Many people can’t afford to spend $500-2,000 on a set of hunting binoculars. It’s just not that realistic because hunting can be expensive. At minimum, you need a weapon of some sort, warm clothes, boots, gas to get to your hunting grounds, tags, and licenses … the list goes on and on. After all of that, it can be tough to justify expensive optics.

That’s why I think “budget” binoculars are just as important to review as high-end ones. There are numerous options available in the $150-250 price range, and for many hunters, that’s as much as they can afford. This year, I received a new budget set from Cabela’s, the Cabela’s Intensity ED Binoculars.

To give them a fair, meaningful assessment, I decided to stack them up against the other budget binoculars I own, the Vortex Crossfire HD and the Vortex Diamondback. I’ve relied on both of them for years, both for personal use and as loaners to friends and family. Vortex is a staple in the hunting community, and I assessed different features to see which was the better budget binocular: Vortex or Cabela’s.

Note: I tested the standard Vortex Diamondback, which was replaced by the Diamondback HD. The price of the binoculars didn’t change much, so I’m unsure of the difference in performance.

In short: It’s not a cut-and-dry answer. I found the Cabela’s Intensity ($199) to be noticeably clearer than the Crossfires ($149), but they do require a larger investment. To my surprise, the Intensities performed toe-to-toe with the more expensive Diamondbacks ($249). However, just because they’re 50 bucks less doesn’t mean they’re the perfect choice. Which one you should purchase comes down to more than just price.

Shopping for new hunting binoculars? Check out our buyer’s guide and the list of our favorite pairs.

Spec Comparisons

For a quick overview on the difference in specs between the Intensity EDs and the offerings from Vortex, check out the above chart. I left out magnification and objective lens size because each set I used are 10x42s. It should also be noted that the prices I listed for the Vortex binoculars are not the listed MSRP, but rather the price at which they are regularly available (lower than MSRP).

Weight

Based on the spec sheet, you’ll see that the Cabela’s Intensity EDs are the heaviest binoculars of the budget binocular bunch. I do not notice that difference when carrying them in the harness. In all honesty, all three pairs feel the same when being carried in their harness.

I do, however, notice the weight difference when I’m holding them to my face. I actually prefer the heavier feel of the Crossfires and Intensities. For me, it feels more stable, and I can get a steadier image with them. It comes down to personal preference. But if you’re a weight-cutting type of person, the Vortex Diamondback is the clear winner.

Close-Focus Distance

All three of them have a different close-focus distance, which is the closest distance the binoculars can focus on a subject. The Intensity HDs have the worst performance in that category at 8.2 feet. From a hunting standpoint, though, I don’t really care. I’m looking for far-off creatures. I don’t need to get a macro view of the annoying squirrel that keeps buzzing my treestand.

The winner: Vortex Diamondback

Budget Binoculars: Optical Clarity

Optical clarity is arguably the most important feature when purchasing binoculars. Often it’s lacking with budget binoculars, and there can be very tangible differences between them. You know when you’re trying to decide if that thing in the distance is a stump or a bedded mule deer? Improved optical clarity will solve that and potentially keep you from an unnecessary half-mile jaunt.

With hunting seasons being closed, I’ve been spending my evenings on the back patio searching for squirrels and other critters in the woods behind my house. It’s a laid-back way to look at the same things with different binoculars back to back to test clarity.

Cabela’s Intensity ED vs. Crossfire HD

Within a few minutes of looking, it was clear that the Cabela’s Intensity EDs are more optically clear than the Vortex Crossfire HDs. The edges of the image are especially more distorted with the cheaper of the Vortexes. To ensure that I wasn’t just imagining it, I had my wife compare them as well, without telling her my thoughts. She quickly came to the same conclusion I did.

Cabela’s Intensity ED vs. Diamondback

I can’t say which of these two binoculars is clearer. It’s been driving me nuts. I go back and forth, flip-flopping between them. I’ve hung up the binoculars for the day and revisited at a later date, time and time again.

After observing the tiny details of close objects and counting pinecones on distant trees, they seem about the exact same to me. I tried to focus on the clarity of the image’s edges and couldn’t tell much of a difference.

Like comparing the last two sets, I gave it the “wife test” to see what she thought. She also couldn’t decide, so from a real-world perspective, you’ll be hard pressed to find a difference in clarity.

Budget Binoculars in Low-Light Conditions

With the Cabela’s Intensity ED being so much optically clearer than the Crossfires, I didn’t waste valuable evening light comparing the two for low-light performance. Honestly, if you have the extra 50 bucks, I think it’s worth the upgrade to go to the Intensities. So, I stuck to comparing the Diamondbacks and Intensities in the last minutes of light.

Like the clarity testing, the two are so close it’s ridiculous. After multiple nights of comparing the two, I came to the conclusion that the Intensity EDs have slightly better low-light performance. I could make out more details on tree trunks in the dark timber with waning light while looking through them. However, the difference is barely noticeable.

