Vortex Diamondback 10x42 binoculars
If I had to summarise this review in two words they would be ‘unbelievable value’. A set of Vortex Diamondback 10x42 binoculars will cost you £229 (Uttings as at 23 August 2021). For that price you’ll receive a set of binoculars covered by a lifetime warranty along with a binocular case, carry harness, neck strap, lens and eyepiece covers, and a lens cloth.
Not only do you receive a lot of bang for your buck with these binoculars in terms of accessories, but also in terms of quality. I’ve owned and rigorously tested these binoculars for more than two years now and have compared them to far more expensive models from Ziess, Leica and Swarovski. I really can’t see much difference in optical clarity, especially in daylight.
As you’d expect, the more expensive brands do have a slight edge over the Diamondback, but not enough to justify the extra price tag. The biggest difference is at very low light when you might struggle to make out very fine detail through the Diamondback, but might be able to see it through a more expensive pair of binoculars.
In terms of build quality, I’ve been very impressed with the Diamondback. They’ve had to deal with blistering heat, snow, dust, dirt, blood, being dropped and being submerged, but despite this they are no worse for wear. This is probably thanks to the hard green rubber armour coating that clads the binoculars that gives them a hardy but not too utilitarian feel.
As you’ll see from the photos, in some areas the paint and finish has worn off my set, but given the level of punishment they’ve endured I’m not all that surprised.
If anything more technical was to go wrong with them, the Vortex lifetime warranty would mean they’d be replaced or repaired at no extra cost.
These binoculars weigh 604g, are 14.5cm long and 13cm wide. To put this in context, they will fit in a large cartridge pocket on a traditional shooting coat, so are pretty compact. Focus is adjusted in the traditional way using a rotating rubberised dial on the bridge between the two lenses. Any differences between your two eyes can be compensated for using a diopter adjuster on the right eyepiece. Eye relief can also be adjusted between three settings by adjusting each eyecup.
The only thing missing from the Vortex Diamondback is a tripod fixing on the underside. Vortex acknowledges this and a separate tripod adapter can be bought if required. Overall, I have been very impressed with these binoculars. Not only do they offer exceptional value, but they have also stood up to extreme levels of punishment while delivering a crisp and bright image through the lenses. Well done Vortex.