Justin said:Thanks for your response. I'm looking to purchase a new set of binoculars and am a bit overwhelmed by the opinions out there. I figured the best people to ask are the ones who own and use them. I've narrowed it down between Swarovski 7x42slc, Leica 8x32bn and the Bausch and Lomb Elite 8x42's. I know these binoculars all vary a bit in there performance, but price range is relatively close. I'm now trying to decide which would be the best all around.
pduxon said:If you don't need waterproofing then Leif suggests the Nikon 8x32SE don't you Leif.
Justin said:I am curious to get some opinions on the new Bausch and Lomb Elite 8x42's. How rugged are they? How are they optically? How is the warranty? And how do they rate with the Swarovskis and Leicas?
Justin said:I've narrowed it down between Swarovski 7x42slc, Leica 8x32bn and the Bausch and Lomb Elite 8x42's.
Ulgah,ulgah said:I must have gotten the last ones! They are made, no more under the B&L label. I understand they'll be made under the Bushnell label, later. Original retail was up around $1600.00.
If I am reading BVD correctly, it sounds as though the B&Ls were the reference standard before Nikon took over.
Atomic Chicken said:Justin,
Hoping I'm not just echoing previous sentiments here... but here goes.
Don't throw Nikon out as a serious option, my HG 8x32 are STILL my favorite all-around binocular that I reach for first probably 90% of the time when leaving the house. If I were forced to choose only one binocular from my selection and lose the rest, I would happily grab the Nikons and tearfully bid the rest goodbye.
However.... yesterday I purchased a pair of Bausch&Lomb Discoverer 7x42 binoculars at a closeout sale locally, and they very well could take a CLOSE 2nd place to the Nikons in the future. With my limited use so far, they are rapidly becoming one of my most praised pair of binoculars... I'm still astonished by their sheer clarity, brightness, field of view, and excellent build quality. I've yet to hear even one bad report about customer service from Bushnell (the buyer of Bausch&Lomb) which does nothing but help my overall opinion of these binoculars.
Toward the end of the year, I'm planning on purchasing a pair of Zeiss FL 7x42, and if they are as good as the reports, they might just replace my Nikon HG's as my favorite all-around optics. Until then, the Nikon and Bausch&Lomb are both neck and neck... with the Nikon holding a VERY slight edge.
Hope this rambling helps... and good luck with your decision!
Best wishes,
Bawko
hg1 said:I hate to be the dissenter on this string but I have to admit that I owned a pair of B&L Elites 10x40s for about 6 months and traded them back in because I loathed 'em! What was the problem - only the one that others have noted about this glass and that is the criticality of the focus giving the impression of an extremely shallow depth of field. I could not live with it after persevering for 6 months or so, so I gave up and got some Zeiss. I acknowledge that this may only apply to the 10x40s and the 8-powers may be better.