Swaro SLC 10x42

[GUNation]

Looking to buy these. Upgrading from Bushnell Legend HD. Any thoughts?

 

[Matt G.]

If you are not set on those, I would look at the kowa genesis....

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[ClearCreek]

Looking to buy these. Upgrading from Bushnell Legend HD. Any thoughts?

Do you have a good used pair located? That model comes up on the classifieds here every now and then.


ClearCreek

 

[Jordan]

Do it! I went from Nikon Monarchs to SLCs and it’s been the best hunting upgrade I’ve made in a long time.

 

[rm06]

I own these and I'll agree they are the best hunting upgrade I've made, perhaps ever.

I tried many, many different brands and models before I pulled the trigger on these. Unless it is another Swaro model, literally nothing comes close

 

[Pgidley]

Absolutely worth it, except don't get hung up on 10x42. There are a lot of tradeoffs between 8x42 and 10x42, and for a lot of people the 8's should be the better choice, but everyone seems to go with 10s. I was the same - always 10x42s, until I decided to give 8s a shot (glasses wearer and looking for max eye relief). Now I see the huge advantage that 8x gives in exit pupil and field of view, and would not likely go back to 10+ unless circumstances demanded it.

 

[Gone4Days]

I upgraded to 8x42 SLC and am very happy.

 

[Xycod]

Thoughts are you’re upgrading to tier one glass. They’re discontinued but can be found used, they can also be purchased new under the Kahles name, same glass/bin different color skin.

KAHLES: Binoculars

www.kahles.at

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

How confident are you in this ^^^ ? I agree they LOOK similar, but pretty certain these are same bins for same maker?

 

[roosiebull]

Slc’s are great, they are light, compact and will never hinder you spotting game, and they are good enough that it’s genuinely fun to sit behind them on a tripod.

If size and weight are not a big deal, like mentioned above, the kowa genesis are amazing at the price

 

[Spiral Horn]

SLCs will be a significant upgrade from your current Bushnells. If able to find a used set in excellent condition they should offer many years of satisfying service.

 

[mtwarden]

I found a very lightly used pair here on the classifieds, that was definitely one of my better investments

I'd do a little research on the SLC's as the model made some changes a couple of times during it's run with Swarovski; my guess is they are all very good glass, but the latest iteration may be the best of them

 

[Moserkr]

Bought a 2019 pair in 2020. Wish it was the first piece of gear I ever bought years ago next to really good boots.

 

[TX_Diver]

If you are not set on those, I would look at the kowa genesis....

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I had both. The glass is superb in both but the Kowas are BIG compared to the SLCs... I sometimes consider going back but haven't so far. If you don't mind the bulk and extra weight most would be happy with the Kowa's though.

 

[Birddog1]

I just bought a pair of 8x42 on here, 2014 model. I got them yesterday. I was looking at Zeiss Conquest and Leica Trinovid, the SLC are excellent and I’m glad I decided to go this route.

 

[BigCountry49]

SLCs selling used for $1400. For that price I would spend the extra 3-400 and get the top alphas. SLCs are really good glass but seem to be overpriced on this site.

 

[BBob]

How confident are you in this ^^^ ? I agree they LOOK similar, but pretty certain these are same bins for same maker?

Swarovski has owned Kahles for a very long time. My dealer says they were shifted from the Swarovski lineup over to Kahles for marketing reasons and nothing spec or quality wise has changed.

An article that mentions the very same things.

Kahles Helia S Binoculars - Optics Trade Blog

Kahles has recently introduced a new series of binoculars, Helia S, including two models: 8x42 and 10x42. Swarovski, the owner of Kahles for more than forty years, eliminated the two SLC models of the same configurations, which dominated in the €1700-odd price range. Helia S is actually SLC in a...

optics-info.com

 

[roosiebull]

I had both. The glass is superb in both but the Kowas are BIG compared to the SLCs... I sometimes consider going back but haven't so far. If you don't mind the bulk and extra weight most would be happy with the Kowa's though.

that's a perfect assessment.... i have both, and spent a lot of time comparing them side by side... both are awesome, and the SLC seems to have found that perfect balance of lightweight, compact, but still excellent glass.... i like the kowa a little more spending a lot of time on a tripod, they are a little more enjoyable to me.... moving faster, glassing as i go, set up the tripod for a half hour, and move on, the SLC is tough to beat.... i think the slc is about the perfect "do all" bino always on your chest all year scouting, archery hunting, and rifle hunting.... single out rifle blacktail season, doing most of my work behind glass on a tripod, i prefer the kowa.... the kowas handled glare a little better too... both are good in that regard, but kowa are a little better in glare.

one thing that may be misleading to me is comparing 10x42 slc's to 10.5x44 kowa, the bigger objectives and extra .5X may be part of that effect of why i think the kowas are optically better than the SLC