Update:
I spent several very enjoyable hours at Lost Creek Shoe Shop last Friday morning. Anyone in PA, if you haven't been there already, I highly recommend you make a visit!
The store is very low-key and relaxed. Most of the merchandise is high quality outdoor footwear (as expected), but there is a separate room at the back of the shop dedicated to optics, with a covered viewing porch attached. There were probably close to 100 pairs of binoculars in the display cases, as well as a nice selection of spotting scopes, rifle scopes, tripods and accessories. I was assisted by "David" - he was very patient, knowledgeable and helpful. I never felt like he was rushing me in any way, and he brought every binocular on my list out to the porch for me to try. All at the same time, so A-B comparison was very easy. (Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, Nikon). He answered all my questions, and provided input from his experience as a birdwatcher to help me understand the differences between the various brands and models.
Here are the binoculars I compared:
Zeiss Victory HT 8x42
Zeiss Victory T* FL 8x42
Swarovski EL SV 8.5x42
Swarovski EL SV 8x32
Swarovski SLC 8x42 WB
Leica Ultravid HD 8x42
Leica Ultravid HD 7x42
Nikon EG 8x42
The outdoor viewing area is well set up, with a variety of targets and viewing conditions. There are actually two formal "targets" set up at about 100 yards and about 175 yards (if my memory is correct - the distances may have been a little different?). These targets had various text in different sizes, in combinations of red, white and blue. Very useful in evaluating how steady I could hold the binoculars to read the text! In addition, the viewing area is fenced in, with two small white metal roof structures out approximately 75 yards or so. The fence posts were very useful in comparing FOV, and the vertical and horizontal fence wire provided a good variety of targets for evaluating sharpness and potential CA. It was a bright sunny morning, and the edges of the white metal roof structures were also very helpful in looking for any CA issues and comparing depth of field. Inside the fenced in areas were several goats and turkeys, which cooperated nicely in helping me to evaluate colors and detail resolution. Finally, the farthest "target" was positioned in a shaded wooded area, which allowed me to compare how well each binocular could see "into the shadows".
After several hours of evaluation and comparison, I ended up actually purchasing two pairs of binoculars! One for general everyday use, trips, sporting events, concerts, etc., and another for more dedicated nature & birdwatching use. I am a novice birdwatcher, but I enjoy going out early in the morning, so brightness in low-light conditions was definitely a factor in my evaluation.
Everything I tried was "alpha" class optics, so the differences between the various brands and models were small - they were all extremely good, in my opinion. I can certainly provide detailed opinions of the differences I perceived between the various models, most of which were subjective, so your-mileage-may-vary! (grin)
In the end, here is what I went home with:
For everyday use: Leica Ultravid HD 7x42. Clearly the easiest for me to hold steady, with a fairly large FOV. The view through the Leicas was a little "warmer" than the other binoculars - the view was plenty bright, and the colors just seemed a little more saturated. Very attractive view, with no CA that I could observe. Things just "snapped" into focus with these. Fit in my hand very comfortably, and I could use them both with and without my glasses. I could easily imagine watching an entire baseball or football game through these (from the nosebleed seats), without fatiguing my eyes or my arms. A bit pricey, but pretty much the only game in town right now in a 7x42 alpha roof prism design. The tradeoff in magnification for a little steadier and wider view worked for me.
For nature and birding use: Zeiss Victory HT 8x42. While these were not quite as comfortable in my hands as the Leica Ultravids (they are a bit longer), the view was very natural and neutral, and they enabled me to discern details in the wooded/shaded areas a bit more clearly than the others. Not a big difference, but there was a difference to my eyes. (Maybe because I am already used to the view and handling of my Victory HT 10x42s?) No trace of CA, no matter how hard I tried to induce some. Everything about the construction of these screamed quality - very well finished and smooth in operation in every detail. I could hold them steady - not as steady as the 7x42s, but steadier than my 10x42s. Extremely sharp and natural view, and very easy to bring into focus, both with and without my eyeglasses.
For now, I am very happy with my choices, and will likely plan another trip to Lost Creek when the Zeiss SFs are released and available. I'm sure the new Zeiss SFs will be outstanding - I would like to compare them separately against the Swarovski EL SVs when the SFs are released, readily available, and any potential initial "issues" are taken care of (not expecting any, but can't know for sure until they are released to the market.)
Thanks again to everyone for your advice and input! I would be happy to provide additional impressions or answer any questions based on my recent experiences...
Steve