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New Swarovski SLC 42 Binoculars (1 Viewer)

Wow! 8x and 10x 'HunTer' 56's not available in the gun(g)-ho good ol' US-of-A ....... incredulous! - I'm gobsmacked !! |8.|

Maybe the 8x and 10x 56's are birders bins ?!! 3:)

Chosun :gh:

Gobsmacked doesn't cover it.

If they don't sell them in the States, where on earth do they plan to sell them?

Ok they will shift some in Europe but I would have thought the US was prime market for these bazookas.

Shaking head in puzzlement

Lee
 
From Swarovski Blog ~

Editorial Team

Posted on August 21, 2013, 09:03

Dear Henry, The SWAROVSKI OPTIK developers chose the Abbe-König prism system for SLC 56 models – enabling a more slender construction in the prism area. Because of the integrated extra depression, the binoculars can also be grasped well by smaller hands and held stably. FOV (degrees) / eye relief (mm) / weight (g): SLC 8x56: 7,6 / 23 / 1225 // SLC 10x56: 6,3 / 19,5 / 1195 // SLC 15x56: 4,5 / 16 / 1200 The SLC 15x56 will be available in the US!
 
... The SLC 15x56 will be available in the US!

That's only for the 15x, not the 8x or 10x.

I suppose European hunters, being at high latitudes, have many more hours of twilight than most in the USA. But what about Canada and Alaska? Maybe game is so abundant in the new world subarctic that long hours glassing the landscape at dawn and dusk is unnecessary.

--AP
 
Gijs, Bob, thanks. (G., you'll have to read this thread to see that!) But why are Swarovski dropping the present SLC HD? (It even has an existing name to separate it!) Will all the 8 and 10x "butterfliers" and "buggers" (wait...oh, well) go for other makes?
 
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Pompadour,
I did not ask why the changes in the 42 mm SLC were made, but Swarovski may have considered that the "butterfliers" and "buggers" are only a small part of the totl amount of SLC customers and the Swarovisions do everything the "butterfliers"and "buggers"want. That is my guess, but I do not know. Attractive for birders is in any case the considerable price drop of the new SLC 42's', which is of importance in economic more difficult times.
Gijs
 
I assumed (sorry!) nearly all 8x42 bins comparable (or closely) to the new SLC have a much shorter close focus that its stated 10.5 ft, but now find that for the Leica Ultravid it's 9.8 ft and Nikon EDG also 9.8 ft (3 m).

The present SLC HD allows a stated 6 ft. The figure for the Zeiss Victory HT is 6.2 ft, Zen-Ray ED3 (8x43) 6.6 ft (2 m)... For birds, too, this difference can be significant - e.g. when observing warblers in certain situations.
 
I assumed (sorry!) nearly all 8x42 bins comparable (or closely) to the new SLC have a much shorter close focus that its stated ........................................................

The present SLC HD allows a stated 6 ft. The figure for the Zeiss Victory HT is 6.2 ft, Zen-Ray ED3 (8x43) 6.6 ft (2 m)... For birds, too, this difference can be significant - e.g. when observing warblers in certain situations.

You might have to look at them with one eye at that distance to avoid interference from the overlap. Even my 7 x 42 FL has a bit of a problem there at that short distance.

Bob
 
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Bob, actually, meant the farther part of the range 6-10.5 ft. I'd think very few bird spp. (not counting man-eating prehistoric ones! |8.|) will let you approach, or approach you, at the nearer part, while those warblers et al. sometimes will that slight distance away. (The change seems awfully small but there is such a difference.) As regards the overlap problem Id' guess that too will not affect most people (?) at that slightly farther distance. Think I might manage even at the nearer (!) and hope to check |:S| in a day or two with a friend's Swaro. SLC HD 8x42.
 
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...and the Swarovisions do everything the "butterfliers"and "buggers"want...

Not quite. The Swarovision focus ratio is too slow for effective birding+butterflying use (unlike Zeiss FL, which seems to manage excellent close performance without making distant focus too crude). I'm still waiting for them to speed it up by a third at least (and maybe tame the rolling ball a bit too), or better yet, incorporate a variable-ratio drive. C'mon Swarovski, lead the way, give us the first alpha glass with flat field and variable-ratio focus!

