Vortex Crossfire 8x42mm Review
You may not meet a pair of inexpensive binoculars every day that provide you with professional characteristics and an affordable price tag. But with the Vortex Crossfire 8x42mm, all that is about to change – the perfect optics for both the everyday outdoorsman and the experienced shooter.
First Impressions Are Everything
After unboxing the Vortex Crossfire, you will immediately notice that it is lightweight, rugged, and fits comfortably in your hands. The feel of the rubber armor made it feel snug and built like a tank as you cradle it in your palms and grip it with your fingers. The thumb grooves underneath are a nice personal touch to make it feel ergonomic, but most users may end up sliding their hands further toward the objective lenses when in use.
The Vortex Crossfire 8x42mm has a broad range of interpupillary distance, which is the distance between the center of your eyes. This means that these binoculars will cater to just about any face size. With an adjustable range of 58-76mm, even those with small faces will have plenty of room left when adjusting the interpupillary distance for the perfect fit.
When putting the binoculars around your neck, it will be cushioned with a foam embedded strap. While it is in the resting or standby position, it will not feel cumbersome at all, and you can wear them in this way all day if you prefer. If you decide to store it in its included case, however, you will be delighted to discover that the Vortex Crossfire fits snugly and securely inside.
The objective lens caps of the Vortex Crossfire 8×42 are connected via rubber tethers to ensure that you will not misplace them, and this will come in handy when hiking. Taking it out of its case, however, causes the objective lens to open automatically more often than not. This design choice (if intentional) is probably to give you quick access to immediate viewing, but some users may find it irritating. Don’t fret, though, because you can always purchase a separate replacement.
Underneath direct sunlight, the Vertex Crossfire 8x42mm shines, and you will be met with a crisp and clear image. Surveying the landscape was an enjoyable experience, and the binoculars were incredibly easy to use. Its lightweight helps in proficiently scanning your surroundings, and focusing was a breeze due to the large focusing dial located in the center of the bridge. With an exit pupil (aperture) of 5.3mm, you can expect to be able to use the Crossfire with clarity at dawn and dusk.
While it may not be the easiest pair of binoculars to use quickly for rapid use due to the slightly awkward eyecups, but with a little adjustment on its settings, that issue can be solved. The width of the eye relief (the distance from the last eyepiece surface in which the eye can get the full view of an image) on the Crossfire is 17 mm. While it’s not the longest eye relief distance out there, it satisfies the minimum standard for anyone who wears glasses.
The Crossfire performed at a professional standard, with excellent depth perception and great picture range. Everyday consumers would be pleased with the 8x magnification range and a field of view of 393ft /1000 yards. Seasoned hunters would also enjoy the ability to accurately tell when observing their prey how far away objects are in the distance.
During your landscape viewing, don’t panic if weather conditions are not ideal since the Crossfire is both fog-proof and waterproof, as is the standard today for most binoculars. With this feature, those who want to climb in higher elevations or in places will definitely benefit from this feature.
If weather conditions are not optimal during your landscape viewing, don’t worry because the Crossfire is both fog proof and waterproof, which is the standard in most binoculars today. Having this feature will surely benefit those who like to trek up in higher elevations or in areas with a damper and unpredictable climate.
The Final View
The Vortex Crossfire 8×42 provides great value for money. With a retail price in the mid range of the market, the performance you get rivals any higher-end professional binoculars. For most users, the magnification range is more than enough, but some seasoned users may want more. The Crossfire’s performance on depth perception and clarity was excellent; however, which made up for its lack in magnification.
Overall, the Vortex Crossfire 8×42 is a fantastic pair of binoculars and will find its way strapped around the necks of many outdoorsmen for a long time. For a pair of everyday binoculars, most users will be incredibly pleased with purchasing the Vortex Crossfire 8×42.
Specifications:
- Magnification: 8x magnification with 42mm lenses
- Weight: 666 grams or 23.5 ounces
- Eye Relief: 17 millimeters or 0.7 inches
- Exit Pupil: 5.3 millimeters or 0.2 inches
- Field Of View: 393ft / 1000 yards or 120 meters / 914.4 meters
- Angular Field Of View: 7.5 degrees / 1000 yards (914.4 meters)
- Close Focus: 2.9 meters or 7.5 feet
- Interpupillary Distance: 58-76mm
- Fogproof and Waterproof: Yes
- Height And Weight: 157.48 mm x 129.54mm or 6.2in x 5.1in
