I have used the Swarovski rangefinders for over a year and cannot really find anything wrong with them. It was hard to get used to the belly on the tubes, but it was only cosmetic as they really didn't interfere with the use of the binoculars.

I found them to be very good optically, but not as good as the Swarovision binoculars I had previous. It should also be noted that they were never sold as an optic equivalent to Swarovision.

There is one reason why I bought the Leica HD-B. They are made with a porro prism rather than a roof prism and that should be an advantage over the roof prism binoculars so prevalent today. I was hoping to get the quality of view with the Leica that I had with the Swarovision.

The Leica is advertized at 2,000 yards, surpassing the advertized capabilities of the Swaovski. I did side by side comparison while at the Big Whiskey BPCR shoot near Big Timber in early September. It did appear that up to about 1400 yards the Swarovski was faster and read the distance more often than the Leica.

The pictures will illustrate that the Leica's are a bit bigger and near the edge of what is considered a hunting binocular and not a truck binocular. They are easy to hold, the range button is on the right side, which I believe is an improvement over the left on the Swarovski. I could care less for all the ballistic crap that you can utilize in the Leica, a good rifle with a Swarovski Z-6 scope and a BRH reticle will do everything you need to when shooting long distance.

I have been using the Leica's in the field for a couple months now and still like them. Will I keep them? I don't know at this point, I still need a few months and lots of hunting conditions to really determine that. The idea that you can tell what a binocular is capable of by looking at a few black lines in a sporting goods store is a joke.

This is a work in progress and I can tell you that by this time next year I will be able to tell you which I do really prefer. Until then it is still testing...

Keep us posted. The HD Bs are the only ones of the big 3 I haven't owned. Swaro, Leica, Zeiss. I like the angle compensation on the Swaros.

Nice report & good info; thanks for taking the time to post it.

The Leica's really don't look like a traditional porro prism bino.

MM

I like everything about mine so far except the physical size/weight and the fact the lens covers are pure crap.
Don't take my comment the wrong way they are very ergonomically pleasing and feel great in hand, they just are pretty bulky.

My thoughts exactly.

Not nearly as bulky as the originals............

MM

I like the way the new HD-b's feel and I can agree the lens covers are complete junk. But the ballistics on an SD card flat out works, been shooting 3 different guns all summer long and it hasn't had a hiccup yet. Steep angles and high heat it spits out the right dope!

A good friend of mine is a swaro dealer and bought the Leica's thinking he would like them better for bow hunting (right hand operation). He called them "junk"..What do you expect from a swaro dealer tho..I've used them both and could go either way. But i'm one of the few that dont care for the rangefinder in my bino's, especially since the G7 range hit the market..

Shrap, have you used the 12x50 EL SV's much? I wrote them off cuz i have 10's and 15's, but I hear they are not too much to steady off a tripod, unlike the 15.

I had the HD-B's out today antelope hunting, got an easy reading at 1936 yards. The conditions must have been good today, getting good readings at a lot of yardages.



I haven't used higher than 10 power on binoculars as I think it is too much to handle and I would always endorse the 8.5 Swarovision EL's as the best out there. I did look through some stabilized Zeiss 20X binoculars and found them quite easy to use, but $6,000.00 is a bit out of reason...

Got a 1936 yard reading on an antelope???!!!

Have used the Swaro and the Leica at these ranges, but have found the Wild much more accurate at this range and beyond.....
but PG seems to know all so perhaps he can share some of his wisdom ??????

Great write up, shrapnel! I'm looking forward to your impressions on the Leica's in the field.

-John

So did you find this to be true? Is the glass better than the EL Range, maybe as good as the Swarovision?

Still pissed because you're too [bleep] stupid to figure out an angled spotting scope?

I haven't had the luxury of comparing Swarovision, side by side. I can honestly say that every time I would look through my Swarovision binoculars, I would get a good dose of the "WOW" factor. There are some that claimed there was a rolling ball effect with the Swarovision, but I never experienced that and I figure it is just operator error.

The EL range were not Swarovision and they were optically great, but not Swarovision. At this point I have been impressed with the HD-B, but I just can't say that the same "WOW" factor is there I noticed with Swarovision. I haven't had them through a hunting season yet to give it all the low light trials yet. I do find them very nice, but I also have a set of EL 8X32 that I use a lot and haven't used the HD-B enough yet to say thumbs up or down on the optics.

As compared to the Swarovski EL range, they give up nothing in that regard other than the EL is smaller. The rangefinding capabilities are a bit farther with the HD-B...

