Den Dee ...... Welcome to the Forum! I know this is a long post, but since you are considering a purchase which is a lot of money for most of us, I assume you want as much detail as reasonable.
I have owned a Nikon EDG II 8X32 for little over a year now and I have sampled a Swarovski 8X32 EL Swarovision several times in the store. Not to long ago I was at one of the big box sporting goods stores and mentioned to the sales rep that I would like to bring in my EDG 8X32 and compare to the Swarovision EL 8X32. He was a fellow optics enthusiast and encouraged me to bring it in since he had never seen an EDG. I did just that a couple of weeks ago and we spent a good deal of time comparing both in the store. I have been meaning to post my observations and this is a good opportunity to do so.
At the end of our session we both agreed each binocular is excellent and most important, they are not equal, but equivalent. It all comes down to a personal preferences when determining which is best.
Please keep in mind that this comparison was done inside under store lights and was done free hand (no tripod). This is not a formal review but is mostly my subjective opinions which I will try to put into context.
OPTICS
Each provide an excellent view and I think it would take some time comparing under various conditions to determine which view you prefer.
Glare/Stray Light: I am mentioning this first because it impacts some of the comments that follow. I did notice that when looking through the EL the overall view seemed just slightly brighter, but something did not seem right. Ultimately I realized the EL had a very slight washed out look. It was similar to a white haze in front of the view. I found a spot in the store where there were some dark green vests hanging near by and the lighting in that area was on the dim side. When viewing with the EL, you could see an ever so slight white washed out look. When viewing with the EDG, the slight wash out was not there. The green was just as dark as viewing with the naked eye, and the details of the vest just stood out more. The texture of the material, the folds and the depth was easier to pick up on first glance. I then looked at some mounted ducks on a far wall. The view with the EDG was just ever so slightly dimmer, but the contrast was better and the overall view was more pleasing and had more depth. I felt this phenomenon with the EL did diminish the view of the EL to a small extent.
The sales rep also compared both units and was in complete agreement with what I saw. It was a surprise to both of us, but it was definitely there. We discussed it for a bit and we both think the EL view was impacted by the overhead lights and the EDG was not. In hind sight, I should have taken my hand or or a piece of paper and held it over the EL objective lenses to see if it made a difference.
Brightness and Contrast: The overall view of the EL did seem to be just slightly brighter. However, the slight increase in apparent brightness may be due to the overhead light issue discussed above. As of now, I am unable to say if one is brighter than the other. The EDG had slightly better contrast, but that may also be due to the overhead light issue.
Rolling Ball: This is much discussed topic on the Forum so you may be familiar with it. If not, please let us know and someone will respond. I did see rolling ball with the EL under certain viewing conditions. I did not see it when panning a wall in the distance that was straight away and parallel to the objective lenses. However I did consistently pick it up when panning a wall that was going away from me at about a 45 degree angle. When I first got my EDG, I thought I saw rolling ball once for about two seconds when I panned a distant mountain, but never saw it since and I did not see it during the comparison. The sales rep also picked it up with the EL on the same wall but did not pick it up with the EDG. The rolling ball with the EL was minor and I doubt it would be a problem for me in the field. It is one of those things that you may or may not see so you will need to test for it and decide if it causes you a problem.
Pin Cushion and Sharpness: I was expecting the EDG to have more pin cushion, but both binoculars turned out to be about the same. My compadre and I both agreed that center sharpness, the size of the center view and edge sharpness were all about the same. This was done casually without a tripod, so it may be possible to see a difference with a more formal approach. I doubt that practically speaking, it would be a factor out in the field.
I recall some posts on the forum discussing the EL which said that as you moved about 2/3rd of the way from the center view, the sharpness decreased, then increased again continuing on toward the edge. We both casually looked for that using a small resolution chart taped to a post, but neither of us could detect it. It may be there, but as of now, I suspect if it true, it would not have any impact in the field.
Field of View: Swarovski lists the EL field of view as 423 ft at 1,000 yds or 141 m at 1,000 m. The EDG specs show a smaller field of view of 409 ft at 1,000 yds or 136 m at 1,000 m. We did some casual observations on some markers picked out in the store, but neither of us could notice a difference in the FOV. Maybe one would see it using a tripod, but I do not think there would be any practical difference out in the field.
MECHANICS
Focus Mechanism: This is somewhat of a hot topic on the Forum. Some of the members like me put a high weighting on the operation of the focus mechanism (especially on an expensive binocular) while there are others who think it gets to much attention.
The EDG focus mechanism has virtually no free play, has equal tension side to side, and is silk smooth with no sticking.
