New swaro RF bino first impressions... VS Zeiss RF binos.

[huntnful]

I've been running the 10x42 Zeiss RF's for the last two years. They were amazing and very user friendly. They had a few MINOR drawbacks, so I decided to sell them and test out the new Swaro 10x42 El Range TA to see how they compared.

Drawbacks of the Zeiss were:
- Great glass, but not super great glass haha. I realize they're an RF bino, so they don't come with the top tier glass also.
- Focus knob turned easily and I always had to refocus them after putting them in and pulling them out of my bino pouch.
- The range display/readout had a SLIGHT double vision to it, and I wish it was a little bit brighter for some scenarios.

First Impression on the Swaro's:
- The glass is a touch above the Zeiss. It's apparent, but not significant. I was hoping for an improvement, and it is.
- Firm focus knob and a large depth of focus (this was welcomed, and I didn't even know I was missing it). Probably 100 yards - infinite, the focus can stay the same and is crystal clear.
- The range display/readout is bold and clear in all conditions. Also bright, but you can still view through it easily. Hard to explain, but it's an amazing readout.
- I also like how the range stays displayed and the MOA adjustment flashes below it. So they are both visible at the same time. The zeiss flashes the range and then the MOA readout. They're not visible at the same time.

Drawbacks of the swaro:
- The swaro 100% does not range as far or as well as the Zeiss and is little finicky on what it ranges at far distances. It wouldn't pick up the shaded side of a tree at 1100 yards for example. But where the sun was hitting the hill below the tree, it ranged no problem. The Zeiss would have easily picked this range up in any scenario.
- They have large bellies or compartments underneath each eye tube, which I'm assuming is where they store the technology. I dislike this a lot. Not a total deal breaker, but definitely not a fan of it. It's still ergonomic to hold, but more of a pain to put into a bino pouch for sure. Zeiss's don't have this. They look like a straight bino.

Equals:
- They both give VERY fast and accurate yardage readouts and the necessary MOA/MIL adjustments for your ballistics. Maybe 1/2 second and your data is on the screen.
- The apps are super easy to use and link to the binos to input your ballistics. Swaro has a little edge on the app usability though.
- They both give the same corrections if the same data is input into either app/bino. Which is expected, but I'm just mentioning it.

I'm going to run the Swaros for the season, and really test if the positives outweigh the drawbacks. They both seem to be awesome RF binos and I wouldn't hesitate to buy either of them if you're thinking about getting an RF bino with built in ballistic corrections.

I didn't touch on the tracking assist of the Swaro because I'm probably not even going to mess it. I didn't buy them for that reason. I wish they would have left that technology out and possibly got rid of the bellies underneath the bino if that was possible.

 

[fightthenoise]

This is awesome, thank you so much for doing this. I've been waiting for this post. I was very close to pulling the trigger on the Zeiss when the Swaros were announced, so I've been waffling back and forth since.

The most important thing to me is glass. How big is the difference? I know you can't A/B test them, but if I could get the Zeiss for, say, $600 cheaper than the Swaro, would it be worth it to you?

I'm turned off by the belly on the Swaro, and the ranging performance concerns me. Does the Swaro fit in the same bino harness you kept your Zeiss in, or did you have to size up?

Not attracted to the tracking assistant either, so that does nothing for me.

 

[huntnful]

This is awesome, thank you so much for doing this. I've been waiting for this post. I was very close to pulling the trigger on the Zeiss when the Swaros were announced, so I've been waffling back and forth since.

The most important thing to me is glass. How big is the difference? I know you can't A/B test them, but if I could get the Zeiss for, say, $600 cheaper than the Swaro, would it be worth it to you?

I'm turned off by the belly on the Swaro, and the ranging performance concerns me. Does the Swaro fit in the same bino harness you kept your Zeiss in, or did you have to size up?

Not attracted to the tracking assistant either, so that does nothing for me.

I truly got them for the better glass, and was just hoping to gain some other positives. Which I did, but along with a few negatives as well.

As I'm sure you know, with top tier glass, you're paying A LOT for small increases in clarity. So that's totally up to you if the $600 is worth the extra 5% better glass haha. But, it is better. I did not have to switch bino pouches. They still fit. They also weigh the same. But the bellies are a huge negative for me honestly.

I don't want to steer you financially one way or another, because I don't know your situation. But I will say that you won't be disappointed with the Zeiss at all if you go that route. If you want the best glass and readout in an RF bino, get the swaros. But at least you know the drawbacks also!!

 

[fightthenoise]

I truly got them for the better glass, and was just hoping to gain some other positives. Which I did, but along with a few negatives as well.

