Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics just played with some Swaro 10-42 EL's

daaaaaaaaaang... best glass I've ever messed with, crystal clear, solid construction. SOOOOOOOOOOOO easy on the eyes, I could look through those things for days. The clerk tried to put me behind some Zeiss Terras, but I wasn't impressed at all, tough to focus and shallow depth of field. I asked the shop about Leica's and they said that Leica isn't making their binoculars anymore... focusing on their survey/ scientific optics. Is that true?

Either way $2700 is alot of money to put down, but when you think about it like 2x very nice scopes that will work with any gun you ever take out in the field, I can almost justify it =]

I need to figure out a way to get me some of that glass...

still shocked...

so some $2700 binos were better than some $400?
i have some meopta/ cabelas non HD. To me they work well. Though Im hunting words and not glassing for hours at a time.

I too was amazed with them when someone handed me a pair to look through at a shooting competition...so much, that I went home and ordered some. Great binos. Well worth the money IMO.

Still to my eyes the best bino's I've ever looked through, those EL SV's. I have a pair of the 8.5x42's and still get the wow factor even after using them for years.

The clerk is a [bleep] moron, but most are.

The 10x50 EL is the clearest glass on the market IMHO. That being said, leica still makes bino's but the Noctovids (Top end) aren't in many stores (I've never laid hands on a set) that being said the ranging glass and trinovids are still pretty common. The Ziess in the Victory are nice, not very impressed with the rest of them.

I didn't know they were that expensive now, but I've been using a Swaro 10x42 EL for several years on my annual elk hunt. I do lots of glassing every day and these have proven ideal. I am not familiar with all the optical terms and have had limited experience with other binoculars. However, use the Swaros for a week then try to go back to using a lesser binocular that you thought was good. You'll quickly see the big difference...

My Swaro 8.5x42 ELs have frozen solid on me, as has my ATM 65mm spotter. I couldn't adjust the focus on either or the bridge on the binos. That said, when functioning they're CRYSTAL clear, and won't strain your eyes at all.

When it gets really cold or rainy, I leave the ELs home and either take my 10X Zeiss or my 10X Steiner Peregrines instead. I will put up with the "reduced" clarity for the more reliable function.

WRO knows

I have 4 pair of Swaro bino's, great glass. The Leica Noctovids are very nice, and don't skip past the Zeiss Victory SF's in 10x42...a huge field of view, love them too.

Give Swaro a call, they will give you a Return Authorization number, send them in and in a few weeks you will have a binocular that cannot be told from new.
I have sent my EL's and SLC's in for a checkup and the turn-around time was right at a month, they came back with new skin, and the latest updates including the latest lens - all at no cost. IMO they have the best customer service in the business.

I spent a lot of time looking at high dollar glass before I sprung for the Swaro and I have absolutely no regrets with them, probably the best money I ever spent on a sporting goods item.

drover

That is a huge benefit to something like binos that will get used/ potentially abused and banged around and cost more than many medical procedures. a true "lifetime product" now what will I do to get there?

Keep an eye on Sportsmans Warehouse (if you have one in your area) they occasionally have Swaros marked down on specials, that is where I picked up my SLC's and EL's, they were a couple of hundred off if I recall correctly.

They are expensive but I doubt that you will have any buyers remorse when you use them.

drover

All the ones by me closed down... gander mountains too. And LLBean coupons don’t work on optics... I’ll save some pennies and look for some Black Friday specials for next season. Maybe give Doug at camera and a call and see if he’s got any magic demos or something he needs moved out.

I’ve been fighting between which I like better 10x or 8x for years, might go with the 8.5x42 and try to split the difference??

You can find good deals on Ebay. A used 10x42SV will cost you around $1800.

Mjduct,
When comparing the 10x42 SV's I had with the 8.5's I still have I was shocked to see how little difference in the field at distances there was, yet to me the 8.5's were certainly easier to hold/easier on the eyes.....
having said that I do still have and get good use out of my 10x42 Geovid HD-Rs.

hmmm...I may just do that.

Thanks!

If they are your go-to pair, buy the 8.5's....wider field of view, brighter in last light, easier to hold steady at longer distances, you'll never be able to notice the power difference between 8.5x and 10x.

Nonsense!

I have owned a slew of "alpha" binoculars in the last several years to include:

Early 8.5x42 Swarovision
Zeiss Victory FL 10x42
Swarovski EL pre swarovision 8.5x42
Zeiss Victory HT 10x42
Zeiss Victory HT 8x42-still own
Swarovski 2015 Swarovision
Swarovski current model SLC HD 10x42-still own

I have tested the alpha's against many "almost alpha" designs that are on the market today.

The finest binocular I have seen optically overall so far is my 10x42 SLC HD. Its handling and focus mechanism as well as finish is not as nice as the Victory HT or Swarovision though so I am not saying it is the best all aspects considered. Just optically.

I bought the Victory HT 10x42 and Swarovision 10x42 trying to see if the SLC's sharpness could be bested but the SLC optically came out ahead. Its brighter than the Swarovision in low light and has a larger sweet spot and better contrast as well as sharpness over the Victory HT. The SLC also has a better depth of field over either and is easier to get perfect focus (has more leeway) than either.

The lack of sharp edges compared to the Swarovision bothers me not at all and I dislike the globe effect/rolling ball effect of the Swarovision when panning though I can see it as a possible advantage when grid searching a hill side mounted on a tripod (having the whole FOV in focus and sharp).

To the OP I say try the SLC before you buy the Swarovison.

As far a s the 8x verses 10x for a hunting role it is no contest. You will see far greater detail (espically in low light) with the 10x over the 8x.

Timber, you ever tried the 10x50SV? It is "special" to say the least.

well I found a local shop that had them all today at a pretty steep discount. not the current models with the goofy strap adapters, but the ones with a loop built into the armor and with "Swarovision" so I am guessing some new old stock models from around 2013/2014 all about 15-20% off. PM me if you want the name of the shop.

I tried

10x42
8.5x42
8x32

They were really pushing the 8x32's they had lots in stock and only 1 each of the other 2 (price and performance made it a close call) but I ended up coming home with the 8.5x42 pair. They were the crispest from 180 yards to a mile to my eyes. and I love the open bridge ergonomics, and the rolling ball effect I noticed at first but after 2-3 minutes of looking through them I totally forgot about it and didn't notice it. I also love the locking diopter adjustment. The depth of field is so great on these it's hard to get the diopter dialed in because it all looks so dang good, but I know where my eyes are and can usually get it within 10% of my final setting before even looking through the bino's.

Happy camper, can't wait to glass some fur with these things this season!