This is a comprehensive Vanguard Endeavor ED II Review!
The modern Vanguard optical technology and ED glass allow you to catch birds’ flight with edge-to-edge clarity and bright views. These Endeavor binoculars offer great value for money for new birders and general observers. They are incredibly robust and are designed to take the toll on accidental slip-off.
In this review, we will have a detailed look at all the features, specs, and sizes of Endeavor ED series binoculars.
- Overview
- Optical performance
- Construction and quality
- All model sizes and specs
- Warranty
- Downsides
- What’s in the box?
- User reviews
- Alternatives
- Our verdict
Vanguard Endeavor ED II Overview
The Endeavor II binoculars are designed for birders, and they are good to be used on the go. They have a robust construction due to the use of magnesium-alloy on the outer surface. With the Hoya ED glass, you’ll get to see the images with edge-to-edge clarity and sharp color production.
These Vanguard Endeavor HD binoculars also come with phase-coated prisms to ensure that the light transmission and color fidelity are true to reality. It means that nature observers and bird watchers will view the real-like images if they see them from the naked eye.
The quality of these Endeavor 2 binoculars at this price is incredible as you won’t have to deal with any issues regarding edge-to-edge sharpness and clarity.
The optics are developed in Japan, whereas the binoculars are assembled in China. But that’s not a dealbreaker because the company gives a lifetime warranty.
There are three sizes available in this ED binoculars model, and as they focus primarily on hunting and birding, so I think It’s justifiable.
Their most popular size, 10×42, is for birders because of its most powerful optics in the series. However, the other two are more common with the users on the go.
The next two sections of this Vanguard binocular review will describe the common features in all three sizes. In the later sections, we will briefly look at the most important features that distinguish each of these sizes from one another.
Optical performance
Overall, the optical performance of these Vanguard binocular devices is great. It gives edge-to-edge clarity, especially when looking in broad daylight. The low-light performance is also not that bad at this price.
Lens quality
Vanguard Optics has equipped these binos with Hoya extra-low dispersion glass that comes from Japan. This ED glass ensures quality image processing and clear results with edge-to-edge sharpness.
The phase-corrected roof prisms of these Vanguard Endeavor ED binoculars have an improved light transmission that further enhances the images to provide you with a true-to-life viewing experience.
These optics also come with an anti-reflective, fully multi-coated finish for superior clarity and overall protection from the elements. You won’t have to deal with any blurry images of dark objects in front of bright backdrops.
Image quality
Vanguard ED II binoculars’ overall image quality is exceptional due to the ED glass lenses and phase-coated prisms.
Color production stays true to reality, and you won’t have to deal with chromatic aberration where the images start showing blurry shades of purple when you look at a dark object in front of the white background.
The contrast remains sharp, while the anti-reflective coating does a fine job in low light performance. Therefore, these Vanguard Endeavor binoculars are not only great for hunting but for bird watching, exploring, and nature observations.
Construction and quality
The overall construction of these ED II binoculars is pretty good. The binoculars feel light and ergonomic when you hold them, even for long sessions.
Body and grip
These binoculars come with an open-bridge construction so that you can have a large surface area to hold on to it. Vanguard has also focused on reducing the weight despite compromising on the strength of the optics. Generally, high-quality lenses make the binocular heavyweight, but that’s not the Endeavor ED series.
The rubber armoring on these binoculars comes with a pebbled texture, and it will keep your binoculars safe from any impacts or falls. This texture also ensures that you can comfortably hold onto your binoculars without any slippage, even in moist conditions.
Underneath the rubber armor, Vanguard has used magnesium alloy chassis for its durability and lightweight features. Its right eye diopter comes with locking features, so you won’t need to make frequent readjustments.
Focus wheel and focusing
The focus wheel is pretty comfortable to use even in wet conditions and with your gloves on due to the ergonomic design. The mechanism of this focus knob is pretty smooth and is not hypersensitive. You can conveniently focus on your target object with ease and at any distance.
The binoculars come with a central focus technology, and you can conveniently focus both your lenses simultaneously. No need to focus them individually as that can be pretty inconvenient.
Eyecups and lens covers
The binoculars come with 3-stage twist-out eyecups designed in a way so you can comfortably make adjustments to them according to your preferences.
You will also get a couple of flip-down tethers lens caps. These caps can be easily attached and detached from your binoculars, and you won’t have to worry about losing them when you are on the move.
But don’t put too much pressure on the threading while attaching and detaching your caps because the threading might lose its shape altogether.
Endeavor ED II model sizes
There are three sizes available in the Endeavor ED II model. The most popular is the 10×42 size because it’s a better optical design for new birders.