As I'm sure you know, with top tier glass, you're paying A LOT for small increases in clarity. So that's totally up to you if the $600 is worth the extra 5% better glass haha. But, it is better. I did not have to switch bino pouches. They still fit. They also weigh the same. But the bellies are a huge negative for me honestly.

I don't want to steer you financially one way or another, because I don't know your situation. But I will say that you won't be disappointed with the Zeiss at all if you go that route. If you want the best glass and readout in an RF bino, get the swaros. But at least you know the drawbacks also!!

Yep that's fair, it's hard to tell folks what to do financially. It's not so much about the money as it is about getting something for it. I'm fully prepared to pay the extra money, just want to make sure the glass isn't a lateral move. I do like that the Swaro shows MOA and range at the same time. I don't like how my Sig range finder spits out range and then you have to wait for it to scroll through the corrections one at a time.

If the glass is objectively better, I will go Swaro. The FOV numbers on paper definitely favor Swaro. I'm glad you didn't have to switch bino harnesses to accommodate the belly, that would be insult to injury.

 

[huntnful]

Yep that's fair, it's hard to tell folks what to do financially. It's not so much about the money as it is about getting something for it. I'm fully prepared to pay the extra money, just want to make sure the glass isn't a lateral move. I do like that the Swaro shows MOA and range at the same time. I don't like how my Sig range finder spits out range and then you have to wait for it to scroll through the corrections one at a time.

If the glass is objectively better, I will go Swaro. The FOV numbers on paper definitely favor Swaro. I'm glad you didn't have to switch bino harnesses to accommodate the belly, that would be insult to injury.

The Zeiss and Swaro readouts are 10X better than the SIG. I definitely like the swaro readout the most. But the Zeiss is good also. The glass is definitely not a lateral move. The swaro is better.

BUT, either one is going to be a major improvement from your sigs and guarantee you'll be happy making either move! If you want to consistently engage targets past 1000 yards, in any type of condition, get the Zeiss. I feel like the swaro ranging starts to fall off around 1000. Like where it takes multiple attempts to get a range. Zeiss are strong and one shot range out to 1500.

 

[RealtreeJB]

I've been waiting for this type of review as well.
Great info here...thank you !

 

[handwerk]

It seems the button/mode arrangements to me would also favor the swaro as well as the eye relief.
I recently got a chance to spend time with the new EL Range and I was pretty impressed.

 

[huntnful]

I've been waiting for this type of review as well.
Great info here...thank you !

No problem! If you have any certain questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

 

[huntnful]

It seems the button/mode arrangements to me would also favor the swaro as well as the eye relief.
I recently got a chance to spend time with the new EL Range and I was pretty impressed.

Yeah, the button is in a better spot on the swaro, but you get used to Zeiss button so quickly, I wouldn’t consider that a factor at all between purchasing one over the other

 

[1shotgear]

This is a great review! It is hard to go wrong either way, but we have been extremely impressed with the new EL ranges!

 

[huntnful]

This is a great review! It is hard to go wrong either way, but we have been extremely impressed with the new EL ranges!

Thank you! I like definitely like them, but don’t love them lol. But I guess you can’t have EVERYTHING haha.

 

[huntnful]

Ended up returning the Swaro’s today. The rangefinding and ergonomics just left too much to be desired for a brand new bino. Ranging was spotty past 900 yards (just my personal experience) and the bellies underneath aren’t cutting it for me. Going back to the Zeiss. Just an update.

 

[fightthenoise]

Ended up returning the Swaro’s today. The rangefinding and ergonomics just left too much to be desired for a brand new bino. Ranging was spotty past 900 yards (just my personal experience) and the bellies underneath aren’t cutting it for me. Going back to the Zeiss. Just an update.

I ended up ordering the Zeiss last week. This thread did it.

 

[huntnful]

I ended up ordering the Zeiss last week. This thread did it.

Very cool dude. You won’t be disappointed! It’s a big financial leap, but it’s worth it to me. I range EVERYTHING once I have it at my finger tips. I could never go back to separate binos and rangefinder lol.

 

[slim23]

Ive been waiting to hear more real world on the rangefinder. seems like some have better lasers than others. That should not be the case from swaro and $3600. I sold my EL and got sigs because i use a spotter more than binos to glass and shoot long range a lot. Great solution but really missing the glass. And the depth of focus in swaros is something you forget until you don't have them. they never need adjusting. Hated to hear the zeiss don't have that! still undecided...

