Vanguard Endeavor ED II 10x42
The binoculars are very similar to each other, differing in merely cosmetic casing details and coatings – those used in Vanguards ED II seem to be more efficient, with lower intensity, providing more natural colours. If you buy one of the Vanguard Endeavor ED II pairs of binoculars you get a very rich accessory kit: the caps for objectives and eyepieces, a strap, a very stylish, profiled case, with a separate strap and a possibility to attach it to your belt and an optics cleaning cloth. The case is the proof that the Vanguard company have a lot of experience when it comes to producing bags or cases – it can be an example to follow for other optics producers.
It is also worth mentioning that the Endeavors come with lifetime warranty both on Polish and American markets.
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 42 | 114/1000(6.5o) | BaK-4/roof | 18 mm | 770 g | 2299 PLN |
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 42+/-
0.05 mm Right: 42+/- 0.05 mm |
8 / 8.0 pkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 10.13+/- 0.05x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 79.9+/- 1.5% | 9/25.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Low in the centre, a bit higher than medium on the edge. | 6.8/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Low. | 8/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | The distance between the first curved line and the field centre compared to the field of view radius: 95% ± 3% | 10/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Appears only in a distance of 80% of the field of view radius and is between low and medium on the very edge. | 8.4/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | The blur occurs in a distance of 99% ± 2% from the field of view centre. | 10/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Negligible. | 4.4/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Just more than a dozen percent of difference in transmission between red and blue makes the images a bit yellowish | 2.7/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Perfect. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
4.4/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Solid, the "open hinge" design. Rubber armour of a very good quality. Nothing creaks or sticks out. Rubber eyecups with four degrees of regulation. Produced in China. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | A big and comfortable central wheel covered with fine ribbing. Running through the whole range takes a turn through about 280 degrees. The wheel moves smoothly and is well-damped. A sliding ring on the right eyepiece for individual focusing which moves the element. One thing you can carp about here is that ribbing on the wheel and the ring – definitely too fine and not especially nice under the fingers. | 4.3/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | There is an exit but far from the mass centre. | 2/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 58.3 to 74mm | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 1.45 m | 2/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 65.4 deg (according to simple formula) and 59.5 deg (according to tangent formula). | 14/20.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to about 6.46 +/- 0.04 degrees and it was in full accordance with the specifications. A huge field for this class of equipment. | 7/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Tubes are darkened and baffled very well. The bottom is black but slightly shiny. A very small amount of dust. | 4.3/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
|
7.5/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | Good quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Green-purple on objectives, greenish on eyepieces and prisms. Medium intensity. | 4.5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | lifetime | 6/6.0 | ||||
| Final result | 80.2% | 152.3 / 190 pkt | ||||
| Econo result | 0pkt. |
Summary
Pros:
- solid casing,
- wide field of view,
- slight chromatic aberration,
- low astigmatism,
- excellent distortion control,
- very low coma,
- sharp image across the whole field of view,
- low brightness loss on the edge of the field of view,
- circular exit pupils on a black background,
- good quality prisms made of BaK-4 glass,
- sharp image already from a distance of 1.45 metres,
- very good darkening and cleanliness inside the tubes,
- lifetime warranty period,
- brilliant price/quality and price/possibilities ratios.
Cons:
- too low transmission level at this price point.
 |
To be honest I can barely believe my own eyes. I knew that the tested pair of binoculars might be a very good instrument, it was enough I spend several moments with it to assess roughly its possibilities. I had an opportunity to play with the Endeavor ED II binoculars during our Rally; I was sure they all were very well done, the 10x magnification model appearing to be the best of the group. Now the total result of all categories confirmed that initial impression – the tested device’s final score is simply brilliant, especially if you take into account the fact that you deal here with a pair of binoculars produced in China which cost just about 500 Euro.
In fact the only flaw you can find is the transmission graph, presented below.
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Already while testing the Endeavor ED II 8x32 we complained a bit in this category. Here the eyepiece design is even more complex so the transmission is also a bit worse – a result of about 80% is simply unbecoming at this price point.
You can say that transmission slip-up is the only chance the Vanguard’s rivals get. A better, flatter transmission graph would raise the final score by several points and the binoculars would be on a level of 150 points, so far only available for the top-of-the-range devices, of the best quality and the most accessible prices.
 Vanguard Endeavor ED II binoulars. |
You can say the Vanguard has definitely stirred things up on the market - and rightly so. Let the leading producers think a bit about their moves; after all the prices of 10x42 binoculars amounting to over 2000 Euro hardly reflect their content, which is absurd.
