The Vortex Diamondback 8×28 binoculars are the smallest among the Diamondback binoculars series. They are the most portable of them all. If you don’t might compromising brightness for portability, then in this Vortex Diamondback 8×28 Review, you would probably find these binoculars ideal for you.
These are great for backpackers and the daytime explorers who need pocket-size binoculars that they can easily carry along with them during their adventures. They are compact and provide great clarity and comfort.
Vortex Diamondback 8×28 Review specifications
- Magnification: 28 mm
- Prism system: Roof
- Exit Pupil: 3.5 mm
- Field of view angle: 6.9 degrees
- Field of view: 360 feet/1000 yards
- Eye relief: 19.3 mm
- Binocular Focus system: Center focus
- Coating of optical: fully multi-coated
- Inter-pupillary distance: 56-74 mm
- Diopter range of adjustment: -3 -3 dpt
- Minimum Close focus distance: 13.1 feet
- Level of water resistance: waterproof
- Dimension: 4.8″ x 4.5″
- Weight: 14.0 oz
- Eyecup types: twisted-up
- Adaptable Tripod: Yes
- Waterproof and Fog proof: Yes
Optical Performance
The Vortex Diamondback 8×28 binoculars have dielectric fully multi-coated lenses and the prism which enhances light transmission for clearer and brighter images. they produce impressive images that look somewhat like high definition images. You might only notice slight chromatic aberrations at the edges of the image in white or bright backgrounds.
These binoculars have one of the widest fields of view (360 feet/1000 yards) in their class which makes them very efficient at glassing your surroundings to identify your target.
The Vortex Diamondback 8×28 has a close focus range of 13.1 feet. This makes them not your ideal birding binoculars. Because you might not be able to get a fuller picture of close range smaller creatures like the butterflies, dragonflies, etc.
In the side of brightness, due to the smaller nature of the objective lens size of these binoculars been 28 mm, they are not suitable for low light conditions viewing. Since they won’t be able to gather enough light from the target to create a bright image.
So if you are considering getting them for natural bright light usage, then I think they are one of the best in their category.
With regards to eye relief, these binoculars can boast of very generous eye relief at 19.3 mm which makes them very suitable for both consumers who wear glasses and non-glass wearers alike.
Their multi-position eyecups easily twist up for adjustable eye relief and the right diopter accommodates for focal differences in your eyes.
Pros
- Great clarity, comfort, and construction quality
- Very compact and portable
- Long eye relief to accommodate eyeglass wearers
- Can easily fit into a pocket
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Don’t work well in low light conditions
Price
- 8x magnification and 28mm objective lenses, these Diamondback binoculars are the workhorse of...
- Dielectric, fully multi-coated lenses transmit more light and clearer, brighter images. A field...
When it comes to the price of the Diamondbacks, you might not find binoculars of similar construction and quality that can beat them. These binoculars are affordable and a great value for the money at just under $200.
You might also want to check out my recent review:
Body Construction and Weight
The Vortex Diamondbacks are sleek, have short hinge design and have a durable aluminum body with rubber armor and thumb indents which leave more room for your hands creating an easier, secure and non-slip grip.
These binoculars are fully weatherproof to withstand any weather condition you might subject them to. This is because Vortex has Argon gas purged and O-ring sealed them for waterproofness and fog proof. You don’t have to worry about moisture, dust, fog, and debris interfering with them.
They also weight very light in your hands at 14.0 oz you can carry them around with ease.
Final Verdict
In a nutshell, if you are looking for very affordable and portable binoculars that offer impressive viewing and quality construction, then the Vortex Diamondback 8×28 binoculars are an ideal choice. They are perfect for hiking, bird watchers who are not very keen on close focus range and general backpackers.
Except that they are not recommended for low light conditions, they are however great for daytime usage. They are very lightweight and provide impressive quality images for their small size and price range.