Vortex Razor HD Binoculars

The binoculars are made in the Far East, but Vortex are based in the US and clearly do an excellent job of identifying the right manufacturing partners and ensuring the quality of the products that bear their name. The design and specifications are uniquely theirs too, and show real understanding of what counts for the end user. In addition, you get a quibble-and-paperwork-free, unlimited, transferrable lifetime warranty that guarantees free repair or replacement should the binoculars become damaged or prove defective. Outstanding.

The Razor HDs are a compact roof-prism design, featuring an open hinge to improve ergonomics and reduce weight, and with barrels made from tough but lightweight magnesium alloy, wrapped in a ruggedly tactile coat of rubber armour in discreet, and stylishly complementary shades of forest green and steel grey.

Inside, only top-quality optical components are used, including hand-selected prisms and premium HD (High Density) extra-low dispersion glass, this being further enhanced by a series of multi-layer “plasma tech” treatments, including Vortex’s proprietary XR anti-reflective coatings, dielectric prism coatings, and phase correction, which together aim to maximise image quality, all of which promises “the ultimate in resolution and colour fidelity”. Do they deliver? We’ll see.

Tough Construction

The exterior lenses are protected both by an ultra-hard, scratch-resistant coating called ArmorTek, and by a good set of rubberised covers. The front covers are tethered by an integral keeper ring so they can’t get lost but are easily replaced if damaged, whereas the ocular lenses have a flexible one-piece rainguard retained by the neck strap, which passes through a closed loop on the L/H side; a slotted loop on the R/H side allowing it to be clipped to the strap or left free to hang clear of the eye pieces (though this could do with being a bit stiffer).

Meanwhile, the internals are argon purged and environmentally sealed to render the Razor HDs waterproof, fogproof and impervious to even the finest dust.

Further protection is offered by a padded black Cordura case with a Fastex clip on the front, high-and-low double belt loops on the back, and an internal mesh pocket under the lid to hold the lens cloth supplied. The case has its own clip-on strap, which is long enough to pass behind your back, to keep the binoculars close to your chest with the case fitted and the binoculars’ own strap around your neck, for extra security and comfort if you have to hike, run or climb. Alternatively, Vortex offer an elasticated Harness system separately for the same purpose.

The binoculars’ own strap is a typically high-quality item, with a comfortable neoprene neckband emblazoned with the Vortex logo, and runs through sturdy square loops projecting from the binoculars’ armour. I found the length just right, but if you like to sling your binoculars low an extended Archer’s strap is also available.

As well as being impressively well-built, the Razor HDs show some thoughtful ergonomic features. First of all, the interpupillary distance (the spacing of the eye pieces) is very versatile - good for when the kids want to take a look, apart from anything else! Then the eye-pieces themselves can be dialled in or out almost a centimetre, and have intermediate settings to give a perfect fit – ideal for wearers of spectacles or shooting glasses. The dioptre adjustment on the right eye-piece is well thought-out too, as it has a push-locking ring that preserves your chosen setting. In fact, if you want to do the same with the interpupilary distance, Vortex also offer an inexpensive Binoc-Loc accessory for the purpose.

Precision Focusing

Finally, there’s a central focus wheel that simultaneously adjusts the focus of both barrels.  The compact dimensions of the binocular make it easy to place both your index fingers on this wheel, which is rubberised, ribbed, and smooth running, making it very controllable. This is crucial, because the Razor HDs achieve very precise focus with a short depth of field. At first, it’s seems a bit onerous to have to fine tune the focus continually as you scan the ground in front of you, but it soon becomes almost automatic, and the payoff is not only that you get a superbly high resolution image, but also that you can effectively probe deeper and deeper into woodland, focussing progressively through it, yard by yard: a real asset when you’re hunting for that tell-tale texture of pelage – as too is the binoculars’ excellent colour fidelity, which enables you to distinguish readily between dirt, foliage and fur.

I should also mention the Razor HDs exceptionally-close minimum focus distance. This is just 6 feet, at which range the depth of field is only a couple of inches. This provides such a uniquely high-definition, close-up view of nearby objects that you can get quite distracted examining the plumage of the nuthatches probing the branches above your high seat, for example, or the sheen on bugs crawling through the grass, or the varied hues of a fallen leaf… when you really should be watching out for your quarry!

Extended Use

I also liked the angled oval dimples in the underside of each barrel, which provide a comfortable position for your thumbs, stabilising the binoculars and reducing fatigue when glassing for long periods. Speaking of which, on a memorable long-range varminting trip I used them for almost eight hours a day, two days straight, and in bright sunshine, without suffering any eye strain; successfully spotting rabbits amid the cotton grass, sieves and heather fringes, on the edges of a Yorkshire moor 700m-900m away across the dale. Very fine performance with a compact pair of 8x42s, I think you’ll agree!

For even greater stability you can use the Razor HDs in conjunction with Vortex’s standard tripod adapter or the versatile Uni-Daptor, thanks to a threaded fitting, neatly concealed behind knurled cap at the front of the hinge, and you can even increase the magnification with a 2x Doubler that plugs into either of the eye-pieces allowing you to use one barrel as a X16 spotting scope.

As you’ll have gathered, I really liked the Vortex Razor HD 8x42 binoculars, and at £925 from Riflecraft, they’re seriously good value when you compare their performance – and it really is fair to do so - to that of the big three European brands. And don’t forget that exceptional warranty support.