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Question About Wanting a 2nd Pair (1 Viewer)

Little_Nell

New member
Hi all, my first post here. I have a pair of older EL 8x32, probably 15+ years old but it great shape. I’m planning on doing a lot of traveling in the future and would like a lighter pair of compact bins. Thinking about the 10x CL Pocket or Mountains. Going to Cape Cod in the summer and Galapagos in January via Lindblad small ship.
For Galapagos am I crazy to invest in the CL’s and leave the EL’s home? Or pack the EL’s and not buy 10x CL’s? Or buy the CL’s and take both pair?
Thanks in advance for any advice. Just a little confused here!
Claudia
 
:hi:

Hi Claudia,

Welcome to Bird Forum!

Look into the new Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 B or 10x30 B if you think you will be using your binocular often. It is a much better binocular than the CL Pocket is. (I know. I have both in 8x.) It has much wider FOVs than the CL Pockets do and it has newly designed oculars that make eye placement very easy. It is smaller and lighter than your 8x32 EL and will fit into the pocket of a safari jacket but not in pockets much smaller than that. It is light enough in weight so you won't mind carrying it when it is necessary.

https://www.swarovskioptik.com/birding/cl-companion-c21010504/cl-companion-8x30-green-p5418295


And, as you can see, they come in 3 attractive options. ;)

Bob
 
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L
:hi:

Hi Claudia,

Welcome to Bird Forum!

Look into the new Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 B or 10x30 B if you think you will be using your binocular often. It is a much better binocular than the CL Pocket is. (I know. I have both in 8x.) It has much wider FOVs than the CL Pockets do and it has newly designed oculars that make eye placement very easy. It is smaller and lighter than your 8x32 EL and will fit into the pocket of a safari jacket but not in pockets much smaller than that. It is light enough in weight so you won't mind carrying it when it is necessary.

https://www.swarovskioptik.com/birding/cl-companion-c21010504/cl-companion-8x30-green-p5418295


And, as you can see, they come in 3 attractive options. ;)

Bob

Bob said it all. Think about 8x versus 10x though. I prefer 8x. You should try both if you can. Good travels to you!

Mark
 
If you've never tried pocket binoculars, be aware that the ergonomics are quite different with smaller eyecups, and I don't find it as enjoyable an experience. (They are said to work better with glasses than without.) The new Zeiss Victory Pocket is also worth considering, interestingly different from the CL-P. But for the sort of serious nature travel you describe, I wouldn't want anything smaller than 30/32mm myself. The new CL 10x30 could work for you, though it doesn't have the widest field of view. You might also look at the Leica 10x32 HD+ (my everyday bino) which is still smaller than your EL. Or the 10x EL! And of course there are less expensive 10x32s as well. If you do want to switch to 10x don't be scared off, it works fine at 30/32mm, though in a 25mm glass you might be tempted to stick with 8x. But this is a highly personal decision, where advice can play only a limited role. You really just have to try some alternatives yourself.
 
Hi all, my first post here. I have a pair of older EL 8x32, probably 15+ years old but it great shape. I’m planning on doing a lot of traveling in the future and would like a lighter pair of compact bins. Thinking about the 10x CL Pocket or Mountains. Going to Cape Cod in the summer and Galapagos in January via Lindblad small ship.
For Galapagos am I crazy to (1) invest in the CL’s and leave the EL’s home? Or (2) pack the EL’s and not buy 10x CL’s? Or (3) buy the CL’s and take both pair?
Thanks in advance for any advice. Just a little confused here!
Claudia

Hello Claudia and Welcome to BF! :hi:

I owned the Swarovski pocket CLs in 8X25 for 6 months. Wonderful pocket binoculars with surprising optics. However, with their "too shallow" eye cup adjustment (I don't wear glasses), I had to establish a special hold using my index fingers resting on my brow. This moved the eyepieces further away to obtain a full sight picture...challenging for me, but doable.

After purchasing the 2nd gen EL 8X32 SV, discovered what we (my bride & I) were missing with the little pockets. Now we travel everywhere with the EL 8X32 and feel we're missing nothing...especially with their superb optics! Very Easy sight picture, wide FOV and their size, weight and ergonomics greatly assist hand holding a steady sight picture (harder to do with the 8X 12oz pockets)!!

If you really like your EL 8X32, love their optics and are use to their ergonomics and weight, IMO I'd recommend you stay with your Door #2 scenario! Believe if you step down to the CL compact pockets (especially the 10X) or possibly the CL Companions, the lower weight could be okay, but you might be disappointed in their total optical prowess!

If possible, find a retailer in your area to try Your selections out before you buy. Bring your ELs and compare to see if a new fit and new glass will work for YOU! :t:

Good Luck and Safe Travels!

Ted
 
If its of any use you can find my comparison of the Swarovski 8x25 vs 8x32 Field Pro below.

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=342504

It really depends what your looking for that your current binocular does not deliver ?

When selecting my current binos i tried all of the swarovski SLC and field pro models. In the end i kept coming back to the 8x32 Field Pro because it was the best all round mix of optical quality, size, weight, fov etc. I ended up selling my 8x25 because the view in the 8x32 was just too good and i wasn't using the 8x25's enough. If was looking to complement an existing pair of 8x32 binoculars i would probably be looking at the 10x50 or even 15x56. Having recently invested in a decent tripod i think to really get the full benefit of larger binoculars i feel they need to be tripod mounted. In selecting my current binoculars i found i simply could not hold 10x steady enough.

