Get up close to the details of nature with the Vanguard Spirit ED. This binocular includes advanced lens coatings to provide light transmission up to 90 percent while the ED glass delivers superior color reproduction. A lightweight body, long eye relief and easy-to-adjust, large focus wheel make the Spirit very user-friendly. This waterproof and fogproof binocular comes with the Vanguard limited lifetime warranty.
Optical Features
Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Glass
Enhances resolution, color, and contrast.
Fully Multi-coated Lenses
Increase light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces.
Phase Correction
Enhances resolution and contrast through roof prisms.
BaK-4 Prisms
Optimize light transmission.
Construction Features
Roof Prisms
Appreciated for a streamlined shape and durability.
Rubber Armoring
Provides a secure, non-slip grip.
Adjustable Eyecups
Twist up and down for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses.
Center Focus Wheel
Adjusts both binocular barrels at the same time.
Right Eye Diopter
Adjusts for differences in a user's eyes. Located by the right eyepiece.
Tripod Adaptable
Can be mounted using standard ¼-inch threading. Adapter sold separately.
Design Features
Waterproof
Optics are sealed with O-rings to prevent moisture, dust, and debris from getting inside the binocular.
Fogproof
Barrels are filled with nitrogen gas to inhibit internal fogging.
My wife and I already owned the big brothers of this par, and were really happy with the optics on those. I wanted my own pair, however, as my prescription is different, and decided to go with a smaller and lighter pair. These Spirits are terrific binoculars, especially at the price, and deliver supremely bright and crisp views. I have not experienced the issues that the previous reviewer did but perhaps he got a defective pair...who knows. I did find, however, that these did benefit from taking your time at the front end to really dial everything in properly - diopter adjustments, pupillary width, etc. - as opposed to the larger Endeavors, which seem a bit more forgiving of sight differences in these areas. I am super happy with them. They are excellent for a dedicated, lifelong amateur birdwatcher such as myself, as well as just backyard birding. I bet they'd be great at sporting events, too, but can't speak from experience.
Small and bright, but...
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02/13/2013
by
Brian from Norman, OK
I was pretty excited to try these out, given their size and value. I figured that the added brightness from ED glass would make up for the smaller objective lens, which is certainly the case- these are just as bright as a 8x42 pair without ED glass, and are substantially lighter-weight than my Atlas Intrepid 8x42. The focus wheel is fast, which I like very much. There are some trade-offs, however:
Cons- I have noticed pretty serious chromatic aberration (color fringing) when looking at bright objects. I find this pretty annoying, especially when the box advertises that the ED glass eliminates CA. Also, when focusing on something close, the barrels have a tough time maintaining a single image (you get two images with an overlapping center). Maybe this is a function of smaller binocs, I simply don't know. Doesn't bother me too much, though.
Still, a nice pair which I plan to keep in the kitchen for back-up or to hand off to my kids, since they are so light-weight.
Good Purchase!
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04/21/2012
by
Kenneth from Tucson, AZ
I recently purchased the new Vanguard Spirit ED 8x36 binocular for birding and general use. The build quality and optics are excellent and I especially like it's smaller size and lighter weight than a full-sized binoc without giving up any or little performance. I feel I have the perfect binocular for my intended uses.