Vanguard Spirit XF Binoculars

I was disappointed. Did not meet my expectations. There were some really great reviews, so I had hi expectations and the vanguard Spirit XF didn't measure up. They were not as crisp in focus as I was wanting. Also felt the diopter adjustment was stiff and difficult to adjust/focus.There was something goofy with the tube alignment too?. When I took the binos away from my eyes, my vision was crossed and took about 2 seconds for my normal vision to align. I DID NOT like this sensation/situation/effect.I have returned the these Vanguards via the Amazon Prime system with free return shipping.Just ordered a pair of Nikon Monarch 5's (7577 model). unfortunately, the Nikon's are about x2 the price of these Vanguards. But I want quality. We live on a farm and want to be able to see things clearly for long distances.-----UPDATE----- (4/15/2017)Received Nikon Monarch 5's this week, and am REALLY pleased. Unfortunately, the Nikons were $325 (almost twice as much as these Vanguards). But they are literally twice as good. Glad I returned the Vanguards, and spent extra money for better quality.

I really like these binoculars. I bought them with a pair of Celestron Nature 8x42s and a pair of Athlon Midas 8x42s, and these are the ones I decided to keep. The image is bright and clear, the color rendering is really good, and I like the way they feel in my hands. The articulation of the joint is really light, so they're super easy to adjust. The total range on the focus knob seems pretty short, so they seem to be really quick to focus. I chose to keep these because they felt better in my hands and had a better image than the Celestrons and, even though the image was better on the Athlons, these were like half the price and still felt better to use. My next pair will probably be one step up in the Vanguard line. These are now my go-to pair and I like them a lot! I use them for birding, but they afford a great view of the moon as well.

For the money, these are unreal. Bought them for my annual Colorado elk hunt, to upgrade from a lower power set I own (I allocated my budget to spend money on other things rather than expensive binos). These compare well to $300 pairs of Nikon Monarchs. They're light, and I appreciate the rubberized construction and the ergonomics of the focus wheel. You set focus out to 500 yards or more, and turn and look at something 50 yards away, and it's still close to visible focus, which I love. Downside, which is really not surprising for any glass cheaper than $400, is the color reproduction in low light is not great. If you are using these for everything but very low light conditions, you will be very happy. These are probably half the price of the Nikon Monarchs simply because they're made in China, which doesn't bother me as it seems they are built quite well. One thing I really dislike are the rubber flap covers that go on the front side of the lenses--they're only attached by rubber hoop rings, and they fall off! It's only a matter of time before I lose one, I know it.

Purchased In August right before Alaskan inside passage cruise and subsequent trip to Denali National Park. As usual, Amazon's outstanding buying and shipping options allowed delivery in time before leaving. We did not want to spend hundreds of dollars more for a Nikon or other binoculars that contain expensive features like image stabilization. We were trying to keep the cost under $200.00. The Vanguard binoculars exceeded all expectations. What a clear, stable, and beautiful long range view they provided, whether for whale watching, glacier viewing or gaping at Mt. McKinley or should I say now Denali (just renamed). Eye relief was great. The "black spots" reported from other reviewers was not there, especially when viewing with an appropriate distance from the eye piece. I was worried about this potential issue and I have experienced the black spot scenario with other binoculars, but the Vanguard did not pose any issues in this category. Best way to buy is go to Cabella's, Bass Pro, e.t.c and try a pair out... Cabella's was a bit higher than Amazon's price and with Amazon's outstanding return policy and free shipping options (ex. Prime), it's a no brainer to purchase from Amazon.

Good binos for beginning bird watching. Images are sharp and crisp, colors are true to life, and the weight is comfortable for long term use. I also appreciated the wide field of vision. Work great for use with my glasses as well. Durable enough that I give in to my three year old and occasionally let her use them as well.

Better than I expected. I know nothing about binoculars, but all I know is that I can see far away with them! I was on top of a fire observation tower and could see a large flagpole about 8 miles from my location. I could not see it with the naked eye.

The binoculars are perfect for scoping out wildlife in the woods and on the trails. They have a comfortable grip and are easy to use. The view is clear and easy to focus.

Took some getting used to when looking through them, but the range is great!