My wife concluded that the Cabela’s Intensity EDs are better in low light more quickly than I did. She said she noticed a difference within a few minutes. Again, I would like to stress that we tested them independently, so she had no idea what my thoughts were.

Fog Resistance

Both Vortex and Cabela’s claim to be “nitrogen-purged for fogproof performance.” Yeah, OK. Fogproof. I doubted it.

That usually means that binoculars won’t internally fog, which is true of all of these binoculars. However, every pair of binoculars I’ve used will fog externally while going through drastic temperature changes. Picture hopping out of your nice, toasty truck cab to glass on a blistery November day. Your lenses will fog up.

To test fog resistance, I kept them all on my desk in the cool A/C for a few hours and then hopped out the door into a humid 98-degree Tennessee day.

All of the binoculars fogged up, but the Intensities fogged up quicker and more intensely than the Vortex Diamondbacks and Crossfires. Rather than getting a quick look at a whitetail in the neighbor’s yard, I was immediately met with a blurry image. With the Diamondbacks and Crossfires, I was able to sneak in a 5-second glance before fog took over.

Again, I’m referring to a slight difference. Once the fog hit, each set was unusable for about 5 minutes until they adjusted to the warmer, more humid environment. So, it may not really matter from a hunting standpoint.

Included Binocular Harnesses

All three of these binoculars come with a pretty basic harness, and both sets of Vortex binos come with the same harness. I always switch over to an aftermarket binocular harness that can store a rangefinder. If that’s you, and you plan on junking the included harness, you can skip this part of the showdown. If you plan on using it, read on, because there are differences.

Both harnesses feature a zippered pouch on the back and come with components to hang the binoculars with clips to the external straps of the harness. Below are the differences.

Harness for the Cabela’s Intensity ED Binoculars

The Cabela’s Intensity HD Harness gets bonus points for being quiet. The internal portion is made of neoprene, and it’s dead silent when I pull the binoculars out of it. The external material is also quiet when you rub your hands across it. That may not be important for some, but for bowhunters pursuing skittish whitetail in thick cover, it’s vital.

I also like the mesh pockets on the side of the harness. The elastic portion is stretchy, and there’s enough room to store a few diaphragm calls in each one.

Unfortunately, the harness gets some points knocked off because its latch system is a touch off. The metal hook keeper is too close to the lid, so the elastic band on the top sits loosely around it. The only way to completely secure the top of the harness is to jam the leather tab on the elastic band into the hook.

Harness for the Vortex Binoculars

If you want the short of it, the Vortex harness’s strengths and weaknesses are the exact opposite of the harness included with the Intensity HD binoculars.

The internal and external materials are loud when getting in and out of it. It also has mesh pockets on the side, but they’re really tight, to the point of being unusable.

But, on the plus side, the latch system is tight, and the elastic band stretches down for a snug fit on the metal hook keeper.

Components and Construction

Every adjustment knob on the Intensities features aggressive texturing, including the diopter adjustment. It’s extremely grippy, and I prefer it over the slicker feeling adjustments on the Vortex binoculars.

Overall, the focus wheel, diopter adjustment, and the cover for a tripod mount all feel heavier duty and sturdier on the Cabela’s binoculars. That’s probably part of the reason they’re heavier. I also like how the tripod mount cover is larger. It’s much easier to take on and off than the thin one found on the Vortex binoculars.

That’s not to say the Vortex components aren’t good. They’ve held up well for me over the years. I just like the aggressive texturing and sturdier feel the Cabela’s Intensities provide.

Warranty of Budget Binoculars

Vortex has one of the best warranties in the biz. There’s no two ways around it. Basically, Vortex doesn’t care how you broke your binos or where you bought them. They promise to take care of you free of charge, whether that means a repair or outright replacement.

The Cabela’s warranty is laden with your basic “defects in materials and workmanship” language. There is no language about accidental breakage. To me, that means no warranty.

I know people who have used Vortex’s warranty and had great experiences with it. So, the Cabela’s Intensity EDs easily lose out in the warranty department.

So, Which Budget Binoculars Are Best?

That’s a personal question that comes down to what matters most to you. If budget is the most important, the Crossfire HD binoculars are the clear choice. They may not be the best, but they’re reasonably priced, and I can attest that they provide passable service for many hunters. And, with that warranty, you’ll have them forever.

If you can spare a few more bucks, though, I think the other two options provide better value. From a hunting standpoint, optical clarity and low-light performance are the most critical aspects of a budget binocular.

You may have noticed that I scored both the Cabela’s Intensity EDs and the Vortex Diamondbacks the same. They’re scored the same, but for different reasons. That’s why I have such a tough time recommending one over the other. The Cabela’s binoculars get the nod in low-light performance, components, and price.

But that Vortex warranty is a big deal. It should be noted that I personally have not broken a set of binoculars in 13 years. But if I did, the Vortex backing would be nice. If warranty really matters to you, and you have the extra 50 bucks, go for the Diamondbacks.