Vortex vs Athlon Neos 10x42 (1 Viewer)

[hoodedmergie]

I have a pair of vortex crossfires in 8x42 that have served me well for most applications. I'm starting to want a little more magnification and was looking at Vortex diamondbacks in 10x42, crossfires in 10x50, and Athlon Neos in 10x42. Don't know how far up I'd like to just as far as magnification but I don't want to end up with essentially the same binos I already have. I came across the Athlons today for $99 online. Any opinions on these models and why one would be a better choice than the other. Using them for hunting and birding.

 

[qwerty5]

Buy the Diamondbacks. Binoculars under $150-$200 are usually not worth buying. They usually have terrible quality control and build quality. Have you tried a 10x? You might find you want to bump up to 12x since you already have an 8x.

 

[hoodedmergie]

Buy the Diamondbacks. Binoculars under $150-$200 are usually not worth buying. They usually have terrible quality control and build quality. Have you tried a 10x? You might find you want to bump up to 12x since you already have an 8x.

That's what my original thought was. Is there not a big difference between the 8&10x? The 8s are pretty good for glassing while hunting but sometimes I'd like to be able to see a little more detail when looking at birds on feeders, power lines, etc.

 

[qwerty5]

The general advice is to pair an 8x with a 12x, I'd suggest you go somewhere like Cabela's with a large selection and test 10x and 12x to see what you'd prefer.