I had Leupold 10 x 42 Porro Prism for a very long time after my wife bought them for a birthday present. At the time they were the top of the line Leupold offerings and I was quite satisfied with them for at least 20 years. However, as my eyes get older I find I needed a bit more to make the most of my hunting outings and other uses for glass. I've had the opportunity to use friends' Zeiss Classics, Leica, and some Swarovski SLC and all of them were great but barely above my Leupolds in the end. However, I had a chance to look through some Swaro ELs and fell in love with them. For my eyes they were incredibly clear and easy to manage. Edge to Edge clarity is amazing. I was able to pick up the 10 x 42 Els for a decent price used from a guy who needed the money to buy the ranging version of the same glass a couple years ago and I have been very happy with them. They are substantially heavier than my Leupolds, which could be an issue for some but I don't find it to be a problem and it seems to help me steady them .
A couple things I have found over the years with hunting buddies- everyone's eyes are different so look at as many good glass as you can before plunking down your money. No matter what you buy in Alpha glass you probably won't lose much selling them to buy another brand, but it is a pain changing glass often. Also, my son tried my Leupold binos and they didn't fit his eye width well- which I thought was weird but since have had others have this issue. My Swaros don't suffer from this with my buddies who have tried them, but something to look for. Last thing I can think of- focus adjustments are handled differently by each manufacturer. Find one that works well and easily for you. I liked my buddie's Zeiss Classic glass a lot and part of it was the location and ease of use of the focus adjustment. My other buddie's Leica were just the opposite- it seemed the focus ring was always in the wrong spot for quick adjustment for me.
Have fun- the shopping is the fun part. I'm sure everyone will tell you but never judge glass inside the store. Take several units outside and try them side by side...
