My quest for the 8x56 SLC-HD (1 Viewer)

karmantra · Jun 12, 2016

After reading an older Bird Forum review from Henry Link on the Zeiss 8x56 Victory FL, I have wanted to purchase an 8x56. The big Zeiss proved too large for me to comfortably handle, but the new Swarovski 8x56 SLC-HD looked very promising. However, Swarovski would not import the 8x56 nor the 10x56 SLC-HDs into the U.S., citing a patent infringement. Special orders through U.S. dealers weren't possible.
Henry Link indirectly showed me another way. He has successfully had a Swarovski 8x30 armored center-focus Habicht made by House of Outdoor in Maarssen, The Netherlands. It piqued my interest in possibly purchasing an 8x56. I corresponded with Jan van Daalen of House of Outdoor on the faint possibility of shipping an 8x56 to the U.S.
Jan made it easy - after a bank transfer of funds and conversion to euros, the 8x56s were shipped out of Maarssen on a Wednesday and I received them the next Monday. Tracking showed that they cleared U.S. customs in 20 minutes; no customs fees were charged!
The binocular has been been reviewed extensively by Eric Bakker on Cloudy Nights, Binomania, Scopeview and others with positive results overall. I strongly agree with their findings.
The 8x56s are a delight! Despite the weight, the ergonomics with double - cutouts balance perfectly. Construction is flawless, smooth focus, grippy surface, long eye relief, comfortable eye cups -- everything you would expect from Swarovski. The view is stunning - large bright immersive look that is tack -sharp up to the edges, little to no CA, and neutral color. My only issue is finding a chest harness that's comfortable for this big glass! The 8x56 may not be for everyone, but it is nice to know you can get one!
Thanks again to Jan for making it possible to obtain the 8x56s on this side of the pond!

gunut · Jun 13, 2016

there goes house of outdoors stocking Swarovski dealers privilege.....

jan van daalen · Jun 13, 2016

gunut said:
there goes house of outdoors stocking Swarovski dealers privilege.....

I don't think I understand what you are trying to say hereB

Jan

gunut · Jun 13, 2016

a lot of companies dont want their dealers selling and shipping items to areas where they are not made available by the company ....especially if they have stocking dealers in the area the item is shipped too.....that for whatever reason are not allowed to carry in stock or order the item...... Swarovski must have some reason they will not sell these in this market?????

jan van daalen · Jun 13, 2016

gunut said:
a lot of companies dont want their dealers selling and shipping items to areas where they are not made available by the company ....especially if they have stocking dealers in the area the item is shipped too.....that for whatever reason are not allowed to carry in stock or order the item...... Swarovski must have some reason they will not sell these in this market?????

And this assumption of yours makes you believe: quote..."there goes House of Outdoors stocking Swarovski dealers privilege....".

Swarovski allows their dealers to operate worldwide to the endconsumer and to other authorized Swarovski dealers.
There goes your assumption:smoke:

Jan

Binastro · Jun 13, 2016

Different products have different trade agreements.
We had the whole of Europe for some for around thirty years.
Britain only for others.
As a trade representative I had different areas for different products.
I had Malta and Gibraltar options for one but never went there.
I also did not have the Midlands, East Anglia or Lancashire, so am not so familiar with these areas.

If Brexit wins, there will be a whole can of worms opened.
Personally I don't buy products from the U.S.A. normally because of the ridiculous rules and costs.

Also personally, I am all in favour of trade restrictions for Chinese products that are dumped on the market to destroy home grown industries. They have been doing this for years and because we are spineless we let them get away with it.
Normal trade terms are fine for China. We had the thirty year exclusivity on a handshake. Nowadays they are a quite different animal when it comes to continual expansion regardless.

Troubador · Jun 13, 2016

gunut said:
Swarovski must have some reason they will not sell these in this market?????

The OP quoted this reason given to him by Swaro: Swarovski would not import the 8x56 nor the 10x56 SLC-HDs into the U.S., citing a patent infringement.

