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Swarovski 8x30w Porro Prism (1 Viewer)

Judging from the photo this is a recent pair of 8X30W's which Swarovski still makes. You can check them out on the Swarovski website. I used a rubber armoured pair for several years in the late 80's. My main complaint then was the pronounced warm color cast which may be more neutral now. Eye relief is marginal for eyeglass wearers and the rubber eyecups on the unarmoured version, when rolled down, have the irksome habit of unpredictably and violently popping back out in your face.
 
If these are indeed a recent version, then they have neutral color rendition. Henry is correct that these used to have an amber cast, but this has been revised. I briefly owned the recent 10x40 version and considered the color rendition to be the most accurate of any binocular I have owned (that includes Nikon SE and Leica Ultravid).

I have used this 8x30 binocular, and for my hands the ergonomics were exceptional. I think they are among the best all-around binoculars made today, but they are rare in the U.S. and get almost no critical consideration on any websites.
 
The 8x30 porro is undoubtly the "hidden jewel" in the Swarovski product line. Optically it is first class, arguably every bit as good as every 8x30/8x32 out there. It is watertight and very solid, but at the same time very light and having very good ergonomics. FOV is as good as the best.

Its drawbacks are the stiff focusing wheel, as well as some flaring. I'm not wearing glasses, but I can imagine the old style rubber eyecups being a disadvantage as well.

I have owned a rubber coated version for almost 10 years now, and I'm still very pleased with the little fellow. Actually, it is almost TOO good; recently I was tempted to buy one of the new, top-of-the-line roof prism binoculars, but after testing the Swarovski 8x32 EL and Leica Ultravid 8x42 as well as several others against my old porro, I decided it would be a waste of money.

Even in very poor light the little porro stand up remarkably well, I was hard pressed to see any difference at all between the 8x30 and a 7x42 SLC (non-Swarobright).

IMHO, the Swarovski 10x40 and 7x42 porro doesn't quite cut it with the newest top-of-the-line binoculars any more, but the 8x30 does. At half (or less) the prize!

Unfortunately, Swarovski has terminated production of the rubber coated version, and it is probably only a matter of time before the non-rubber version goes the same way?
 
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TTT I have owned a rubber coated version for almost 10 years now said:
Dear TTT,

Judging the glass by its specifications, it is very similar to the Zeis Deltrintem and the Leitz (Leica) Binuxit. They all seem to have good center resolution and acceptable edge resolution with a nice apparent field of view, all in a very handy and compact package. The Binuxit was discontinued, long before multicoating, forty years, ago, but mine is still worth using on a nice day.

I wish that I had them with me on my tour of the Hardanga Vidda, twenty six years, ago.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood
Click to expand...
 
Swarovski 8X30W porro binoculars

I agree that the latest model of the Swarovski 8X30W porro binocular is generally outstanding. The 'alternative' of the Swift 8.5X44 ED Audubon mentioned is not in the same street as regards construction,sealing, compactness or performance and making a binocular with ED glass is a waste of time.
 
The characteristics limiting this glass appear to be:

low eye relief making it unsuitable for eyeglass wearers
reportedly very stiff focus wheel
rubber eyecups

John
 
I did compare my beloved 8x30 SLC with my friend's 8x30 Habicht in broad daylight. IMHO, Habicht wins unanimously in every aspects except eyerelief. It is noticeably sharper, brighter and yes, cheaper than the roofie counterpart. I really doubt if there is any binocular sharper than Habicht. If you have fond memories of old glasses, this one is for you.
 
I had the opportunity some years back to compare a friends 8x30 Habicht to my Swift 8.5x44 Audubons (model 804R). Up to that point I had felt the center field of view on my Audubons was about as good as it gets, having compared them to numerous other more expensive bino's. I was astonished at the view through the 8x30's. They were superior to my Swifts in all aspects except for eye relief, which was minimal at best. I would have owned a pair had it not been for the eye relief, too bad.
 
For those who are interested, here is a list of all the Swarovski Habicht porros that were avaiable 15 years ago. The numbers are suggested retaiil prices in US$ from the 1991 Swarovski price list

In 1991 the 8X30 was available in no less than six different versions. There was a “normal” angle version (56 degrees AFOV), in leatherette(495) or rubber armored(625), the wide angle which is still made, in leatherrette(515) or rubber armoured(650), and a “ladies” version of the wide angle, available in brown or ruby genuine leather(550).

In addition to all those 8X30’s there was a 6X30(leatherette 445), a center focus 7X42(490 ,640), an individual focus 7X42 rubber armoured(715), and the 10X40 that is still available(565,715).

There were also some very nice accessories; tethered objective covers for the rubber armored versions, removable protective rubber bumpers for the objective rings of the leatherette versions, a leather “sport” case and a spectacular hard leather case, the nicest one I have ever seen (120 for the 8X30 rubber armoured). I bought one of those cases for a 10X40, but it was so beautiful I left it at home and let the binoculars get banged up instead.

The passing of the Habichts will be a sad day. The last of the great European porros.
 
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How do they compare to the nikon 8x32 SE? I kinda though (was led to think) that the SE were the only serious contender in the porro world...
jm
 
jmjutras said:
How do they compare to the nikon 8x32 SE? I kinda though (was led to think) that the SE were the only serious contender in the porro world...
jm
Click to expand...

Can't comment on the Nikon, but I did compare my own 9,5 years old 8x30 Habicht with a brand new Leica Ultravid 8x42, which is one of the very best 8x binoculars on the market today. The image of the two binoculars was very similar, in fact as good as equal. Bot were razor-sharp with excellent contrast and colors (my Habicht has slightly warmer colors than the present one, which has neutral colors. An Habicht from the 80ties will have an even more yellow image). The Habich had slightly larger FOV, but also a bit more flaring/reflections. The 3D view of the Swarovski porro was, of course, much better.

