Capital Sports in Helena has a pair of 7x30 SLC Swarovski's.

They look optically perfect but the the rubber coating is showing some age. No cracks though.

They are on consignment and they are asking $599 which I think is a bit steep considering the 8x30 SLC's next to them are $899 new.

I know that some here really liked the 7x30 so thought I'd post this.

The 7x30's are real nice glass. I used to have a pair years ago, but sold them ten years later for more than I originally paid for them and bought a pair of EL's. The Swaro's keep their value-I first paid $495 for a pair of 7x30's brand New in the 90's and now they go used for more than that. The top alpha bino's are like an investment- they tend to go up rather than going down in value, can't say that about many hunting items we buy-except for guns of course.

The 7x30's that are for sale probably don't have the Swarobright coatings that Swarovski first started using in 1999 and the 8x30's only started getting that coating in fall of 2002. It definately makes a difference.

It would have been good if Swarovski kept making the 7x30 size-I thought at the time they were better than the 8x30's. But now that the 8x30 NEU has the best coatings, they are probably a bit better; just a shame that they dropped the 7x30-it is a very good hunting configuration.

Last year I got a really nice (basically new) pair for my wife. I'd been trying to find a set for some time. I've no regrets and I paid quite a bit less than that for them.

Good bins!

Dober

I think they stopped making the 7x30's in the mid 90's? If these are the Mk I's or Mk II's, $599 is a bit steep. The ones I've seen go for around $400.

I have both the 7x30 and 8x30 SLC's. These are the Mk I or Mk II's (early 90's vintage). I get to look through a lot of clients optics while guiding, and I haven't looked through any binos that have yet motivated me enough to give up my older SLC's and drop some big money on a new pair of binos. I use the 7x30's more than the 8x30's.

Having said that, I was talking to my friend the optics expert this fall, and he told me to shine a flashlight into the objective lens of my Swaros and look for "crystals" growing on the inside walls of the barrels. Yep, I got crystals in my 7x30's. Allegedly they are covered under warranty, so I'm going to have to call Swaro and find out for myself how good their customer service is........

Something to keep in mind when buying older SLC's.



Casey

Like Casey said, depends whether they are MKI or MKII... if they're MKII (post 1995-ish), $599 would be an "ok" buy.

I had a 7x30 SLC MKII... great bins.

Pretty sure they are MKI's. Gussing they are late 1980's model based on the color of the rubber coating. Looks the same as the Swaro 8x56's I bought back then. Lighter, more OD green color. I don't remember when the went to the darker green.

If they still made a 7x30 I'd buy a pair.

For a MKI, $599 is too steep IMO Ed.

Brad,

Thats what I think too. Maybe $400-$450?

$400 would be tops IMO.

I was bidding on a 7x30 Swaro on Ebay last week.
$375 is where I drew the line.

I have had a pair since the mid 1980's and still use them every year for whitetail deer hunting in the woods and swamps of Northern Wisconsin and the UP. I love them. IIRC the original price was in the mid $500's. $599 is too much in my mind.