Main technical features
The first thing to notice about the Vortex Optics Solo is its size. It is very compact, and it fits easily and comfortably in your hands since the length of the body comes in just under five inches. As is the case with most monoculars these days, this option too comes with a layer of rubber armoring so as to protect it against accidental bumps and drops.
The 10×36 configuration is also very interesting since the 36 mm diameter objective lens will provide a better image when it comes to the brightness and contrast. Thus, you will have no problems using this nifty option in low-light conditions. The generous 3.6 mm exit pupil and the excellent 325-foot field of view at 1,000 yards are also a big plus.
What’s more, this unit is also nitrogen purged, and O-ring sealed to deliver waterproof and fog proof performance in any environment. The optics are also fully multi-coated for increased light transmission and resolution, and the eyecups are adjustable for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses.
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In-depth information
When examining the close focus of this unit, users have noticed that it is a little more than 16 feet, meaning you won’t be able to use it to observe close-up targets such as butterflies or insects. The unit is instead built for bird watching, hunting, or to observe the wildlife while camping or hiking, situations in which observing distant targets is far more important.
This model also features a 15 mm eye relief that should make it very comfortable for most eyeglass wearers to use the monocular. The depth of view or the depth of distance that you can see plainly without having to refocus is also excellent which more than makes up for the close focus factor.
Users have also found that the 36 mm diameter objective allows for quite a lot more light to enter the barrel of the monocular and reach your eye. Thus, you will get a brighter picture that can enhance the viewing experience in low light conditions considerably.
Low-light viewing is improved even further since the glass is fully multi-coated and can deliver an even brighter image to your eyes. Similar to other Vortex products, this unit too comes with BaK-4 prisms which gives it an edge over other similarly priced options.
One final thing that we have to mention about the Vortex Solo is that it is both waterproof and internally fog-proof. This means that if you transition from a cold area, such as from the outside environment to inside a heated and humid home or car, you won’t have to worry about fog on the internal surfaces of the lens system.
The waterproof sealing will prevent moisture from accumulating inside the monocular since internal humidity is the one thing that can ruin many fine optics.
Known issues
We noticed that some owners were unhappy with the focus of the Vortex Optics Solo. The focus adjusting wheel, in particular, seems to be causing lots of problems. It is hard to identify the source since there are just as many owners that have not reported any problem with the focus.
This is the reason why we believe that the issue arises from units that feature manufacturing flaws.
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