FIRST LOOK: Vortex Razor 22-48x65mm Spotting Scope
The new Vortex Razor HD 22-48×65 spotter has received a facelift. The color scheme and layout upon first glance is definitely appealing and some have said it looks to similar to Swarovski. The new look has been applied to their 85mm & 65mm Razor Spotting Scopes. In this first look review, we will be discussing the 65mm spotter since that is our personal favorite for backcountry hunts.
Right off the bat the first thing I noticed with the 65mm version has a different range of zoom than the previous model. The old Razor HD was 16x-48x zoom compared to the new Razor HD 22x-48x. Although the change in zoom, the new Razor HD has the same field of view at 22x as the old version at 16x. This is a benefit in that you can see the same amount of land thru the eyepiece but at a closer perspective.
Additionally, the focus wheel has changed to a helical focus. The look is more appealing and is a more sleek and durable style of focus, but has also caused the new 65mm Razor to gain additional weight. The new Razor HD 65mm weighs 56.8oz compared to the old Razor HD 65mm at 48.4oz.
The exterior is now almost completely coated in rubber armor, which is definitely an upgrade from the previous metal feeling finish.
We tested the new version side by side with the old on a recent mule deer scouting trip and unfortunately it appears the quality of glass has not improved, or if so the improvement is very very minor. We noticed no change in edge to edge clarity at various powers and no difference in overall image clarity/coloring.
The final noticeable difference is the size of the eyepiece. The eyepiece has a slightly larger diameter and those who are users of Phone Skope and would like to use their old Razor adapter will not be able to do so. You can order the new iPhone 6/6s Phone Skope Adapter HERE.
There will be no change in retail price with the new Razor HD 65mm spotting scope compared to the old version. Overall we feel the new look and external features are an upgrade to the Vortex HD 65mm Spotting scope, but we are hoping for a glass upgrade in future models. As always the new Razor HD 65mm comes with Vortex Optics legendary VIP warranty.
-Travis
I’ve heard a few reviews where they thought glass was better, and a few that said it was the same. Thanks for the review. It’s too bad it weighs so much more than the old version. Not sure I want to upgrade given the weight difference.