cabin from United States, MD Public Profile

This is my second pair, which I bought in case I break or lose my current pair. I have the Velocity Gunmetal frames with polarized gray/green lenses. These are great for driving, and all outdoor activity. They are lightweight, durable, and compact. The style fits my face very well, and has the slight wrap around that blocks peripheral light.

The only downside, and this are very minor, is that the polarized lenses on these non-gradient sunglasses somewhat darkens the view of electronic gauges while driving. I have a pair of the Velocity amber/brown gradient sunglasses too, and those are designed to make reading gauges easier, but frankly I prefer these. I have mixed feelings about the case. I like that it is fairly solid and includes a cleaning cloth, but feel it is just a little too big. I found a smaller case at my local optician that fits these glasses like a glove, and thats what I use for traveling.

The main downside, that is not so minor, is the price. I bought my first pair several years ago at WalMart of all places, and thought I was paying a premium at $100. For whatever reason, the titanium framed Gunmetal polarized version of the Velocity glasses are significantly higher than the other versions. Don't really know why.

I bought this for someone who wears glasses, based on a few Internet reviews indicating these were good for that purpose. Although she liked them & found them easy to use with glasses, she preferred another brand & model I also bought for her first hand comparison. I don't wear glasses, and found the eye relief on the other binocs - Vortex Diamondback 8x28 - too long. I preferred the Leupold myself.

The optics are clear, the sight picture bright, the adjustments fine. I like the small size, slightly lighter weight, the protective coating, and the carrying case. However, wish Leupold would include protection for both the objective & ocular lenses.

Optically, these compare to my old Nikon Travelite V binocs. Between the two, I'd pick the Travelite simply because they're lighter. The Leupolds should provide more protection in wet conditions.

I bought this for someone who wears glasses, based on the specs for eye relief (19.3 mm). She liked them & found them easy to use with glasses. I don't wear glasses, and found the eye relief too long. They provide a normal image if I touched the top edge of the extended eye cups to my brow, but otherwise, the sight picture was just not right. Since they're not for my use, it isn't a problem, but I wouldn't pick these for myself.

This issue should not be interpreted as a ding against the Vortex binocs. The optics were clear, the sight picture bright, the adjustments fine. I like the lens protection for both objective & ocular lenses, the protective coating, and the carrying case. However, they're not quite as compact as others I looked at. I bought two binocs for her to try, these and the Leupold BX-1 Rogue Compact. She preferred the Vortex by a slight margin. I preferred the Leupold; smaller, a bit lighter, and better eye relief for my use. Optical quality was a toss up.