An additional bonus of the 8x30 is that, due to its shape, it rests very stable on the chest, freeing up both hands. On most of the roofs I find that I have to keep one hand on the binocular when walking.

If you can live with the stiff focus wheel (I do) and flaring (annoys me more than the former. Although it isn't much worse than most other binoculars, in this respect the 8x32 EL beat it hands down), the Swarovski 8x30 Habicht is IMHO one of the very best allround binoculars on the market today. As for the eye relief, the rubber armored version is (was) slightly better because it has somewhat larger eye cups.

Like Arthur and Henry says, it's a pity the real good porros seems to go the same way as the Great Auk...
 
jmjutras said:
How do they compare to the nikon 8x32 SE? I kinda though (was led to think) that the SE were the only serious contender in the porro world...
jm
Click to expand...

I'll say it again. If Nikon would modify the SE with modern eyecups (without reducing the eye relief!) and make it seriously rainproof, I believe it would be one of the most sought after bins on the market. As it is, it is extremely rugged, lightweight, and stable. And, the SE view is as good as it gets.

If Nikon wants to dominate the birding market, they should make an 8X42 SE with the enhancements I described. I have a $100 porro bin that I've intentionally used in pouring rain and it is as dry as a bone. We all know Nikon could do it...the question is why they don't.

Nikon will tell you the LX/HG line is as good optically as the SE. It isn’t so.

John
 
I guess the reason for Nikon, Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski not spending more ressources on making and updating porros is down to one thing:

The people have spoken and they want roofs...

Compared to their ELs and SLC, Swarovski sells almost nothing of their Habichts. And that even if the Habichts cost less than half the prize, are very rugged and fully waterproof and are optically superb.

Like it or not, it is also a question of design and fashion. Some of my birdwatching friends have asked me; "What kind of binocular is that, is it something you have bought at some Army Shop?"!
 
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TTT,
If the focus wheel is normally stiff, how bad does it get in cold weather? (say -15C). Also, any idea as to why the 7x42 and 10x40 are not as interresting as the 8x30? (that's realy counterintuitive, though the pricing tend to comfirm it!)
jm
 
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John,
You are a real fan of the SE, I know that! The SE are realy good binos, I also know that. Now, how do they compare to the Habicht? If you have looked through them, then I would realy like to know your impressions. If you haven't, aren't you a bit intriged about them? I sure am!
jm
 
jmjutras said:
TTT,
If the focus wheel is normally stiff, how bad does it get in cold weather? (say -15C). Also, any idea as to why the 7x42 and 10x40 are not as interresting as the 8x30? (that's realy counterintuitive, though the pricing tend to comfirm it!)
jm
Click to expand...

It get worse in cold weather, no doubt about that. That said, it seems to me the non-armored version is a bit better in this respect than the armored one. Or perhaps it is just a bit of variation between individual bins. A friend of mine has the "black" version and the focus wheel of his Habicht is much smoother than on my Habicht.

The 10x40 Habicht is still a very good binocular, but it is no longer quite up there with the very best anymore, IMHO. It is not quite as sharp as the EL, SLC (Swarobright) and Ultravid, only 98%(!!). But of course, it is much cheaper than those and could be a good alternative to the mid-prize roof binoculars.

Optically the 7x42 is top notch, but has a narrow FOV compared to the top roofs. But if you can live with that, it's a great binocular.

The 8x30 is as compact as the roofs, but the 10x40 and 7x42 are rather big and clumsy, although they have very good ergonomics.
 
Literally the FOV of 7x42 Habicht is pretty darn horrible. However, believe it or not, to my eyes the view is not too restricted. The overall impression is reminiscent of Nikon 7x50 SP, with 1/2 or less weight.

Regarding the central sharpness of 10x40 Habicht, IMHO it comes neck-to-neck with 10x42 SE (yes, I own it!) and a little bit sharper than 10x42 SLC and EL. It is confirmed by my friend who is a Swarovski dealer in Hong Kong. The only shortcomings when compared to SE are: 1. a noticeably shorter ER, but still OK for eyewearers, 2. image sharpness falls off the edge. One of the reason why the image is less sharp when viewing distant objects is largely due to air turbulence.

One bizzare thing to note: the leatherette covering wrapping around the objective barrel may peel off if you don't pay due care to it.
 
I've used most of the Swarovski porros at one time or another (I still own an 8X30 "standard" field from the early 90's). IMO the 8X30W rubber armoured is the nicest overall. Optically it and the 10X40 are essentially the same binocular. They both use the same 6 element Erfle eyepiece. A good eyepiece, but with a short 12-13mm of eye relief and not in the same class with the Nikon SE eyepiece at maintaining sharpness over a wide area of the field. The 10X40 simply substitutes a larger objective with a longer focal length. The 10X magnification gives it reduced depth of field, a little more CA and a little reduced appearance sharpness compared to the 8X. The 7X42 is optically a very simple and old fashioned binocular. It uses a simple 3 element Kellner eyepiece and has a very narrow 46 degree AFOV, but still only 14mm of eye relief.

The eyecups for the rubber armoured versions are much better than the ones for the leatherettes. The GA rim rolls outward, while the rim for the leatherettes rolls in which makes it feel uncomfortably small. The leatherette cup is also stiff, and as I said earlier it has a tendency to unpredictably and violently snap back out when it is in the rolled down position.
 
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