This is weird considering they are importing the 15x56 version. In my view its more likely that they just don't think they will sell enough to justify the costs.

Whatever the reason, I can't see that House of Outdoor is treading on anyone's toes by providing this service to the OP.

Lee

gunut · Jun 13, 2016

we will see if house of outdoors gets their hand slapped by Swarovski....or if American dealers file complaints about not even being able to special order these from Swarovski...but out of country dealers can ship them to a US customer....

jan van daalen · Jun 13, 2016

gunut said:
we will see if house of outdoors gets their hand slapped by Swarovski....or if American dealers file complaints about not even being able to special order these from Swarovski...but out of country dealers can ship them to a US customer....

Gunut, please....

I don't know what's got into you to formula the words as you do, so I say it once again:

Swarovski's policy is to allow their dealers to trade Swarovski optics worldwide to endconsumers and to authorized Swarovski dealers.

This is House of Outdoors/Swarovski slapping your hands.:-O

Jan

Troubador · Jun 13, 2016

gunut said:
we will see if house of outdoors gets their hand slapped by Swarovski....or if American dealers file complaints about not even being able to special order these from Swarovski...but out of country dealers can ship them to a US customer....

Lets do the math Gunut.

Due to House of Outdoor selling a pair of 8x56s into the USA:

How many sales have been lost by a US Swaro dealer? = 0 (because they can't obtain this model from Swaro USA)
How many sales have been lost by Swarovski USA? = 0 (because they don't import this model)
How many sales have been achieved by the Swarovski factory in Absam? = 1 because House of Outdoor have bought one and sold it.

Its good to know that in the land of the free where people are free to dream their dreams of the binoculars that they desire, that the free capitalist market that powers the American Dream can satisfy their dreams even if it is via free enterprise in the Netherlands.

Lee

gunut · Jun 13, 2016

Troubador said:
Lets do the math Gunut.

Due to House of Outdoor selling a pair of 8x56s into the USA:

How many sales have been lost by a US Swaro dealer? = 0 (because they can't obtain this model from Swaro USA)
How many sales have been lost by Swarovski USA? = 0 (because they don't import this model)
How many sales have been achieved by the Swarovski factory in Absam? = 1 because House of Outdoor have bought one and sold it.

Its good to know that in the land of the free where people are free to dream their dreams of the binoculars that they desire, that the free capitalist market that powers the American Dream can satisfy their dreams even if it is via free enterprise in the Netherlands.

Lee

the US dealer may feel he is being treated as a 2nd class dealer because one of his customers has to order a New Swarovski binocular from a out of country dealer....1 sale lost

Swarovski USA.....might ask exactly why they cannot supply their dealers with all the consumer products Swarovski has to offer...patent infringement [good lord] could I have that patent number and who holds it....

might be they don't think this binocular is good enough to cover by the longer warranties they usually place on units sold in the US???.....who knows...whatever...

don't want to start trouble on this site....this is just my opinion....

Binastro · Jun 13, 2016

Thanks Jan and Lee.

What is interesting is that in the Land of the Free they allowed fast passage for binoculars.
I wish the U.K. were more enlightened.
Here we are taxed and taxed again and again.

I remember the insane 98% tax levels. No wonder most of the people that mattered left.
We had petrol coupons from post WW2 rationing. Amazingly they still worked about 30 years later during the petrol crisis. Same coupons.
Also we had about 50lbs of sugar in the 1950s that we didn't need, because we had the coupons.

Troubador · Jun 13, 2016

gunut said:
the US dealer may feel he is being treated as a 2nd class dealer because one of his customers has to order a New Swarovski binocular from a out of country dealer....1 sale lost

Swarovski USA.....might ask exactly why they cannot supply their dealers with all the consumer products Swarovski has to offer...patent infringement [good lord] could I have that patent number and who holds it....

might be they don't think this binocular is good enough to cover by the longer warranties they usually place on units sold in the US???.....who knows...whatever...

don't want to start trouble on this site....this is just my opinion....

