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

My review of EL 8x32 WB Swarovision and more (1 Viewer)

Sancho said:
horukuru said:
So far that I know, they do not export to other places. Only for local market. Maybe I can try and send you one if you attend the ITB Berlin from 8-9 March 2014 http://www.itb-berlin.de/en/ the staffs from Sabah Tourism (exhibitor) can pass you the coffee ;)
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Are you guys insane? Imagine the response at airport security, when they´re told "Honestly guys, it´s only coffee, I´m delivering it to a guy I´ve never met, who enquired about it on a bird-watching forum during a conversation ostensibly about expensive Austrian binoculars...". People get Renditioned Extraordinarily that way!;)
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:t: ..... Hahaha ..... :-O :-O
 
So just talked with a guy that owns the 8x32 EL's... he loves them EXCEPT for the objective covers. THEY COME OFF CONSTANTLY (effectively don't work).

Told me he called Swaro to get some explanation and they offered to send him the same thing for $40... I believe he hung up on them.

Butler Creek flip up covers are now what he uses. Seems silly to have to come up with a secondary solution for what should be a superbly engineered instrument in all regards.

The objective covers receive a failing grade for those of us that really use our objective covers... the SV version has the same covers.

A binocular isn't just its view, it's a myriad of other small things that add up to an overall package. Of course, all binoculars contain compromises, but this is just stupid IMO.
 
I lost one of my ob covers. It didn´t bother me, as I don´t usually use them anyway, so I took off the other one. But thanks Mac for the heads-up on the Butler´s Creek version, I might look them up. BTW, I don´t us the case or strap either. The case is very well made and padded, but I rarely use bino-cases, and the strap, though excellent, is also heavily padded and I thought it detracted from the "petite-ness" of the binos. They´re so light and small that a simple old-style lanyard suffice for me (I think from a pair of Tasco´s or similar).
 
Mac308 said:
So just talked with a guy that owns the 8x32 EL's... he loves them EXCEPT for the objective covers. THEY COME OFF CONSTANTLY (effectively don't work) .... The objective covers receive a failing grade for those of us that really use our objective covers... the SV version has the same covers ....
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Dennis (unsurprisingly) has just declared that he loves his ..... ??



Chosun :gh:
 
After 8 months of steady use an objective cover finally fell off my 8x32 SV. Strangely, it did not happen while I was out hiking/walking (I keep an eye on them for that, and scoot the retaining rings back on once in a while).

No, my wife and I were at a minor league baseball game and she was watching her nephew pitch. Top of the third, and 'plop' one of them just fell off in her lap. Strange.

Like Sancho, I used the opportunity to remove the other one and I doubt they'll ever be used again. ;)

I still use the supplied strap though like Sancho said it's overkill for the little 32mm. Comfy though.

The Swaro "field bag," however, will probably never see the light of day. Too big for just the bins; too little for much of anything else. No man's land. I use a Zeiss case made for the original 8x30 Conquest. Perfect fit and minimalist, just the way I like it.
 
Mac308 said:
So just talked with a guy that owns the 8x32 EL's... he loves them EXCEPT for the objective covers. THEY COME OFF CONSTANTLY (effectively don't work).

Told me he called Swaro to get some explanation and they offered to send him the same thing for $40... I believe he hung up on them.

Butler Creek flip up covers are now what he uses. Seems silly to have to come up with a secondary solution for what should be a superbly engineered instrument in all regards.

The objective covers receive a failing grade for those of us that really use our objective covers... the SV version has the same covers.

A binocular isn't just its view, it's a myriad of other small things that add up to an overall package. Of course, all binoculars contain compromises, but this is just stupid IMO.
Click to expand...

I owned the 10x32 ELs for about five years, and yes the objective covers would constantly come off. The first time I lost one, Swarovski sent me a new set for free. I then came up with a method to keep them from falling off. I found some skinny cable ties that were almost the same color green as the binoculars and threaded them thru the rubber ring on the objective cover and thru one part of the open bridge connecting bar. These kept the objective covers securely in place, and I never had another problem. I recently sold the 10x32 ELs after I purchased a set of 8x32 SVs. My SVs came with a redesigned objective cover where the rubber attachment ring has been increased in size. In the three months I've used them, I've had no issues with the objective covers slipping.

