Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Binoculars--Older Swaros vs Newer Brands????

As others have mentioned you'll get a quality built bino. As a general rule I find the alpha stuff easy(er) on the eyes.

Also, Swaro will refurbish them generally for free.

Swaro will upgrade them for a price--usually $300-$500. That includes Swarovision,etc.


Casey

I have a set of 10x32EL Swarovski binocs. Have owned them about 10 years. I have looked through lots of other brands and supposed high end glass. I'll keep my current swaros.

You are correct that Swarovski will upgrade binoculars, to newer specs. That mainly includes the older SLC series.

Not the Swarovision, they don't need any changes, since the optics have not changed, since introduction.

Jerry

Anyone have any experience with the Tract Toric 8x42 or 10x42 binos?

MadMooner, very interested in your findings on your hunt up at Lake Chelan.

I’m also interested in reports on the Toric binos. I’ve older Swaros and Leicas and would like to hear an comparisons. I’m primarily interested in the 8x42s.

I had a 8x42 Toric binocular (I lent it to a birder and they were returned as cash). To my eyes the Toric doesn't rival my Leica ULTRAVID HD Plus 8x42 in crisp sharpness, but is really, really good. That said, the Toric is really easy to get behind. They might have the easiest, most forgiving view of any binocular I've used.

My 10x42 Swarovski EL is pre-Swarovision, but is still my basic binocular for comparing to newer, less-expensive glass in the 10x40/10x42 range. Some of the newer binoculars costing up to around $1000 come very close optically, but so far nothing has quite matched the "old" EL. Which is why I haven't "upgraded."

I hunt with Swarovski military 10x40s quite a bit. Various folks have called me out over the years saying get better glass than those cheap things you are using until they look through them and realize what they are. Then in most cases, they are asking me where they can get one, as they are often better than what they are using. I think retail on them is $700? and are worth every penny. No, they don't look cutting edge but performance is great.

fwiw

Swaro will replace glass if if needs to be replaced i.e. scratched etc. There is a small charge. It won't make a non-SV into a SV or a non-HD SLC into an HD. This was from a conversation prior to a well-used 2000 8.5x42 being refurbished to basically new. IIRC, they traded them out at the intro, for the older version + cash, though.

To my eye, the old EL still hangs right with the best of them and close enough to new alphas to call it good. I like the 8.5x42 format more than any other as an all-around bino, especially in the hills with a spotter of some persuasion in the pack. The early ELs are plenty bright and if I need a glass for darker use then it's a 56mm. Although the view of the new Swarovision is wonderfully flat to the edge, I don't use the edge unless its on a tripod and still prefer the view of the vintage ELs.

I saw one sell for a grand a few months ago and considered a bargain.

I don't know how small a charge, but I got NEW glass put in one of my older (1994) pairs of 10x50's and it was $600

$200 here.

Older stuff is more for reticles, I believe too.

You would be correct.

The glass is probably similar, but the technology and build is completely different.

Sasha and Abby,

The glass itself is similar to what it was 30 years ago, but the overall design of the lenses and prisms, plus the coatings of both, are vastly different.

Company reps change all the time, and they don't always know (or tell the truth) about technical details.

My 1990 and 1992 vintage 30mm SLC's didn't have Swarovision coatings, but they do now.

What you mean is they now have "Swarobright" dielectric prism coatings.

A nice upgrade. I have one just like that, I should sell.

Pretty much made my mind up to go with a pair of EL's. If I bought something "less" I am the type of person that would always wonder if it really is "just as good." At least this way, I'll know and if I find something I like better, I can sell without taking too big a hit hopefully.

From what I have been seeing, pre-Swarovision models are selling for about $1100 to $1300 while a first generation Swarovision model generally seems to be in the $1400 to $1600 range depending on the seller and buyer. Is that about in line with what to expect?

I missed an EL 8.5x42 SV on eBay due to a thumb fumble with the phone that sold for $1500 Saturday...kinda kicking myself on that one. And just saw a 10x42 SV go unsold with a $1400 bid and a reserve price of $1500. Granted, there is a noted blemish on one eyepiece lense, but I was surprised to see it not sell.

Probably gonna post a WTB ad here on the classifieds in the next day or so.

Thanks for everyone chiming in.

You are correct, my mistake. My "build sheet" is 3 pages long and I thought it mentioned Swarvision........