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New Swarovski SLC 42 Binoculars (1 Viewer)

This is my misquote which has nothing to do with magic. It's why so much on the Net (BF included) is confusing, misleading and simply not accurate. Mostly this is due to the unofficial promotion of a certain brand of bin. (Await more of that.)
Yes, it can be pretty confusing. (On a serious note: just cannot figure out what happened originally up here, whether there really was an error!)
 
Yes, it can be pretty confusing. (On a serious note: just cannot figure out what happened originally up here, whether there really was an error!)

Rather dumb, really. Brock misread #194 above. He replied in #195. I mildly corrected him in #196: "Read closely." Brock took offense, edited #195 and accused me of misquoting him in #198. Why? Ask him. Maybe it was just meant as a joke, maybe not. Either way I did not misquote him.

I have a copy of #198 by the way, so don't bother changing that one.

M
 
I have now recieved my new SLC 8x42. Nice little thing! I'm a bit disappointed with the focusing though. It's not as smooth as I want it to be..reminds me about the SLC HD actually. But stiffer! Maybe it's because the bino is new and it will get better/smoother with time. The one I tried on Falsterbo Bird Show in august/september had a smoother focusing. The focus wheel go from 10,5 f to infinity in 1 1/4 turn!!
 
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I have now recieved my new SLC 8x42. Nice little thing! I'm a bit disappointed with the focusing though. It's not as smooth as I want it to be..reminds me about the SLC HD actually. But stiffer! Maybe it's because the bino is new and it will get better/smoother with time. The one I tried on Falsterbo Bird Show in august/september had a smoother focusing. The focus wheel go from 10,5 f to infinity in 1 1/4 turn!!

Kingfisher,

You have demonstrated above what I have been hammering on for quite some time, and getting hammered on back by those who deny the problem out of blind loyalty.

As you pointed out, some Swaro focusers are smooth or at least smoother right out of the box, so there's really no "break-in" period required. Some take two fingers to turn. Others turn smoothly, but only in one direction.

There's been much discussion about this issue, with the one-way spring as the possible "culprit," and posts about buyers sending their samples back for focuser repairs, some with happy results, some not.

This is the Achilles Heel of Swaro's otherwise fine instruments, but despite report after report about this issue on bin forums, and despite the introduction of the new SLC with a redesigned focuser, the same problems persist. I guess even after gaining some market share from birders, Swaro still has many more hunter customers, who don't care about the stiff focusers since the are "looking long" and don't have to do a lot of focusing. So it's cheaper for Swaro to do a "fix" on a focuser after a birder sends his sample in for repairs than it is to do a complete redesign that most of its customers won't even notice. That's what I've concluded.

Hopefully, your sample's focuser will get smooth as you want, but if it not, send it back and ask for one with a smoother focuser.

Meanwhile, enjoy the view!

Brock
 
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Brock - You mention Swaro's Achilles heel, the focusing mechanism. I don't possess the mechanical knowledge nor the inclination to "tear" into the SLC to try to satisfy my curiosity as to what is really happening. It has to be a design problem relating to mechanical linkage, lubricants, etc.

One would think the Swaro engineers would have this all worked out, but evidently they haven't. It may be possible they are working with a "marginal" design that defies
consistency in usage. Don't know. In any respect with the prices asked and received, Swarovski binoculars should be beyond focusing issues. Just my opinion
John
 
There ain't no achilles heel 'cause the Swarovski focus mechanism does its job. I meet a lot of Swaro owners and not one has ever complained about the focus. I guess you have to be an owner/user to understand how well the thing breaks in...and yes, I'd rather have it tight at the outset.

Some people just love bitching about expensive products.

Go Swarovski!
 
Brock,

How has the focuser been redesigned?

I don't feel like going back through 200 posts to find out.

As you know Swarovski has a patent on the SLC focusing system.

Bob
 
The focus has now become smoother (after about a half day use). Not silky as my EDG of course, but in any case clearly smoother than right out of the box. The feeling is much the same as with the old SLC HD I think. The new one is perhaps still somewhat stiffer than the old model. But on the other hand .. both directions are now more similar in feel than what I experienced was the case with the SLC HD when I owned it.
 
At least one store in Sweden have now received the new Swarovski SLC. Discovered it today and just ordered a 8x42 SLC for 14490 SEK. In other currencies equivalent to:

$ 2,137.39 (-459 USD)
€ 1590.25 (-341 EUR)
£ 1,320.65 (-283 GBP)

The number in parentheses is the difference in price to what the old SLC HD normally cost.

These are just starting to appear on UK websites.

I saw a tempting price (relatively) in the October Birdwatching magazine on the Clifton cameras ad. which said new SLC bins from £1179.

