New Binoculars (1 Viewer)

Hello this is my first post.

I am thinking about upgrading my bins from My £150 Opticron Imagics to something more top end. I have a Swarovski ATS65HD scope that I am very happy with so thought I would go for Swarovski bins; the 8.5 X 42 El.

There seems to be a bit of bad press on these on the forum so seen as I'm spending the sort of money they cost I want a top pair of bins. Should I be considering something else like Leica?

Thanks for your time.

Swarowski, Leica and Zeiss are a personal preference. If you feel they cost too much, there are a few options these days.

If I were to spend over $1000 on a pair, I would go for the lightest 8x32 with the best eye relief etc. The 8,5x is really much the same as 8x.

Tero said:

Swarowski, Leica and Zeiss are a personal preference. If you feel they cost too much, there are a few options these days.

If I were to spend over $1000 on a pair, I would go for the lightest 8x32 with the best eye relief etc. The 8,5x is really much the same as 8x.

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Thanks for the reply, just wondering why you would go for 8x32 over 8x42?

JamieG said:

Thanks for the reply, just wondering why you would go for 8x32 over 8x42?

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I´m very rudely butting in and answering for Tero here, but I´d go along with his advice. The EL 8x32, IMHO, are wonderful bins. Compared to 8.5 x 42: smaller, lighter, easier to handle, mag almost the same, wider FOV, cheaper. But do try both, and anything else you´re considering for comparison, before you buy. A lot depends on your eye and your hands.

At the high end 8x32s give plenty of light and have wide fields. If you were asking for 10x, then maybe 42mm.

Among other binos, I own and frequently use the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL, 8x32 EL, Leica 8x42 Ultravid, 8x32 Ultra/Trinovid, Zeiss 7x42 Classic, and 8x32 FL.

My favorite birding binos are the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL (Zeiss 7x42 are second favorite).

There's a lot of criticism on this forum of ALL of the world's best binos, so what is it that you've read about the EL that has spawned doubts? It's not a bad idea to know what it is about certain models that bother certain people. That way, you can deliberately check in the store to see how important these issues are for you (rather than discovering them for yourself a few weeks after purchase). But ultimately, you need to try the competing models for yourself, or at least just check that the model you are inclined toward meets your standards (Obsessive types will have to try them all to find the one that they like best, rather than just checking that that they like a particular bino well enough to be happy with it. Truly obsessive types still won't be happy, even after trying every bino ever made).

I like the 8x32 EL quite a bit, and I like its ergonomics better than any other, but the viewing comfort is a clear step down from the 8.5x42 EL. The same can be said for any 8x32 compared to its 8x42 sibling. I end up using 8x32 a lot, mostly for their often superior close focus (I do a lot of butterflying) and secondarily their convenient size when traveling and carrying camera gear simultaneously. A good 8x32 sacrifices essentially nothing in image quality but I definitely prefer full-sized binos for their ease of view when I'm just out birding.

Don't be put off the 8.5x42 EL unless you try them and don't like them.

--AP

Sure, I have only sampled a few Swarovskis, more Zeisses.

The EL 8.5x42 is pretty much the maximum I care to carry in weight. The SLCnew 8x30 WB is much lighter, for instance. Also the 8x32 is light.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=3763

Since the price is going to be the same mail order or on line, I would go to an actual store to try them all out. Also the other brands.

I am currently stuck with an $700-800 Zeiss 10x40 I need to get some use of for some years. If I get attached to it, will get a different brand 8x at some point. No cash right now.

Thanks for your input chaps very good of you all.

The 8.5X does have nice specs. The question is, will you want to carry 800g or more around your neck all day. I never got used to harnesses. My one heavy pair I carry slung over the shoulder, diagonally across. That way the pressure is not on the back bone.

the x32 or x42 is one better for general birding than the other?

Can't say for these two.

Generally speaking it seems to be easier to make the cheaper models good at 42mm than 32mm or even 36mm. In the high end, that may not be so.

25mm models are even harder to get right, and they start to get dim.

I think you want to pick maybe 2 models and compare those two, ask the Swarowski experts.

JamieG said:

the x32 or x42 is one better for general birding than the other?

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Since a x32 can be optically as good as a x42, most would say that the x32 is better for "general birding" because smaller and lighter always makes a tool less of a burden and thus more handy overall in a wider variety of circumstances.

For me, "general birding" means the kind of birding I do most, which is local birding, usually for 4-6 hours at a time, and unburdened by carrying along much of anything else on the trail (and/or no shortage packing room in the car). In that case, the small weight and size advantages of the x32 are trivial to me, so I go for the x42 (if all else is equal). I like to dart my eyes around the view when I look through binos--this is MUCH more comfortable/possible to do with large exit pupils.

I find that a good quality neoprene neckstrap from Op/Tech makes bino wearing comfort a non issue. No offense to those for whom it is a somehow a problem, but to be honest, I really don't understand the bino WEIGHT issue. I understand that neck straps can be uncomfortable if they are thin or hard and cut into the neck (heavier binos making this problem more acute), but a good neck strap conforms to the contours of the neck/back/shoulders, rides low around the base of one's neck so it is supported by the trapezius and other large muscles, and it hangs down over the shoulders. A pound or two of weight supported in this manner is insignificant to me (and I'm certainly no weight lifter!).

--AP

treat yourself to a pair of nikon 10x35 e11s, and pocket the change. you wont regret it.