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Product Review: Vortex Talon HD 8x42

2K views 1 reply 1 participant last post by  dubby 
#1 ·
Well, it's been nearly a month since I won the drawing from Camera Land on this item:

Vortex - Camera Land NY

I'm not the intended buyer of this product, let me say this first off. No way in H E double-hockey-sticks would I have ever thought I needed these--or been able to justify the cost to my wife. Heck, I won the things and it still took lots of sweet talking before she believed that I wasn't lying about the whole deal. She checked the bank account, the credit card statements, and dug through the stashed cash trying to catch my story-telling. I started to call up the fine folks at Camera Land and have them tell her that I really wasn't pulling any of my usual tricks on her.

After I saved myself from the couch, I set about trying to find a way to review binoculars. I really wanted to do a great job to say thanks. I don't know that I could ever put into words how much I appreciate it, and how much fun it's been this past month telling folks about. But, they're binoculars, something you see out of, and each of us sees differently. You can't take a picture through a pair of them with a cell phone, and I never could figure out how to get my decent digital camera to take one either. I did successfully figure out how to make my wife laugh her azz off at me a time or three in the process though.

In the end, I figured it was easier to use them, share them, and report back a little of what I've found. I would also highly recommend them if you're in the market for a great pair of binoculars. If you can find someone who has these to try out, take advantage of it. Another little 'trick' you can do...go to Academy Sports and pick up the best pair they have in stock on the feely-up shelf (also a Vortex optic) and then realize that these are probably 5x better. This is just amazing glass.

The first day I got them, I was lucky enough to be working at the gun range on a morning. Members have access before the public, and as usual on a Sunday they were out before even the staff was there. These guys take their shooting very seriously, and most were preparing for upcoming hunts. Their brass never touches the bench, is measured before and after each shot, and their groups usually fit within the end profile of each cartridge. I walked over to tell them good morning, and they began telling me all about what they were doing. Normally they'd lead me to their spotting scopes for a look at their boards, but I told them to hold on, I wanted to try out my new binoculars instead.

This was my first time looking at anything further than my back fence. I could easily see their holes on their targets at 100yds, and even see the edges of each group easily. It was nothing to swivel sideways to look at the next shooter's target and see the same. I have a cheap spotting scope myself, and it's quite a task to set up and doesn't give anywhere near the view these do. The binoculars aren't as magnified but the detail is so much clearer that you don't need the high magnification. I passed them off to the other guys as I told them of winning the contest, the super communication, and the fast shipping. They giggled at me, I'm sure because I was going on like a schoolboy, and then got quiet as they each took their turn looking through the binoculars. One of them asked if I'd be interested in selling them, right there, on the spot... Nope, ain't gonna happen.

Over the past couple weeks, the same thing has repeatedly happened. I've worn them non-stop at the range. I'm able to help folks out who didn't bring their scopes or binoculars of any sort, or ones that don't work like they're supposed to. I don't have to mess with a tripod, or fuss with leveling things up. They just hang right there ready to work. Anyone who's picked them up to look through has had nothing but spectacular reviews of them. My favorite was from a young lady shooter, who was trying to help her boyfriend sight in his gun. "His holes aren't going anywhere, I'm going to look at the birds over there. These are so cool!", she said as she took off across the way to get a better view of our little empty hole in the ground.

They actually make whatever you're looking at better. I guess that's the HD part. The colors are brighter, have more intensity, more definition, and little to no glare. Dirt even looks different, good different. They make everything look like a framed art print instead of a rolled up poster from K-mart.

The product itself is well built, simple to operate, with nice solid moving parts. Stuff that's not supposed to move doesn't. All the surfaces are textured just right. Included in the package were a carrying case, a neck strap, and dust caps for the eyepieces and both front lenses. Everything works as it should. The only thing that was missing, that I wish it would've included, was the adapter to fit it to a tripod. The binoculars are fitted with the 1/4-20 thread to do that, but the mount is an optional extra part. It's not expensive--only $20 at CameraLand, but I've not yet ordered it. The mount has a nice screw-on dust cover to protect it when not in use.

I could only complain about two faults in the whole thing, and to say they're petty is an understatement. One, the front dust caps don't seat on as well as they could. The retainer strap holds them just a tad bit out. It's not a problem but you do have to remember to push them up all the way so they won't fall off. And the second is the stitching on the included neck strap. Now, it has not given me any reason to believe that it's a weak point other than it just looks as if it could be the first thing to let go. The strap is very thin in this one part, and if it were to break it might give the user a reason to use try out the tremendous Vortex warranty. I hope I never need to find out how good it is.

My sincere thanks go out to the folks at CameraLand and at Vortex. I'll put these things to use for as long as my eyes hold up, and pass 'em down to the kids when I can't use them any more. You brightened my November, and I really do appreciate it. Oh yeah, and I'll be placing an order here before long for that tripod adapter and some other stuff that's in my list at your site. It's been a pleasure...
 

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