Which Swarovski binoculars

[Kenn]

I had thought about vortex uhd’s but figured if I was going to spend that much I had just as well go all the way so I don’t want to upgrade again for quite awhile.

From what I have read on the birding forums the Vortex UHDs compare favorably to the Swaro’s, but never buy them new. Resale on the Vortex is crap, the Swaros will keep their value. I have the NLs and love them, but of course they are overpriced.

 

[BadEarth]

If you are open to other brands try out the zeiss victory SF. This summer I tried NLs and SFs, and preferred the Zeiss. So I bought em. Heck of an upgrade from my vortex vipers

 

[Outwest]

A bit of a different opinion here but I have put the 10x42 el range ta and the 12x42 nl side by side and though I realize the 12 has a wider FOV and is a 12, I really couldn’t tell you that the el ta gave up anything clarity and resolution-wise to the nl. Maybe it was a touch softer at the edge but I would be splitting hairs to find it. And no, the ta in the new el ranges not really worth mentioning but the great optics and the simplicity to load different rifle ballistic profiles is.

I am using the heck out of my el ta and have had no issues. I don’t think I would want to go back to separate units as of now. As far as the argument of rf tech “wearing out” or making your optics obsolete, the fact we are even having this discussion tells us we will all be replacing our optics well before that ever happens

 

[primal.wanderings]

I just want to add a word about the rolling ball effect in the ELs. It varies from person to person so my recommendation is to try them out first before buying. Another post already said that there was no rolling ball, but for me the rolling ball effect in the ELs was so apparent that I will NEVER own a pair. Strangely enough, the effect is not that noticeable in the NLs for me, I still see a little bit of it but it is nowhere near as bad as the ELs, for me at least. Just make sure you look through them before purchasing.

 

[mckbcat2000]

If you can, find a store that has Swaro and go look thru the EL to check for rolling ball. If you get around St. Louis the Cabelas typically has some Swaro binos in stock they'll let you go outside to try.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

EL’s, EL Range TA’s, and NL’s. I’ve had the non TA Range too.

There’s zero difference in glass quality between the three of them. The previous gen EL Range however does have lesser glass though, different tints in the barrels that will give you a headache, not great LRF performance, and no ballistics.

With NL’s you’re getting the ergonomics, a better diopter focus lever, and 6 position eye cups. The EL TA’s have the same eye cup size of the NL’s but 4 position like EL’s. EL’s have a little fatter cups.

All of them have flat field and no rolling ball effect.

If I was only going to own one pair of binos it would be EL Range TA’s for the combination of badass glass, a badass LRF, and ballistics. I would highly suggest buying new though if you aren’t to get a newer pair and the full warranty. There have been some issues reported with the earlier production ones.

 

[dreamingWest]

@Hunter53
Do you exclusively rifle hunt, bow hunt, or a bit of everything?
Do you primarily whitetail hunt? Is any other western game on the menu besides pronghorn and elk?

 

[Hunter53]

@Hunter53
Do you exclusively rifle hunt, bow hunt, or a bit of everything?
Do you primarily whitetail hunt? Is any other western game on the menu besides pronghorn and elk?

Rifle and muzzleloader for now. More whitetail but am going to be truing to do a hunt each year for either antelope, elk or mule deer.

 

[dreamingWest]

Of the choices in your OP and your post above, I'd pick the 10x42 EL Range TA.

 

[buckdandy]

The NLs have a wow factor visually. Feels like they defy what can be done with a set of binos. Also fit nicely in the hand. Pretty spendy though

 

[Spiral Horn]

If interested in a value proposition the ELs are currently a best-buy. Sampled them numerous times and would own a set myself but they just don’t work for me as I’m sensitive to globe/rolling-ball effect. This effects people to varying degrees = it is very noticeable to some (like me), and others hardly notice it at all. So, it would be best to try before buying. But don’t just look through them in the store as suggested. The effect is most pronounced while panning.

If able/willing to spend a bit I’d highly recommend trying both Zeiss SF and NL. I have both and while they are very different in both view and handling, each is superb.

As some have already said, for an all-arounder a 10x is more suitable for a wider range of applications than a 12x. 12x is a challenge to handhold for most of us and is quite unwieldy in forested environments.

