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Message: <blockquote data-quote="APSmith" data-source="post: 1311423" data-attributes="member: 52350">First off - FrankD is a class act, a pleasure to deal with, and a very valuable asset to this forum.Also, I appreciate everyone's input to the thread.  It's a very interesting read.  Based on some of the recent posts, I'll add a little commentary. The Swaro EL: It is my favorite 8x30-32 ROOF, and offers what I (still) believe is the best set of compromises of ANY 8X30-32 ROOF on the market (not including EDG).  It is a very addicting view.  The center is sharp.  The sweet spot is wide.  The stray light is well controlled.   The Nikon EII 8x30:  Right up front, I do not wear eyeglasses.  The short ER on no problem for me.  In fact, with the eyecups extended, the fit of the pliable rubber is just about right.  I can see all of the huge FOV.  The FOV is immense - nothing even close in 8x!  The focus is not fast.  But, I find it very easy to obtain sharpness - I like it just fine - could have something to do with what appears to be an excellent DOF.  Things I would like to change about EII: (a) more stiffness on bridge - I have adapted to this problem and can deal with it, but it's not desirable, (b) needs rubber armor (SE style?), (c) needs a longer eye-relief (and twist out eyecups)for eyeglass wearers.  An EII/SE hybrid with the SE body, about 440' FOV, twist eyecups, ~ 15 mm ER, and a stiffer bridge would seemingly be a very "do-able" design, and I would suspect just about unbeatable.  But, it apparently doesn't make business sense.Optically speaking, the EL and the EII aren't too far apart overall.  The EL is  sharp in the center.  The EII is even sharper.  The EL has good color rendition - possibly just a tad yellow.  The EII has neutral color.  The EL has a good sweet spot.  The EII has a noticeably better sweet spot.  The EL has an easy view in terms of eyeplacement.  The EII has noticeably easier view.  The EII does have a wider FOV, but this is suprisingly not as noticeable.  I will not comment on handling, etc - it's just a personal thing.  Despite the optical superiorities of the EII, I expected the EL to pull ahead in the field.  It didn't.  The EL was very good; but the EII was again just better.  I carried both out into warbler infested habitat on a nice morning.  The EL took more work to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN good views.  It was mostly eye placement and sweet spot related.  The EL was (in direct comparison to the EII) a bit tiring.  I fidelled with the IPD; I fidelled with the eyecup extension, etc, etc.  Every time I got it about as good as I could, I would pull up the EII and just relax.  I finally just gave up and finished birding with the EII.All that to say:  I wonder really if the EII has an equal in terms of criteria 1,2,and 3.  It now seems to me that IF it does, it will come in the form of a full sized glass.APS</blockquote>

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