Swaro SLC 8x30 vs Pentax ED 8x32 DCF ED (1 Viewer)

I'm looking at the Swarovski 8x30 SLCs ($850) and the Pentax 8x32 DCF EDs ($575) and would welcome opinions and comparisons with regards to optical/mechanical quality and value from anyone who has tried both...no local dealers carry the Pentax model; and I don't yet know if my local Cabela's has any of the (discontinued, AFAIK) Swaro 8x30s in store.

Thanks!

I have looked and compared both extensively and these are just my own personal amateur observations.

First off all $575 for the Pentax ED is a great price. They are usually around $799.

I have a Swarovski 7x30 SLC that is 10 years old and I love it. And I am a big fan of Swarovski and also a big fan of any quality 30 and 32 mm size glass. Also as you know as far as value, you really can not go wrong with Swarovski.

I have a very nice sample of a 8x32 Pentax DCF ED and last year bought a 2010 8x30 Swaro SLC with the idea of maybe selling my 7x30 SLC and the Pentax and just keeping the 8x30 SLC because I just figured that it would be better than the pentax.

Well, to my surprise the 8x30 SLC was not better to my eyes than the Pentax ED. The Pentax was sharper in the middle and had better overall resolution and clarity and was definately better at resolving detail at low light which was very important to me. The SLC might be slightly better at the edges, but it is not by much. The Pentax had a little better eye relief and the Swarovski had a slightly better FOV. Both are built like tanks and have very good build quality. On my sample of Pentax ED- the focus was smoother and could fine tune a little better than the 8x30 SLC. The sample that I have of Swaro SLC 7x30 has an extremely smooth focus, but it is more broke in.

So... I still have the 7x30 SLC and the Pentax ED and sold the 8x30 SLC.

I also had for a short time an 8x32 Swarovski EL (2009) and actually that is a better comparison for the Pentax DCF ED (it is that good) than the Swaro SLC 8x30. The Swaro 8x32 EL is better optically than the Pentax ED, but..... to me it is very close. Closer to me than the Swaro SLC 8x30.

Here are a couple links for you to look at also:

This has some good opinions discussing the Pentax ED's vs. the SP's

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=172850

And this was from a birdwatching.com and a small testing group looking at midsized binos.

http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/2010midsizebins/index.html

Take this particular test for what it is worth- a small sample of people looking at a certain size of bino's. I thought that their overall chart and score added up was a fairly good summary of this class of midsized binoculars (especially at the top)

This group gave the Swarovski 8x30 SLC and the Pentax ED a tie. Although their score had Pentax's resolution higher than the SLC and I agree.

In their test of this size of bino's I would not have any problem with their top 4 (in their chart at the end), but to my eyes I personally would disagree with Meopta and the Vortex being ahead of the Pentax ED or the Swaro SLC. As I too spent a couple weeks last year in a bunch of different conditions (as far as light) comparing a sample of the Meopta 8x32 and to me the Pentax ED was clearly better.

I also spent some time last year comparing the Vortex 8x32 Viper to the 8x32 ED Pentax and the Pentax is better overall. Although I am a big fan of the 6x32 Viper- the 8x32 is not as good to me. Also putting the 8x32 Viper ahead of the Swaro 8x30 SLC did not jive with my own observations.

I can't comment on the Pentax v Swarovski comparison. However I am pleased to see somebody comment positively on the 7x30 SLC, which is a highly underappreciated binocular. Despite its comparatively narrow FOV, it offers a wonderful, natural view. The focus on mine is as smooth as butter and has been since it was new. When I tried 8x30 SLCs in the late '90s and early '00s, their focus was stiffer and rougher. I still don't understand why they would have been different. Anyway, the 7x30 can be had occasionally on eBay for around $500, which is a bargain price.

Jonathan B. said:

I can't comment on the Pentax v Swarovski comparison. However I am pleased to see somebody comment positively on the 7x30 SLC, which is a highly underappreciated binocular. Despite its comparatively narrow FOV, it offers a wonderful, natural view. The focus on mine is as smooth as butter and has been since it was new. When I tried 8x30 SLCs in the late '90s and early '00s, their focus was stiffer and rougher. I still don't understand why they would have been different. Anyway, the 7x30 can be had occasionally on eBay for around $500, which is a bargain price.

Click to expand...

I agree fully.

I sold my 1995 7x30 SLC 3 years ago and almost immediately regretted it. Then last year I found one on here from another BF member and bought that one and have been real pleased with it. Then I almost...... sold that one (the newly acquired 7x30 SLC) again along with my Pentax 8x32 ED for a Swarovski 8x32 EL. And the EL still would have cost me a lot more than the other 2 combined.

The EL was very nice obviously, but in the end I realized that it was not THAT much better than the Pentax ED and that I knew that I would never find another quite as nice 7x30 SLC.

So, I ended up coming to the conclusion that the 2 really good binoculars (7x30 SLC and Pentax 8x32 ED) Were better than (1) really outstanding one.

