Greeting....
I'm not much for re-badging things. I appreciate substantial improvements when new models come out. When Swarovski came out with the new "Field Pro" packaging of their acclaimed EL Swarovision binocular....i just shook my head....another way to get $300 out of the consumer for ...well...NOTHING.
With the coming out of the Field Pro many, including myself have noticed a pretty good "sale" of the previous EL Swarovision product...10-15% off and sometimes more. This "sale" and recent waterfowl birding trips lead me to believe I "needed" a 12X binocular. Well...I found the best "deal" I could find and after much deliberation ORDERED a pre-Field Pro SV 12X50. The dealer called me that same day to say they were out of the binocular but felt bad since it was still listed as "in-stock" in their website. BUT they DID have the new Field-Pro SV 12X50 in stock and we made peace with a little reduction in it's price! WIN-WIN!
Too late to say "long story, short" BUT....I REALLY like the Field Pro packaging. So much so that I sold a few things around the house and came up with the cash for the binocular I've ALWAYS wanted and always talked myself out of...a SV 8.5X42. So Monday it ARRIVED!
So today was my first chance out with it. I loaded up a few other 8X binoculars and headed out. Windy, cold, blustery, overcast, and cloudy were the order of the day. Songbirds, not so much but a good bit of waterfowl, so that's what I concentrated on....
So to the binoculars.....
I bought the Swarovision EL 8.5X42 #34210 made in 2015. I have to say I REALLY like the new FieldPro model. The binocular case is the size it should have been all along. I've always said that the case was so big to start with so your strap...even a harness could fit into the case. Now with the new strap...most of the strap bulk is GONE. Strap adjustment is really TOO SIMPLE. Adjusting the strap takes at most 15 seconds from maximum to minimum length. I need to take pictures of this...unbelievable. I mean...isn't initial strap installation and adjustment the biggest chore of purchasing a new pair of binoculars? NO MORE!
And from strap to harness takes LESS than 2 minutes....(please excuse the pathetic iPhone pics...didn't know they were THAT bad). Basically push and turn the button on each side of the binocular, remove strap, and install harness in similar fashion.
I'm not much for re-badging things. I appreciate substantial improvements when new models come out. When Swarovski came out with the new "Field Pro" packaging of their acclaimed EL Swarovision binocular....i just shook my head....another way to get $300 out of the consumer for ...well...NOTHING.
With the coming out of the Field Pro many, including myself have noticed a pretty good "sale" of the previous EL Swarovision product...10-15% off and sometimes more. This "sale" and recent waterfowl birding trips lead me to believe I "needed" a 12X binocular. Well...I found the best "deal" I could find and after much deliberation ORDERED a pre-Field Pro SV 12X50. The dealer called me that same day to say they were out of the binocular but felt bad since it was still listed as "in-stock" in their website. BUT they DID have the new Field-Pro SV 12X50 in stock and we made peace with a little reduction in it's price! WIN-WIN!
Too late to say "long story, short" BUT....I REALLY like the Field Pro packaging. So much so that I sold a few things around the house and came up with the cash for the binocular I've ALWAYS wanted and always talked myself out of...a SV 8.5X42. So Monday it ARRIVED!
So today was my first chance out with it. I loaded up a few other 8X binoculars and headed out. Windy, cold, blustery, overcast, and cloudy were the order of the day. Songbirds, not so much but a good bit of waterfowl, so that's what I concentrated on....
So to the binoculars.....
I bought the Swarovision EL 8.5X42 #34210 made in 2015. I have to say I REALLY like the new FieldPro model. The binocular case is the size it should have been all along. I've always said that the case was so big to start with so your strap...even a harness could fit into the case. Now with the new strap...most of the strap bulk is GONE. Strap adjustment is really TOO SIMPLE. Adjusting the strap takes at most 15 seconds from maximum to minimum length. I need to take pictures of this...unbelievable. I mean...isn't initial strap installation and adjustment the biggest chore of purchasing a new pair of binoculars? NO MORE!
And from strap to harness takes LESS than 2 minutes....(please excuse the pathetic iPhone pics...didn't know they were THAT bad). Basically push and turn the button on each side of the binocular, remove strap, and install harness in similar fashion.