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Help me choose: Swarovski 8x30 WB vs. Nikon 8x30 EII (1 Viewer)

G

gweller

Well-known member
Sorry people, but its it’s another one of those “help me choose” threads…. :eek!:

Basically I want a new pair of good quality 8x30 porros (due to various personnel reasons I prefer them to roofs) and have, after much deliberating, narrowed my choice down to the above two. It’s going to be almost impossible for me to view them side by side before I buy so it would be nice to get some opinions about which pair would be the best for me.

Waterproofing is not a really a criteria and, as I don’t need glasses (yet!), eye relief is also not really an issue. What does matter to me above all is optical quality, followed by durability (I would hope to get a decent 10 to 15 years use out of them ) plus after sales service.

My feeling is that I should go for the Swarovski, even though they are dearer, not simply because they have the better optics (I guess that there is little to choose between the two in that respect) but because of their build quality and Swarovski’s good service reputation.

Any one have any thoughts on what I should spend my hard earned cash on?

Cheers!
Gary
 
Gweller, you've answered you're question! Unless you can try them side by side, you're going to gather info and then decide by using theory / advice and written spec from others...Purely on after sales service and their reputation it should be Swarovski - Swarovski Optik also offer a longer warranty, their bino is claimed as waterproof and the optical performance is right up there. However, there are also a huge amount of very happy Nikon E and E II owners as well as Nikon SE owners!

My advice to you....please make an effort to get to a dealer (who has both models in stock) where you can view them side by side, even if it means a long weekend over to the UK. Good luck.

PS. There are not that many retailers who keep the Swarovski porros in stock or demonstration so find one first before venturing out
 
I owned both models at one time and sold the Nikon to placate my wife's insistence that one of the two had to go. Two years later, I still have no regrets. The Nikon 8 x 30 EII is a terrific binocular with excellent performance and superb ergonomics but I thought the Swaro's optics were marginally better with build quality and warranty support that were each substantialy better. The Swaro's main defects are shallow eye relief and stiff rubber eyecups making use with eyeglasses very unsatisfactory and very stiff focus, probably due to waterproofing seals. I also admit (and it was a factor in my decision) that I prefer the look of the Swaros, which strike me as very much an updated and much better built Zeiss Jena Deltrintem.
 
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Read near the end of this thread (EII vs. EL):

http://birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=125342

The SLC is a highly respected glass. However, based on your requirements, the EII sounds ideal.

I think it's one of the very best views out there, and that it IS the very best value. They are hard to find in U.S. now.

Good luck either way, APS
 
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If someone told me I could ONLY have one or the other, I would go for the Swarovski, which I have seen. The Nikons I never saw. The specs look OK, a little on the borderline for the eye relief.
Field of View 408 ft./1000 yds.
Eye Relief 15mm
Close Focus 13 ft.
Weight 20.8 oz.
Dimensions (HxW) 5.6 x 4.3 in.
Weatherproofing Waterproof/Fogproof

The close focus also is OK, unless you want butterflies. Get a cheap 8x32 for that.
The only odd thing on the Swarovski is the rear focus knob. I like the frame, not a fan of open frames.
 
I have the Nikon 8x30 EII, and the Swaro 8x32 EL (I don´t know the SLC´s, but the optics are pretty much as in the EL´s, no?) In the case of my two samples, the Nikons are sharper and brighter, marginally, but the difference is not immense. They feel a little bit too small for my medium-sized hands (I prefer the feel of the EII 10x35´s). The EII´s are superb for work in woodland, etc., because of the 8.8 degree FOV and the "3D" effect that porros give. From photos of the SLC, they don´t have "open-bridge" design and so lack the ergonomics of the EL´s, so the main advantage would be waterproofing, I assume. I think you really should try to find a store that will let you test the EII and SLC side-by-side, or else an online retailer that will allow you to return them. Or save up for the 8x32 EL´s...if I could only keep one pair of my 8x bins, it woulo be the 8x32 EL´s, for the view plus the ergonomics. Good luck choosing!
 
Tero said:
The only odd thing on the Swarovski is the rear focus knob. I like the frame, not a fan of open frames.
Click to expand...

Is there a mix-up here?
The rear focus knob is on the SLC.

Gweller says:
[/QUOTE]Basically I want a new pair of good quality 8x30 porros (..), narrowed my choice down to the above two.[/QUOTE]

So what are we talking about: the Habicht 8x30 (Porro) or the SLC8x30 (Roof prisms) ?
 

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ThoLa,

Do you know if the new 8x30 SLC uses a moving objective like the original MkII, which had a flat plate in the front? Or does it have an internal focusing lens?

Thanks,
Ed
 
elkcub said:
ThoLa,

Do you know if the new 8x30 SLC uses a moving objective like the original MkII, which had a flat plate in the front? Or does it have an internal focusing lens?

Thanks,
Ed
Click to expand...

Hello Ed!

Good morning (whatever time it may be at your end of the line right now).
This is a mildly embarassing question as I have handled this model in April, along with a couple of others, and I do not remember exactly. That is, I was not aware of the possibilty and accordingly did not pay much attention.
But I had a look at the far side because of the rather stiff focussing knob on that particular specimen. I don't remember that anything struck me with respect to the objectives. If they had had a plane outer surface (like the Zeiss Conquest 8x30) I think I would have noticed. So I don't think so but I would not give my right arm for the accuracy of this opinion.