G

Those are indeed questions that US dealers and Swaro US could ask Swaro Austria, and like you I think the reason given (a patent) sounds unbelievable.

But all companies have to look at their product assortment and the costs of holding inventories and promoting a wider range of models and it wouldn't be surprising if the decision was taken not to bring in certain models due to the forecast sales being too low.

What is more surprising is that Swaro US doesn't feel able to just say 'we don't import them because we don't believe the market for them is big enough at the price point we need'.

Lee

jan van daalen · Jun 13, 2016

Troubador said:
G

Those are indeed questions that US dealers and Swaro US could ask Swaro Austria, and like you I think the reason given (a patent) sounds unbelievable.

But all companies have to look at their product assortment and the costs of holding inventories and promoting a wider range of models and it wouldn't be surprising if the decision was taken not to bring in certain models due to the forecast sales being too low.

What is more surprising is that Swaro US doesn't feel able to just say 'we don't import them because we don't believe the market for them is big enough at the price point we need'.

Lee

AFAIK, the reason why SONA only offers the 15x56 SLC and not the other two also, is that they expect that sales in the US is on the 15x and that has nothing to do with patent fringing and/or assumed inferior products:cat:.

Jan

karmantra · Jun 13, 2016

Troubador said:
G

Those are indeed questions that US dealers and Swaro US could ask Swaro Austria, and like you I think the reason given (a patent) sounds unbelievable.

But all companies have to look at their product assortment and the costs of holding inventories and promoting a wider range of models and it wouldn't be surprising if the decision was taken not to bring in certain models due to the forecast sales being too low.

What is more surprising is that Swaro US doesn't feel able to just say 'we don't import them because we don't believe the market for them is big enough at the price point we need'.

Lee

A little history on this: Back in June, 2014, I created a Swarovski forum post titled 'why no 8x56 or 10x56 SLC HDS in U.S.?' (Swarovski binocular archives, page 8, 15 posts). SONA had told me it would be a patent infringement if the the 8/10x56 SLC HDS were brought to the U.S., no further details given. Speculation was that the new SLC 56 used the same Abbe-Koeing prisms as the Zeiss 56 FLs, but because Zeiss did not have a 15x56 Victory FL, Swarovski was allowed to market their 15x56 SLC in the U.S. Patent issues or marketing? Only Swarovski knows!

gunut · Jun 13, 2016

the thing is the 8/10 x 56 would make a nice sharp large aperture low light friendly easy view bin ...even if a little large and heavy for all day use for most folks.........whereas the 15x 50 is almost always given tripod duty.....think they should rethink their distribution policy...at least on a customer order basis..... Ill let it drop now.......no pun intended

ceasar · Jun 13, 2016

If my memory is correct I think Dennis posted here several years ago that he got a Swarovski 8x56 SLC after there was much comment about Henry Links post analyzing his own 8x56 SLC.

I believe Dennis also noted here that he got rid of it because it was too heavy for him to carry for everyday use. I don't recall where he said he got it from. I think he was quite impressed with it optically.

Bob

james holdsworth · Jun 14, 2016

ceasar said:
If my memory is correct I think Dennis posted here several years ago that he got a Swarovski 8x56 SLC after there was much comment about Henry Links post analyzing his own 8x56 SLC.

I believe Dennis also noted here that he got rid of it because it was too heavy for him to carry for everyday use. I don't recall where he said he got it from. I think he was quite impressed with it optically.

Bob

8x56 FL

ceasar · Jun 14, 2016

james holdsworth said:
8x56 FL

Was that it? It is designated as a new item in my Zeiss catalog from 2006.

It is probably better than the Swarovski anyway.

Bob

jan van daalen · Jun 14, 2016

ceasar said:
Was that it? It is designated as a new item in my Zeiss catalog from 2006.

It is probably better than the Swarovski anyway.

Bob

It is only probably better if the SLC was built before 2009. Comparing the (no longer produced) FL56 with the current SLC's (of which we are talking about) is not doing fair to the FL

Jan

My quest for the 8x56 SLC-HD (1 Viewer)

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