I've never started a post with a picture, today I thought I would. The above constitutes the binoculars I use….for the time being. :eek!: They are from back to front, left to right: Swar SLC 10X42(circa 1997), Swar 10x42 EL SV, Zeiss Victory HT 10x42, Zeiss Victory FL T* 8x32, Vortex Viper HD 8x32, and Cabela's /Meopta Euro HD 8x32. Of note in absentia is a Swar SLC 7x42 and a Leica 10x42 Geovid.
My first observation of all the listed binoculars IS…quality never goes out of style. The Swarovski SLC 10X42 is the oldest binocular here. They were an excellent binocular when I purchased them new…they still are. Never had one issue from them and yes they really ARE built like a tank! Have been on many, MANY hunting trips from Saskatoon, SK south. Excellent at birding too… Very good optically but yes the Geovid is as good or better optically….and being a hunter as well as a birder, the range finding ability is super. The SLCs are the binocular my girlfriend who is a naturalist uses. HUGE step up from the Vortex Diamondbacks she was used to. Her naturalist co-workers won't even LOOK thru the SLCs for fear of contracting THE DISEASE!
Of course the 10x42 EL SV and the 10x42 Victory HT are better binoculars than the above two…slightly. Really…they do everything better….slightly. They weigh less, focus faster with more precision, and of course they are brighter/crisper. One outing I'll think the EL SV is superior and the next I'll swear the Victory HT is the cat's meow. Truth is…one really COULD flip a coin! And YES you could be a cheerleader for either and be certainly within your right! Both work great with eyeglasses or without. Both are great for those with eyes closer together or not, too. Specs of the two are just as close…so is price. Conclusion? Honestly, Ashee and I fight over the HTs when we go birding together. We just like 'em. But just the very fact that I still have BOTH means I can't decide!
The 8x32s are more interesting. I have used the Euro HDs and the Viper HDs a LOT….a WHOLE lot! For one they have both been on a Mexican Riviera cruise with me where I observed everything from other ships, land, fishing, swimming mammals, and yes BIRDS! I took them with me on this cruise mainly because of one very important fact…WARRANTY. Vortex and Cabelas's probably do the warranty thing about as well as anyone does anywhere! So…at least in my opinion when one does a lot of traveling…this could be HUGE. Another plus in there favor is PRICE. Let's face it…$560 to $800….these days that's pretty middle of the road. I would cry much, MUCH less if I would have dropped either into the Sea of Cortez…. Cry I would…but MUCH less than if they were $2500 optics. Right now…both are the binoculars I use the most. Most cases I don't need 10X this time of year so 8X gets the nod. Feeder watching, GBH viewing, or warbler guessing…. I pick one of these up…sometimes both. Thoughts? That Vortex Viper HD is good….REAL good. Feature-wise…if your eyes are closer together…the Euro HDs RULE. But if closer to the norm…no doubt the Viper HDs are more comfortable….unless you wear eyeglasses. There is less distance from the end of the eyepiece to the actual LENS with the Euro HDs…very user friendly for eyeglass wearers. Specs-all very close… Vortex focuses closer but the Cabela's HD has slightly more FOV. BUT… at almost half again as much as the Vortex Viper HD…the Cabela's Euro HD just isn't worth it. It's not. In fact, the Vortex Viper HD is the biggest optical surprise I've had in a long time. So where does the Zeiss Victory FL T* come in? Well the Vortex Viper HD is good…REAL good!
Chuck