Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 8x32 Binoculars

First off a negative for the description - these actually arrive with a hard case and two carry straps which is not mentioned at all. Having said that I can the say that the bino's are really excellent - pin sharp focusing with a clear bright image and good field of view. With the strap attached they come in at just about 450g. They are comfortable in the hand. When fully open they are 12 (h) x12 (w) x 4.5 (d) cm. Overall well worth the money.

These come with a case, with a strap for the case, and a very sturdy padded strap for the bins too. Stunning image quality. They're fairly light - not ultra light. The case is square and padded but again fairly light to carry with the bins packed away. Small cloth to wipe the lenses included.I have moved from having an old pair of cheap Nikon binoculars to these and I'm very happy with them so far. Using for work purposes in ecology so they needed to be of a good standard, durable and high quality image. Time will tell!

Great pair of binoculars, lovely and sharp, bright. Nice and compact. But the best thing I liked the most is the wide field of view.

These binoculars are very lightweight and comfortable to hold. The magnification is very good and image quality is clear, especially considering the price and that they are the 8x32. The binoculars come with case, cleaning cloth, caps, and neck strap (see image of unpacked item). If choosing between 8x32 and 8x42, I would next time perhaps invest in 8x42 for better image quality. However, these are overall very good lightweight birdwatching binoculars, especially if travelling and need to comprise on space and weight. Very happy with the purchase.

The first thing you have to remember about binoculars is "everything is relative". My first pair were a £50 Olympus pair of 8x21 and I thought they were great, until I tried something better. Then I thought they were terrible.More recently I have been using a pair of 8x42 Nikon Prostaff 3S. They were about £130 and compared to the Olympus it was night and day - lovely to hold super clear image, fantastic. Problem with the Nikons was a) my wife and I were constantly fighting over them whenever something interesting appeared in the garden, b) they were too heavy to lug around when we went for a walk.So, feeling flush because we haven't been out for an entire year, I thought I'd splash out on a lighter "next grade up" pair of binoculars that we could use in the house and also out for a walk. I did loads and loads of reading and research and settled on something in the 8x32 class with a higher grade of prisms / coating etc compared to the Nikons.Among 8x32s I looked at Opticron Discovery around the 140 mark and dismissed them as they just don't feel as solid, quality build, although they are very light <400g. I was also tempted by the Celestron Trailseekers which I didn't try but get great reviews, are only £150 here, and are pretty light at around 450g. And also the Hawke Endurance ED which are I think around £180 and also get great reviews but are heavier at around 560g. In the end I plumped for these because I saw so many good reviews of them. My sense from all the reviews I read was the Hawkes are marginally better than the Vortex, which is itself better than the Celestrons, although I'm not sure they're £50 worth of better if I'm honest. The Vortex's seem a little bit more solid and quality feeling, but I didn't compare the optics.Anyway, all I have currently to test them against are the Nikon Prostaff 8x42. What's interesting is the image with the Vortex compared to the Nikon's is definitely brighter and sharper, despite 32 vs 42 diameter lens. So the higher quality optics does show itself. In terms of the weight though - 460 vs 565g you actually struggle to notice the difference, so I'm not sure it's worth worrying too much about the weight.Anyway, I really like them. They feel like they'll last forever and they're nice to use. My only reservation is that I I don't think they are particularly great value for money at £199 compared to other options. In particular if you don't care about the extra weight the Hawke Endurance EDs are cheaper and have better optics.

I compared these side by side to three different bushnell binoculars (even 8x42’s) , the picture of these was brighter and far more crisp, by some way.

These binoculars are so light with a clear picture very impressed

Best pair of binoculars I have possessed.