--AP
 
Not quite. The Swarovision focus ratio is too slow for effective birding+butterflying use (unlike Zeiss FL, which seems to manage excellent close performance without making distant focus too crude). I'm still waiting for them to speed it up by a third at least (and maybe tame the rolling ball a bit too), or better yet, incorporate a variable-ratio drive. C'mon Swarovski, lead the way, give us the first alpha glass with flat field and variable-ratio focus!

--AP

Alexis:

The Swarovision does have a variable ratio focus, and that may not be
what you prefer.

They focus from 20 ft. to infinity in 1/2 turn of the focuser, 180*.
From 20 ft down to 5 ft. is 1 1/2 turns, 540 *.

I find the focus ratio is perfect with normal use, birding, etc.
The close focus is much slower, but it is a design decision, and was
incorporated into the design for insect and for close nature observing.

I agree it is slow down low, but I suppose you just need to slow down,
smell the roses, and just appreciate the view, it is superb.

Jerry
 
2 full turns of the focus wheel to go from 5' to Infinity (720º) would be too much for me also. (I assume they had a generous amount of focus past infinity so it probably wasn't that extreme.) I was able to get along with doing 8.2' to Infinity in under 180º with my Nikon 8 and 10 x 32 LX Ls, which had the fastest focusing I ever heard of.

I understand that Swarovski would speed it up upon request. Is that true?

Bob
 
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2 full turns of the focus wheel to go from 5' to Infinity (720º) would be too much for me also. (I assume they had a generous amount of focus past infinity so it probably wasn't that extreme.) I was able to get along with doing 8.2' to Infinity in under 180º with my Nikon 8 and 10 x 32 LX Ls, which had the fastest focusing I ever heard of.

I understand that Swarovski would speed it up upon request. Is that true?

Bob

Bob:

I have not heard of focus speed adjustments by Swaro., I am thinking
you are just trying to start a new thing here ?

I am thinking the SV is well designed just as it is. If you would like something
different, go ahead, there are many other choices out there.

Jerry
 
Bob:

I have not heard of focus speed adjustments by Swaro., I am thinking
you are just trying to start a new thing here ?

I am thinking the SV is well designed just as it is. If you would like something
different, go ahead, there are many other choices out there.

Jerry

No I'm not Jerry. I remember people making critical comments here a few years back about the slow focusing the 8.5 x 42 EL had. I also recall some people had sent theirs back to Swarovski and had them adjusted and made faster.

Bob
 
No I'm not Jerry. I remember people making critical comments here a few years back about the slow focusing the 8.5 x 42 EL had. I also recall some people had sent theirs back to Swarovski and had them adjusted and made faster.

Bob

Bob:

The changes you are referencing were on the original EL, and they did
step up the focus speed, around 2004-5. That was standard after that.

I was thinking you were talking about the current Swarovision model.

Jerry
 
Jerry,

Yes. That's the binocular I was talking about. I thought I saw something here in the last day or so where someone had the opportunity to get a used EL at a good price? I didn't connect it with the Swarovision.

I've never tried the Swarovison but I still think that is too slow if it is all useful focus distance. There must be lots of unused focal range from dead stop close up to where you get to to the usable close up distance. And the same thing after you reach infinity--plenty of focus past infinity. That is the way it worked on the LX Ls.

Bob
 
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I've heard the argument before about why a birder/bugger/butterflier (say that 5x fast) would want one bin that can do it all (so he isn't "bugged" by having to drag along other bins).

I've also read comments by someone, I think it might have been Holger, about why having a very close focusing bin introduces some unwanted effect(s). I think he was referring to his 8x32 FL at the time, perhaps if he reads this post he will chime in. It might have been getting both barrels to focus perfectly together.

As to watching bugs and butterflies, that's why Pentax invented the Papilio. At 10.5 oz. and 4.4 inches long by 4.25 inches wide, it's not too burdensome to carry along in your rucksack. Butterfly season is rather short compared to the time you can see birds, which is year round.

And if you really want to have your cake and eat it too, you can always buy an 8x32 model.

To make a full sized alpha purchase decision based on a very close focus that used to be featured only in midsized binoculars when your main hobby is birding is probably not high on most birder's list of priorities, and a 6 ft. close focus is not something a hunter needs, and they're Swaro's main buyers for the SLC series.

