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Swarovski 8x32 EL & Nikon 8x32 SE what a combo! (1 Viewer)

Thanks Brock, you saved my finger from getting a workout! :) In all seriousness i agree with you except the color tone on the el. I have spent a better part of 3hrs this morning on the deck after work! Will have to put them away until i get back home from work again early this evening. Apparent sharpness does favor the se? But, just when you think the el is at it's sharpest i can just touch the focus and whoa? Maybe the el is as sharp? Tough call! Color is totally neutral with no byass on my el, it's a late 2010 serial #. Contrast on both are superb! Ergo's favor the el but, i'am used to the se's once again it's a very comfortable bino for a small rubust porro! Much more so than my 8x30 Pentax. Thats why i passed on the swaro habitch 8x30, i called swaro and they gave me the dimensions, same as my pentax! Not going to spend that kind of money on something that wouln't work ergonomically for me! The se's will be used for good weather in inclement conditions i will use the swaro! And probably switch off and on between them and never feel under gunned. Thats why i say they compliment each other. : ) Although different porro, roof there views are very similiar and i don't really favor one or the other!
 
Very interesting. I find a similar thing with my el, it can get deadly sharp in the center if you work the focus very slow. Impressive since it doesn't have Ed glass. Glad you like it. I'd like to have an se if the right price comes around. Should have bought one last year when they were cheaper. The waterproof and toughness also hold me back.

Thanks Brock, you saved my finger from getting a workout! :) In all seriousness i agree with you except the color tone on the el. I have spent a better part of 3hrs this morning on the deck after work! Will have to put them away until i get back home from work again early this evening. Apparent sharpness does favor the se? But, just when you think the el is at it's sharpest i can just touch the focus and whoa? Maybe the el is as sharp? Tough call! Color is totally neutral with no byass on my el, it's a late 2010 serial #. Contrast on both are superb! Ergo's favor the el but, i'am used to the se's once again it's a very comfortable bino for a small rubust porro! Much more so than my 8x30 Pentax. Thats why i passed on the swaro habitch 8x30, i called swaro and they gave me the dimensions, same as my pentax! Not going to spend that kind of money on something that wouln't work ergonomically for me! The se's will be used for good weather in inclement conditions i will use the swaro! And probably switch off and on between them and never feel under gunned. Thats why i say they compliment each other. : ) Although different porro, roof there views are very similiar and i don't really favor one or the other!
 
I paid considerably less than the going rate! :) Actually less than what i paid for my original model back in 09! A nice gentleman from the forums had two the one i got was bought new inspected and put away for safe keeping! I used a loupe and couldn't find a finger print, essentially just like new! : ) I'am very pleased to say the least, these two bino's will never be sold! Well at least the se! No the sv can't be that good?!!! :)
 
I paid considerably less than the going rate! :) Actually less than what i paid for my original model back in 09! A nice gentleman from the forums had two the one i got was bought new inspected and put away for safe keeping! I used a loupe and couldn't find a finger print, essentially just like new! : ) I'am very pleased to say the least, these two bino's will never be sold! Well at least the se! No the sv can't be that good?!!! :)

What comes around goes around... From what I recall you offered a few terrific deals here last year (?) some time.

COngrats on your binos. I wonder how they compare to my 8x32 Theron! ;-)
 
What comes around goes around... From what I recall you offered a few terrific deals here last year (?) some time.

COngrats on your binos. I wonder how they compare to my 8x32 Theron! ;-)

BrightIdea, yes you are correct on that! Took a loss on every pr. So yeh, what comes around goes around! :) Don't know the answer to that one, i will leave that one for SteveC, FrankD or somebody else! Not going down that road anymore! : )
 
I had the Theron 32s but several months ago so I don't want to comment further. Steve can chime in as I believe it is one of his primary "go-to" binoculars.
 
Please do. I want to know how they compare. I hear it is an even fight.

Contrast on both is equal as far as i'm concerned. Apparent sharpness and resolution favor the se by a smidge. As for glare the el win's i haven't been able to induce any at all! Extremelly well coated, the best personally that i have seen. Eye placement favors the el, just natural this does suprise me considering the stated eye relief. Cal control, though i can induce it in both i will give it to? Today the el tomorrow the se! : )In general use not a problem with either one. Fit and finish will have to go to the el, though the se is no slouch. The el just exudes quality from it's smooth lines tight quality control on finish to every thing operating smooth and effortlessly. Ergonomics favors the el, for a small binocular the best i have handled. Brightness in everyday use the same as contrast equaly good! So does one favor the other? On paper yes, in everday use no. I find there views to be very similiar both give a nice 3d view and yes the el has a porro like view! I will use the el more because i live in a coastal environment but, know from past use that the se will see it's fair share of use also. Right now i'm wearing them both out on my deck! :) Bryce...
 
Hey Brock, when you mentioned 'depth perception' in regards to the EL's, were you referring to 'depth of field'? Or what??

I'm having much fun with my new 10x32 SV's, but will be sending them in to get the focus knob working to my satisfaction. Glad the one you tried was OK.

