I placed a post a few weeks ago looking for input on 3 different options I was considering and really didn't get much input, which is fine, but in the meantime, I have continued to consider options with a bias toward the Vortex Vipers in 10x42 or 8x42. Reviews generally seem good and one of the members pointed me to AllBinos where they had a pretty good overall ranking, particularly given their more attractive price point vs. others that ranked higher but cost a lot more.
Anyway, I"m curious, after searching this site, it does appear this product is much less popular among birdforum members. I came up with very little useful threads on the Vortex Vipers and much more info on the other two brands of interest (8x43 ZR EDII and 8x43 Elites). The Elites are really a bit more expensive than I prefer. The ZR EDII and Vipers are the same price at $400 now that I've found Vipers discounted from $600 as discontinued models due to the new version having ED or HD.
They are a very good bin for the money and a great choice for many. However, a couple of years ago some posters on this forum started reporting that "Chinese ED" bins, such as Hawke, Promaster, and Zen-Ray were slightly outperforming optically bins such as the vipers and were a bit lower in price. Thus, these other brands have generated more buzz on these forums lately. But you may still find the Vipers suit your needs better for any of various reasons despite these reports (and their experience/opinion regarding the optics may not be the same as yours in any event).
And the vipers still score very well in latest published reviews/picks I've seen:
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/...chart_main.html
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binocularpicks.html
Best,
Jim
While the Vipers got good reviews in Allbinos if you click on the "test" you will see the areas that they were deficient and downgraded in, and you can decide if these areas are important to you. To many terrestial viewers these areas are not that important. The new ED glass versions should improve these areas. I doubt you could go wrong buying either the Vipers or ED2's.