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Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50 Spotting Scope (Straight Viewing)

BH #VO1133X50RSS • MFR #RZR-50S1
46 reviews
Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50 Spotting Scope (Straight Viewing)
Key Features
  • Straight Viewing
  • 11-33x Zoom Eyepiece
  • 50mm Objective Lens
  • Dielectric-Coated Porro Prism
The straight-viewing Razor HD 11-33x50 Spotting Scope from Vortex features high-quality glass with specialized optical coatings to provide clear and bright images. The triplet apochromatic lens elements are made of high-density (HD) extra-low dispersion (ED) glass to increase light transmission, minimize distortion, and virtually eliminate chromatic aberration. All air-to-glass surfaces have Vortex's XR anti-reflective coatings to minimize light loss. Additionally, they are ArmorTek coated for scratch resistance. To ensure accurate color across the entire visible spectrum, the Porro prisms are dielectric coated. These coatings are highly reflective and lose less than 1% of the light that passes through them. The use of Porro prisms creates a better depth of view over roof prisms. This combination of coatings and optics creates a spotting scope that produces bright, clear, highly contrasted images with accurate color transmission.
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$699.99
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Size
11-33x50
22-48x65
27-60x85
Options
Spotter & Tripod with Head
Spotter Only
Viewing Angle
Straight
45° Angled
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Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50 Overview

  • 1Description
  • 2Optical Performance
  • 3Use and Handling
  • 4Construction Details

The straight-viewing Razor HD 11-33x50 Spotting Scope from Vortex features high-quality glass with specialized optical coatings to provide clear and bright images. The triplet apochromatic lens elements are made of high-density (HD) extra-low dispersion (ED) glass to increase light transmission, minimize distortion, and virtually eliminate chromatic aberration. All air-to-glass surfaces have Vortex's XR anti-reflective coatings to minimize light loss. Additionally, they are ArmorTek coated for scratch resistance. To ensure accurate color across the entire visible spectrum, the Porro prisms are dielectric coated. These coatings are highly reflective and lose less than 1% of the light that passes through them. The use of Porro prisms creates a better depth of view over roof prisms. This combination of coatings and optics creates a spotting scope that produces bright, clear, highly contrasted images with accurate color transmission.

The lightweight magnesium-alloy body is O-ring sealed and argon filled to be water and fogproof. A dual-focus system features a coarse fast-focus and a fine-focus wheel. The scope has a tripod mounting shoe that also accepts a 1/4"-20 mounting bolt. A retractable lens shade keeps the Sun or rain off the objective lens.

Optical Performance
  • 11-33x zoom eyepiece
  • 50mm objective lens
  • High-density (HD) extra-low dispersion (ED) glass
  • Triplet apochromatic lens eliminates chromatic aberration
  • Porro prism design for better depth of view
  • Highty reflective dielectric multi-coatings on prisms
  • Vortex XR anti-reflective lens coatings
  • ArmorTek scratch-resistant exterior lens coatings
Use and Handling
  • Straight view eyepiece for easier subject acquisition and digiscoping
  • Dual focusing dials offer rapid rough and fine focus
  • Twist-up eyecup
  • 1/4"-20 threaded mount for tripods
Construction Details
  • Magnesium-alloy body
  • O-ring sealed to be waterproof
  • Argon filled to be fogproof
  • Built-in retractable sunshield
UPC: 875874005129

Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50 Specs

Design
Viewing AngleStraight
Performance
Magnification11 to 33x
Objective Lens Diameter50 mm
Field of View11x: 191.0' @ 1000 yd / 63.5 m @ 1000 m
33x: 96.0' @ 1000 yd / 31.9 m @ 1000 m
Minimum Focus Distance6.6' / 2.0 m
Exit Pupil Diameter11x: 4.6 mm
33x: 1.5 mm
Eye Relief20.0 mm
Features
Water ResistanceWaterproof
General
Tripod Mounting Thread1/4"-20
Dimensionsø: 2.0 x L: 11.0" / ø: 5.0 x L: 28.0 cm
Weight1.6 lb / 709.0 g
Packaging Info
Package Weight4.3 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)14.1 x 7.4 x 5.3"

Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50 Reviews

Awesome scope

By James
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-15

This scope is lightweight, but powerful enough to suit my needs. B&H had the best price and the best service.

Worth Every Dollar.

By Anthony
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-04-29

This scope is a nature viewing gem. Don't hesitate and spend the extra dollars, you get what you pay for, and with this Vortex Razor HD, that would be superb optics, a small solid build, lightweight & packable, and easy of use.

Fantastic compact scope

By Robert
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-02-23

With only having one leg, it was really tough transporting a large scope with tripod to all my birding areas. This scope is so light and compact it fit the bill perfectly for me. Close focus is very close for a scope. Focus knobs are easy to get too. The fine focus feature really helps. Can't say enough about how pleased I am with this little scope.

Fantastic Value!

