Vortex Optics Kaibab HD Binoculars

I can see very close and far away with detail. Very good. Great for classing far. I can tell if it is a Deer, Elk Pig and even Birds far and close.

For elk hunting and or spotting big game up to 2 miles away, these where perfect. I didn’t want to carry a spotting scope and binos during a recent backpacking hunting trip. If your glassing invest in a high quality tripod and you will be set. Worth the price and a great value. Of course there is better glass out there but you pay for what you get.

Very nice glass and build quality. You cant beat Vortex warranty or overall value. These easily compete with the top dogs. Amazing difference from 10x42. The clarity is absolutely insane.Yes they are a bit heavy but most of my glassing is from inside a stand so not an issue. I could imagine that walking with them all day glassing would require a tripod.

I have a Vortex binocular that I paid 'good money' for about 18 years ago. Loved em'. Up until I splurged on a Swarovski 8x56 a couple of yers ago. And this time I was wanting more power but still couldn't swallow Swaroski's price for a 15x56. I love the Vortex warranty, of course. So I got Vortex Diamondback 15x56. Terrible. Nope, I am not exagerrating.And I also got this one, the Kiabab 18x56, to give that a chance to save me some money. My 8x56 Swarovski's show both of these Vortex products to be inferior to a large degree; not minor. Enough to help me justify spending/investing $2550.00.Had I never gotten the taste of the Swarovskis these would be fine, I guess, maybe.. They're tiring to use, and I don't mean the weight. But I finally bought the Swarovski 15x56. Oh man. Oh man. I know I know. That's a lot o' money to justify unless one wants the best binoculars. I was kinda shocked at the difference in clarity and *everything*.So I just pass this along to anyone wanting really good binoculars; I'd say the best but what do I know.I've progressed to night sky glassing and so wanted at least 15X56, I'm not interested in telescopes at this point. Of course, one has to use a tripod for this power for truest clarity.

These binoculars are awesome. Objects are very clear

I’ll start by saying I have two pair of Vortex Viper binoculars and they have amazing image quality for their price. The 18x56 Kaibab on the other hand have low image quality. Sure, you get the 18x power but there seems to be no way to focus to obtain a crisp image even under the best conditions. There is a reasonable loss of light so the image is dim and low contrast. The smaller exit pupil also works against viewing quality. I should have spent 2X to get the 18x56 Razor UHD version because now I’ll be disappointed every time I use these Kaibab ones. If you want a “wow” binocular then look for something other than the Kaibab.

Simply outstanding. These binoculars were purchased primarily for casual astronomical viewing but my casual viewing has almost become an obsession. The glass is so spectacular that you'll constantly be spinning your head around looking for more objects to view. Stars are pinpoint sharp. Planetary viewing is incredible, although I've only caught Mars and Saturn at the moment. Jupiter will be coming soon. The moon is magnificent. Haven't seen any CA as yet even with the moon but most of my viewing has been in the nighttime. I finally caught the Orion Nebula with the Kaibab's and it was amazing. I vaguely remembering viewing the Nebula several years ago with my 8" SCT but I'm not sure I've seen it this sharp before. Oh and these are great for watching the Perseid meteor shower.I did take them to my usual test location and they were very impressive. Probably not as sharp as my Vortex Razor HD 12x50 binoculars due to the higher magnification; however, for astronomy that extra 8x magnification becomes very useful.The physical construction is excellent but I honestly prefer the Razor HD design a bit better. I would love to see the Kaibab 20x56 updated with the Razor HD construction.These can be handheld but in most situations a tripod is required for extended viewing. By using the tripod, you'll see the sharpest, shake-free image as well. A quick-release tripod adapter is included; however, it's not the best design. If you're always using a tripod then it'll be fine. If you want to transition from tripod to neck to tripod then you'll find yourself remove the adapter all the time.

We have a variety of birds on our farm, and at my age I wanted something more powerful than the 8x I've been using. I think these are the ticket. Nice clarity, easy to use, and at 18x, more than twice the power of my other binoculars. I only got these yesterday, but can see out my shop towards the brush and woods with much more clarity. Looking forward to using the tripod up in the barn to spot wildlife.Just for info, I was able to use these today w/o a tripod; if you brace yourself against a tree, door frame, etc. you can hold them still enough for short periods to identify game. The tripod converter that came with it will make it easier to use, though.