 

[huntnful]

Ive been waiting to hear more real world on the rangefinder. seems like some have better lasers than others. That should not be the case from swaro and $3600. I sold my EL and got sigs because i use a spotter more than binos to glass and shoot long range a lot. Great solution but really missing the glass. And the depth of focus in swaros is something you forget until you don't have them. they never need adjusting. Hated to hear the zeiss don't have that! still undecided...

I hear ya man. I was torn. Loved the glass, readout and depth of focus of the swaros for sure. But overall they aren’t a step up from the Zeiss. Pretty disappointed in them honestly. I still can not fathom how they decided to leave those two huge bumps on the bottom, after 8 years of “innovation” since the prior model. I swear they just threw these things together with an added internal ballistics apps. I’d go Leica or Zeiss without a doubt if you want consistent long ranging ability and something that actually fits in a bino harness and is comfortable to hold

 

[WRO]

Ended up returning the Swaro’s today. The rangefinding and ergonomics just left too much to be desired for a brand new bino. Ranging was spotty past 900 yards (just my personal experience) and the bellies underneath aren’t cutting it for me. Going back to the Zeiss. Just an update.

Did you try changing the battery? That can make a huge difference..

 

[huntnful]

Did you try changing the battery? That can make a huge difference..

No I did not. I did read about that on another thread afterwards though. It never even crossed my mind. I mean, why would it though lol. Heard people getting 1600 yards with a new battery though. Still sub par compared to the two other top tier brands and their bino design was just too ridiculous for me to accept anyways haha. I tried hard for about a week. Like “no it’s okay, it’s no big deal having to force them into my bino pouch every time because of these giant ass bumps on the bottom that nobody else seemed to need to accomplish the same goals” lol. I’m just being negative now, because I was super pumped about them and then majorly let down. I’m just salty hahahaha.

 

[WRO]

No I did not. I did read about that on another thread afterwards though. It never even crossed my mind. I mean, why would it though lol. Heard people getting 1600 yards with a new battery though. Still sub par compared to the two other top tier brands and their bino design was just too ridiculous for me to accept anyways haha. I tried hard for about a week. Like “no it’s okay, it’s no big deal having to force them into my bino pouch every time because of these giant ass bumps on the bottom that nobody else seemed to need to accomplish the same goals” lol. I’m just being negative now, because I was super pumped about them and then majorly let down. I’m just salty hahahaha.

Battery life makes a huge difference in every rangefinder that I have used.

I sold my Zeiss RF's after this season because I didn't like the large reticle and I didn't trust ranging through tight spots at range (I had it catch some branches on an elk a 650 that ended up being problematic) , also personal thing I don't like the blue tint in the glass.

No review on the TA's yet because mine just got here Saturday. I ran the prior El's with the bumps so I'm used to them. Time will tell, I generally don't like RF glasses that well and have used most of them on the market and went back to my 12x50 SV's after a short time.

 

[huntnful]

Battery life makes a huge difference in every rangefinder that I have used.

I sold my Zeiss RF's after this season because I didn't like the large reticle and I didn't trust ranging through tight spots at range (I had it catch some branches on an elk a 650 that ended up being problematic) , also personal thing I don't like the blue tint in the glass.

No review on the TA's yet because mine just got here Saturday. I ran the prior El's with the bumps so I'm used to them. Time will tell, I generally don't like RF glasses that well and have used most of them on the market and went back to my 12x50 SV's after a short

Battery life makes a huge difference in every rangefinder that I have used.

I sold my Zeiss RF's after this season because I didn't like the large reticle and I didn't trust ranging through tight spots at range (I had it catch some branches on an elk a 650 that ended up being problematic) , also personal thing I don't like the blue tint in the glass.

No review on the TA's yet because mine just got here Saturday. I ran the prior El's with the bumps so I'm used to them. Time will tell, I generally don't like RF glasses that well and have used most of them on the market and went back to my 12x50 SV's after a short time.

Yeah I’m talking about a brand new full battery. Never thought to switch it out for another brand new full battery to get another 600yards of ranging ability lol. Something isn’t right with that situation. Just thinking in manufacturing terms. This battery 1000 yards, OR this battery 1600 yards. What happens when the 1600 yard battery looses even the slightest charge?

If you’re used to the bellies already then I’m sure you’ll love them! The glass, readout, and focus are awesome. But for me it wasn’t enough to outweigh the negatives. If they would have consistently ranged 1500-2000 yards, I probably would have kept them and just cussed about the bellies every time I used them lol. But when they were brand new and would hardly range 1000 yards (I’m not exaggerating), I just couldn’t do it. I also TOTALLY agree with the negatives you pointed out on the Zeiss. But I still choose them over the swaros. My buddy just snagged some Leica 3200.com and I’m really looking forward to
Checking those out also.