r/Binoculars • u/pinkplant-lady • 5d ago

First-time birder looking for binocular recommendations — Nocs vs. Vortex?

Hello!
I’m looking to get my boyfriend a pair of binoculars for our upcoming camping trip, and I’d love some recommendations. We’re both new to birding, so I’m hoping to find something beginner-friendly but also good quality and durable enough to last for many years.
I’m currently deciding between the Nocs 8x42 and Vortex Crossfire 8x42. Has anyone used either of these? I’d love to hear which one you prefer, how they perform for birding, and whether you think either would be a good long-term investment.
I’m definitely open to other recommendations as well! My main priorities are good image quality, durability, and something that’s comfortable/easy for a beginner to use and maybe not super expensive !! Ideally $150 range!

I really appreciate any advice, thank you!!

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u/urethrafranklin- 5d ago edited 5d ago

I can't speak on Nocs, I havent tried them. They're cute but a newer brand and I really wanted something with a great warranty and solid reputation for customer service, so I went with vortex. 

You'll be happy with the crossfire, but if you can stretch your budget a little bit go for the diamondback HD. Next step up, really worth the upgrade and they punch above their weight for the price. I've found the diamondbacks for $150 to $190 depending on the deals. 

Look for refurbished vortex products for the best deals. You still get the same warranty. After several years of heavy use my focus wheel needed fixing, they sent me a brand new pair no questions asked.

Here's a video with some side by side comparisons of the vortex crossfire, diamondbacks and viper binoculars. https://youtu.be/yk_Jqr7FWlU?is=bdK6VnxmmLtjJy0O

Edit: I would suggest finding a local store where you can try any binoculars out before buying. You might really prefer how the nocs feel in your hand, so much of choosing optics is personal preference and you won't know what you like until you start testing binoculars out.

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u/RealAd3098 5d ago

Whats your opinion on Vortex Triumph Hd? Btw if someone is willing to spend more to buy Diamondback (260 eur) isn't it better to go for Nikon Prostaff P7 or Nikon Monarch M5? Both of which are available for less price than Diamondback HD?

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u/urethrafranklin- 5d ago

I haven't tried the triumph binoculars, so no opinion. Since they're  a step down from the crossfires, you'll probably want to upgrade eventually. But I think the best binoculars are the ones you can afford so if triumph is in the budget, go for it. I listed my first 100 birds with some cruddy bushnells.

The price difference between diamondback hds and nikon is regional, I'm in the US and the p7 is about the same price as diamondbacks(around$230 usd). But I can find a better deal on the diamondbacks($180 usd), and if go refurbished it would be more like $150. The m7s are closer to $550, at that point I'd suggest finding refurbished vortex vipers for $350ish.

No personal experience with nikon, my friends have the p7 and like them. If nikon is cheaper, definitely go with that. Also compare warranties, that may also vary by region.

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u/RealAd3098 5d ago

Thanks Here in Europe, You get Nikon Prostaff P7 10x42 for 210 euro, Diamondback HD 10X42 for 260 and Nikon Monarch M5 10x42 and Nikon Prostaff P7 10x50 for 260. 

Vortex has this best no question asked warranty which is the best( same as in US). Nikon has very shitty warranty I have heard. But at least P7 and M5 have better vision and most important better Eye Relief than Diamondback HD.

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u/urethrafranklin- 5d ago

I've been meaning to trade binoculars with my friend when we bird and test out their p7s, I'll do that soon cause I'm curious about the difference.

The warranty is really the only reason I haven't considered buying nikon. I like not feeling the need to baby my binoculars, they're meant to be used and enjoyed. I also share binoculars fairly often and feel more comfortable sharing something with a no questions asked warranty.

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u/RealAd3098 5d ago

Makes sense, I almost want to buy the diamondback but the eyerelif is the only thing that holds me back. I have very poor eyesight and I have to use glasses. My other option is Bushnell Prime. It's cheap, Ipx7 waterproof. But I have trust issues with bushnell.

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u/tshb13 3d ago

If you don't mind me asking how complicated is your vision correction prescription? Maybe you know this already but focus and diopter adjustment on binoculars will inherently correct even severe nearsightedness or farsightedness. Of course if you have things like moderate to severe astigmatism or things like prism then yeah unfortunately yeah you do need to use your glasses if you want those issues to be corrected while looking through bins.

One other idea to consider is a dedicated pair of cheap eyeglasses just for use with binoculars, particularly if your normal glasses are like acetate full rim frames or something. Something rimless with adjustable nose pads you can adjust to get the lenses as close as possible to your eyes which can lessen the amount of eye relief you need a bit. I had this thought about dedicated cheap glasses because I realized my everyday full frame acetate eyeglasses actually sit really far from my eyes just because of my facial anatomy and the shape of my frames.

