Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Opinion of SLC Swarovski habicht 8x30w

I am soon getting a pair of these roof prism binoculars. I am interested in any opinions. Good or bad.

I have some and they’re great. Use em more than any other binos I have. That may change though, picked up a Kowa Genesis 8x33 and they’re fantastic

If in excellent condition what should they sell for, if you know.
Thanks for the help

They usually are in the $500-$600 range. A search of the classifieds shows several that have sold in that range in the last year here. I have had a pair for 30 years and they are great bino's. I bought both of my kids a pair if that tells you anything, I bought both pair in the classifieds here. They are a lifetime purchase. I paid $550-$600 for both pair in excellent condition.

Excellent information
Thank you

Date of birth will have some determination of value. Older binos had fold down eyecups, next gen had pop up eyecups and newer style has twist up eyecpus
Lens coatings have been updated several times over the years

Some dont like the front focus wheel

7032321 A serial number

It's the older model with fold down eye cups

I sent in an old set a while back that had a fungus growing inside The binos came back with twist up eye cups and new rubber armor.. I paid for a lens upgrade


Cant beat Swaro service

I was not original owner

Can you upgrade the lens coatings.

I'm thinking Swaro only does lens replacement here in the states

That makes them a 2000 model. I have the 2002 model. Sent them in and paid for the upgraded prisms and lenses.
They upgrade to the last prisms and lenses that the slc neu had.
When they upgrade them, they have a new serial# on them. All upgraded bino serial# starts with DA.

Their are 4 generations of the 30mm SLC's. If yours has the fold down eye cups it's the 1st or 2nd gen. 1st gen is not waterproof.

Swarovski USA can repair/rebuild/upgrade any Swaro optic ever sold in North America, and I have been told the repair facility in Rhode Island is as good as the repair facility in Austria.

A full house upgrade of the gen 1 or 2 will replace everything except a few pieces of the focus mechanism--new body, objective lens, prisms and eyepieces. I had my 1st gen 8x30's upgraded about 4 years ago. Cost $500, including new improved prisms (according to Swaro, anyway). Swaro will do the normal refurbish of your existing binos for free if there is any [bleep] thing wrong with them.

Almost 10 years ago, when my 2nd gen 7x30's began growing the Dreaded Crystals, they did the full upgrade to gen 4 for free.

My upgraded 7x30 and 8x30 SLC's are still my go-to binos for most hunting. No ,they are not as good as the 32mm EL's, Ultravids, or a few other alpha binos, but they compare quite well with a lot of well regarded binos in the 30-32m size. I just haven't ran across any other binos in that size that have motivated me enough to drop the coin needed to beat out the SLC's.

Thanks so much for the information. Just what I needed...
I am sure they are first Gen. So I won't go swimming with them.
They will be my first pair of what I would call high end binos. At least for me. My other binos are nikon, pentax, celestron granite. But I doubt they compare to the swarovski habicht. I will see.
Thanks again for the help.

The serial # makes it a 2000 production, which would be the MarkIII, or 3rd generation.
It should not have the fold down eyecups! The MarkIII was made from 1994-2002, and had push pull, or twist up eyecups depending on year.

You can call SONA with the serial#, and they will be able to tell you all about that particular bino.
I called them with the serial# of a bino I was looking to purchase, and they told me the history of that bino. All of the upgrades the previous owner had done to them.
They're customer service is extremely helpful!

They are very good. Very good.

For a hunter that want to glass for hours they are a big compromise. No bino harness options, and the eye relief is abysmal.

Tripods can be used but a major work around.

That's what I was thinking, too.......

Ive got an pair of these and i loved them but the rubber body armour has come unglued and sloughed off. Had a pair of Leica Trinovids and Ultravid but to my eyes they just didnt work.

Been using a pair of Stryka S7 8x42 and am astonished at the optics and build of these chinese binos. Im going to try a pair of Athlons next and then Deltas.

For my eyes the Swarovskis always work well, as does Nikon and some of mid tier asian optics are really good.

Send those Swaros to SONA. They will put new rubber armor on, and clean them up for free.