Good stuff, thanks.

Good info, thanks.

I have lost one of the flimsy lens caps after it fell off while duck hunting...Calling Leica on Monday.

Shrapnel:

How about an optical comparison of how these 2 perform, not
considering the RF.

Some are thinking Leica will be bringing out a new line
of binoculars with the Perger prism.

How is the glass?

Would be interested in comparing these two to the Zeiss Victory 10x45 RF, as I'm quite impressed with my Victory 10x42's.

Thanks!

I believe this may be innovative enough to incorporate the Perger Porro prism into other optics as the technology progresses. It is not cheap but it does have advantages over the roof prism technology.

That said, I still haven't noticed the "WOW" factor I did with the Swarovision optics. There also may be an aspect of the difference from the EL optics to the Swarovision optics was more of a contrast than the Swarovision compared to the HD-B.

The optics of the HD-B are not disappointing, just hard to compare measuring them to the Swarovision. I still need the opportunity to use them in more varied conditions which comes from the use during hunting season...

I re-arranged my photobucket account and re posted the pictures here...

Just got done using my HDB's for nearly two weeks hunting first antelope, then elk and deer. They are keepers for sure. Now, if Swarovski would come out with Swarovision optics in a BRF I might have to give those a run.

Up for any additional comments on these.

Just finished an elk hunt, I think the difference between my miss and a better chance at a hit (all happened VERY quick) would be having some rangefinding binos. No digging in my pocket for a range finder.

I love my Swaro EL Range. I have the 10x version and have used them for 2 hunting seasons. I kept my 10x42 EL HD's for the first year as I thought they were better, if just by a hair. I eventually caved and sold them as the Range binocs were 98-99% as good to my eyes. I picked up the Leicas one time and decided they were too big and heavy for my taste. I'm a Swaro slut anyway.

Ditto on the EL Range. I've been using the 8X and 10X for a year now and still get that "holy sh**" feeling every time I look thru them. I've ranged over 1900 yards with them!

I'm now trying to decide which to keep. Someone on the campfire might have a very merry Christmas. HINT

+1. I bought the Leicas and have since traded them away. I still prefer the Swarovskis. In addition, the Customer Service on the Leicas is always being questioned.

donsm70

I have the Zeiss Victory 8x45 T* RF. The range finder is pretty awesome, ranging up to 1,600 yds. with repeatable consistency.

The glass is very good, but doesn't have the "awe factor" of a top end Swaro.

DF

I am for now, keeping the Leica. The optics are superb, the rangefinder is a bit better than Swarovski. Swarovski CS is much better than Leica but I have never had to use either in all my optics. 2 out of 3 isn't bad for the Leica.

If Swarovski puts Swarovision into their RF binos, the Leica will be up for sale, instantly...

I have never owned a swaro binocular. but I will say everytime I look through the EL's I am like holy crap these are the best you can buy. I have used geovids for year and am willing to give up some optical performance, for a RF under my finger. swaro for some reason knows how to make binoculars better than anyone depite being a much smaller company than the other 2.

I pity anyone trying to get rid of their Leica, with no warranty.

The EL Range is an absolutely superb setup.

While I'm saving, I hope this happens...

Have been using my swar 10x40slc along with the leica hd b. all day today i went back to the swaro to more clearly define the object i was viewing.. The leica seem to wash the image slightly, the swaro semed to transmit slightly more vivid color. The swaro is more comfortable fits my face better and focuses quickly.. Th leica has slightly larger eyecups which do no fit my eye socket and require me to pull the cups off my eye sockets to close the binocs close enought to get a full field. Just my beady eyed facial structure.
I adjusted diopters several times to see if i could improve the leica . Just didn't quite do it. Rangefinder did well to about a 1000 yds, snow white cold ground aggravated the readings somewhat. Had a hard time consistentlt ranging cattle at mid range 800 yd to 1000.
I do not like the fact the holdover value is only to the whole number in the leica.. Their charts are to the decimal, the binoculars are not.. .5 moa is 2.5 inches at 500 yds.
They are easy to program and operate the menu.
The objective lens covers are shallow and do not stay on under the slightest movement. Everytime i pick them up the cups are off.
That said i do really like the leica hd b just diappointed in the glass.
Given i was comparing non ranging swaro to the leica hdb
Ps. Have now discovered leica can beprogrammed in 1/4 moa,1/3moa and 1 moa.

I have never had a problem selling them. The previous owners name can be used for warranty purposes.