Ordered 2 scopes, deciding which one to take to Yellowstone:
* $550 - Vanguard Endeavor HD 82A angled with 20-60X, and
* $1195 - Vortex 20-60x85 Razor HD spotting scope.
Both are 60x, 85 mm scopes. Ended up keeping the more expensive Vortex, and returning the Vanguard. 2 issues on Vanguard:
* Could not (3 of us tried) get the case on the Vanguard. Could get it over the lower body but could not get the upper section to zip up over the angled part of the scope, even with the eyepiece removed (it would not fit over the scope). Either the case was badly designed, or I was sent a case for a straight scope when what I ordered was an angled scope. This order was fulfilled by Amazon, but the case came in the box with the scope, so it was odd that it did not fit. Did not have time to resolve because I was leaving for a Yellowstone trip and needed to pick only one scope to bring.
* Digiscoping - Had wanted to do digiscoping with these with my iphone. On Amazon, found iphone 6 Vortex digiscoping set-up by Phoneskope and got that within 2 days via Amazon Prime. Could not find digiscoping option for Vanguard on Amazon. Later on, realized on the Phoneskope web-site itself, there are all sorts of options (including for Vortex and Vanguard) and various phone models, but only a very few of these Phoneskopes are listed on Amazon, so you don't realize they exist. You would not find the others without going to Phoneskope site. Could not get the Phoneskope model for the Vanguard in time before my trip. These are not interchangeable - depends on the lens size (could not fit the Vortex Phone Scope case on the Vanguard).
If I had had more time, both to work out why the Vanguard case wouldn't fit (replacement case?) and to work out an order delivery of a Phone Scope matched to the Vanguard, I may very well have preferred the Vanguard due to price ($550 Vanguard vs. $1195 Vortex). As it was, I was unable to get the set-up in time to compare the 2, and returned the Vanguard and kept the Vortex. With respect to the scopes themselves, I therefore did not try these outside, but only in my apartment, across a 40 ft distance. For that distance, they were visually the same, but that distance is of course not the main use & I did not do longer distance comparison. I preferred the lens cap of Vanguard over Vortex (Vanguard has a snap lens - easier & quicker to place than working the stiff Vortex rubber cover over the 85 mm lens). I preferred the Vortex case over Vanguard (Vortex was padded & actually fit), and I preferred the Vortex coarse/fine adjustment knobs over Vanguard (Vanguard was slightly stiffer to move). However, these scopes were overall very similar (feature-wise), though quite different price-wise.
Highly recommend the Phone Scope attachment - had a crowd of people every place I set up the scope in Yellowstone, with many comments both on the set-up (use of iphone) and the quality of the picture (and it was much easier to share views with the phone attached, since it was like looking at a mini-TV screen rather than having everyone duck down to the eye piece). Got some great pics.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 18.1 x 8.6 x 6.3 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 3.15 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14 x 7.5 x 5.25 inches |
| Item Weight | 48.4 Ounces |
| Brand Name | Vortex |
| Country of Origin | United States |
| Warranty Description | Unlimited, unconditional lifetime warranty. |
| Model Name | Razor HD Angled Spotting Scope |
| Color | Gray/Green |
| Material | Magnesium |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Vortex Optics |
| Part Number | VT-RZR-65A1 |
| Model Year | 2015 |
| Style | 16-48x65 - Angled |
| Included Components | Spotting Scope |
| Size | 16-48x65 |
| Sport Type | Hunting |
