Vortex Kaibab glass quality comparison?

[tjb44]

Hey guys and gals, I’m pretty close to pulling the trigger on a pair of Kaibab 18s, but am really wondering what quality I’m getting in terms of glass. I’ve done a lot of research and read/watched a lot of reviews but I’m wondering if anyone has used Kaibabs next to a standard pair of Razor 10x42s? I own a pair of Razor 10x42s and they’re the highest quality I’ve had my hands on (Haven’t looked through any Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, etc, but don’t want to get into the 1000+ price range) and plan on using the Kaibabs as my longer range spotter off a tripod.

 

[BugleMeTimber]

Hey guys and gals, I’m pretty close to pulling the trigger on a pair of Kaibab 18s, but am really wondering what quality I’m getting in terms of glass. I’ve done a lot of research and read/watched a lot of reviews but I’m wondering if anyone has used Kaibabs next to a standard pair of Razor 10x42s? I own a pair of Razor 10x42s and they’re the highest quality I’ve had my hands on (Haven’t looked through any Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, etc, but don’t want to get into the 1000+ price range) and plan on using the Kaibabs as my longer range spotter off a tripod.

Bought a pair of Kaibab's last year and took them with me on an Idaho mule deer/elk hunt. Side by side with my razor spotting scope I was pleased with the quality for the price. My only complaint is that they are heavy and bulky. If spike camping I'll probably take the spotting scope strapped to the side of my pack and save the space in the main pack as my 15x50's on my chest harness will work fine for glassing. If base camping I'd probably take the Kaibab's for the ease of long range spotting on tripod but not worth the weight and space on a long pack in/out. Hope this helps.

 

[tjb44]

Bought a pair of Kaibab's last year and took them with me on an Idaho mule deer/elk hunt. Side by side with my razor spotting scope I was pleased with the quality for the price. My only complaint is that they are heavy and bulky. If spike camping I'll probably take the spotting scope strapped to the side of my pack and save the space in the main pack as my 15x50's on my chest harness will work fine for glassing. If base camping I'd probably take the Kaibab's for the ease of long range spotting on tripod but not worth the weight and space on a long pack in/out. Hope this helps.

Thanks man, that definitely helps! The kaibabs will probably be riding in/on my pack with the tripod so I at least won’t have the weight on my chest.

 

[S.Clancy]

I just came from having the Kaibab 18x56. All in all, I think they are very good. I don't think the clarity is quite to the Razor Japanese HD, but it's pretty good. My complaint was they are not very bright, with an exit pupil of 3mm. I ended up upgrading my 10x binos to Alpha-lite (Meopta meostar HD) and quickly sold the Kaibabs because I just stopped using them, instead I glassed exclusively with the new Meopta off the tripod and was more effective. This included an 8 day hunt in AZ.
I would buy really good 10 or 12x binos first before Kaibabs, but that's just my experience. I can effectively glass 1.5-2 miles with 10s, and to confirm need a spotter. The Kaibabs just weren't enough to really be that useful.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

the sweet spot on those kaibabs is very small. I would opt for a docter 15x60 or Minox 15x58 long before the Kaibabs no question, but they are harder to find.

 

[gcronin]

Hey guys and gals, I’m pretty close to pulling the trigger on a pair of Kaibab 18s, but am really wondering what quality I’m getting in terms of glass. I’ve done a lot of research and read/watched a lot of reviews but I’m wondering if anyone has used Kaibabs next to a standard pair of Razor 10x42s? I own a pair of Razor 10x42s and they’re the highest quality I’ve had my hands on (Haven’t looked through any Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, etc, but don’t want to get into the 1000+ price range) and plan on using the Kaibabs as my longer range spotter off a tripod.

Great question! The Kaibab HDs would fall in between the Viper HD and the Razor HD lineups. Your Razor HDs would be a step up optically.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

 

[tjb44]

Great question! The Kaibab HDs would fall in between the Viper HD and the Razor HD lineups. Your Razor HDs would be a step up optically.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Thank you!