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Choosing SLC over NL... (Swaro please read) (1 Viewer)

To get down to the nitty-gritty, NL is capable of delivering images as good as the very best I have ever seen, with especially clean whites, natural colours, excellent contrast and perceived sharpness.”

Troubador’s Field Review
 
Vespobuteo, post 92,
Look at my powerpoint of the History of Swarovski you can find on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor. It shows the effect of the Swarovski coatings on the 8x30 SLCs over the years and how that evolved in perfect color reproduction.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Now I have the SLC 8x42 and the SLC 10x42 newest editions! I just love the SLC 42. I have NL and EL as well, but the SLC are more comfortable in use. The more binoculars I tried, the more I value comfort. The eyecups of the SLC's are just right! At least for me. Not too wide, not too narrow. No blackouts. I don't have the feeling the eyecups miss a position.
I already loved the SLC 8x42, but since I am a 10 power man, I just couldn't resist an offer of a used SLC 10x42. They fit me really well, as the 8x42 does. What I liked about the SLC 8x42 too, is it's compactness and its (light)weight. The SLC 10x42 is even a bit shorter and a bit lighter! The eye relief is shorter on the 10x42, but I don't wear glassed so I don't care. I you wear glasses, the 8x42 would be a better fit.

I might sell the recently purchased EL 10x50 now.... and the NL 10x32... The SLC 10x42 is the perfect allrounder: lightweight and very usable at dawn!
I would miss the very very nice focuser of the NL 10x32 though (the difference in weight is just 100 grams: NL 10x32 is 670 grams, SLC is 765 grams.) I would miss the 5mm EP of the EL 10x50 too, but for that I have the SLC 8x42.

I don't care about field flattener, I don't care about huge FOV's. I thought I would, but after field experience, I don't care too much about that anymore. I do care about eyecups that fit my eyes perfectly. The hold, the ergos.

I promised why wife to sell the SLC 8x42 (I prefer 10 power), the NL 10x32 (not compacter and really lighter than the SLC 10x42) or the EL 10x50 (the SLC 10x42 is also really usable in at dawn and much lighter). However, I still don't not know which one has to go.

However, I got the SLC 10x42 just one day and I tried the diopter and the focuser/diopter came loose. It is just not tight anymore. I don't know what happened. Focusing is hardly possible anymore. So I have to send them to Austria and have to wait 6 weeks or more... I can postpone my decision and hope my wife will forget my promise. ;)
No, I also think one has to go, the one which I will use the least....

Regards,
A SLC fan
(Never tried a SLC 56. I better don't...)
 
I promised why wife to sell the SLC 8x42, the NL 10x32, the EL 10x50.

However, I got the SLC 10x42 just one day and I tried the diopter and the focuser/diopter came loose. It is just not tight anymore. I don't know what happened. Focusing is hardly possible anymore. So I have to send them to Austria and have to wait 6 weeks or more... I can postpone my decision and hope my wife will forget my promise. ;)
It's really understandable though !... Last night, all together, SLC 8x42, NL 10x32 and EL 10x50, violently attacked the SLC 10x42 !!!
Be very careful from now on, because these 3 together can even put your couple in danger !!
😜
 
Now I have the SLC 8x42 and the SLC 10x42 newest editions!
Newest? I thought you had the HD version. But in any case congratulations. I agree with you as to "perfect all-rounder": great view, right size, good fit, a pleasure to carry and use. I've considered looking for the 8x too to complement my 10, because there are some times (forest birding, general scenery) when less can be more, so don't be too quick to dispose of yours. (Instead I ended up with E II 8x30 which is just lovely for my limited use of 8x, but if I had SLC HD I wouldn't let it go.)

Don't regret needing to get it serviced, I'm sure you'll be very pleased with Swarovski's work. My 20-yr-old SLC came back like new.

And I'm sure you'll enjoy SLC 56 too. A bit different in character, still just right in so many ways.
 