John F
 
Hey Brock, when you mentioned 'depth perception' in regards to the EL's, were you referring to 'depth of field'? Or what??

I'm having much fun with my new 10x32 SV's, but will be sending them in to get the focus knob working to my satisfaction. Glad the one you tried was OK.

John F

John, what he is reffering to is the the dof! It has a porro like quality. What's wrong with your focus on the sv's? Is it harder to turn in one direction? Bryce...
 
John, what he is reffering to is the the dof! It has a porro like quality. What's wrong with your focus on the sv's? Is it harder to turn in one direction? Bryce...

Yea, you know I've been defending the Swaro's here, because the SLC's I bought in 1991 have always been perfect and every model Swaro at Bass Pro I've been checking out has had perfect smooth focus.

Mine is very much harder to turn in the CCW direction than in the CW direction. Like, a lot harder. Also, there are some hitches in the giddiup when focusing moving from far to near, just not smooth.

Optics Planet is being very good about this.

John F
 
Hey Brock, when you mentioned 'depth perception' in regards to the EL's, were you referring to 'depth of field'? Or what??...

Mine (Swaro focuser) is very much harder to turn in the CCW direction than in the CW direction. Like, a lot harder. Also, there are some hitches in the giddiup when focusing moving from far to near, just not smooth.

Optics Planet is being very good about this.

John F

John,

No, I didn't mean DOF, which is a "fixed" technical measurement, but depth as perceived by your eyeballs and brain while looking through a pair of binoculars.

Take two bins, the Nikon 8x32 LX and the Nikon 8x32 SE. According to the experts, if you measured the DOF, it should be the same for both because they are both 8x. When I measured the DOF, I found the LX's DOF to be less than the SE's, but not nearly as far behind as my eyes/brain led me to expect when looking at the 2-D-ish compression of the image in the roof.

At medium distance, just a nudge on the LX's ultra fast, fiddly de, fiddly dum focuser will put your target out of focus and the objects slightly in front or back will be in focus(depending on which way you turn the wheel) .

With the SE at the same distance, there's no need to turn the focuser to focus the objects slightly in back or front of your target, because they are already in focus, and a slight nudge won't make much difference.

To my eyes, the 8x32 EL has good depth perception for a midsized roof. Not quite as good as the 8x32 SE porro, but better than any other midsized roof I've tried so far. It's also longer than any other midsized roof I've tried so far, which may have something to do with the depth perception.

It sounds like you have a Swaro with an "Achilles Heel" focuser. I'll add that to my growing list to present to the Swaro Deniers Club, who say this problem either doesn't exist or is rarer than a four-leaf clover or will even itself out in time.

However, as my mounting evidence is beginning to show, this is an all too common issue, particularly for an alpha.

Hope Optics Planet sends you a better sample.

Brock
 
Uh oh! Sounds like a trip to sona is in order! I had a similiar problem with my 7x42 slc neu! The focus now is precise and very smooth! It's a bummer that it even has to be addressed but, they will make good on it and it won't cost you unlike Leica's goodwill policy! As to the term dof, it can be used as depth of focus which i was reffering to. In that regard the el 8x32 has for a midsize roof excellent dof! Very close to the se! Bryce...
 
Uh oh! Sounds like a trip to sona is in order! I had a similiar problem with my 7x42 slc neu! The focus now is precise and very smooth! It's a bummer that it even has to be addressed but, they will make good on it and it won't cost you unlike Leica's goodwill policy! As to the term dof, it can be used as depth of focus which i was reffering to. In that regard the el 8x32 has for a midsize roof excellent dof! Very close to the se! Bryce...

Indeed, it is a "bummer" that Swaro has not fully addressed this problem. I'm still hearing complaints about this from some SV ELs owners!

But it is reassuring to hear that the "crunchy focuser" (newfie's term) can be fixed. When EDG I's develop a focuser problem, Nikon just sends you an EDG II.

Still a mystery why some Swaro samples have to be sent to SONA to get their focusers tweaked. Is it spotty QC? Some flaw inherent in the focuser design?

Whatever it is, it's something Swaro has not been able to solve completely even with its newly designed bins.

I can only imagine that it is an inherent flaw that if removed would jeopardize some important feature (such as waterproofing) such that they have just come to live with the risk to gain the benefits.

B.
 
I have mentioned before that I thought that this "focus problem" is designed into the binoculars focusing mechanism. It takes a little more effort to push the focuser with your forefinger, if you are right handed, than it does to pull it back. At least that's what it does on my 7 x 42 SLC. I have no problem with it. It seems that complaints about it don't come from all the users and I don't think the Austrian technicians are incompetent or sloppy in this particular aspect of the binoculars they design and build.

It made sense to me as soon as I got used to it after using my Nikon LXL's and my EDG which are extra smooth and extra fast in both directions and sometimes result in over shooting the object to be viewed.

Apparently Swarovski will rework the focusers if the owners don't like them. It must be an easy adjustment.

Bob
 
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