michael5959
New member
Hi everyone,
I'm a newbee to the forum & am seeking some advice. I have 2 sets of binoculars, a pair of 7x50 Steiner porro's that I won in a raffle about 25yrs ago, and a pair of Swarovski 8x32 EL FP's that I purchased about a year ago. The Steiner's are nice, wonderful at dusk & even in the dark, but too heavy, that's what led me to the Swaro's. I had always wanted a set & finally had the means to take the plunge. My impression, astounding in every way. No issues at all with rolling ball, glare, etc. In all ways they are stunning. Now when my wife & I go somewhere we take the Swaro's & leave the Steiner's home. Problem is, we are always trading back & forth, hence the need for another pair.
I went shopping for a nice set of compacts & tried the Swaro 8x25 & new Zeiss 8x25. I preferred the image slightly more with the Swaro's, but preferred the ergonomics of the Zeiss. Between the two I remain undecided. However, I just wasn't overly keen on the compact format. Nice & small, easy to pack yes, but after using the 8x32's, just in a different ball park. So I committed the cardinal sin & tried out the 10x32 & 10x42 EL FP's, and got the same "wow" as I get from my 8x32's. I cant justify the additional price of the 10x42 EL's, but was wondering how the 10x32EL's stack up against the 10x42 SLC's, & if I went with 10x's, would go with one of these.
In the conditions where I tested, in the woods & in the shade, the larger objective size didn't impart a major difference in brightness, but in other conditions it may? I preferred the smaller size, lighter weight, and larger FOV of the 10x32, but the 10x42 did have somewhat easier eye placement, and the larger objective is appealing. We use our binoc's as all purpose, From sight seeing, whale watching, bird watching, sports, concerts, etc (not a hunter). So was wondering what others thought would make most sense for another pair.
If I am patient & hunt I think I can ultimately find a demo set of the 10x32 EL's for around the same price as the 10x42 SLC's which I wasn't able to try(I got my 8x32's as demo for significant savings). But am not sure which way to go vs going down my original path of small, compact, & even more portable. I do want something different though, and the reality is, a small compact binoc that has compromises but you have with you is better than the larger one left at home.
What do you all think makes the most sense for my next set & where would you go if you were in my position.
Thanks in advance,
Mike
I'm a newbee to the forum & am seeking some advice. I have 2 sets of binoculars, a pair of 7x50 Steiner porro's that I won in a raffle about 25yrs ago, and a pair of Swarovski 8x32 EL FP's that I purchased about a year ago. The Steiner's are nice, wonderful at dusk & even in the dark, but too heavy, that's what led me to the Swaro's. I had always wanted a set & finally had the means to take the plunge. My impression, astounding in every way. No issues at all with rolling ball, glare, etc. In all ways they are stunning. Now when my wife & I go somewhere we take the Swaro's & leave the Steiner's home. Problem is, we are always trading back & forth, hence the need for another pair.
I went shopping for a nice set of compacts & tried the Swaro 8x25 & new Zeiss 8x25. I preferred the image slightly more with the Swaro's, but preferred the ergonomics of the Zeiss. Between the two I remain undecided. However, I just wasn't overly keen on the compact format. Nice & small, easy to pack yes, but after using the 8x32's, just in a different ball park. So I committed the cardinal sin & tried out the 10x32 & 10x42 EL FP's, and got the same "wow" as I get from my 8x32's. I cant justify the additional price of the 10x42 EL's, but was wondering how the 10x32EL's stack up against the 10x42 SLC's, & if I went with 10x's, would go with one of these.
In the conditions where I tested, in the woods & in the shade, the larger objective size didn't impart a major difference in brightness, but in other conditions it may? I preferred the smaller size, lighter weight, and larger FOV of the 10x32, but the 10x42 did have somewhat easier eye placement, and the larger objective is appealing. We use our binoc's as all purpose, From sight seeing, whale watching, bird watching, sports, concerts, etc (not a hunter). So was wondering what others thought would make most sense for another pair.
If I am patient & hunt I think I can ultimately find a demo set of the 10x32 EL's for around the same price as the 10x42 SLC's which I wasn't able to try(I got my 8x32's as demo for significant savings). But am not sure which way to go vs going down my original path of small, compact, & even more portable. I do want something different though, and the reality is, a small compact binoc that has compromises but you have with you is better than the larger one left at home.
What do you all think makes the most sense for my next set & where would you go if you were in my position.
Thanks in advance,
Mike