Not sure how I ended up on the marketing list, but I've been getting a lot of solicitations from them, and really know nothing about the products they offer and the quality....FWIW: in the past, snipershide has been good about reviews.
I started with a number of Vortex offerings many years ago. I've had nothing to complain about. Arken showed up on the scene so I gave them a chance. I now have (2) EP5's (5-25) and (1) EP5 7-36. I just came back from a long range match and my 7-36 worked out very well. I have no complaints with Arken.
I also picked up their Zulus day / night scope a couple months ago. Really pleased with that as well. Think I have a thread here on that one.
I fell for the hype and bought the EP5. The scope went back to them, AFTER having to argue with them for a return for a scope that didn`t work. The zoom ring would lock up. The parallax adjustment didn`t do anything. All the stuff i ordered with it wasn`t even for the scope that i bought. The stuff they sent was for a 30mm tube scope, the EP5 is a 34mm. After SEVERAL emails and phone calls to customer service, I wasn`t able to get their attention for a 100% refund until i threatened legal action against them. They gladly refunded all of my money after that.
The glass wasn`t THAT great, or at least living up to all the hype everyone talks about. Forget even using the illuminated tiny dot in the reticle during the day, you can`t even see it. There are NO RETICLE OPTIONS. And those screaming LOUD AS HELL turrets....whyyyyyyyyyyy?!?!?!?! I guess if you`re into being that tactikewl moron at the range, by all means, love you some LOUD ASS TURRETS. And talk about heavy, oh gawd are they heavy. The problem with these kinds of scopes, most who have never had/owned a good scope, doesn`t really know what a good scope really looks like. Those who know scopes, don`t buy bottom of the barrel chinese arken scopes. Is the arken a good bargin, sure, if you like limitations. I actually have 3 Vortex Venom 5-25x56 that have better glass, in my opinion.
Don`t let my opinion sway you, buy it, try it, it may be for you, it wasn`t worth all the faked up hype, in my opinion.
Anymore I buy really good optics unless it's for a Poodle Shooter or .22 that's not going to see anything more than Range play...
The "Master" in my Shooting World is a devoted, full time Professional Gunsmith since 1984 and he does not Like, nor Sell Vortex; now I know that's going to catch some heat, but it IS from the man who actually repairs peoples gun problems on a daily basis...
I've had guys tell me that their Bushnell they bought at Walmart is just as good as that Leupold, and it was a fluke the cross hairs fell to the bottom when they shot it...
Given the number of Manufacturers/Importers of Optics, it's daunting to separate the wheat from the chaff even with in brand names...
I suppose the real test of how good the optics are comes in that half hour before and after Sunset where you can see the difference...
Given the advancements in manufacturing and lens coatings, a Premium scope of yesterday might not be any better than an entry level one of today...seems the only way to find out if anyone is any good is for someone to buy it and honestly evaluate it, and all those less than stellar optics end up on .22's and used guns.
In the end, it's all personal and subjective.