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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

My first Swaro (SLC 10x56) (1 Viewer)

tenex

tenex

reality-based
Well, after growing up with Zeiss porros and switching to a little 32mm Leica, I now have my first Swaro, and it's really gorgeous. Finally the amazing bright clear easy "wow" view I've sometimes itched for after decades of using a (very nice) compact glass, even little bits of color I might not have noticed before. Straightforward design, nice fairly flat field with no oddities, and the Abbe-König prisms I always wanted for some reason. Maybe not a weight I'd choose to wear around my neck all day, but very much looking forward to use on other occasions.

Thanks to dwever for nudging me to look at the SLC 56, which I hadn't thought of because only the 15x has been marketed in the US, and to Gordon for carrying the others now. I'm not exactly sure why 42/50mm models I've seen haven't clicked this way for me, maybe just not quite different enough. I'm sure another person, probably most, would have picked something else, like the SF 42 or EL 50 which may even be technically superior in some respect. But I can't argue with "wow".
 
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I looked through an older 8x56 slc from years ago and it was awesome even back than. I bet the new one is just incredible. I would love to look through one.
 
tenex said:
Well, after growing up with Zeiss porros and switching to a little 32mm Leica, I now have my first Swaro, and it's really gorgeous.....
.......
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I know the SLC 10x56, it‘s a very nice glass and I wish you many great und unforgettable observations with it!
 
We had an unforgettable evening just yesterday. Walking by the lake around sunset, there were incredible irridescent clouds, not just the faint colors one sees from time to time around cloud edges but incredibly bright vivid colors in a couple of small, higher clouds, with the sun itself nicely blocked by the foothills. I think those are called "nacreous", from mother of pearl, though the images online tend to be from Antarctica. Really stunning, and even reflected in the lake, though not smoothly due to the wind. (I think wind may play some role in producing suitably thin clouds of tiny droplets so light is diffracted in this way -- rather than refracted, as in a rainbow.) Oh, and the early crescent moon was there too, becoming more obvious as the sky darkened.
 
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Congratulations. As you might have seen in the 15x56 and 12x50 comparison thread, I've tried the one my brother owns (and which he now favours over the 8.5x42 for long distance observation) and it is very impressive, albeit quite a handful. I think the 8x56 delivers an even nicer image but doesn't have the magnification he requires. Enjoy your new purchase!
 
Tenex:
I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy the example here. Very satisfying views and an excellent low light bino for me, at least. Always use a harness like Crooked Horn's with binos, so no weight issues. For me, it is an easier bino to hold steady than an older 8.5x42.

Both indispensable...:)
 
I don't expect the weight to be a problem for me. 10x50s are only about 16% lighter. And in any situation where I'm wearing a bino for hours, I have a backpack also for counterbalance.

My only complaint is minor: I dislike "ergonomic" touches that make me hold something the way someone thinks I should, and when my thumbs are in those grooves (and finger on the focuser) the SLC 56 feels a bit front-heavy. But it's not hard to find a somewhat asymmetrical hold that balances well and allows focusing.

(Okay, another even more minor complaint: the Swaro strap is annoying, with dangly loose ends, puckering nylon, etc. Do other people actually like this?)
 
tenex said:
(Okay, another even more minor complaint: the Swaro strap is annoying, with dangly loose ends, puckering nylon, etc. Do other people actually like this?)
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Agree with you about the annoying dangly loose ends on the otherwise excellent FP strap. I tie the loose ends up to stop them waving about. I’m considering actually cutting them down as I have a fixed strap length that I never change so don’t need the adjustability of this design.
 
This pre-FP strap on the SLC is even worse: besides the flapping ends, the clamps pucker the nylon strap so it won't lie flat, and their levers stick out to scrape things. I think I'd just need to replace it, which is stupid given the cost of the bino. At least I have another strap on hand that I can swap.

An innovative solution to a non-problem: who adjusts their strap on the fly anyway? It's a set-it-once thing. People are so enamored of innovation today that they forget it's seldom actually an improvement. (Self-driving cars, anyone? Silicon Valley is the prime example, but here we are with bino straps.)
 
How does it compare to the 8.5x42 EL, of any generation?

I realize they are in different classes completely.
 
How did you get a hold of one to buy in the US? I'd like to hold and look through one, as I've been trying to decide on my next binocular and I think one with a larger objective might be worth it to me, since I'm a pretty big guy and don't mind the weight.
 
tenex said:
...I'm not exactly sure why 42/50mm models I've seen haven't clicked this way for me, maybe just not quite different enough. I'm sure another person, probably most, would have picked something else, like the SF 42 or EL 50 which may even be technically superior in some respect. But I can't argue with "wow".
Click to expand...

Tenex,

Congrats on your 1st Swaro, the SLC 10X56...Very Nice!

I had for 6 months the SLC 10X42 (2015 model) and really enjoyed them, till I took that first glassing stare through an EL 10X50 SV...that became my WOW moment!

I'd be curious one day to See what the SLC 10X56 could offer...sure the 56mm would be brighter and possibly even allow easier eye placement. The SLC line up appears to offer a high contrast view that is seductive and brilliant...as you now know for a fact! Differences between the big SLC and the big EL SV...have you had an opportunity to directly compare? Now that would be an interesting glassing session! :t:

Ted

Ted
 
b3rd said:
How did you get a hold of one to buy in the US? I'd like to hold and look through one, as I've been trying to decide on my next binocular and I think one with a larger objective might be worth it to me, since I'm a pretty big guy and don't mind the weight.
Click to expand...

The 8 and 10x are hard to find for now, so if you're interested enough I think you have to buy to try, and return if necessary. I think Dennis said Europtics carries them, and I got mine from Gordon, "proudpapa56" here.

Theo98 said:
I had for 6 months the SLC 10X42 (2015 model) and really enjoyed them, till I took that first glassing stare through an EL 10X50 SV...that became my WOW moment!
I'd be curious one day to See what the SLC 10X56 could offer...sure the 56mm would be brighter and possibly even allow easier eye placement. The SLC line up appears to offer a high contrast view that is seductive and brilliant...as you now know for a fact! Differences between the big SLC and the big EL SV...have you had an opportunity to directly compare? Now that would be an interesting glassing session! :t:
Click to expand...

What was the WOW for you? I ask because I've heard very good things about the SLC 42 also, though I didn't think to try one as it wasn't what I was looking for. I did try the EL SV 10 (and 12!) x50 briefly in a store. I'm not a fan of open bridge design... then again, the SLC 56 puts the focuser a bit too high. The SLC has a fairly flat field, just right for me, so I don't need the full monty with the EL. The size/weight of the EL would be a bit more practical, but it costs significantly more, and I'm also interested in astronomy. I think EL vs SLC is just a personal choice, and a very nice one to have; they're both excellent.
 
The 8x56 and 10x56 can also be ordered directly from the importer, Swarovski of North America. There is a two week return period for a refund.
 
henry link said:
The 8x56 and 10x56 can also be ordered directly from the importer, Swarovski of North America. There is a two week return period for a refund.
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Just a minor point of order, I believe only the 8x56 is available in the north america swaro store.

The more I look at these, I am thinking they are not quite right due to their rather long minimum focus distance. I keep vacillating on what I think I should get, and keep coming back to the Leica Noctivid 10x42. Or maybe I should just save my money and keep using the Trailseekers I have now. They aren't bad.
 
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