Optics Crossfire HD 12x50 Binoculars - HD Optical System, Tripod Adaptable, Rubber Armor, Waterproof, Fogproof, Shockproof, Included GlassPak - Unlimited, Unconditional Warranty

Fantastic binoculars for the money! The weight, features, quality, east to use and stability using the included straps is top notch. These are easily the quality of binoculars that retail for $1200-1800.

Guess I will build the amazon machine with some good info to help customers realize the low down. Reviewing only one specimen of the Vortex 10x42 Crossfire HD binoculars, so keep that in mind. Going to compare the Vortex with a few similar priced binocs. Conditions: overcast rainy day, 2:30 pm Pa. Going to look at a Pa license plate (white background with dark letters/numbers) at 220 yards and tell you how easy it is the read the plate using the various binoculars. All binoculars in like new condition and carefully adjusted for my eyes. I could have got out the Zeiss, Lecia , Cabelas Alaskin guide, Maven etc. out to blow the Vortex away but only the Vortex general price range are compared. Starting with the best and going on down. Bushnell 10x25 Legend HD (clearly the best, the center hinge could be tighter for my taste), next Bushnell Legend L series of about 4 yrs ago 10x42( small amount of play when changing direction of main focus wheel) tied with the Celestron Trailseeker (Celestron had slightly better resolution but not quite the contrast of the Bushnell) A fairly close next the Vortex 10x32 Diamondback from about 6 yrs ago. And the hardest to make the plate out were the Crossfires but could still barely make it out finding the sweet spot. The Vortex are mechanically excellent and feel great in the hand. Weigh 24oz with the rubber attached objective covers. I think that allot of folks after taking the time to adjust the diopter for their own eyes will say the Vortex are a perfect binocular! But only when not having better to side by side compare(can take a little bit of time to do a careful comparison). Want to give the Vortex 4.5 considering the whole package and price. I got absolutely nothing for this review! O and people will be happy to know that the play in the focus wheel when changing directions of my Crossfires is almost completely gone! ( compared with my 8x42 Diamond backs of about 3+ yrs ago.) If you got the money I would go for the Diamondbacks, a bit lighter and likely a small amount better picture quilty (but over 50%more bucks!) UPDATE : after more experiment I would say the diamondback 10x32s are not quit as good as the 10x42 Cross fires. Think I mAy have a sub standard 10x32 speicimin in the diamondbacks? And now I have aquired a latest version of the 10x42 diamondbacks and they are excellent, better than the cross fires, better resolution especially in low light and have better edge to edge clarity than the Crossfires. ( I still feel Cross fires are good). With just the objective covers installed= 24.1 oz., Diamondbacks = 22.0 oz. Update (8/4/2023): the Crossfire 8x42 are very good and look like they would cost big bucks., amazing binocs for the money.

I am not an expert. I bought these after reading lots of reviews from amazon "experts". All I can say is that they make far stuff look closer. They are clear. And Id buy them again.

Possibly the best higher quality and affordable price balance. Used in really harsh conditions still no issues.

10-42. Nice unit. Purchased 8-2025. For the price point, hard to beat. Only used short time, I’ll update after my hunts this fall. Update: Just returned from Montana elk hunt. Binocs worked well. Clear, consistent, light enough to carry, low cost enough to not be overly concerned. Note, the 10-42 seems perfect for Midwest use but was limited for longer distances in mountains. Not an issue, more a comment.

