Leica Geovid HD-B Vs Swaro EL Range

[Grumman]

The button location is why I chose Leica and I’ve been extremely happy with them.


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[100percent]

If you plan to archery hunt and you are right handed the Swaro will prove cumbersome. Another weakness that I don't see mentioned that may be of value is minimum ranging capability with the Swaro. Mine would not range below 36 yards. This is of little consequence with fast bows of today but, by God, I want to know the difference between 22 and 35 yards. Ha!

Glass is equal to slightly better than el-range but, a step below swarovision coated EL's or slc's to my eyes... However, this minutiae is altogether inconsequential in most situations.

In freezing temps, the Leica rangefinder struggles but, will work.. on the other hand, the Swaro rangefinder is without equal in my opinion even compared to some standalone rangefinders such as g7 and others.

I use the binohand and it is not as compact as the studmount (which I miss) but, serves the same purpose and may actually be better as you can really lock it down with the strap.

If you are accustomed to Swaro binos (which I am), a quirk with the Leica that is bothersome for me over any of the Swaro glass than I have owned, is that it seems you are always having to micro adjust the focus. I have become "almost" immune to it but, if you are switching back and forth throughout the season between the brands, it is definitely noticeable.

There are some trade offs in selecting the Leica but, for the difference in the money (which is significant), the Leica is a nice piece and I would make the swap again as nothing has changed -- there's not a better option today! If you could find the 2200 model on closeout, the disparity would be even greater.

Now with all that.... when Swaro comes out with an EL Range Swarovision that addresses the min range limitations and has ballistic capabilities, I WILL TRADE UP IMMEDIATELY!!!

 

[SkunkCabbage]

Any alpha info on if there is a EL range update planned soon?

 

[Wapiti1]

I bought both and used one for a season, then the other the next. Neither was perfect. I had ranging errors or all out failures with both in cold temps and in foggy conditions. Didn't seem to be more with one or the other. Similar conditions produced similar errors.

I found the Leica slightly brighter in low light. Otherwise, I never felt wanting with either from a sharpness and contrast standpoint. I wasn't thrilled with the feel of the Swaro in my hand. The bumps on the bottom didn't feel right. The Leica is a tank to carry around, though and too big for many harnesses.

In the end, I sold the Swaro EL Range, and kept the Leica HD-B. I like how they felt in the hand better, so that is why I kept those.

Keep in mind that NO rangefinder binocular will equal it's non-rangefinder brethren. The design requirements have a partially mirrored lens that will always cause issues. Its the nature of the beast and a required tradeoff. That said, the difference is too small to matter in practice.

Jeremy

 

[notradame]

I have owned all 3 including the Zeiss RF. Still have the Zeiss. The HD-B's are nice and compact laser is WAY better than old Geovids. I didnt like the swaro's as much as zeiss or leica. The Zeiss are bigger, but the glass is AMAZING. The zeiss will range to about 1750, leica to 2200 but i never shoot that far when hunting. I use the terrapin for LRF that beats them both. Leicas ballistic app is useless since its missing MIL's and takes a while to load. Traided the HD-B's after a week just because the zeiss glass was much better. The leica is smaller if thats whats important to you.

 

[Dshine35]

If you go to Outdoorsmans.com and use the search, it’ll show up. For some reason their website is not as easy to navigate as it used to be. Great products and great service from those guys. I highly recommend them.

Hey DuckPopper I am interested in the Sako TRG you have but my account will not let me post on the thread...

 

[EATELK]

For what it's worth, I'm not an optics expert by any means, but I went through the same dilemma sevral years ago. I purchased both binoculars and compared them side to side....I wasn't able to tell a considerable difference in image quality, however I preferred the feel of the Leicas, mainly due to the "bumpouts" on the bottom of the EL's....At the time, the prices were identical so I went with the Leica's....Since purchasing, I've had to send the Leica's back twice for repair on the rangefinding system. As others have stated, the substantial price drop in the HD-B's is a little eye opening. In hindsight, I wish i would've gone with the Swaro's but having said that, I'm extremely happy with the Leica's. I don't think you can go wrong either way, and if you can find the Leica's for $1,000 less than the EL Range's, I'd have a hard time ponying up the extra cash for the Swaro's