Edge.

Now, I am a glasses wearer these days, so they certainly could have something to do with it, I dunno. But you figure if that was the issue... I'd have similar experience in the ZEISS, which just isn't true.

I guess I'm just saying that now... I'll think long and hard before I decide that I *need* to bring the Vultures with me as well. There are some places where I will, just because they are soo very open with long-distances uphill in terms of checking out all the spread-out little clumps of scrub oaks and stuff on the shady side within steep draws. But I dunno. I've been steady testing these ZEISS Conquest 10x42's out while walking my little dog at Dusk and damn man... even by hand, with the light the right way coming in from behind you, I can see a DAMN long way with these! You know... like seeing what kind of bird it is on top of a Powerline Pole easily 1000yds away.

Down this street that feeds straight into our neighborhood... at Sundown I can see greater than a mile down it because it's a very straight Ave. With the ZEISS at the street signs at 1.31 miles... I can see the street sign, but can't quite make out the letters because of heat waves. But at a distance of .81mi I can totally read the street name on the street sign that comes before that other further one. With the Vultures I can more make out that 1.31mi street sign name. I can recognize the name, because I know what it is. But it'd still be a little hard to "read" it due to heat waves if I didn't know what the name was to begin with.

 

[amassi]

This is bad information. Do not listen to this.
May as well just run a spotter if you’re going to lug around a tripod. Totally unnecessary.

False and missing the point entirely
Your already dropping weight by ditching the spotter
Also can run a much lighter tripod for binos than said spotter. Now you have a better glassing system, shooting system etc. Win win

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[FLAK]

It really depends on what type of hunt for me.
I'm going on an Aoudad hunt in TX. in Feb and
I will be carrying my 15x Vultures and a pair of
10x42 Leupolds. The 15's will most likely only
be used from the truck.
Back last June my son and I were black bear hunting
in Mt. I carried the 15's in my backpack and he carried
the 10's in a chest rig.
Rarely, if ever would I carry both on a solo backpack trip.
Maybe on a Coues or Sheep trip.

 

[MeatBuck]

Spent the last 4 days of Azone glassing with these 15s dawn to dusk to find blacktails without a tripod. I cant imagine needing one in the future. When you spend an entire day looking over the same country like I often do, the obscured deer I can’t pick up right off will move to where I can see them at some point in the day. They don’t stay in bed all day.
The reason I bought these is because I could hold them just as steadily as my 10x. That was all I needed to make the purchase. If they had required a tripod they’d still be in the glass case at sportsman’s.
You do not “need” a tripod for these.
I’m sure there are instances where being too cold could be shaky without tripod to help steady but I’ve not had it happen. If it does, maybe I look into a tripod.

 

[MeatBuck]

No tripod for 15x Binos?

I can sit all day behind binos on a tripod a lot easier and more comfortably than I can with a spotter. In no world can I get more information at distance when hand holding 15's than I can with a good 10x, for more than a few seconds anyway. Zero chance I haul around 15x without a tripod. I'm pretty sure that's pretty universal here and even applies to 12x...I won't hunt out west without a tripod for 10x for that matter. When glassing distance is a big part of the day, regardless of glass on hand, I want a tripod.

Sorry I’m not doing what’s “pretty universal here” or whatever you do in “no world”. My statement stands, you do not “need” a tripod to glass dawn to dusk with these binos.

 

[ChrisAU]

Sorry I’m not doing what’s “pretty universal here” or whatever you do in “no world”. My statement stands, you do not “need” a tripod to glass dawn to dusk with these binos.

That’s not what you said. You said using a tripod with 15’s is bad advice. That’s laughable. Maybe you get by with it, but telling someone that using a tripod with 15’s is bad advice in general...whew. If it works for you then great, but to state it as fact for everyone is a fallacy. Not trying to get in an e-argument though, carry on.

 

[TheGDog]

Welp... if you're gonna attempt to hand-hold 15s all day? I'm just gonna say that you'll probably end up eventually needing glasses stronger than even MINE... ya feel me here? In all seriousness, sure you can "spot-check" a lil bit with 'em. But don't do that to your eyes man. Looking thru 15s all shaky and hand-held all day? That'll jack up your vision all kindsa quick man, on the real!

Brother, the magic is in them being still. When they're still? Don't know about you... but *I*... even me... with my jacked-up vision that needs glasses 24/7 now... the Predator in me gets unleashed and I see freakin' AN-Y-THING that moves (AND even sh*t that doesn't move) if it's in the FOV! But that magic? It only can happen when the glass is still, man. Otherwise? Your brain gets bombarded by too much input variables it has to contend with and compensate for and you lose soo much of detecting what's actually there! Especially the thicker it is!

There are some tricks though for helping to provide at least somewhat of a rest for the binos. Dudes will perch them on top of a Bipod/Shooting-Sticks and handhold them that way, in an attempt to shed weight. I'm sure that'd help a bit in terms of eliminating shakiness, I'm sure it's better than only hand-holding them, at least.