Lots of good things stated on this thread. I would agree with most of it. I'm sure the OP has made his decision but I'll add my experience.
I owned the SLC 10x42 HDs and the Conquest 10x42 HDs at the same time. I still own both Conquests and SLCs in different sizes but only the Conquest in 10x42. Current prices for clean, used examples will be about $1300-1400 for SLC and $700-800 for Conquest. The performance gap is negligible and depending on the user either binocular could reasonably be preferred. The SLC is a bit smaller and has better eye cups and diopter. The Zeiss has a better focuser (much better) although it is fast for some... I find this to be an advantage. In the examples I have/had the Zeiss had a bigger sweet spot with better, sharper resolution. I could see CA in both, significant amounts in the right conditions. CA does bother me but it bothered me more in the Swaro. I also found the field curvature to be much greater towards the edge in the Swaro, which along with the sticky focuser (it was rubbing on the armor) made me decide to keep the Zeiss. To me this was not a compromise, the Zeiss is the better bino. The fact that it can be had for half as much is a bonus. I will say, Swaro warranty and customer service are exceptional. I've sent binos and an eyepiece in for service and had a positive experience both times. Never have had to use Zeiss service. I use binos from both companies every day but between these two models I would take the Zeiss.