Checked their web site and the new 8x42 are £1310 compared to £1430 for the original model. £120 price drop - Was it worth the effort Swarovski (are you there Dale Forbes)?
 
There ain't no achilles heel 'cause the Swarovski focus mechanism does its job. I meet a lot of Swaro owners and not one has ever complained about the focus. I guess you have to be an owner/user to understand how well the thing breaks in...and yes, I'd rather have it tight at the outset.

Some people just love bitching about expensive products.

Go Swarovski!

The focus mech on my SLC HD does the job, but it does it much less smoothly than my Gold Ring HD's, Cabelas Euro HDs, and an old Zeiss Aus Jena. No excuse for a rough/inconsistent focuser on a $2k glass, ever.

As with any intro/reintroduction of a bino, I always wonder what corners were cut in order to bring a significant price drop such as the SLC/SLC HD reintro. Any ideas?
 
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The focus mech on my SLC HD does the job, but it does it much less smoothly than my Gold Ring HD's, Cabelas Euro HDs, and an old Zeiss Aus Jena. No excuse for a rough/inconsistent focuser on a $2k glass, ever.

As with any intro/reintroduction of a bino, I always wonder what corners were cut in order to bring a significant price drop such as the SLC/SLC HD reintro. Any ideas?

Hi JG

You joined us after the origin of the price drop has already been discussed. Swaro have left out quite a few components that were previously there to bring the close focus down. With those components gone there is a saving in materials and manufacturing and Swaro have passed those savings on.

The downside is a longer close focus.

Lee
 
Swaro have left out quite a few components that were previously there to bring the close focus down. With those components gone there is a saving in materials and manufacturing and Swaro have passed those savings on.

This is at least the version provided by Swarovski.

The other version is about correcting wrong marketing and design decisions. ;)
 
Hi JG

You joined us after the origin of the price drop has already been discussed. Swaro have left out quite a few components that were previously there to bring the close focus down. With those components gone there is a saving in materials and manufacturing and Swaro have passed those savings on.

The downside is a longer close focus.

Lee

Since Swarovski has patented the SLC Focusing System per their instruction manuals for SLC binoculars I am curious about the nature of that system and how it allows them to "save" money by making the close focus longer.

Is it less complex and easier to manufacture it with normal focusing? Does it somehow affect the integrated diopter control in a money saving way?

This explanation by Holger might explain why:

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2809677&postcount=98



Bob
 
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Since Swarovski has patented the SLC Focusing System per their instruction manuals for SLC binoculars I am curious about the nature of that system and how it allows them to "save" money by making the close focus longer.

Is it less complex and easier to manufacture it with normal focusing? Does it somehow affect the integrated diopter control in a money saving way?

This explanation by Holger might explain why:

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2809677&postcount=98

Bob

Hiya Bob

As far as I recall Swaro have left out the 22 components involved in bringing the close focus from 3 metres down to 2. With those components gone the close focus is now 3.2 metres. This is a factor that differentiates SLC from EL which gets down to 1.5 metres so you have to spend more to get the closer focus. I feel doubtful that you need 22 extra components to get that extra close focus. I may be wrong about that but my feeling is that Swaro thought they were getting some benefit with these 22 components that didn't in fact work out. What I am saying is that there are probably other ways of getting a 2 metre close focus than ones that necessarily call for all those extra bits.

Lee
 
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I wondered if this was primarily a marketing decision to get the SLC in a specific price point. Something had to give and the focus change cut the cost and since the SLC is targeted to hunters the loss of close focus was not an important feature to most of their buyers.

Kingfisher: are the dimensions all the same as the previous SLC HD?
 
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Brock,

How has the focuser been redesigned?

I don't feel like going back through 200 posts to find out.

As you know Swarovski has a patent on the SLC focusing system.

Bob

I don't have the time to either. But the gist is that Swaro removed 10 parts related to the SLC's focuser, This makes it simpler and the bin a bit lighter, but I think it also makes the close focus not as close.

I was hoping that one of those parts was the one-way spring that's been implicated in the harder to turn in one direction issue, but from reports of the new SCLs acting the same as as the old SCLneus, whatever they took out wasn't the spring, or that wasn't the cause.

Taking out 10 parts seems different enough that they probably took out a patent on the new focusing system.

Brock
 
These are just starting to appear on UK websites.

I saw a tempting price (relatively) in the October Birdwatching magazine on the Clifton cameras ad. which said new SLC bins from £1179.

Checked their web site and the new 8x42 are £1310 compared to £1430 for the original model. £120 price drop - Was it worth the effort Swarovski (are you there Dale Forbes)?

A bit more searching and Uttings have these at £1180 so a saving of £250 so well done Swarovski (forget what I said before it was worth it Dale Forbes).
 
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