Rather than buying another pair of binoculars you might consider a small tripod, it makes a world of difference for extended viewing. I now regularly mount my 8x32's and it makes a massive difference. If i am in fixed location and want to do some extended viewing i easily stand or better still sit and take in the view. If i want to be more mobile i just use the 8x32 hand held.

I would take your current binoculars to a local store if you can and compare them to other models you are considering and see what happens.
 
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Hi Claudia,

first of all, welcome to BF!

Regarding your travel plans and choice of optics, I would probably take the EL to Cape Cod and probably Galapagos too, as both areas seem reasonably safe.

For other destinations in some parts of south and middle america I would avoid waving around visibly expensive optics like the teutonic alphas and take a midrange pair or at least expensive Nikons if you must as these come from $80 to $3000 and one has to know more than the logo to know it's expensive.

I would certainly avoid a pair of 10x25 - the exit pupil is very small with 2.5mm which makes it fairly dark even on a overcast day, let alone in rainforest and eye placement is very tricky. There is good reasons, why 10x32 bins are not very popular - in a pair of 10x25 all these are even worse...

If you really want to take a pair of pocket bins, take 8x25. But I would not want to take 8x25s as my only pair for a trip...

Joachim, who would probably take a pair of 8x32 and a full size spotting scope and tripod... and maybe my Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 as a backup/loaner/light option/stereo microscope...
 
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@ceasar , @Kammerdiner , @tenex , @Theo98 , @dmcharge and @jring THANK YOU all for the extremely helpful advice. I thought I had my mind made up on a Pocket but now I’m not so sure. I very much like the concept of the Companion’s although I’ve never touched one. But it doesn’t seem much lighter than my EL, like around 4oz? And the Leica is something. I have a Leica camera which is my baby. And I’ve never had an issue with the equipment or the CS. Thank you for that headzup.
I love my EL but there are a couple things that bug me...
1.) I had a hard time with the eye cups that are attached to the strap, I removed those a while back.
2.). No barrel caps included with the bins.
3.). I wish for a more stealth strap for traveling and packing.
So all my whining is not the on the equipment but on the accessories.
You all bring up great points. I have a lot to think about.
Thanks for the helpful replies.
Claudia
 
Hi Nell,

Welcome to Birdforum.

I was on a small ship to the Galapagos a few years ago. If your adventure is anything like mine, you'll spend a fair amount of time zooming around in a Zodiak when approaching various islands or returning to the main ship. Getting on or off the Zodiak can be a challenge (depending on your age), but it will demand attention and not benefit from having large or heavy gear to lug around. Also, when on one of the islands there are very strict controls as to which paths to follow, or how far you can wander off.

I consolidated a Leica 8x20 pocket binocular with a Fuji HS50 in a nondescript Lowepro camera bag, which slung across my shoulders for the Zodiak rides and island exploration. I never used the binoculars on the Zodiak, and rarely used them inland since the stabilized zoom camera was my weapon of choice. While traveling on the main ship they did come in handy watching sea animals, birds, and interesting vistas.

In retrospect, I might have done just as well or better with a larger binocular, e.g., 8x32 or 10/32 that could be left in the stateroom safe until we were cruising between islands.

Hope that helps, and enjoy your trip. It should be great. :t:

Ed
 
Hi,

I love my EL but there are a couple things that bug me...
1.) I had a hard time with the eye cups that are attached to the strap, I removed those a while back.
Since you already removed the rainguard, this seems fixed...
2.). No barrel caps included with the bins.
If you mean objective covers, don't the EL series come with dangling caps? Or does the first model not have those? In any case these are sold separately - just make sure you get the ones for older models with the large rubber ring to go around the barrel. You could also try aftermarket ones...
3.). I wish for a more stealth strap for traveling and packing.
An aftermarket strap is easily fitted...

In any case have a great trip!

Joachim
 
Thank you! This is very helpful, especially knowing I won’t need the bins on the island, I’ll leave those on the boat and take my camera. Right now I’m thinking not to buy another pair to just take the EL.
I’ll be on a small ship too, the Natl. Geo Islander, 48 passengers. Were you, by any chance, on this boat?




Hi Nell,

Welcome to Birdforum.

I was on a small ship to the Galapagos a few years ago. If your adventure is anything like mine, you'll spend a fair amount of time zooming around in a Zodiak when approaching various islands or returning to the main ship. Getting on or off the Zodiak can be a challenge (depending on your age), but it will demand attention and not benefit from having large or heavy gear to lug around. Also, when on one of the islands there are very strict controls as to which paths to follow, or how far you can wander off.

I consolidated a Leica 8x20 pocket binocular with a Fuji HS50 in a nondescript Lowepro camera bag, which slung across my shoulders for the Zodiak rides and island exploration. I never used the binoculars on the Zodiak, and rarely used them inland since the stabilized zoom camera was my weapon of choice. While traveling on the main ship they did come in handy watching sea animals, birds, and interesting vistas.

In retrospect, I might have done just as well or better with a larger binocular, e.g., 8x32 or 10/32 that could be left in the stateroom safe until we were cruising between islands.

Hope that helps, and enjoy your trip. It should be great. :t:

Ed
 
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Hi Nell,

No, I wasn't on that ship.

Like my rich old friend, Tom said: Don't buy two when one will do." :t:

Ed
 
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