Review: Vanguard Endeavor ED II series 8x42 binoculars
29 April 2016
By Stuart Hamilton
By Stuart Hamilton
I'll be honest with you - Birding24/7 hadn't heard much about Vanguard the brand until their marketing manager made contact with us about two months ago.
We had made no assumptions of the brand as we simply didn't know enough about them. Since then, we've been in regular contact and now appreciate the ethics and production processes of the brand and in particular - how they have gone about achieving performance from their recent range of optics.
With the new Endeavor ED II's, Vanguard has been building on its proven foundation's - which were set by the original award winning Endeavor ED binoculars. The new ED II bino's feature Japanese ED glass, an ergonomic and comfortable open-bridge design, adjustable 3 level twist-out eye cups along with a locking diopter, and perhaps most advantageous of all - a premium lifetime warranty. All models are nitrogen purged to prevent fogging and are completely waterproof.
And so onto the test. Firstly, the weight. I found the bino's comfortable to wear, and this will be largely down to their 770 grams and the well padded neoprene strap. I used fauna and insects to test the close focusing and managed to get down to under two metres of sharp and clear images with no fringing on the object lenses. This impressive performance provided me with images which are essential when seeking to ID insects such as fritillaries and damselflies - when underwings, pterostigma on outer wings and detailed appendages need to be seen well. When I switched to viewing birds in flight and with this, mostly long distance views, the binoculars performance was still very good and the standards of the close focusing were maintained throughout. The focus wheel itself needs just about a half turn to travel from close to distant focusing and this functionality is absolutely ideal when in an environment where poor light is the norm, such as dense woodland.
Inside the box you'll get a soft carrying case, a neoprene carrying strap, objective covers and rain protection caps (see gallery below).
My overall thoughts and grading are that the Endeavor ED II's tested well in all aspects and they rate highly as an optical tool. For the money, these binoculars should occupy the top spot or near top of those currently available which will make them a best in class product.
The binoculars officially launch today in the UK (Friday 15 Aug) at this year's Birdfair in Rutland Water Nature Reserve. We'll be following the progress of Vanguard and their new product releases in the near future, so we'll be sure to keep you all posted on product and technical developments.
Verdict
The Endeavor ED II's tested well in all aspects and they rate highly as an optical tool. For the money, these binoculars should occupy the top spot or near top of those currently available which will make them a best in class product.
★★★★★★★ 7/10
Testing Scores
📞 Contact: www.vanguardworld.co.uk
🏷 RRP: £449.99
We had made no assumptions of the brand as we simply didn't know enough about them. Since then, we've been in regular contact and now appreciate the ethics and production processes of the brand and in particular - how they have gone about achieving performance from their recent range of optics.
With the new Endeavor ED II's, Vanguard has been building on its proven foundation's - which were set by the original award winning Endeavor ED binoculars. The new ED II bino's feature Japanese ED glass, an ergonomic and comfortable open-bridge design, adjustable 3 level twist-out eye cups along with a locking diopter, and perhaps most advantageous of all - a premium lifetime warranty. All models are nitrogen purged to prevent fogging and are completely waterproof.
And so onto the test. Firstly, the weight. I found the bino's comfortable to wear, and this will be largely down to their 770 grams and the well padded neoprene strap. I used fauna and insects to test the close focusing and managed to get down to under two metres of sharp and clear images with no fringing on the object lenses. This impressive performance provided me with images which are essential when seeking to ID insects such as fritillaries and damselflies - when underwings, pterostigma on outer wings and detailed appendages need to be seen well. When I switched to viewing birds in flight and with this, mostly long distance views, the binoculars performance was still very good and the standards of the close focusing were maintained throughout. The focus wheel itself needs just about a half turn to travel from close to distant focusing and this functionality is absolutely ideal when in an environment where poor light is the norm, such as dense woodland.
Inside the box you'll get a soft carrying case, a neoprene carrying strap, objective covers and rain protection caps (see gallery below).
My overall thoughts and grading are that the Endeavor ED II's tested well in all aspects and they rate highly as an optical tool. For the money, these binoculars should occupy the top spot or near top of those currently available which will make them a best in class product.
The binoculars officially launch today in the UK (Friday 15 Aug) at this year's Birdfair in Rutland Water Nature Reserve. We'll be following the progress of Vanguard and their new product releases in the near future, so we'll be sure to keep you all posted on product and technical developments.
Verdict
The Endeavor ED II's tested well in all aspects and they rate highly as an optical tool. For the money, these binoculars should occupy the top spot or near top of those currently available which will make them a best in class product.
★★★★★★★ 7/10
Testing Scores
- Design: ★★★★★★★ 7/10
- Performance: ★★★★★★★ 7/10
- Durability: ★★★★★★★ 7/10
- Weight: ★★★★★★★ 6/10
- Value: ★★★★★★★ 7/10
📞 Contact: www.vanguardworld.co.uk
🏷 RRP: £449.99
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