Now that the new ELs have been postponed or cancelled I am going to have a fresh look at the available fleet some time soon. I guess I shall be able to answer your question then.

Regards,
Tom
 
I'm a little confused. Isn't Gary talking about Porro's here; that is the Swaro Habichts and not SLC's?

There is a big price difference between both the Habichts and the SLC's and the Nikon 8 x 30 EII's. I've never had the opportunity to use the Habicht but I own and have used the Nikon for years. They are the first REALLY good binocular I ever owned and they are optically as good as any other ones I've tried and own, with the exception of their near relative, the Nikon 8 x 32 SE's.

If waterproofing isn't essential, then I would opt for the EII, simply on the basis of price. They will last 15 years easily with reasonable care. The only problem will likely be a bubbleing and loosening of their faux leather rubber covering. This can easily be fixed by
using a contact cement that Loctite sells. It comes with an applicator brush in a small bottle.
Bob
 
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ceasar said:
I'm a little confused. Isn't Gary talking about Porro's here; that is the Swaro Habichts and not SLC's?
Bob
Click to expand...

Yes, quite right, I was talking about the Swaro Habichts, not the SLC's! Sorry for the confusion. I must admit I'm leaning more towards the Nikon, particularly after reading this review in Alula.

Cheers!
Gary
 
gweller said:
Yes, quite right, I was talking about the Swaro Habichts, not the SLC's! Sorry for the confusion. I must admit I'm leaning more towards the Nikon, particularly after reading this review in Alula.

Cheers!
Gary
Click to expand...

Oh, sorry, I thought you were asking about the WB/SLC. The EII´s are faultless, IMHO, as long as you don´t need high-level waterproofing and are happy with the feel of small porros. (I´ve had mine out in Irish rain with no problems at all). My pair, at least, aren´t "sharp to the edges", there´s a margin around the FOV where sharpness diminishes considerably, but as the FOV is so wide, you still get a superb usable view. Eye-placement is a little more critical than with the EL´s, but it´s not a problem. At the price, they are a "no-brainer". At twice the price, they´d still be optically superior. Buy two pairs while they´re still available!:t:
 
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Habichts..hmm. Completely unknown technology to me.

However, there probably would be a market for good 8x30s with modern features like screw out eye cups. I never liked the specs on the 8x40 roofs that much, even Leupold. I found one pair that works for me, but is 31 oz weight.

The Leupold 8x30 is a good start, but not quite there. I would like my porros to look like this but with better optics.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=5434
 
gweller said:
Yes, quite right, I was talking about the Swaro Habichts, not the SLC's! Sorry for the confusion. I must admit I'm leaning more towards the Nikon, particularly after reading this review in Alula.

Cheers!
Gary
Click to expand...

The Swaro Porros are probably better called "traditional," since the early SLCs were also called Habicht, i.e., "Hawk."

In German, what is the difference between "habichts" vs "habicht?" My on-line translator makes hawk out of habichts (singular), but offers no translation for habicht. Yet, there it is on the binocular.
 

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s denotes nothing in German, certainly not plural
well, a few odd words like ein Auto, zwei Autos
perhaps it is some kind of trade talk?

The Habicht family has a web site titled in the plural of a proper noun
http://www.habichts.net/

So perhaps Habichts is just the plural when referring to binoculars but not to a hawk.
 
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Habichte seems to be plural for hawks. But I'm getting to think Habicht may specifically mean Goshawk, not just any old hawk. Wonder if it's like our Northern Goshawk in the US.
 
Tero said:
s denotes nothing in German, ....
Click to expand...

Nothing?
Damn it?
You should have told me 40 years ago.
It would have made my school career a lot easier.


Habicht: A common bird of prey, specifically (Accipiter gentilis). Goshawk in English (according to a popular web dictonary).


Habicht: A Habicht, ein Habicht, 1 Habicht.

Habichte: two or more goshawks.

"Habichts": English plural s on a non-English word.


Former Swaro series have been called Falke (Falcon; Falco sp.) and Sperber (Accipiter nisus).

Maybe the new phantom ELs will eventually be called Swarovski Phoenix (the binocular that rose from its own ashes)?

Regards, Tom


PS: We use a lot of plural "s", too. But not all the time because it would be boring. ;-)
 
ThoLa said:
Sorry. I disagree. We better stick to the Swarovski catalogue.
It's straight. It's simple. It's unambiguous.
It's here:
http://www.swarovskioptik.com/index.php?l=en&css=&nID=x434b769e932b90.44843491&c=produkte

Tom
Click to expand...

Tom,

I agree that Swaro catalogs refer to the Porros as "Habicht." No argument. My preference would still be to talk about traditionals or Porros.

Going down memory lane (being nostalgic again) there was a time when the Swaro Porros were referred to as the "Traditional Series" (see EO 1995 Catalog), and the early 8x30 and 7x30 Mk I and Mk II roofs were called "Habicht SLC" (see picture in earlier post). I still use a black version of that one.

Sorry to differ about Habicht being curved, complex, and ambiguous. :eek!:

Just kidding,
Ed
PS. So, Habichts is an Anglicization of habichte, particularly when referring to binoculars?
 

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