Vortex Viper vs Razor???

[Silvereagle50]

About to purchase a set of Vortex binos. Going with the 10x42 or maybe 10x50 in either the Viper HD or Razor HD.

Would like to hear from any that have used both in the field and what they think. Is the Razor worth twice the price of the Viper??

Will be using them here in SE Okla but planning an Alaska Sheep hunt in the next year or two. Can foresee a mule deer and elk hunt out west as well.

 

[idahohikker]

Definitely better from all reviews I've heard. My brother in law has used a Razor and Viper and was blown away by the Razor. He's never really used high end optics so she thought the Razor was amazing. The Razors are way better I believe but the Vipers may be sufficient for your needs. I'm happy with mid range optics myself.

Not sure how much research you've done but the strong consensus here would point you to other binos at the $300-500 price range and $1000 price range. Vortex has the warranty but is getting outpaced.

Meopta Meopro, Tract Toric, Nikon Monarch, or Maven C1 or B series would be solid choices.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Why Viper HD vs Razor HD

You'd be better off with

GPO Passion ED vd Passion HD

Meopta Meopro vs Meostar

In the price range of the Viper HD theres better quality in the :

Athlon Cronus

Leupold - 4

Hawke Frontier ED X

In the price range of a Razor HD there's better quality in a :

Steiner HX

Leica Tinovid HD

Leupold BX-5

 

[Silvereagle50]

Why Viper HD vs Razor HD

You'd be better off with

GPO Passion ED vd Passion HD

Meopta Meopro vs Meostar

In the price range of the Viper HD theres better quality in the :

Athlon Cronus

Leupold - 4

Hawke Frontier ED X

In the price range of a Razor HD there's better quality in a :

Steiner HX

Leica Tinovid HD

Leupold BX-5

Thanks Doug for all the great suggestions. Main reason I ask about the Vortex is I can get the Razor for $800 and I pretty much use vortex for all my glass.
I would love a set of Swaro SLCs, but another $700+ is out of my range.

 

[CorbLand]

Look into the Zeiss Conquests too.


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[Silvereagle50]

Look into the Zeiss Conquests too.


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I looked at a set of Zeiss at the Dallas Safari Club show back in February. Not sure which model they were. Loved them but was priced right there with the Swaro.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I can get the Razor for $800

I think the answer to your initial question depends on how cheaply you can get the Razors. At $800 I would go Razors, having owned both Vipers and Razors of the HD variety.

There’s some variability in Vortex’s glass and if you get a good set you’ll be happy. As others have said there’s plenty of other options out there that may be better. Depends on the pair you get IMO. I lucked into a cheap set of early S/N Razor HDs a few years back and they’ll keep pace with most of the binos others are suggesting.

Maven B-series are my personal favorite around the Razor price range, if you can get a deal on some.

 

[HuntWyld]

I’ve used them both extensively picking apart landscapes and the razor hd is unparalleled. If you get the vipers at some point down the road you will be looking at stepping up to higher end glass. If you go with the razors from the start you will have bought into a life long piece of glass that you’ll be satisfied with.

 

[cjp584]

aaoptics is a good place to look for Vortex stuff. I got a Viper 6-24x50 for almost half off when places were starting to get rid of Gen 1 stock.

 

[Cowlitz77]

I own both. Both good glass. Razor is clearer. Comes down to what you want to spend.

 

[Bsnyder]

For what's it's worth look at the Nikon monarch hg they have a field flattern or you can get in to a lot of better options like Doug with camera land mentioned, and peace of mind that you won't have to use the warranty. Just my 2 cents.

 

[HomerMan30]

The razors are amazing you really get what you pay for.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Like some others on here, I get a pretty steep discount on vortex. I refuse to buy their scopes but haven't had any concern about their binos.

I went with vipers. At the price (and at the time, well before many of the other comparables were popping up) they were the best value. I contemplated long and hard over the razors and it came down to when I got into that tax bracket, I started thinking (like many of us do) "if I could come up with another "X" hundred dollars I'd be into some german made glass, specifically the swaro CL companions (a tremendous value for 1200). My vipers have been my beat around binos. I don't doubt now that there's better options on the market but if you're getting both at a hefty discount, both work well. Perfect? no... but I couldn't justify the extra $$$ for the razors without beginning to consider other slightly more expensive options. Especially now with the leica trinovids being under $1K

my $.02

 

[Kyle Wheeler]

I’ve heard Athlon has some decent options that compare with the razor at much cheaper pricing. Might be worth checking. I’m a vortex Diamondback guy myself. Looking for viper spotting scope.

 

[generalist]

I have both. The Razor's performance is not proportional to the price over the Vipers. It's a game of diminishing returns though. The Razors are definitely better than the Vipers. No doubt. Just don't expect them to be twice as good. Just like how Swaro SLCs are not twice as good as Razors. That 5%-10% (being generous) increase in performance starts to get really expensive at that level.

At $800, Razors are worth it.

 

[Beendare]

FWIW, Cameraland is a legit outfit giving good advice.

I sold my Vipers-frankly that were disappointing compared to top glass. Vortex is a great company but you can get better glass for the $$.


Razors for $800? Good glass for a decent price if you want to stay with Vortex

 

[trdonahue7]

Thanks Doug for all the great suggestions. Main reason I ask about the Vortex is I can get the Razor for $800 and I pretty much use vortex for all my glass.
I would love a set of Swaro SLCs, but another $700+ is out of my range.

I'm with you on this one. I don't think the comparison is apples to apples. the SLC are known top notch gold in bino world. But, at 1700$ I can buy some really nice vipers or razors (both are very, very nice), a bipod, nice boots, and a bag for one pair of binos. Buy once cry once absolutely but my line is around 1k for optics. I have vortex, nikon, leupold... diamondback to razor, and the same in other brands as well. The diamondback HDs are very nice for their price and the viper HDs are better for sure. The razors are better than the vipers and reviews of the UHDs are better than the razors! Not a fan boy but I do own 12ish vortex products and shoot/hike/hunt hard/use them all the time. The ONLY time I had to send in my vipers was last week because I ACCIDENTLY forgot to clip them in and they came out my harness 90ft up a cliff. They didn't break but bent... still used them through the hunt! I like to compare side by side and not a brand nazi, so if one is comparable to another I'll happily consider it but at 1700, I just can't do it.