Good thread. Used to post a lot here under the same name back 2006-2010 or so. The Zen Rays were new back then and being made in China, controversial with some folks. Leaving the philosophical-political China question out of the equation, there was no doubt they were very-very good, vying for best bang for the buck title, but longevity was a question. Even though they had a great warranty some people worried they might not be around long compared to Zeiss, Leica, Swaro and Nikon.
To me for that price the gamble is worth it, but I'm wondering a few years down the road, how have they held up? I'm getting the itch again. I just took my eight year old 8x42 Ultravids and 8x32 SE's in to a local shop and compared them to the new Swaro 8x32 EL SVs. I came away impressed how well my Leica's have held up to the latest and greatest. The Leica's have way more off axis CA than the EL's, but in every other respect held their own.
I decided rather than sell my Ultravids at a loss to buy new Swaro's, I'd keep them and maybe buy a Zen Ray 7x36 or 10x43 Prime.
Last edited by GlacierJohn; 11/20/14.