Swaro had to get rid of something to justify the lower cost since the wizards apparently miscalculated when they assumed hunters would be willing to pay as much for their SLC as birders pay for their SV ELs. Some birders would and have, but by far, birders prefer the SV EL to the SLC-HD.

Where Swaro needs to "focus" its close focusing efforts is on the SV EL, which already has a good close focus, but some have complained that the speed at the close focus range is too "pokey". Perhaps that will be changed on the SV EL II.

<B>
 
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I've heard the argument before about why a birder/bugger/butterflier (say that 5x fast) would want one bin that can do it all (so he isn't "bugged" by having to drag along other bins).

I've also read comments by someone, I think it might have been Holger, about why having a very close focusing bin introduces some unwanted effect(s). I think he was referring to his 8x32 FL at the time, perhaps if he reads this post he will chime in. It might have been getting both barrels to focus perfectly together.

As to watching bugs and butterflies, that's why Pentax invented the Papilio. At 10.5 oz. and 4.4 inches long by 4.25 inches wide, it's not too burdensome to carry along in your rucksack. Butterfly season is rather short compared to the time you can see birds, which is year round.

And if you really want to have your cake and eat it too, you can always buy an 8x32 model.

To make a full sized alpha purchase decision based on a very close focus that used to be featured only in midsized binoculars when your main hobby is birding is probably not high on most birder's list of priorities, and a 6 ft. close focus is not something a hunter needs, and they're Swaro's main buyers for the SLC series.

Swaro had to get rid of something to justify the lower cost since the wizards apparently miscalculated when they assumed hunters would be willing to pay as much for their SLC as birders pay for their SV ELs. Some birders would and have, but by far, birders prefer the SV EL to the SLC-HD.

Where Swaro needs to "focus" its close focusing efforts is on the SV EL, which already has a good close focus, but some have complained that the speed at the close focus range is too "pokey". Perhaps that will be changed on the SV EL II.

<B>

Yes, there are several problems involved when having to deal with a short close-focusing-distance. Remind that the bulk of the travel that has to be covered by the focuser happens near the short end - 1.5m or 2.5m make a big difference for the construction of the focusing mechanism. That is why a decision to move the close focus a little bit away can save money for the manufacturer or the customer.

If you want to cover a wide range of focusing distances, and you want the focuser to be fast and, of course, turning with as little traction as possible, then naturally some mechanical challenges arise. Alternately, you could make the focusing lens stronger - leading to additional aberrations which have to be corrected for by the ocular, and tolerances of the lens-movement are also very tight. I think I was reporting about problems with the Zeiss 8x32 Conquest HD which failed to focus evenly on both sides.

To me, the step taken with the new Swaro SLC is a very promising one: Move out the close focus point, make the entire mechanics simpler and fault tolerant, and reduce the price. Well done!

Cheers,
Holger
 
Bob, going back to short focus and L-R image overlap: asked my friend who has the Sw. SLC HD 8x to test it. Says he gets to less than 2 m (6.6 ft) with no problem - he doesn't wear glasses. Tested three other combinations of instrument and user: a 6x, 10x and 12x and myself - without my glasses. Each focuses down to 9 ft. No problems at this distance. Helps, though, to set the IPD narrower near the limits. Holger, "well done," indeed, from a viewpoint of price, and apparently marketing, in which Sw. seem to be masters of the game. But at the cost of moving out bugs, butterflies, warblers? Well, if there aren't going to be too many other complaints Sw. win again.
 
Bob, going back to short focus and L-R image overlap: asked my friend who has the Sw. SLC HD 8x to test it. Says he gets to less than 2 m (6.6 ft) with no problem - he doesn't wear glasses. Tested three other combinations of instrument and user: a 6x, 10x and 12x and myself - without my glasses. Each focuses down to 9 ft. No problems at this distance. Helps, though, to set the IPD narrower near the limits. Holger, "well done," indeed, from a viewpoint of price, and apparently marketing, in which Sw. seem to be masters of the game. But at the cost of moving out bugs, butterflies, warblers? Well, if there aren't going to be too many other complaints Sw. win again.

Yes, there is a cost, but it is good to have that choice. I don't want to observe bugs - instead, I want a good binocular at a reasonable price. The SV is still there and it allows to observe bugs, too ...

Cheers,
Holger
 
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