By Anthony L
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2021-02-19

I use spotting scopes primarily for birding. My alpha glass is a Swarovski ATX 85 but I looked to replace my lightweight travel scope; a Nikon 13-30x 50mm Fieldscope ED. After reading specs and reviews on line, I narrowed the selection to the Vortex Razor and the highly acclaimed Kowa TSN-553 Prominar. I ultimately decided to take a chance on the less expensive Razor, primarily because there was such a large price difference between it and the Kowa, and also because of the fantastic lifetime no-fault warranty. When it arrived, my son and I compared it against my 10-year old Nikon Fieldscope ED (which I still love), and a 30-year old Bausch & Lomb Elite 22xx60 mm which I gave to my son years ago. Here are the highlights of the testing but we will not discuss the B&L Elite performance which was optically inferior, (e.g. it does not have phase-coated roof prisms). Surprisingly, the Razor is slightly sharper than the Nikon. This was demonstrated using a 1951 USAF resolution chart, and the Razor was able to resolve smaller groups than the Nikon. The Razor also has a wider field of view than the Nikon, and a much closer close focus. The stated 19mm eye relief is about right at 11x, but once you zoom to about 15x, I could no longer see the full field with glasses. Still, the eye relief is slightly longer than the Nikon. The Razor looks to be well-made, although not as elegant looking as the Nikon.   The area where the Razor may have underperformed the Nikon was in general viewing comfort. Not a small factor. The Nikon shows are very clear and crisply defined black fieldstop at the edge of view. The Razor has a less well-defined black fieldstop and that can cause some viewers eye strain. That bothers me a little, but the field to the edge seemed very flat so I would take that trade off for the sharper image and wider field of view. I also really like the heavy-duty case that came with it, and the lens caps that can remain attached to the scope while in use. The performance for the money is simply outstanding, and that coupled with the lifetime no-fault warranty made it a good choice for me. And my son. Now he has the Nikon and can retire his B&L Elite.

Terrific Product

By Dewey
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-12-23

I spent a fair amount of time online researching and evaluating spotting scopes. For my needs, I wanted high quality optics, light weight, and a close near field focus. Of those scopes that met those criteria, the Vortex Razor HD was the clear choice, and I am very happy with my decision. My wife and I use it for birding primarily, and found it to be also very useful in looking at the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn - the Christmas star!

Great lightweight scope

By Guy
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-11-20

I got this scope because my old scope was too heavy to lug around any distance in the field, especially with my aging body. This scope is very lightweight and also has good clarity at the highest magnification. There are a couple slight negatives: The eyecup is an old style roll-back rubber that is awkward to work and the lens cover doesn't fit when you have the eye cup retracted for glasses. Also, the supplied travel cover is poorly designed, it is impossible to keep it on and easily focus the scope while the cover is rolled back to allow viewing. I will probably have to remove the cover.

Very sharp for it's size.

By Jeffrey
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-07-23

Really sharp for your it's size. My only issue is is the eye relief. It is way too little if you use glasses. It is super light and easy to use. If I didn't wear glasses I would give it a 5 star rating.

Excellent Travel Scope!

By Kirk
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-03-14

I am a traveling birder, and hauling my large 85mm scope around the US & world in various luggage and hiking packs can be quite a hassle. This 50mm scope is very compact & light, and is shockingly bright & clear for its size. I didn't expect much from it, but it has far exceeded my expectations. So much so, that I'll even start taking it on lengthy hikes in the future.

See any errors on this page? Let us know

YOUR RECENTLY VIEWED ITEMS

Does this scope have diopter adjustment for those ...

Does this scope have diopter adjustment for those of us who want to use it without our glasses? If so, what is the range of adjustment?
Asked by: John
The Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50 Spotting Scope (Straight Viewing) BH #VO1133X50RSS • MFR #RZR-50S1 does not have a diopter adjustment.
Answered by: John
Date published: 2022-04-24

Do the eyecups fold or twist down?

Do the eyecups fold or twist down?
Asked by: Larry
The manual says its a Fold back eyecup.
Answered by: David
Date published: 2021-01-05

The video shows what looks like a completely ...

The video shows what looks like a completely different scope than this one. It shows the focusing mechanism as just a single rotation ring on the body. This one is described as having small coarse and fine rotation rings separate from the body. Which is correct?
Asked by: John
The video on the page of the Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50 Spotting Scope (Angled Viewing) shows a different scope. While there are similarities, the focusing mechanism is as indicated on the page, and not as indicated in the video.
Answered by: Yaakov
Date published: 2023-02-02

question

Is there an adapter to attach a micro four third camera to this Vortex razor scope?
Asked by: Anonymous
Yes you can get the Novagrade T-Mount Digiscoping Adapter, with the Opticron T-Mount for Micro Four Thirds Cameras. Website link to 1st Adapter: https://bhpho.to/2uNMnLgWebsite link to 2nd Adapter: https://bhpho.to/2gLzGZ3
Answered by: Alex S.
Date published: 2018-08-28

question

Can a camera somehow be attached?
Asked by: Richard C.
Not really. There is no attachment for this small scope to attach a camera, and the eyepiece doesn't have the FOV for digiscoping. The Razor 65mm and 85mm scopes do have digiscoping attachments and better Long Eye Relief objectives for attaching cameras.
Answered by: Jason R.
Date published: 2018-08-28

This is a general question for this and other ...

This is a general question for this and other scopes: Does the eye relief change as the magnification increases?
Asked by: John
Yes eye relief does have a tendency to change at different magnifications.
Answered by: John
Date published: 2022-04-26

question

What is the diameter of the eye piece?
Asked by: Frank L.
Length: 3.85 Width (Diameter) @ mag. Ring: 1.82 Width (Diameter) of main body: 1.69 Width (Diameter) @ threads: 1.45 Width (Diameter) @ magnification lens housing: 1.08
Answered by: Alex S.
Date published: 2019-09-10

question

How would I mount a Sony NEX 7 to this scope?
Asked by: Robert
To connect it to your Sony NEX, you would need these 2 parts: https://bhpho.to/2uNMnLg And: https://bhpho.to/2crVPMn
Answered by: Dan
Date published: 2019-09-25
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