Spotting scopes are used to enlarge images over a long rage. They can be used for photography and videography, they are used for spotting game, they are used to increase the accuracy of your shooting. It gives you a crisp focused and magnified images. In this article, we will be reviewing in detail the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope.
Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope manages to overcome the sharpness and color aberration problems without having to compromise on the cost. It still gives an 85 to 90 percent sharpness. Its angled body design, coupled with the high magnification, a close focus of 22 feet, lightweight construction and anti-glare properties makes for a high-quality scope amongst its contemporaries.
Magnification
The Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope offers a magnification of up to 60x. This means that the object you are focusing at can look up to sixty times larger through the scope. This is quite useful while scoping for objects which are at a distance. You can checkout other spotting scopes in our post.
The main issue faced by such scopes with such a high magnification is a colour aberration and a decrease in sharpness. However, the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope manages to overcome these deficiencies which is a huge step up. You might say that these issues are resolved by other scopes.
While that is true, the cost of the scopes also increases in such cases. You have to slowly adjust and focus to get a sharper image, but it not a deterrent or a negative. It is just being aware of the functionalities of the product. It also has an adjustment to rotate the eyepiece, which comes in handy when it is fixed to a tripod. This adjustment allows for easier viewing.
Optics and Focus
The Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope has an objective lens diameter of 80 millimeters. It has a linear field of view of 105-51feet / 1000 yards and an angular view of 2-1 degrees. It provides a close focus of 22 feet and an eye relief of 20-16.5 millimeters. It has an exit pupil of 4-1.3 millimeters.
The Porro prism is valued for its rich depth of field and wide field of view, which lets you take in a wide vista in three dimensions without having to move the scope sideways to take in the full picture. Otherwise, you will have to constantly move, adjust and focus the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope for short distances, making the experience tiresome and not user friendly.
Its optical features include an XR fully multi-coating. This proprietary coating allows the scope to provide an increase in light transmission. This translates to bright and clear images when viewed through the scope. It has multiple anti-reflective coatings so the user doesn’t have to worry about the images being distorted by glare.
They provide this anti-reflective coating on all air-to-glass surfaces. This is something unique about the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope. Most sub-par scopes provide an anti-glare coating on just the eyepiece or the lens. Which means that while one lens will be able to provide a clear image devoid of reflecting sunlight, the others will not. This will lead to distortion on the image being viewed through the scope.
They also provide a dielectric prism coating on all the air to glass surfaces. These multilayered coatings work together to provide a bright, clear, colour-accurate and undistorted images. The colour accuracy is an important feature if the scope is being used in a setting with less lighting. The contrast in the colours is what makes an image crisp and clear. The multiple di-electric and antiglare coatings help provide the same.
How Easy Is It To Use?
The Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope is quite easy to use. The ease of operation, combined with its robust light-weight construction and numerous features is the reason it is so popular with users. All you need to do is a few simple steps and the scope is ready to be used.
First, attach the scope to the tripod. You can directly do this thanks to the inbuilt tripod mount on the scope. Next, you adjust the mounting angle according to your need. You can do that by loosening the mounting collar using the thumbscrew. Then you rotate the spotting scope body in the angle viewing of your choice.
Now adjust the magnification of the scope by turning the adjustment ring attached to the ocular lens. You may need to focus the lens again if the magnification is more then 40x. Use the focus dial for the same. Now adjust the eyecup and the sunshade as per your requirement and you are ready to use the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope.
However, there are a few things which we need to take care of to increase the longevity of the scope. Firstly, the lens needs to be kept clean. One should not use cloth or cotton to wipe the lens. Pressurized air or a camel hair brush works best. If the scope is being used in an environment where it keeps getting wet, be sure to clean and dry it before packing. The best place to store it would be in a cool dark ventilated environment.
Construction
The Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope is constructed to withstand extreme temperatures and rugged terrain. It has a rubber armour which increases the grip for the user. It also increases durability, which is essential for any user. The main issue with using scopes is the need to adjust and focus them at intermittent intervals due to the uneven terrain. However, with Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope’s wide field, we can easily overcome this problem.
The wind at high terrain areas causes a lot of stability issues with scopes, especially when it is secured on a tripod. This is overcome by the angled body design of the scope. Its angled body design allows a lower mounting height, which is essential for stability. It also allows a lighter and smaller tripod, which is efficient because no one wants to carry an additional weight of a heavy cumbersome tripod in addition to the other pieces of equipment while hiking to hilly areas.
It has an extended lens cover which prevents the lens from being smudged or affected by weather such as rain or moisture or strong wind. The lens cover acts as a sleeve for the scope, protecting it. The o-ring seals of the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope prevent the formation of moisture and provides dust protection. It also prevents debris from penetrating the scope. This translates to overall elevated performance in all types of environments.
One of the common issues faced by users while using scopes in different environments is fogging of the lens from the inside of the scope. This renders the scope useless as one cannot clean the inside lens of the scope. However, the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope is nitrogen-purged which prevents any fog formation over a wide range of temperatures, giving you crisp and clear images.
The Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope also has adjustable eyecups which can twist up and down. So you won’t need eyeglasses for comfortable viewing. It has a built-in sunshade which helps in reducing glare. It also protects the objective lens from raindrops, snow, and other weather conditions.
Another neat feature which the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope provides is the rotating tripod ring. This eliminates the need to carry a separate mount for fixing the scope of the tripod. The mount allows rotation of the eyepiece to a sideways position for wide view.
Pros and Cons
Things We Like
22 feet close focus.
Magnification of up to 80x.
Angled body which provides ease of operation.
O-rings which prevent fogging.
Inbuilt tripod mount.
Built-in sunshade to reduce glare.
A rugged body, lightweight and rubber armour which increases ease of operation, grip and durability.
Nitrogen purged which prevents fogging of the lens on the inside.
Wide field of view.
Multicoating which allows higher light transmission, and anti-reflective surfaces.
Things We Don't Like
After a magnification of 40x, you need to refocus the lens to get crisp images.
The adjustment ring can be a bit stiff.
Final Thought
Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope is an efficient and user-friendly product with works on a variety of environments and terrains. It has several features that exist in scopes which cost two to three times the Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scope. It is a great product to use for photography, videography, and observation.
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