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Viper 6x32 HD discontinued

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JMO View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JMO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Viper 6x32 HD discontinued
    Posted: August/11/2016 at 09:30
Like the title says, unfortunately the Viper 6x32 HD is being discontinued.

I took advantage of the sale last weekend to order a pair as a gift, and was notified Monday they were out of stock.  When the gentleman from SWFA asked Vortex about getting more in he was told they were discontinued.  No word on if they will be replaced or not.

You can still find them for sale without too much trouble, but SWFA doesn’t carry them anymore.

As an aside: I bought these based on research I did on this site and Opticsthoughts.  I’ve lurked on both sites for years.  Thank you to ILya and all the other terrific contributors for sharing your knowledge.

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DCAMM94 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DCAMM94 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2016 at 10:07
Thanks for the info, and welcome to the OT!
Although personally I am quite content with existing explosives, I feel we must not stand in the path of improvement. -Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2016 at 12:39
That is disappointing.  The original 6x32 Viper is still my go to binocular.

I hope they replace it with something of 6x or 7x magnification.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote oldfortyfive Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2016 at 13:45
They were very good as were the older Fury 6.5x30's.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Klamath Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2016 at 16:19
Maven just introduced a 6x30 B3 model.  It is,in my estimation better than the Viper.  Listed as 445' fov, but my unit measures 460'.  Poke you in the eye obviously wider fov than other advertised 420' fov glass like the Viper or the Yosemite.  So there is an option.
Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2016 at 16:46
Originally posted by Klamath Klamath wrote:

Maven just introduced a 6x30 B3 model.  It is,in my estimation better than the Viper.  Listed as 445' fov, but my unit measures 460'.  Poke you in the eye obviously wider fov than other advertised 420' fov glass like the Viper or the Yosemite.  So there is an option.

Good to know.  Perhaps I should reach out to them and see if they will let me borrow one to try.
Thanks
ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WJC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2016 at 18:11
I tend to butt in where I'm not wanted. However, there always seems to be a great deal of talk about wide fields, but not nearly as much about the QUALITY of that field near its edge. For example, some folks go weak in the knees over the Navy's Mk 42 with its ~12-degree field. Yet, while even near the edge, one could make out flames from a bomber's exhaust, it might be poorly suited for critical birding or hunting applications.

But, while the original Swift Ultralite, Celestron Ultima, and Adlerblick Fernglasser (all virtually the same bino) had a limited field, it was on par with some of the best from Asia or Europe. They didn't offer a lot of bragging rights, just a light duty bino with great optical performance.

Just a thought.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JMO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/11/2016 at 21:30
Klamath -interesting, thanks for the heads up.  I hadn’t visited the Raven sight for a while – it looks like they have a few new offerings.

I think I will stick with the Viper though.  I suspect where it is going it will get beat up pretty good.  I have no way of evaluating either optic for durability, but to me the Viper looks more robust with the rubber coating and less visible seams.  Although about the same size (4.9”x4.8” Viper vs 4.7”×4.6” Raven), it weighs ~25% more (20.6 vs 16.25oz).  Whether or not that translates into being more durable I can’t say, but it is pointing in the right direction at least.

Weight was definitely a consideration that went it to selecting this bino.  I was looking for a good balance between usability and portability, but I will rationalize to myself that the extra ¼ lb on the viper is not too big of a negative.

Finally, I just like the more subdued color scheme of the viper.  (And I realize that isn’t necessarily rational).

As another aside:  WJC – I am glad you chimed in.  I definitely have you and Klamath in the “other terrific contributors” category I mentioned above.  I just didn’t want to get into naming everybody and not know where to cut it off.  I really appreciate the perspective you bring after having spent decades fixing these things (and your candor).  Glad you are on this site now.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WJC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/12/2016 at 11:07
You are kind. And, "candor" has always been my forte. It hasn't made me a cent, but telling the truth ... and lots of it ... has gotten me kicked off of more than one forum. The wannabes and wouldbes get really ticked when experience walks in and refuses to tiptoe around the issue.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/12/2016 at 16:05
Bill, it is funny you mentioned how people look at wife FOV without talking about other things.  I was sent a very wide FOV binocular the other day for review:


ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DCAMM94 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/12/2016 at 16:23
Wow, Ilya, I bet you don't get many more requests from Levenhuk.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/12/2016 at 16:25
Originally posted by DCAMM94 DCAMM94 wrote:

Wow, Ilya, I bet you don't get many more requests from Levenhuk.

There are a few companies who choose to not have anything to do with me, some based on the experience of sending me substandard stuff to review, others based on others' experience.  I am good with that.

Oddly enough, the good relationship I have with Vortex started with a couple of fairly abysmal reviews.  They did not like those very much, but they saw it as an opportunity to improve.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WJC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/12/2016 at 18:47
"There are a few companies who choose to not have anything to do with me."

Welcome to MY world. Following is another snippet from the book that has to do with wide fields:

23 “IT’S ‘TACK SHARP’ FROM THE CENTER TO THE EDGE.”

More than one seasoned observer has praised his binocular for being able to produce “tack sharp” images all the way to the edge of the field. Yet, while the binocular may have this capacity, we humans don’t.

The observer may see a crystal clear image in the center of the field, then, on seeing a crisp image at the edge of the field, supposes that all points in between are equally sharp—all the time. From a mathematical standpoint, they may very well be. But, to the brain, having to work with our eyes, it just isn’t so. Sure, field curvature is under control; the binocular is working fine. But let’s look at what is really going on.

Concentrate on the tiny space between “y” and “s” in the word “crystal” on the first line of the paragraph above. If you’re unwavering in your concentration, you will notice that the most you can make out is that one word. Most people can’t even do that.

Now, with your eyes frozen on that tiny space, try to see the “T” in “The” at the beginning of the sentence, or the “r” in “center.” Although the separation in this example is far less than one would find in a binocular image, it’s plain to see our clear field of view is very, very restricted—not by the physical optics of the binocular … but by physiological optics controlled by the brain.

Observers with a quality instrument can easily come away with the wrong conclusion, because they aren’t paying attention to the millisecond eye movements that place the edge of the binocular’s field of view in the center of their own, thus giving rise to an ever-present, but erroneous assumption.

A young healthy eye will operate at about f/4 at night, when the iris is dilated, and at about f/11 during the day, when the iris is stopped down. For the amateur astronomers among us, which focal ratio provides the sharpest image off axis?



“Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Social media everywhere but not a thought to think.” — me

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