Vortex Kaibabs

HighDesertSage

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I'm in the market for a set of 15x binos to add to my glassing arsenal. These will be used off of a tripod. The Kaibab's caught my eye and are on the upper end of my budget on what I can afford right now. Any body have any experience or reviews they would be willing to share? Also, any insight on why the 15x is not available on there website anymore? I can still find them on Amazon.

Also, same goes on the Vulture's, but I'm a little hesitant on those because of mixed reviews online. As always, thanks for any comments.
 
My understanding is that Vortex is choosing to go away from the 15x and 20x offerings they had previously, and now only offer the Kaibabs in 18x. I assume it's to differentiate their product from the 15x binoculars on the market, but I'm not sure.
 
I looked closely at this segment earlier this year and found that there are some other choices to consider beyond Swaro and leica.

One brand that is often overlooked by hunters, but very well respected in the photography and birding community is Minox.

They have previously made a 15x58, this is a pair I considered buying https://www.ebay.com/itm/Minox-Bd-1...925220&hash=item1ca6c4c689:g:MAEAAOSwY7VafawH

and now make a 15x56. http://www.optics4birding.com/minox...MI5rXEwuyV2wIVhrXACh2QnwqyEAYYASABEgLPQfD_BwE

Docter
15x60 Nobilem is another to consider. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Docter-Nob...458540?hash=item545b62dcac:g:RvsAAOSwi19a6-oC

Steiner also makes a 15x56.
https://www.adorama.com/sthxs1556.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsZzcgu2V2wIVx7fACh0RWQx5EAQYASABEgIXpfD_BwE

Maven gets good reviews.
https://shop.mavenbuilt.com/products/demo-unit-b-4

Kowa 12x56
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...MIvuPasfGV2wIVC7nACh1xyA5cEAQYASABEgJgwvD_BwE

Metopa/Cabelas Euro HD 15x56.
https://www.eurooptic.com/meopta-me...MI356r9vCV2wIVF7bACh1xRQomEAQYAyABEgIkPPD_BwE

Others would be older Zeiss 15x60, Canon 15x50 IS also gets great reviews. If you are looking for something bigger with more magnification there are also some great options from Steiner, Takahashi, Fujinon, etc... I am a fan of big binos, really big binos.

The Kaibab seems to get mixed reviews on some of the birding sites where you can find the best reviews and comparisons. Look for conversations about coatings, warmness of color, eye relief measurement, etc.. I saw a brand new pair go for $725 a couple of weeks ago but this one is not a bad deal.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vortex-Kai...272372?hash=item41e1638e74:g:eugAAOSw~RFa7paL
 
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I have vortex Kaibab and Vortex Vultures. I am pleased with both but I expected more bang for the buck with the Kaibabs that’s what I got
 
Another company to check out is Maven. My kids got me an early fathers day gift, Maven B2 9X45, I absolutely love them. Extremely clear and a very large field of view at 1000 yards, its like 377 feet. My next set will be the B4 15X56. They are factory direct so you save a lot of money.
 
Another company to check out is Maven. My kids got me an early fathers day gift, Maven B2 9X45, I absolutely love them. Extremely clear and a very large field of view at 1000 yards, its like 377 feet. My next set will be the B4 15X56. They are factory direct so you save a lot of money.

I have the same 9x45 B2 Mavens and love them.

FYI Maven does no make them, they are made by Kamakura. Kamakura also makes the Zulu 9 Sig Sauer 9x45 which shares the same frame as the Maven B2. They also build binoculars for other companies such as the the Zeiss conquest HD.

Both Maven and lesser know in the hunting world Tract sell direct to consumers which as you mentioned can help keep costs down as retailers have a lot of markup included in pricing.
 
look for used Meopta/Cabela's 15x's. They are worth the minor cost to upgrade from Kaibabs.

The Metopas seem to get good reviews but they have a smaller FOV than others, shorter eye relief which can be an issue if you wear glasses, and light transmission issues due to not having the more efficient abbe koenig prism system that others have and not using dialectic coatings in the schmidt pechan prism system it utilizes.