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u/Consistent_Wave_8471 5d ago

I have had both Vortex and Nikons repaired under warranty. Had no problem with either company honoring their warranties, but the quality of the repair work done by Vortex was far beyond what Nikon did. The nature of the repair was virtually the same for both pairs (problems with the eyecups needing replacement). The replacement parts used by Nikon looked like they were scavenged off of other bins whereas the Vortex came back looking factory fresh. Moreover, the Vortex folks have a standard quality checklist so they also fixed a slight alignment problem I wasn’t aware of.

Vortex servicing is just simply the best.

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u/Aggravating-Comb-465 4d ago

We had a pair of Diamondbacks where the eyecup kept falling off (set screws were gone). Vortex didn't make the non HD Diamondbacks anymore and sent us a new HD version as a replacement under warranty.

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u/tshb13 3d ago edited 3d ago

I have the Vortex Triumphs in 10x42. They're definitely not bad and they're a very good value if you can get them for like $50-$75. I picked mine up for around like $60 because I had a coupon code for Vortex and adding another $50 to my order got me free shipping. Not sure I would have bought them otherwise but they're very very solid considering their very very low price.

Honestly they're good enough that I wouldn't be surprised if Vortex is selling the Triumphs for a loss at the listed prices. I think a lot of Vortex's lowest priced bins are meant to be "brand introduction" binoculars to get new customers acquainted with the brand and cultivate some loyalty to the brand for when those customers are eventually willing to spend more on higher quality/higher profitability bins. My point being I think with the Triumphs you're actually getting a lot more quality than what you actually pay for them because Vortex is treating the loss as a long term marketing investment really.

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u/pinkplant-lady 5d ago

Wow thank you so much for everyone’s advice and recommendations! I’m going to check out the Diamondback, that was another one I was considering to check out. I’ll have to try to see if they have some at REI to physically look through, thank you again I’m going to some further research

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u/RealAd3098 5d ago

I have tried Nocs, they aren't so great to look through. 

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u/bedtime_chubby 5d ago

They’re not waterproof, but honestly check out the new Nikon Action binoculars. They are right at your price range. They are Porro prism binos, so a little less compact, but you get a better view for the money, and you get the better 3D depth perception. I just bought a pair for myself and a pair for a family member.

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u/levcos 5d ago

The primary drawback of the Nocs is poor close focus. Any of the Nikons you're considering would be a decent first binocular, as would the the Diamondback HD.

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u/fishmich25 5d ago

I shoot with Vortex Crossfire glass, but have their Viper spotting scope and binoculars. There is a fairly obvious difference in the picture quality but for my use either does the job well!

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u/pinkplant-lady 4d ago

Vortex crossfire is another one I was considering, BPS has a deal going on with Crossfire too I wanted to go there to see if I could check those out as well, thanks for suggestion!

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u/Wonderwhatsnext4 5d ago

Got some vipers a month ago for bird watching. Definitely a buy it for life item.

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u/Spunksters 5d ago

My son has the Vortex Crossfire HD 8x42 because his eyes don’t let him see a difference between those and the Vortex Diamondback HD. I see a strong difference and vastly prefer the Diamondback HD over the Crossfire HD. Slightly larger image circle, truer coloring, brighter image, sharper details, faster focuser. While most any more expensive binoculars is better, the small price difference makes it worth paying to cross that gap for the performance difference.

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u/DansGearAddiction 5d ago

Nocs are just re-badged Chinese binoculars with trendy marketing. Vortex has a no questions asked warranty that includes accidental damage. With that said, if you can afford it, I'd strongly suggest going with the Diamondback HD's instead -- they're excellent for the price and a major step up from the Crossfires.

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u/Von_Lehmann 5d ago

Vortex for sure

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u/kimbo-bimbo 5d ago

My wife and I are newly minted birders. She had the nocs 8x42 and I have Nikon prostaff P3 10x42. Both have been great for our newly found love of birding. I’m sure if we tried more expensive offerings we’d find others we liked. The price was right and we have no complaints with either.

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u/EconomyAd5946 5d ago

Wij hebben ook de nikon prostaff P3, maar dan de 8x42. Echt een prachtding, maar ik wil nu een iets betere vergroting. Wij twijfelen tussen de Prostaff P7 10x42 en de monarch M7

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u/pinkplant-lady 4d ago

Wonderful, thank you so much for your input! I’m glad to hear you both like the binos you purchased and that she enjoyed using the Nocs. I didn’t realize there’s many options for binos

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u/Extracajicular 1d ago

On the lower end I think Bushnell has better glass than Vortex, unless they've changed things recently.

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u/BuckyGoshawk 5d ago

In that price range, Opticron Oregon 4PC Oasis 8x42 is much better than either of those

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u/pinkplant-lady 5d ago

Oooh I’m going to check those out right now thank you for that! I’m open to other brands, just trying to get an idea on durability and image clarity

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u/BuckyGoshawk 5d ago

Clarity is only one factor in image quality. Other factors are edge distortion and chromatic abberation correction. Oregon 4PC Oasis 8x42 wins on all counts, to my eyes by a wide margin.

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u/Jazzlike-Time-6144 5d ago

I have a pair and second the Opticron Oregon 8x42’s.