My 2 cents.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Sold - Swarovski EL 10x42 Year 2020

Looking to pitch these off, Outdoorsman stud installed, unfilled warranty card. Used 14 days in field, half of that in a blind, all of it in bio harness. Glass is as good as new, original owner and I just don't use em. $1650 plus insurance. Save yourself about $700 on some very, very lightly...

rokslide.com

I would get these, smoking deal

 

[ozyclint]

I have a pair of the Habicht 10x40GA. Simply amazing binos. Probably less than half the cost of the NL but with alpha views. higher light transmission too.

 

[Hunter53]

Sold - Swarovski EL 10x42 Year 2020

Looking to pitch these off, Outdoorsman stud installed, unfilled warranty card. Used 14 days in field, half of that in a blind, all of it in bio harness. Glass is as good as new, original owner and I just don't use em. $1650 plus insurance. Save yourself about $700 on some very, very lightly...

rokslide.com

I would get these, smoking deal

Sold - Swarovski EL 10x42 Year 2020

Looking to pitch these off, Outdoorsman stud installed, unfilled warranty card. Used 14 days in field, half of that in a blind, all of it in bio harness. Glass is as good as new, original owner and I just don't use em. $1650 plus insurance. Save yourself about $700 on some very, very lightly...

rokslide.com

I would get these, smoking deal

I need to look through some el’s to see if I get the rolling ball effect or not.
Also the el’s are in sale for $1999 new. I would go new for that difference.
I do appreciate you bringing them to my attention though!
I also have a few more days before I am allowed to pm anyone or post in the classifieds.

 

[JMM1990]

I currently have the Swaro El Range 10x42 TA and just recently compared them to NL Pure 12x42 side by side. The NL Pures definitely have a better edge to edge clarity. The 12x vs 10x is also noticeably better for glassing at greater distances.

 

[roweraay]

Thanks for the topic. I too am looking at the 12 NL Pures, with the other contender being the SLC 10x56. I know these are not truly competitors, and are drastically different except for the FOV, but those are the ones I am looking at.

 

[tydennison194]

I need to look through some el’s to see if I get the rolling ball effect or not.
Also the el’s are in sale for $1999 new. I would go new for that difference.
I do appreciate you bringing them to my attention though!
I also have a few more days before I am allowed to pm anyone or post in the classifieds.

whats the deal on the rolling ball effect?

planning on switching from the razor 10s to the EL 10s and havent heard of this before?

 

[4090Sharps]

whats the deal on the rolling ball effect?

planning on switching from the razor 10s to the EL 10s and havent heard of this before?

"The globe effect, also known as rolling ball effect, is an optical illusion which can occur with optical instruments used visually, in particular binoculars or telescopes. If such an instrument is rectilinear, or free of rectilinear distortion, some observers get the impression of an image rolling on a convex surface when the instrument is panned." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_effect

My layman's description: The field flattened image looks really nice stationary, but when you pan, it looks like the image is actually on a rolling cylinder, a convex image instead of the concave way our minds sort of interpret our sphere of vision. You might consciously perceive the effect, or if your brain has trouble processing this optical illusion, you notice it subconsciously and might get motion sickness.

 

[tydennison194]

"The globe effect, also known as rolling ball effect, is an optical illusion which can occur with optical instruments used visually, in particular binoculars or telescopes. If such an instrument is rectilinear, or free of rectilinear distortion, some observers get the impression of an image rolling on a convex surface when the instrument is panned." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_effect

My layman's description: The field flattened image looks really nice stationary, but when you pan, it looks like the image is actually on a rolling cylinder, a convex image instead of the concave way our minds sort of interpret our sphere of vision. You might consciously perceive the effect, or if your brain has trouble processing this optical illusion, you notice it subconsciously and might get motion sickness.

Very interesting! I have not heard of this or noticed through any of my glass. is this typically an issue with swaro vision?

 

[Spiral Horn]

Yes. With binoculars it is most commonly seen in Swarovision versions. While it is always there, the intensity of its effects will vary from person to person. For those who use their binos primarily on a tripod it won’t be an issue as the effect is primarily associated with panning. So it will be most acute while scanning around rather than precisely trying to get the most detail from a static subject.