If late night or early morning viewing is important an abbe koenig prism system has some advantages over the more popular schmidt pechan. Examples would be the BX-5 Leupold, 15x56 Zeiss Conquest, and B4 Maven. The downside to this prism system is a lightly larger binocular.
 
I looked closely at this segment earlier this year and found that there are some other choices to consider beyond Swaro and leica.

One brand that is often overlooked by hunters, but very well respected in the photography and birding community is Minox.

They have previously made a 15x58, this is a pair I considered buying https://www.ebay.com/itm/Minox-bastacas-Bd-15...EAAOSwY7VafawH

and now make a 15x56. http://www.optics4birding.com/minox...MI5rXEwuyV2wIVhrXACh2QnwqyEAYYASABEgLPQfD_BwE

Docter
15x60 Nobilem is another to consider. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Docter-Nob...458540?hash=item545b62dcac:g:RvsAAOSwi19a6-oC

Steiner also makes a 15x56.
https://www.adorama.com/sthxs1556.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsZzcgu2V2wIVx7fACh0RWQx5EAQYASABEgIXpfD_BwE

Maven gets good reviews.
https://shop.mavenbuilt.com/products/demo-unit-b-4

Kowa 12x56
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...MIvuPasfGV2wIVC7nACh1xyA5cEAQYASABEgJgwvD_BwE

Metopa/Cabelas Euro HD 15x56.
https://www.eurooptic.com/meopta-me...MI356r9vCV2wIVF7bACh1xRQomEAQYAyABEgIkPPD_BwE

Others would be older Zeiss 15x60, Canon 15x50 IS also gets great reviews. If you are looking for something bigger with more magnification there are also some great options from Steiner, Takahashi, Fujinon, etc... I am a fan of big binos, really big binos.

The Kaibab seems to get mixed reviews on some of the birding sites where you can find the best reviews and comparisons. Look for conversations about coatings, warmness of color, eye relief measurement, etc.. I saw a brand new pair go for $725 a couple of weeks ago but this one is not a bad deal.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vortex-Kai...272372?hash=item41e1638e74:g:eugAAOSw~RFa7paL

Thanks for sharing! the Gitzo GH1720QR I have recently picked up is a very good head and more versatile than I thought.

It can indifferently support my Nikon ED 82 the Vortex 15x56 and the bigger and heavier Wega 15x70 HQ (an astro model, branded Garrett in the US market): all are very well balanced on the square Gitzo plate GS5370C - despite the differences in size and weight -

I have mounted it on a Triton FCX-5 carbon tripod (1,9kg), so the total weight head included is just 2,45 kg. The tripod can support up to 12 kgs according to the technical specs.

All in all an excellent solution for my gear!
 
FWIW...........My buddy has the Kaibab 15X56 MM bino

We used them as a spotter in the Kaibab last year mounted on a tripod and even taken off the sticks and put in a Bino Harness ( yes they were big in the AGC MAx case.

My point is that these were strong enough to verify what we were looking at without a spotter.

They were also comfortable enough to glass without having to crawl inside the spotter all day every day.

Very good glass found in the cabelas bargain cave without a box for about $800
 
I recently got the Vortex Vulture 15x56 (Kaibab's were also top of my price range) and love them. Two glassing sessions down and they are all I had hoped they'd be. Outside of dropping $3K, I would be surprised to find something as good of a bang for the buck. Saved enough off of the Kaibab's to pay for food and gas for quite a few local hunts too.
 
I have the Vulture HD's in 15x56 and really like them. Used them for 7 days last fall in Colorado from sunrise to sunset with zero eye strain and flawless viewing. I was also with three other guys who use these same bino's every day of the year in their respective careers. No issues for them as well.

We all ran on a tripod as well.

I have looked through the Doctors, the Meopta's, Cabelas Euro's, and Swaro's. I went with the Vulture's as my budget would allow them. The Meoptas were very nice as well.
 

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