We recently purchased a 10X50 Swarovision to be used primarily for stargazing. I considered the 12X50 but settled on the lower magnification and larger exit pupil of the 10X50. Due to the weight of the 10X50 (35.2 oz./998 gr.), I had no intention of using it as a birding bin. For astro use, the 10X50 SV is, to my eyes, nearly flawless. What a joy it is on a clear night.
Out-of-the box stats...
Focus: Perfectly smooth (better than my 8.5X42 but not by much)
Diopter: Works at 0 (the 8.5 needs a 1 diopter adjustment)
Eyecups: I keep them down and they stay down.
Eye relief: Wow, the AFOV is truly addictive and the eye relief is as good or slightly better than my 8.5X42. Extremely comfortable view with eyeglasses.
Hinge: Stiff and exactly what I want in a heavy binocular. It stays put!
Collimation: Looks good...effortless on the eyes all day long.
Color: Swarovision
Contrast: Swarovision
Sharpness (or whatever you call it) is totally satisfying. After more than ten years behind my SE I look for fine details and I find every one with the 10X50 SV. Someone asked if the 10X50 SV was as sharp as the 8.5X42. My answer is absolutely. A crisp image is my first, second and third criteria in judging a bin. Pass that test and I might be interested.
Stats are often boring, uninformative and all but worthless in the field. So, I went to Cape May for two weeks of virtually non-stop birding.
I used the same Vero-Vellini Air Cushion Comfort Strap (V35522) with the 10X50 Swarovision that I use on all my bins. Works great. The 10X50 SV balance point is close to the body and the focus wheel is where I want it. I had absolutely no complaints concerning weight. Thankfully, my wife wouldn't use it!
Due to the increase in magnification (my usual 8X to 10X), chasing fast moving raptors not more than 100' distant was a bit more challenging. Then again, I often missed them with my naked eyes. However, the superb FOV/AFOV of the 10X50 SV more than made up for any difference in magnification. Within 15 minutes, I fully adjusted and went on birding. Note: One morning, I counted a river of raptors (> 50) zooming by in less than 10 minutes. That same morning, shortly after sunrise, I counted over 200 raptors staging at various altitudes as they prepared to cross the Delaware bay. There is very little "static" birding when migration is in full swing at Cape May and I initially believed the heavier 10X50 would be a poor choice in that fast-moving environment. Twelve days of constant use convinced me otherwise.
Summary
The 10X50 Swarovision delivers an uncompromising view that I personally find addictive. More than once I heard myself saying, "now that's up close and personal."
A good review...
http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/blog/review-swarovski-el-10x50-sv-binocular
PS
I discarded the Swaro tethered objective caps in favor of Vortex tethered objective covers (Eagle Optics BAC-VT-CAP50/62). I cut the tethers off and they work perfectly. Thanks again, Mike!
Out-of-the box stats...
Focus: Perfectly smooth (better than my 8.5X42 but not by much)
Diopter: Works at 0 (the 8.5 needs a 1 diopter adjustment)
Eyecups: I keep them down and they stay down.
Eye relief: Wow, the AFOV is truly addictive and the eye relief is as good or slightly better than my 8.5X42. Extremely comfortable view with eyeglasses.
Hinge: Stiff and exactly what I want in a heavy binocular. It stays put!
Collimation: Looks good...effortless on the eyes all day long.
Color: Swarovision
Contrast: Swarovision
Sharpness (or whatever you call it) is totally satisfying. After more than ten years behind my SE I look for fine details and I find every one with the 10X50 SV. Someone asked if the 10X50 SV was as sharp as the 8.5X42. My answer is absolutely. A crisp image is my first, second and third criteria in judging a bin. Pass that test and I might be interested.
Stats are often boring, uninformative and all but worthless in the field. So, I went to Cape May for two weeks of virtually non-stop birding.
I used the same Vero-Vellini Air Cushion Comfort Strap (V35522) with the 10X50 Swarovision that I use on all my bins. Works great. The 10X50 SV balance point is close to the body and the focus wheel is where I want it. I had absolutely no complaints concerning weight. Thankfully, my wife wouldn't use it!
Due to the increase in magnification (my usual 8X to 10X), chasing fast moving raptors not more than 100' distant was a bit more challenging. Then again, I often missed them with my naked eyes. However, the superb FOV/AFOV of the 10X50 SV more than made up for any difference in magnification. Within 15 minutes, I fully adjusted and went on birding. Note: One morning, I counted a river of raptors (> 50) zooming by in less than 10 minutes. That same morning, shortly after sunrise, I counted over 200 raptors staging at various altitudes as they prepared to cross the Delaware bay. There is very little "static" birding when migration is in full swing at Cape May and I initially believed the heavier 10X50 would be a poor choice in that fast-moving environment. Twelve days of constant use convinced me otherwise.
Summary
The 10X50 Swarovision delivers an uncompromising view that I personally find addictive. More than once I heard myself saying, "now that's up close and personal."
A good review...
http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/blog/review-swarovski-el-10x50-sv-binocular
PS
I discarded the Swaro tethered objective caps in favor of Vortex tethered objective covers (Eagle Optics BAC-VT-CAP50/62). I cut the tethers off and they work perfectly. Thanks again, Mike!