Review on 🔭 VANGUARD Endeavor ED 8x42 Binoculars with ED Glass - Waterproof/Fogproof, Black (ENDEAVOR ED 8420) by Bob Kandravi

I carefully compared these Vanguard Endeavor ED binoculars (a pair each of 8x42 and 10x42) to a pair of Bushnell Legend Ultra 10x42 binoculars that I bought in Revane. Aside from the different magnification, the two Vanguards are identical in appearance and function. Subsequent references to "Vanguards" include both enlargements. Bushnells are similar to Vanguards in design and performance. The differences listed below are minor. Both brands have excellent overall image sharpness, edge sharpness and brightness. These are the most important features of any pair of binoculars. I studied the frosted mesh at a distance of 100 feet and through both binoculars the clarity was amazing. Advantage - draw. Mechanical Operation (Primary Focus, Pupil Distance) -- Pupil distance (width) adjustment and primary focus are a little stiffer on Bushnells. The main focus in Bushnell can also be adjusted somewhat awkwardly, as it has some play that has to be compensated for when changing the direction of rotation of the focus wheel. In contrast, the Vanguard has no play in the focus wheel, with instant focus response when the wheel is turned. One reviewer noticed a slight click in the bushnells when using the main focus wheel. This is not a mechanical defect in the adjustment mechanism, but simply a "squeaking" of the rubber coating of the wheel against the plastic base of the wheel. Advantage - Vanguard. Diopter Adjustment (Right Eye Focus) -- The diopter ring on Vanguards is much easier to use than on Bushnells. The locking mechanism to prevent accidental diopter adjustment is easy to toggle on and off on Vanguards but difficult on Bushnells. Since some (very few) reviewers have complained of broken diopter rings on Bushnells, I am very careful when adjusting diopters. When focusing Bushnell's diopter, I use my thumb and forefinger; When locking or unlocking the ring, I use two fingers and a thumb. On Vanguards, I can easily do both tasks with my thumb and forefinger. The Bushnell diopter ring is stiff enough that it can't be accidentally readjusted after adjustment, so I just don't lock the ring after adjusting the diopters. Update: While the Bushnell's diopter adjustment gets less stiff with use, it's still stiffer than the Vanguards. The problem with this rigidity, aside from the possibility of breaking the diopter ring, is that you are essentially holding the binoculars with one hand while your right hand operates the diopter adjustment, and the considerable torque required makes the binoculars difficult to close fairly quietly keep. to focus the right eye. Advantage - Vanguard. The Vanguard's pivoting eyecups are infinitely adjustable with detents and rise higher than the Bushnell eyecups. Those on the Bushnells have a more limited reach, no detents, and the right eyecup has risen noticeably higher than the left, so watch their respective heights. Advantage - Vanguard. color accuracy. Viewing the white snowdrift in the flat light of a foggy day, the Vanguard looked a little "warm" compared to the brilliant white Bushnells. I emphasize that this difference was very insignificant and, in general, was noticeable only by holding both binoculars in my hands at the same time. Advantage - Bushnell. Chromatic aberration (CA) - different colors of the visible light spectrum are transmitted differently through media such as glass, water or air. With binoculars, this can result in colored fringes around the edges of an object that stands out against the background, typically a dark foreground object against a light background. Both Vanguard and Bushnell use ED glass, which stands for Extra Low Dispersion. ED glass reduces or eliminates CA by focusing light of different wavelengths closer to the same point, so no bands of color appear. Since a small number of Revain reviewers have indicated that they have experienced chromatic aberration with one or the other of these binoculars, I tried to get my Vanguard and Bushnell to display CA by looking at the dark tree branches and dark standing rocks silhouetted against the blue sky, lit by the sun of white clouds. , or snow. I did this by backlit the foreground and then frontlit it, and there was no way I could get the binoculars to show chromatic aberration. As a test, I pulled out some of my cheap binoculars and got them to display CA with no trouble, especially at the edges of the image. Update: Today (May 29, 2014) I noticed chromatic aberration on both Vanguards and Bushnells. Looking at the distant green crest of grass, slantedly lit and rising against the blue sky, all I could see was the narrow fringe of color on the crest in the top corner of the field of view. The Vanguards were purple, the Bushnells were orange. This does not hinder viewing, as it is in an uncritical area of the field of vision, only occurs in rare cases and is hardly perceptible even when looking. Advantage - draw. Both suitcases close with a zipper. The Bushnell case is a very nice semi-rigid clamshell. Velcro straps prevent the clamshell body from opening fully when removing the binoculars. The Vanguard bag is a padded bag with a ballistic nylon lining and shell and is about half the size of the Bushnell bag. If bulkiness isn't an issue, Bushnell's case is better. Advantage - Bushnell. Bushnells come with a binocular tag that is stored in a binocular case. Advantage - Bushnell. Both brands have comfortable carrying straps that can easily be swapped between bag and binoculars. The benefit is excitement. Weight - Vanguards weigh 25.8 ounces, which is just over 3 ounces heavier than Bushnells. The advantage is traction. Ease of Use - I find the Vanguards a bit more comfortable due to the double hinge "open bridge" design where my index fingers rest on the top hinge and focus wheel, my middle and ring fingers curl over the binoculars between the hinges. and my little fingers rest on the bottom hinge. Bushnells have a larger joint and the fingers are on top of the joint, except for the little fingers, which are below the joint. Another reason Vanguards are more comfortable to hold in your hand is that they have slightly flattened areas on the back of each of the cylinders that make up the body of the binoculars, positioned exactly where your thumbs are when you do that hold binoculars. Most of the weight of binoculars rests on your thumbs, and to see the difference this feature makes, run your hands to the end of the lens and notice the extra pressure caused by the relatively narrow cross-section of the barrel compared to binoculars wide contact area due to the flattened areas. Since wearing comfort is a very subjective feature, I would call that a draw and suggest every user to rate the binoculars in terms of personal wearing comfort. The rubber coating on Bushnell binoculars is ribbed to ensure a secure grip when wet or when wearing gloves. It's thicker than the Vanguard, with a slight "flex" when pressed with a fingertip. The Vanguard rubber is grainy, unribbed, and absolutely snug. I find the Vanguard cover a bit more comfortable, but again that is subjective and should be judged on an individual basis by each user. lens cap. The lens caps for the eyepiece lenses are almost identical. Lenses differ in that Bushnells have a relatively loose retaining ring while Vanguards have a tight retaining ring. Several reviewers have noted the weakness of Bushnell lens caps (especially when open and hanging by their retaining rings), and one has gone so far as to hot glue the holders in place. A much simpler and very effective solution is to slide the side of the retaining ring opposite the lens cap hinge up onto the binoculars. This tightens the ring and results in a large distance for the ring to travel before it can fall off. What I like most about Bushnell lens caps is the pull tab which makes it very easy to find and open the cap even when wearing gloves. Update: (December 15, 2014) My new pair of Vanguard 10x42 binoculars have ridges on the lens caps, so presumably the 8x42 models will now have ridges as well. The advantage is traction. As you can see from this list of specs, Vanguard Endeavor ED (both 8x42 and 10x42) and Bushnell 10x42 Legend Ultra HD are almost the same. Each of them is available in both 10 and 8 power versions. I paid the same price for two 10x42 models and am happy with both purchases. If the Vanguard Endeavor and the Bushnell Legend Ultra are on your list, I'd recommend picking the one that feels best in your hands and/or the cheapest you can buy.