I think the spectral transmission curve shown for early EL's is probably about right. I had a pair from 2000. It certainly didn't have very impressive light transmission or contrast and the color bias was slightly but visibly yellow. Later EL's were considerably improved.
Even the 2012 curve doesn't look good enough for any light transmission bragging rights. If it's a "marketing curve" they should have goosed it up a few percent.
Don't worry, allbinos will "goose" it up for them. -
Allbinos curve for the 8x32 WB EL (w/Swarobright) is already higher than the Swaro's Website's SV EL version. For example, it has the LT already above 90% at 450nm while Swaro has the SV EL at 85% at 450, and for most of the "flat" curve the percentage is over 90% whereas the SV EL on Swaro's Website is just hugging the line.
You'll also notice that while allbinos' curve is fairly flat above 90%, there are little dips and bumps along the way while Swaro's is smooth throughout. I suspect Swaro did this for appearances. A smooth curved line looks better than one with little bumps.
Though as allbinos points out at the end of the 8x32 EL review:
"In this range the transmission amounts to 90 to 92% so rather high for a roof-prism Schmidt-Pechan instrument. The problem is that nowadays such a transmission level can be had buying even much cheaper binoculars, produced not only in Japan but also in China."
So there's a push from the bottom. Hence, Zeiss' announcement about its new FL's 95% LT to get above the masses. Of course, the new FLs probably have A/K prisms. Allbinos already has the 8x32 FL at 94.6+/- 1.5%.
I remember reading your review of the 2000 EL and it saying that you weren't very impressed.
I tried the 2001 version, and while I was impressed with the resolution, when compared side by side with the 8x30 SLCnew from 2009, the SLC blew away the EL in terms contrast and color saturation. The EL had a slight yellow bias and the image looked washed out in comparison to the SLC with the newer prism and AR coatings. With modern roofs, coatings is the name of the game.
Maybe it's because spending $2K for me is like spending $10K for others, but I expect Big Things from the Big Three.
Not only do I expect the image to be as sharp as my eyes will allow me to see for a given magnification, but I also want the colors to "SNAP," the contrast to be excellent, the edges to be reasonable sharp (they don't have to be sharp to the very edge since the trade-offs are not worth it for me), the distortion level the same as the hotness/coolness of Baby Bear's soup, and.... is it really too much to ask for a focuser that turns smoothly in both directions at this price point?
I also expect at reasonable amount of 3-D Effect even from an 8x32 roof, which unlike most other 8x30/32 roofs I've tried, the 8x32 WB EL did have.
Because field flatteners kill field curvature, and some field curvature enhances the 3-D effect, views through my 8x32 SE did not appear to be as 3-D as my 8x30 EII or 7x35 WF. However, all being porros, the difference wasn't dramatic.
I will also be checking to see how the flat field affects the 3-D perception in the new 8x32 SV EL. The ED glass will cut down on CA and improve contrast and color a bit, but for penny pinchers (be they misers or those of meager means), the question is going to be just how much better is the 8x32 SV EL than the WB, and am I getting my money's worth?
For some deep pockets, well, the 8x32 SV EL is the latest Xbox 360, so it's a "must have". Play with it for a little while and then sell it when the next Big Thing comes along.
Hopefully for some, it will be the "bong" like the full sized SV EL was for the Last Bino Buyers Club members, and they will have reached bino nirvana. For over $2K, nirvana should be attainable. The Buddhist equivalent of Catholic Indulgences.
Brock
