Endeavor ED 10x42 Binocular, ED Glass, Waterproof/Fogproof, Black (Endeavor ED 1042)

I finally decided that I like to bird watch enough and make enough money to justify purchasing a really good pair of binoculars. Over the years I have had many pairs of under $100 binoculars and also own a slightly more expensive pair of compact Pentax binos so, I'm used to looking through lower cost binos. I read many online reviews before my purchase. Vangaurd binoculars seems to consistently be rated as a best buy. I was willing to spend 3 or 4 hundred dollars on a pair of binoculars but I wasn't willing to spring for a grand. Vangaurds, especially with ED glass, seemed to compare favorably to much more expensive binos. I did a side by side comparison of this binocular and the Vangaurd Endeavor 8.5 X 45 version. I actually thought I was going to want the higher power 10x42 version of the Endeavor. Based on my cheaper binoculars, I tended to like my 10 power binoculars better than lower powered ones. It look very little time to determine that the 8.5x45 binoculars were the superior ones with the side by side comparison. The 8.5x45 were significantly brighter and sharper. The field of view is listed as 340 ft at 1000 ft on both binos. However, the field of view definitely appeared to be wider on the 8.5 x 45 pair. The 10x42 worked OK with my glasses but I did feel as though I lost a small portion of the FOV. The 8.5x45 were great with glasses on or off. Using either pair it was easy to find birds hidden deep withing pine trees. The superior contrast allowed me to see details, even when birds were in dark areas, but again, the 8.5x45s were the standout. Certainly both pairs of binoculars were superior to any of my other pairs of binos and comparisons made it fairly easy to part with around three hundred bucks. But it was also easy to figure out which pair of binoculars I wanted to keep. The 10X42s definitively lost the race. Update 9/19/12 - When I first did this review the 10X42s were listed separately. I now see they are lumping all of the Endeavors together. I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 because I am totally in love with my Vanguard 8.5 X 45s and I think any of the Vanguard ED binos probably rank 5 stars when you compare them to other brands in the same price range. I see many things I missed with cheap binoculars and am able to identify birds more quickly. I wish I had shelled out the money for a good pair of binoculars a long time ago. On the other hand there have been significant improvements in binoculars recently, so maybe it's good I waited.

I bought these last year for $169 during a Black Friday sale. Since I've always wanted a good pair of binoculars I couldn't pass up such a great price. Even though I never heard of Vanguard my decision was based on the reviews from here and other sites. I have to say I do not regret the purchase one bit. The quality is obvious, even before looking through them. You can tell that Vanguard put a lot of thought into the design and material choices. I left them out in the rain once overnight, the eyecups were filled with water. All I did was pour out the water and they functioned perfectly! I've use these for daytime viewing and for viewing the night sky. They are an excellent choice for both. Compared to the typical Walmart binoculars the difference is night and day. They don't leave me with a feeling of wanting more if that makes sense. No blur in any part of the field of view, colors are excellent. They are transparent. The focus knob is a little sensitive, but I like that because I can focus quickly. For viewing the night sky I would recommend a tripod adapter, I made my own but Vanguard sells one here on Amazon. I wouldn't​ hesitate to recommend these to anyone looking for a good pair of binoculars.

I own 5 pairs of binoculars and these are, by far the best. The noteworthy features are really good lenses, quick focus (3/4 of a turn from stop to stop) and really great ergonomics. . I can make out an individual leaf on a tree from about 1/4 of a mile. There is some color fringing with a dark object in front of a bright background, but much less than the rest of my binoculars. The weight is about average. The workmanship and appearance are first class. They feel very good in your hands with everything where it should be. Just a word about the quick focus. I personally love it, but some may not as it can be a little tricky to focus, particularly at long distances. Up closer, it is a joy to be able to fast focus from one object to another particularly while bird watching. The optics are aligned perfectly. No double images. They gather light really well. I get a little face reflection at times which makes the lower half of the view to have a gray misty appearance. I solved this by adjusting the eye pieces about 1/2 way out. That is another nice feature, the eye pieces. They adjust very smoothly for glasses or for your preference . The locking adjuster for the focus for the right eye works perfectly. The strap works great and comfortable to wear. I like the case although it does not hold the strap and binoculars without a lot of effort. I just leave the straps hanging out. Overall, these are five star binoculars. I highly recommend them particularly in view of the higher cost of it's competition.

Great price and it comes so closed to Zeiss and Swarovski , I would not buy anything else . I do own 2 Zeiss and Swarovski .

This Vanguard endeavour ed 10x42 was i believe first released in about 2012….it was the first vanguard endeavour to contain ed glass and prior to that there was an endeavour model which didn’t have ed glass and had a slightly narrower field of view of 6 degrees but is optically better than this ed version…I have recently compared both models side by side and unfortunately this ED mk i version lacks the central resolution sharpness of the older vanguard which is a shame because the solid magnesium housing and general build quality is excellent but optically disappointing. The old non ed endeavour also had a Hydro guard water repellent coating which this first ed version does not have. Probably for the first time user or a binocular as a back up spare to keep in the car they are just about ok…

Great look and quality feel; excellent eye caps/cups and high quality padded strap; good weight for a higher powered waterproof binocular. Very happy.

Excellent clear view for birding! My first binoculars. Excellent!

The best binoculars I have used. Optics quality is excellent. Excellent value.