In the following table, you will get a detailed overview of all three sizes for comparison.
| 8×32 | 8×42 | 10×42 | |
| Magnification | 8x | 8x | 10x |
| Objective lens diameter | 32mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Eye relief | 17.5mm | 19.5mm | 18.5mm |
| Exit pupil | 4.0mm | 5.25mm | 4.2mm |
| Linear field of view | 377 feet/1000 yards | 377 feet/1000 yards | 340 feet/1000 yards |
| Angular field of view | 7.2 degrees | 7.2 degrees | 6.5 degrees |
| Close focus | 5.9 feet | 6.6 feet | 6.6 feet |
| Dimensions (Height/Width) | 5.1×5.0 inches | 6.1×5.1 inches | 6.1×5.1 inches |
| Weight | 19.05 oz | 27.16 oz | 27.16 oz |
| Handheld | Great for on the go | Just a bit hard to hold | Just a bit hard to hold for long sessions |
Vanguard Endeavor ED II 8X32
The Vanguard Endeavor ED II 8×32 binoculars are the lightest of all three sizes, and for this reason, they are great for using on the go.
They come with a long eye relief of 17.5mm, which means you can comfortably use them with your glasses. But they do come with the smallest exit pupil, which means they should be your least favorite when it comes to performing in low light conditions.
But Vanguard Endeavor 8×32 has a wide FoV of 377 feet @ 1000 yards that allow you to enjoy wide view imagery no matter where you point your binoculars.
Vanguard Endeavor ED II 8X42
The Vanguard Endeavor ED II 8×42 binoculars balance it out between the smallest size and the largest one. It comes with the best eye relief of the three sizes, so they are your ideal choice for viewing with eyeglasses.
The Vanguard Endeavor 8×42 also comes with a wide FoV of 377 feet @ 1000 yards so that you can enjoy your wide viewing angles comfortably. But these binoculars are also heavy, weighing in at just over 27 oz. This size also comes with a bigger exit pupil, so light transmission is good even in low light conditions.
Vanguard Endeavor ED II 10X42
The Vanguard Endeavor ED II 10×42 binoculars are the most powerful in the series. They are still comfortable to hold for brief sessions despite being slightly heavy.
This size is great for birders because it is equipped with a decent FoV and high magnification to provide them with enough details on their target.
The Vanguard Endeavor 10×42 also comes with a pretty standard eye relief of 4.2mm, which will give acceptable performance in low light conditions but nothing out of the ordinary. However, clarity and smooth magnification are two of the best features of Vanguard 10×42 binocular with ED glass.
Vanguard Warranty
Vanguard is a quality brand that stands behind its products. All the binoculars are covered under a standard lifetime limited warranty. But the warranty is not applicable on theft, damage due to misuse, or mishandling.
Vanguard also offers an extended warranty free of cost, and you will only have to register your product with them. You can do it over here!
You can get all the warranty information from Vanguard above!
Downsides
At this price, I think it’s the best deal that you’ll get when it comes to the price/feature ratio and the warranty. These binoculars cannot outperform some of the other brands on the markets when we talk about light transmission and low light performance. But they come with a hefty price tag.
What’s included in the box?
- Vanguard Endeavor ED II binoculars
- Ocular rainguard
- 2 objective lens caps
- Extendable product warranty
We think at this price; there are enough items included in the box. These binoculars don’t have excessive optical power, for which you will have to go for a tripod mount or a window mount. However, you can purchase them separately if you want to.
Vanguard Endeavor ED II user reviews
The Vanguard Endeavor ED 2 binoculars’ average user rating is 5.0 stars, which is quite impressive.
Most people have loved the price/feature ratio of these binoculars as it is quite balanced. People also loved how it comes with a lifetime warranty and that being an additional peace of mind. Some have also complained just a little bit about the overall weight of these binoculars but nothing too serious.
“Very happy… Just used for PA whitetail season.
Stepped up from Redfield Rebels…. clearer and brighter at last light.
Would place very close to my friends’ Vortex viper HD model. Definitely good value.”
From Optics Planet
Alternatives
For some reason, if you don’t like what the Vanguard Endeavor ED II has to offer, here are some alternatives that you can go for.
Nikon Monarch 7
If you are looking for good low-light performance, you can go for the Nikon Monarch 7 binoculars. These binoculars may be slightly heavy, but they also come with a wider FoV and good color handling.
Zeiss Conquest HD
The Zeiss Conquest HD binoculars are certainly more expensive, but they also come with a range of different accessories, and they also have a wider FoV with longer eye relief.
Vortex Viper HD
Vortex binoculars come with an unconditional and unlimited lifetime warranty. Viper HD also has wider FoV, and a blogger exit pupil, so low light performance is going to be better. These binoculars are lightweight and come in at the same price.
Our verdict
After the Vanguard Endeavor ED 10×42 review, I think it’s great for new birders, especially when the light conditions are outstanding. The 8×42 is good in low-light conditions. These binoculars can produce true-to-life images with exceptional clarity and details.
The most popular size is the 10×42 for its superior optics, while 8×42 is more popular for its low-light performance. You can get in touch with Vanguard for online and in-store shopping, or you can also buy Vanguard Endeavor ED II binos from their designated dealers located throughout the country.
