Individual Optics Reviews
Individual reviews of 8x42 optics between $200 and $600
Review #1: Vanguard Endeavor ED 8x42
Overall Score: 5.00
Price: $349.99
The Vanguard Endeavor got the top overall score, even though it's priced at a modest $350. Its 5.0 resolution score tied with the Vortex Viper for top place. A remarkable best buy!
It's an open-bridge design with outstanding optics and ergonomics. It's slimmer and shorter than most of the other open-bridge binoculars in our study. Its armoring is a soft, textured, grippy surface, as hand-friendly as it gets. The strap lugs, which are also armored, gently curve out to protect the hands.
A concave area on the bridge provides a natural resting place for your middle finger, positioning your index finger in line with the focus knob. This small detail means you tend to grip the binoculars the same way each time. A consistent grip assists the kinesthetic intelligence you use when instinctively pointing binoculars at a bird.
The focus knob has no slack and provides just the right amount of resistance. Its surface is soft, rubbery, and deeply grooved. A 3/4 turn takes you through the entire focus range.
Because Vanguard owns its own manufacturing facilities in China and has its own in-house optical engineers, the company has complete control over the design and product quality.
Pro: Excellent optical quality; fast focus; 19mm eye relief; wonderful ergonomics, with slender, easy-to-hold barrels; great value for the money.
Con: Minimum focus distance is 8.2 feet.
Next review (2/8): Vortex Optics Viper HD 8x42 »
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It has been estimated that as many as 975 million birds are killed each year in North America in collisions with glass windows and buildings. FeatherGuard is uniquely effective because it combines bright color, motion, and the birds' natural aversion to loose feathers. In nature loose feathers are often a sign that a bird has been killed by a predator. Try FeatherGuard today and make your windows safer for your wild birds.