So maybe it was a case where the 2 binos in the hand were better than the great one in the bush

Might muddy the waters some but if you search the Pentax forum here you'll find comments from a variety of folks including Kevin P and Frank D opining that the 8x32 WP has better sharpness than either the succeeding SP or ED series. Thoughts are that the newer Pntax series aspheric lens designs achieved a slightly better edge flatness at a cost of slightly reduced overall sharpness. With this in mind one could argue that if the Pentax SP and Swaro were ties, that the Pentax WP might just be the best of this bunch

To each there own and everyone has their take on these.

But it has been my observation and also from reading reviews such as the link I posted above from forum members here- that most people conclude that the Pentax with the ED was a step up from the SP

BTW- It was the Pentax ED and the Swaro SLC that were tied in the birdwatching.com review, not the SP.

The WP may be a very good binocular, but IMO the ED is better in an overall optics package.

Believe me (or not)- the Pentax 8x32 ED that I have is very, very sharp in the center. In fact it was only maybe a hair behind the Swarovski 8x32 EL.

And this may seem like blasphemy to say this here on this site, but here it goes.... I had (2) different samples of New 8x32 Nikon SE's this past year and compared them extensively to the Pentax ED that I have and as far as center sharpness goes-it was splitting hairs to me. And to me the main thing that I look at closely and the characteristic that means the most to me for my binoculars is sharpness in the center. It's the main thing that I judge optics by. For what I use my binoculars for; -Contrast, color saturation/ realization, CA, FOV, etc.- all of it does not matter to me if the center sharpness/ resolution is not great.

I can't comment on the Pentax's optics, but I agree that it's a very good price and if for some reason, you don't like it, you flip it and get your money back and then some.

The price of the 8x30 SLC has gone up to around $1,100, but I still see some stores offering it at the anniversary price of $899, so price wise, $850 ain't bad, but it's no bargain. However, the SLC would hold its value longer than the Pentax if you also bought it as its full price.

One major difference between these two that surprisingly, nobody mentioned, is the position of the focusers. The 8x30 SLC has the focuser near the objectives, which I personally find objectionable!

While my friend Steve has no problem using his ring finger to focus, I do, and I agree with the comment above that it is harder to achieve fine focus with the SLC. Not only because of having to use my ring finger, but also because the focuser turns a bit harder in one direction than the other.

However, if those are not issues for you, the SLC does some things very well. The eyecups are the best I've tried for my eyes. If you have deep set eyes, there are none better than the SLC.

Aside from the position of the focuser, I really liked the ergonomics. The shallow thumb indents help me support the bins with my thumbs, something I usually can't do with most closed bridged roofs, particularly midsized ones, where I end up wrapping my overlapping thumbs around the bottom of the barrels.

I did compare the SLC to my 8x32 SE, and while I did not do a resolution test (Steve might have since he has both bins and a resolution chart and booster), just eyeballing them, the SE is probably a bit sharper, but then again, it has been sharper than any other midsized roof I've compared it to, but in this case, not by a wide margin. The SLC is sharp enough.

The color saturation and contrast are much improved over earlier models and so is the color bias, which is more neutral than the older models, which had a yellowish bias.

The rubber armoring is quite tactile and the black spongy rubber bridge is nice to sink your fingers into.

The edge performance is quite good if that matters to you. And the wide 8* FOV gives a very open feel to the view.

For a midsized non-ED roof, the CA was surprisingly well controlled. No real need for ED glass here.

I found the views, while not as 2-D as the 8x32 LX, still somewhat compressed, but almost every midsized roof looks that way to me. The only midsized roof I've tried that doesn't show this degree of compression was the 8x32 EL, but that costs nearly as much as a full sized alpha. Also better handling on the EL for my big hands.

The other negative about the SLC is its longer than average close focus vs. the Pentax ED and most other 8x32 roofs out there today. If you do a lot of close-in birding, you will prefer the Pentax.

As long as the Pentax came with a good warranty (hard to beat Swaro in that regard), I would go for the Pentax ED. At that price, you're getting a bargain.

Given other choices and bit deeper pockets, I'd prefer an 8x32 EDG 1 refurb or leftover for $999. Open bridge like the EL, better ER, ED glass, and from what I've read, better perception of depth like the EL too.

Brock

Thanks all for the replies...just to clarify, and for anyone interested, the prices I posted are for new units - the Pentax from Amazon and the Swaro from Cabelas.

I do realize the Swaro front focuser seems to be something people either love or hate - I hope to try some in-store soon to see where I might fall on that.

The Pentaxes at that price seem to be a great value by most all accounts, perhaps worth ordering to try in person given Amazon's 30 day return policy.

(Then again, B+H is showing they'll have 8x32 SEs back in stock in June at $550 - apples and oranges compared to the roofs, I know, but something else to consider...)

Walter, When you try out the Swaro 8x30 SLC, try it with one hand once, assuming you use your ring finger to focus. This leaves your strong index & middle on top and your thumb on the bottom to hold the binocular as a C. If you wear a bill hat try it with the hat on as well.