On a separate note, I do notice RB on the 8x32SVs where I didn't notice any (as expected) on my previous ELs. It doesn't bother me, but I do perceive it.
 
horukuru said:
Ah good question. There is a local coffee planted in my place known as Tenom Coffee and Bundu Tuhan Coffee. The former at lowland about 4 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu city and the latter near the famous Mt. Kinabalu. I preferred from the mountain. Smell good and tastier hehehe. There is also the only organic tea in Borneo known as Sabah Tea at the mountain.

In the morning at Mt. Kinabalu, I used the Swarovski STX 95 scope, looking through the eyepiece at the same time the smell from the coffee wakes me up. Perfect combo!
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Mr. H,

I knew you would agree with him! Better yet, why not drink espresso and downsize to 7x or 6x? ;)

Mr. B
 
Chosun Juan said:
Dennis (unsurprisingly) has just declared that he loves his ..... ??



Chosun :gh:
Click to expand...
Never had a problem with the objective covers. I must have the newer redesigned model. They stay on fine. I replaced the Swarovski strap with a Vero Vellini because it is lighter and simpler. I also replaced the Swarovski case with a smaller and lighter Zeiss 8x42mm case.
 
Mac308 said:
It's not tethered, so basically pointless...
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Tethered caps collect rain, dirt, spittle and anything else moving their way. They flop, upset balance and often fall off unexpectedly. I guess that's why the vast majority of birders I see don't use tethered caps.
 
Pileatus said:
Tethered caps collect rain, dirt, spittle and anything else moving their way. They flop, upset balance and often fall off unexpectedly. I guess that's why the vast majority of birders I see don't use tethered caps.
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You just made my point.

My Leica objectives stay tight and do none of the above you mention. Ditto my old Swaro SLC's. I suppose most birders don't travel in wilderness wading through water or rain soaked brush that kicks-up coating your lenses... or where dust swirls and coats one's lenses?

Maybe only NJ birders don't.

The fact that Swarovski couldn't engineer a usable/functional objective cover is beyond stupid. A LOT OF US rely on a usable, tethered objective cover.

The certainly seemed capable of making one in the SLC line-up...
 
As far as I know no one has been able to make reliable objective covers for open frame binoculars. It must be a problem caused by the nearness of the front hinge to the end of the objective tubes.

Nikon's objective covers for their EDG I were useless. That alone was enough justification for Nikon to replace EDG I with the EDG II! They fell completely off my new 10 x 32 EDG I about 2 minutes after I took it out of the box. I never use them but the objectives are set so deep into the tubes of the EDG I that they really aren't necessary.

Swarovski's 42mm objective covers work very well on my 7 x 42 SLC B and I also use them on my Nikon 10 x 42 SE where they stay on very well. The ones on my 8 x 30 SLC aren't as good.

Bob
 
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Mac308 said:
You just made my point.

My Leica objectives stay tight and do none of the above you mention. Ditto my old Swaro SLC's. I suppose most birders don't travel in wilderness wading through water or rain soaked brush that kicks-up coating your lenses... or where dust swirls and coats one's lenses?

Maybe only NJ birders don't.

The fact that Swarovski couldn't engineer a usable/functional objective cover is beyond stupid. A LOT OF US rely on a usable, tethered objective cover.

The certainly seemed capable of making one in the SLC line-up...
Click to expand...
Not exactly your point but...

How about a good old-fashioned objective cover that stays on whether you tether it or not? I cut the tethers on my 42mm Ultravid covers and used them when I needed them. As a bonus, the Leica covers fit snugly on my 42mm Swarovision. The tethers on the original version broke after a few weeks but I don't like tethers so it was not much of a concern.

I believe Leica beefed up the tethers on their latest version which should make some happy. Cut the tethers and you have a durable, flexible objective cover that fits the 42mm Leicas and 42mm Swarovisions.

An objective cover should work tethered or not thus making everyone happy. Score one for Leica!
 
I got my SV 8x32 sample in may 2013 and the RB is very pronounced. That´s my main quarrel with this glass. I cannot get used to it. High price to pay for this flat field view - in more than one way.

Personally I love the flat field of the Nikon SE, because it´s a part of the nice panning behavior. I feel the unsharp part of the field - like in the Habicht 8x30 - distracts me a bit, no matter what distortion, just because it´s unsharp. Natural or not.
 
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