Best mid-tier compact Binocular

[NBChance]

Awesome, thanks for the extra assurance that I made the right decision. After spending a lot of time behind my SV 10X42 ELs and my 15X56 SLC's, edge to edge clarity is hard to give up. I'm pretty sure I would have been disappointed if I had gone with one of the glasses in my initial short list, although I'm sure they are quality optics in their price range.

I read many more reviews from optics critics yesterday, that were written shortly after the new CLs were first released. They were all very complimentary, giving ground only to glasses that were twice the price of the new CL's.

I should have my new pair by the end of the week and will certainly post my initial thoughts.

I received my new Swarovski CL 8X30 B's from Doug at Camera Land yesterday. My initial impressions are... Wow! I spent some time with them late in the afternoon, until dark, comparing side by side with my EL 10X42 SW's. I was glassing into my pasture at about 100yds, and into the woods at about 250 yds. I glassed into the setting sun to the west, and with the sun at my back to the SE. Honestly, the CLs gave up very little, if anything at all, to the EL's. I was simply blown away by the image quality, and how well they compared with the ELs.
The image on the CLs was clear all the way to the edge. The eye relief was superb. I had no problem with kidney beaning. I had no issues getting a comfortable full field of view. I don't wear glasses so used with eyecups fully extended. I did not experience any glare, CA, or any optical distortion. Honestly, I almost preferred the color contrast / clarity of the CL's over my EL's. I think the overall definition is slightly crisper with the EL's, but I can't be sure of that. What surprised me the most was that the CL's hung right with the EL's until the end of visible light. I'm sure this was in large part due to the CL's being 8X, and the EL's being 10X. However, at 42MM, the EL's have a substantially larger exit pupil, so I really expected them to significantly out-perform in low light.
About me... I have 60 year-old eyes, so I have probably lost some ability to take advantage of larger exit pupil. I just had my eyes tested earlier this week, and my optometrist told me that I still have solid 20/20 vision despite a slight stigmatism and very early stage cataracts, which can again impact light gathering. He also reiterated that I have very "discerning" vision, meaning I notice very slight corrections when he tests me. With this said, I went back and forth with the CL's and EL's, trying to differentiate which image is better and could not come up with a clear winner from yesterday's session. I think that says something really positive for the little CL's.
Oh, I left out one important part... I was hand holding both binos from a sitting position. They were not mounted on a tri-pod. I could certainly notice that it was much more difficult to stabilize the 10X ELs than the 8X CL's. My guess is that the EL's image would be a clear winner if I tested using a tripod. I am really glad I purchased the CL's in 8X instead of 10X. IMHO,10X is on the hairy edge of being too much power for hand-held use.

 

[Jamesj669]

@NBChance Thanks for the review! I am interested in that CL 8x30 B model as well. Have your initial impressions changed after getting more time in with them? Also, have you had a chance to look at the NL 8x32's? I am considering both, but didn't want to spend the extra on the NL Pure's if the CL's held their own. Thanks

 

[NBChance]

James,
My impressions on my CL 8X30 B's have not changed after a year of use. I carried them on all of my chukar hunts in Nevada, and on numerous other occasions this past year. They are outstanding optics. I have not gotten my hands on the NL Pure 8X32's yet, but my guess is I would fall in love with them very quickly. The reviews I've read on all of the NL's are fantastic.

If I were in your shoes I would evaluate my use cases and prioritize based on them. I purchased my CL's because I wanted a glass that was compact and light, for carrying on bird hunts, hikes, horseback (mule) rides, etc. I purchased the Rick Young Outdoors (RYO) harness and carry them without any additional protective case. I hardly know I am wearing them. The lens caps that come with the CL are fantastic and offer all the protection they need. When I am big game hunting I carry my EL 10X42's in a very compact, fully enclosed FHF chest harness. They are definitely larger / heavier than my CL's, but are more useful to me in open country, long duration glassing sessions. I sometimes put my EL's on a compact high end tripod with fluid head, and that is a whole "nuther" world of capability.

If money is not a major issue, and if you are looking for a glass that is relatively compact, but offers better light gathering and field of view (which the NL is praised for), for use in longer duration glassing sessions, I'd certainly give the NL a close look. If compactness / light weight is a priority, and especially if cost is a driver, the CL would probably win out.

Fun decisions! Good luck and let us know what you purchase.

 

[Jamesj669]

@NBChance Thanks for the detailed response! Great to hear that you are really enjoying them. That's a sound investment in my book. After processing your advice, I think that I may need to treat this as which to get first as they both are great for their intended purposes. I currently have the NL Pure 10x42's and 12x42's as well. I'm thoroughly impressed with them both. Not sure that I will keep both as they may be redundant. I also have other 10x42's as well. I will keep you posted. Thanks!