First impressions: Purchased the Vortex Optics Crossfire HD Binoculars, 10x42 version. I bought these binoculars for bird watching, which has specific requirements as opposed to sports events and nature hikes. I wanted a large enough magnification that I could easily see the birds, but also with a wide enough field of view so that when a bird hops from one branch to another – something they are prone to do – that they wouldn’t be lost out of frame. I also wanted a fairly light weight and sturdy construction, all of which I found in my choice. These binoculars provide a crisp, clear image with no refraction. That is no colored fringes near the outer edges. The aperture is large enough that there is plenty of light gathering ability. Focusing is easy and natural, with the dial centrally located. This line is advertised as light weight, and it is, compared to other brands, but still it’s noticeable when hanging around your neck. This is not a complaint. CHOOSING MAGNIFICATION: For my whole life I’ve chosen and used bargain basement binoculars, usually 8X magnification. I thought 10X would be marginally better, but experts claim that when you use anything over 8 times, then the image can bounce around from your hand movements and shaking. I didn’t choose the 12X for that reason. The 10X that I purchased has noticeable jitters if held with one hand, but not so much that you lose track of the image. I’m glad I didn’t get the 12X. I’m quite pleased with the 10X, but I think I’d be just as happy with the 8X. CHOOSING FIELD OF VIEW: As mentioned above, I want the objective lens diameter to be large enough so that if a bird is on the move it would be easy to track and not fly out of range. The 42mm turns out to be perfectly suited to my needs. The next step up, 50mm may have made the binoculars bulkier and heavier, so I’m happy with this choice. ADJUSTMENTS: The inter-pupil distance adjustment was easy and intuitive. If the left and right sides are not adjusted to your eyes, you will see dark edges on the sides of the image. Once adjusted you don’t have to worry about this, unless you accidentally jar the adjustment. The diopter adjustment, likewise, was simple and intuitive. Once set up (if one of your eyes is weaker than the other) you can set once and forget about it. The neck strap was easy to install and adjust. No problems there. As mentioned in other reviews, the body strap for the carry bag it just too complicated. It reminds me of a medieval torture device. I discarded it and purchased a simple shoulder strap. MINOR COMPLAINT: I found that to see clearly through the binoculars and get a full field of view, your eye must be positioned exactly in the center of the eyepiece and at a specific distance from your eyeball. For me, this required me to hold the eyepiece about 3/8 inches from my eye. I found that resting my forefinger on my forehead, and the binocular eyepiece on the edge of my finger accomplished this nicely. The problem, however requires a more comfortable and reliable solution. I purchased a pair of 42mm rubber eye cushions that did the trick. That size rubber buffer is standard for microscopes, and are available for about $10 on the internet. See photos. CONCLUSION: All-in-all, I quite satisfied with this excellent product. It has made my bird-watching experience much more productive and enjoyable.

I agonized over what binoculars to buy (not having any "frame of reference" to draw on). Eventually I decided that I'd rather have "more" magnification over "less", that a brighter view was going to be more pleasing than the dimmer view that smaller objective lenses offer, and that adjustable eye relief was important for people who wear glasses (like me). I was also surprised to learn that non-weatherproof binoculars can fog up just due to temperature changes - we don't want that happening. After having an online chat with an expert, Vortex brand was recommended for my price point. It ticked all the boxes in addition to having the newer/better prism technology. They arrived this morning and I'm VERY happy with them. I'm sure that binoculars costing several thousands of dollars would technically be better, but to me (and I say this both as a photographer and retoucher who makes a living out of getting images as clear and sharp as possible), I really can't imagine optics being any better - they're just superb; and this comes from a guy who hates images not being clear and sharp. I chose the 12x 50mm model - my only criticism is that this amount of magnification can be just a little challenging for my old hands to stabilise; it's not a big issue - and I'd definitely buy this magnification again - but just a "heads up" if you're thiking of getting a 12x and your hands are a bit shaky. Unit shipped with nice soft case - straps to mount it to one's chest (if you're "into" that - I'm not), strap for the binoculars themselves, lens cleaning cloth, & lens caps (tethered for the objective lenses, attachable to the neck strap for the eyepiece lenses). In summary - if you're uncertain about what to buy because you're concerned about quality but don't want to break the bank - don't hesitate to pick up one of the Vortex Crossfire range; they appear to be incredible value at their price point. I'd buy them again in a heartbeat (but probably won't have to due to their unconditional warranty). Apologies if this reads like an advertisement, but in a world full of over-promise and under-deliver, it's refreshing when something actually lives up to the hype and is great value for money.

These binoculars replace a set of 80's vintage 10x40, which were good quality for the time. The quality is outstanding, and the optics are the best I've ever seen in a binocular. You can't go wrong with Vortex. But, be mindful of what your mission is. I bought them to view distant objects, mostly stationary. If you're doing close in bird watching, you might want to opt for 10x42 or even 7x. The price you pay for higher magnification is field of view and image stability - that's not a shortcoming of the binoculars, just physics. Any decent quality modern binoculars these days are going to use roof prisms (vs. Porro prisms) resulting in a more narrow and more compact set for their power. They are small enough and light enough to toss in a day pack without taking up too much space. They come with a well padded soft case, which comes with a rather goofy harness setup allowing you to wear it as a front pack. But, it also ships with a conventional neck strap which you can use alternatively, so it's no big deal. Attaching the neck straps (or the harness adapters) is a little bit challenging, and is a bit of a brain puzzle, but there are Youtube videos on it which detail the way to do it. It's something that you only need to do once, so that isn't a big deal either. As far as ease of use, it has some nice eye cups that you can rotate in or out depending on whether you need to use eyeglasses with them. Focus is easy, requiring minimal adjustment between close in and infinity focus.