Everything you say is correct, but I doubt you are prepared to claim that those factors alone explain a $2,000 price difference.
I really think the "alpha" designation itself was supposed to be! But it's been taken and argued over too seriously, got mired in class prejudices, and lost its sense of amusement. It sounds like your goal is to buy such a good bin that you're not missing out on a substantially(!) better experience, and most reasonable people would agree that an EL should still do the trick. The most recently designed model I own myself is 2014.
I am happy to pay premium prices for premium features, especially if those features are important to me. That is why I am happy that SW offers the EL as well as the NL Pure. I do not need 2m close focus, wider FOV, sexy contoured barrels, or a nice carrying case. If not having those can save me some money, I’m all for it. I’m still expecting to get the same quality of glass, design, construction, robustness, and customer support.
Well said🦅🦅🦅
Hahaha, good point! Zeiss’s warranty says for the life of the product, whatever that means. Maven’s and Swarovski’s warranty just say lifetime, but not of what. Swaro’s warranty support does seem to be generous and accessible, at least for those of us in the US and Europe. I especially enjoyed this video about Swarovski Optik NA.
I’d be interested in seeing you report back on that in six months to a year, and what you found to fit your expectations.
Don’t get hung up on the word Alpha. You made a great choice; the ELs are in the top four best binoculars being made today. They're all alphas and all about on the same level optically; the only differences are some FOV specs and color hues; that’s about it. Don’t even think about comparing it to the MHG; it's good glass but a clear step down.
Cuz you multiplied by Pi…
Don’t worry about it; it’s all individual and about the angle and how much glare you’ll see in any binoculars. Sometimes one binocular will have more glare at one angle than another, then slightly change the angle, and suddenly it’s better than the one that was better just before. It's very misleading when photos are taken of multiple binoculars at the same angle and come to a definitive conclusion of how they are going to perform for you. Even more so when magnifiers/boosters are used in the photo. Some people see glare in a dark, if you get what I’m saying.
Yeah, I should have gotten a business degree…
But the MHG is a step-up in glare resistance, a step-up in FOV with an 8.3 degree FOV instead of a puny 7.6 degrees FOV, no stupid FP strap attachments, the armor won't peel off, and it is 6 oz. lighter for $1000 less. That is a no-brainer, I think!
When jackjack takes his photos, he makes sure the binoculars are all square and consistently the same against his camera lens. If the binocular shows glare when it is perfectly square against your eyes, it is going to be worse if you change the angle. In my experience, jackjack photos do a good job of showing the relative glare of different binoculars because I have compared them myself. Most EL's and NL's are glare monsters, like he says. It is an undeniable fact!
Especially the Swarovski Habicht 7x42 GA. It just crucified the new Leica UVHD+ 7x42 I compared it with. I had the Leica boxed up for return in less than an hour!
As a glasses wearer, one of my main concerns is usable eye relief. The Monarch HG’s is 15mm, compared to the EL’s 17mm. 15mm may work, but only just. I think the additional 2mm will give me more flexibility. I expect the EL’s greater mass will help dampen shaking. We’ll see. Regarding the armor, 1) Swaro is supposed to have resolved the degradation issue, 2) I am not going to be using mine in the kind of environment that supposedly causes it, and 3) if it does happen, I am confident that Svaro Optik-NA customer service will take good care of me. I do support the notion of manufacturers being environmentally responsible and using sustainable materials.
This made me laugh out loud.
Absolute rubbish, the above from denco.
Lucky they didn't use 'e'.
