Brock, this post is especially for you....
Me last week - Come on Brock, enough with this RB nonsense!!! Stop whining about an issue that most people can't even see, or if they do, are NOT bothered by it. And this about binos you haven't even looked though!!!
Me tonight at Bass Pro in Grapevine near DFW airport comparing 3 10X binos, the Swarovision 10x42, the SV 10x42 SLC HD and the Leica 10x32 Ultravid HD (Leica UV HD 10x42 not on display) - Rolling Ball?!?! It sure doesn't look like RB to me - more like being in an amusement park house of funny mirrors. Or, as accurately as I can describe it, viewing things from the bottom of the pool with a small breeze causing a gentle ripple, i.e. even panning slowly with these binos gives the image a most unrealistic rippling effect.
Apologies are in order, but enough already. People are either going to see it or not, or be bothered by it or not. Although the view didn't make me even slightly queasy because I rarely get sea sick, even on small boats for hours at a time in choppy waters in order to dive less popular dive sites. No way could I use these. This type of jarring distortion would tire my eyes and give me a headache in short order because it popped out no matter how slowly I panned irrelevant of the background.
A short comparison of the image presented by the trio above indoors with artificial lighting varying from reasonably well lit to corners of the store that closely replicated the last 10 or so minutes of twilight. Unfortunately I only spent about 3 to 5 minutes with each, more than enough time for me to see the obvious differences between them, but I'd obviously need more time, including under bright sunny conditions, before handing over my CC.
Keeping in mind that as I use my eyes critically about 9 to 10 hours every day, so I'm especially hard on any optics that tire my eyes or make them feel like they are working too hard in order to overcome weaknesses or defects.
SV - best image and best sharpness. Everything snapped sharply into focus, but panning with these made them a total non-starter for me. Its focusing knob also had the worst feel. Almost like every 1mm was notched. Possibly because it's the demo unit and roughly manhandled by too many careless customers?
SLC HD - only marginally behind the above, but the differences were immediately and easily seen. No problems with the focus.
Leica UV HD - sadly it wasn't close or even in the same class. I kept on fiddling with the focus trying to get a sharper image, but it couldn't come close to that achieved by the two above. Best ergos for my small hands and smoothest focus and diopter adjustment.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Meopta 10x42 HD. There wasn't one on hand for me to compare it to, but having checked it out a few times before I felt that it was more than comparable to the SLC HD. Slightly more pin cushion and smaller sweet spot, but brighter image with zero CA that I could detect within its sharp sweet spot. The SLC HD is excellent in its CA control and most people would rate it as not having any, but from what I recall the Meoptas HD was even better. It's a real bargain compared to the above three, and I'd be hard pressed to spend the extra money for the SLC HD because IMHO it's six of one versus half a dozen of the other, i.e. which trade offs suit you best.
It's a pity about the SV's distortion as I felt that the upgrade in image quality is easily seen, and while not huge, definitely worth the extra money with the proviso that its small weaknesses don't bother you. Sadly, I fall into Brock's camp so it's not even an option for me.
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