Vortex Diamondback HD 8×28 Binoculars: Our Review

At A Glance

PROS:

• Very bright and sharp image at low price point 
• Large, smooth focus wheel gives quick, precise focusing
• Large, deep eyecups help keep the view steady and improve the image
• 28-mm objective lenses help with brightness

CONS:

• While still small relative to full-size or compact binoculars, these are the biggest and heaviest pocket binoculars we reviewed

STATS:

• Price: $209 MSRP at press time. Prices often fluctuate, so check with retailers
• Close focus: 6.0 feet (183 cm)
• Field of view: 6.2° (326 feet at 1,000 yards). More about field of view 
• Weight: 13.8 oz (392 g)—that’s about 3.2 oz (90 g) heavier than the average for pocket binoculars in our review
• Eye relief: 18 mm

Viewing Experience: The Vortex Diamondback HD 8×28 offers a bright, crisp, colorful image at a very affordable price point. It’s our favorite pocket binocular under $400. The binoculars are very bright, thanks in part to slightly larger objective lenses (28 vs. the standard 25 mm in this class). In twilight conditions this yielded a noticeable advantage in sharpness, and in daylight it contributed to vivid color and the sense of a larger image that filled the eye. The large eyecups fit comfortably around the eyes, blocking out peripheral light and increasing contrast. The oversized focus wheel gives your fingers extra control when making fine adjustments, and the focusing action is delightfully fluid. The large, bright image and easy focusing make it much easier to lock onto flying birds than with many other pocket binoculars. It was easy to pick out a few Northern Rough-winged Swallows, with their matte brown backs and pale underparts, flitting around a small lake alongside peachy Barn Swallows and glittering Tree Swallows. We also enjoyed watching a couple of fresh spring White-throated Sparrows eating pear blossoms in a tableau of new green leaves and delicate white petals.

Feel and Build: Vortex has made a seriously useful pocket binocular here. But in the process, they’ve leaned toward heavier and bulkier design choices: larger objective lenses; a sturdy single-hinge design; large, deep eyecups; a big, easy-to-grab focus wheel with a delightfully smooth movement; and cushy rubber armoring. The eyecups are large enough to fit neatly and comfortably around the eyes, unlike smaller pocket binoculars with narrow eyecups that require you to hold them just away from your eyes. The Diamondback HD 8×28 may not appeal if you’re looking for the smallest, lightest, easiest-to-pack-away binoculars, but they offer a very good image and great comfort and usability for much less than premium-tier binoculars.

This article is one in a series of mini-reviews. To see how these binoculars compare to others we’ve tested, see our full review of pocket binoculars.