Newest? I thought you had the HD version.

The 10x42 is 7 years old. The 8x42 is 4 years old. Apparently both are the W B version. I moght have mixed up the versions. Do they have differences in the optics? Oren is it just the appereance?

Don't regret needing to get it serviced, I'm sure you'll be very pleased with Swarovski's work. My 20-yr-old SLC came back like new.

Which SLC was it? You have 3 SLC's right? All pretty new I thought...

And I'm sure you'll enjoy SLC 56 too. A bit different in character, still just right in so many ways.
How is the strap of the 56? I might buy one for the 10x42, because the strap is not the nicest anymore. I like the wide straps of the NL's, so might like the wide strap of the SLC too.
 
Optics are said to be identical in SLC HD and WB 42 (and surely Kahles Helia S now). Simplification of internal construction/baffling in WB is similar to the latest EL "Legend", and reduces the close focus ability.

I have SLC HD 10x42 (2011), 10x56 and 15x56 (2018). It was the 42 I got serviced, after buying it used last year. The 15 is amazing, one of my favorite bins ever. The 10x56 is surely the best I've ever had optically, and at the time it complemented my Leica 10x32 nicely, but I probably wouldn't have got it if I'd expected to find a 10x42 I liked and really don't find myself using it often enough now, though it's a pleasure when I do.

The Swaro 56 strap is a bit wider than the others, but I've never liked their straps with levers/dials and dangling bits and left them in the box. I have all three SLCs on more conventional Leica UV straps which are my personal favorite.
 
The Swaro 56 strap is a bit wider than the others, but I've never liked their straps with levers/dials and dangling bits and left them in the box. I have all three SLCs on more conventional Leica UV straps which are my personal favorite.
Agreed. Just another example of one of Swarovski's "Verschlimmbesserungen" (making things worse in an attempt at making them better).
I use Niggeloh (Vero Vellini in the US) on mine. They are allegedly suppliers to Leissovski and are a cut above OP/TECH in quality.

John
 
Agreed. Just another example of one of Swarovski's "Verschlimmbesserungen" (making things worse in an attempt at making them better).
That must be the German word for "feature bloat" :)

Although I confess I like the Swaro padded strap - the SLC one with regular lugs on the end - no hablo fieldpro
 
Agreed. Just another example of one of Swarovski's "Verschlimmbesserungen" (making things worse in an attempt at making them better).
I use Niggeloh (Vero Vellini in the US) on mine. They are allegedly suppliers to Leissovski and are a cut above OP/TECH in quality.

John
To loosely translate to English “To improve it until it becomes useless.”
 
It's probably not in the German dictionary but Google suggests "worsening improvements", which comes pretty close
Hi John,

in colloquial German it is said "Verschlimmbessern" perhaps difficult to translate into English.

Andreas


P.S. I just saw that was the casus cnacksus..;)
 
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I use Niggeloh (Vero Vellini in the US) on mine. They are allegedly suppliers to Leissovski
The Leica UV strap is exactly the Niggeloh contoured neoprene model. It's just perfect, with a bit of grip and stretch. (For confusion, Leica also sell a red-dot version that unfortunately has something stiff sewn into the pad, but still fairly nice.)
 
I like the strap of the SLC. It is not too long, but long enough to wear the binos bandolier style. The levers are nice, so you can easily adjust the length of the strap (I tend to do that quite often.) Adjusting an EL strap is a bit more fiddly, because it has no lever but a turn-around-thing (I can't find a good word for it :)). The strap of the NL is nice too, with it's levers and it is wide. However, the strap is too long! I never use it fully extended, so there are always dangling bits and I don't like that, although it is not a big problem.
If the strap of the SLC 56 has the same length and is only a bit wider (plus the small pocket to put the cloth), I might buy it.
 
One thing I don't like about the SLC's is the eyepiece cover. It comes off easily and I don't like tightening it on the strap. Does somebody have better fitting covers?
 

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