The focus mechanism on the EL was better than many I have tried, but it had problems. The good news is that it had almost no free play and the tension from side to side was not bad. However, it had a gritty feel when rotating and would stick when slowly trying to fine tune the focus on an item. It had a ratchet wrench like feel. It would turn, stick, and then break free as you slowly rotated it. The good news is that it can be sent into Swarovski and they can improve things. My brother did that with his EL SV 12X50 and it was much better and acceptable, but it still is not in the same class as the EDG. I would have definitely sent the sample EL in for service. I found myself pinching the focus knob wih my index finger on top and thumb on the bottom of the focus knob when trying to achieve a razor sharp focus on the EL. The EDG II focus tension is slightly on the stiff side so that may be a criticism for some.
I have access to three EDG II units. If blind folded, there is no way you could tell one from another just by turning the focus knob. That is an indication of excellent quality control and design. On the other hand, just about each Swarovski I have tried has a unique personality when it comes to focus feel. Odds are good you will be able to tell them apart just from the feel of the focus mechanism. The point is that if you go for the EDG, the odds are excellent that you will get a unit with an excellent focus.
The EDG focus knob rotates clockwise from close focus to infinity and I believe that is also true for the EL.
Diopter Adjustment: The EL has a click system where as you rotate the diopter ring, it locks from position to position. The EDG has no clicks, just one smooth rotation. The EL is easier to use, but some people like the no click system because they can stop between what would be the click positions. The click positions on the EL are close enough that it was no problem for me to get the focus I was after. Since adjusting the diopter is only an occasional occurrence, I do not give this area a lot of weight in determining my priorities.
One thing that amazes me about the EL line is that I can go from unit to unit, even among the different models and always end up at the same click position. That speaks of excellent quality control.
There was a problem with the original EDG when it first came out where the diopter position would slip when the focus mechanism was rotated. This issue seemed to grow a life of its own on the Forum and you will see a number of posts about it. I believe there is a post somewhere from the Nikon Rep saying there was a tension adjustment issue with the early production and it was addressed. Those that did have an EDG I with the problem, such as Dennis, received an EDG II in return. My brother and I have not had this problem with any of the EDGs we own. I do not think it is a problem with the EDG II and there are EDG I owners on the Forum (including me so far) who have not had a problem. There are a few posts discussing focus mechanical problems with both the EDG and EL models. Being mechanical, they are subject to failure, but I believe both are reliable.
Eyecups and Eye Relief: I view without my glasses and with the eyecups fully extended. I did not do a detailed comparison of the eyecups between the two but both were equally comfortable and both made for very easy eye placement. The EDG eyecup has five positions and I had no problem getting the full field of view with the EDG the couple of times I have viewed through them with my glasses.
BODY, FIT AND HANDLING
Construction: Both appear to be well built and I do not see any obvious problems with either. I have noticed on some eBay listings for older EL models that they show bright metal wear on the edges of the hinge cross bars. I do not see that on the newer SV versions so maybe they made a change. Nikon added more body armor with the EDG II so there is not much to wear. However there is some plastic EDG badging on the front that could be easy to scratched.
Weight, Size and Handling: The EL is smaller and lighter than the EDG. I can see that being a nice feature if you are going to be wearing it around your neck all day or will be doing long hikes. The EL is 20.5 oz or 580 g. The EDG is 23.1 oz or 655 g. Most of my outings are short walks from the vehicle or bird walks of 2 hours or less. The small additional size and weight of th EDG has not been a problem.
Fit and feel is very nice on both and so it comes down to personal preference. Keeping in mind that I am used to the EDG, I definitely preferred the fit and feel of it over the EL. I do not have large hands, a medium glove is on the loose side. However I prefer what appears to be the larger diameter of the EDG objective tubes since they fill the hand better. The EL left me with the impression of being just to small. I had to grip more than I wanted to and my fingers of both hands were closer together and did not mesh as well. I think this is compounded somewhat by the front bridge. More noticeable was the difference in taper of the objective tubes. The EDG has more taper and seems to more naturally follow the curve of my palm. The EDG does not have thumb indents on the bottom, but it does have a rise underneath near the eyepiece end. That works out real well in that it gives support but does not dictate where to put your thumb. I like the fit and feel of the EL, but I like the EDG better. Overall it is not a big deal to me and would not be a major factor in deciding which to get. The only way you will know what feels better to you is to try it.
OTHER
Repellents: Nikon does not list any water or dirt repellent coatings whereas the EL has SwaroClean coatings. I did flick some water on the objective lenses of my EDG and it seemed to bead up the same as other models I have that claim to be water repellent. They do not seem to attack dust anymore than the others. I do not know how the EL performs.
Case: The EDG comes with a nice looking case with the main body being black leather. I do not use it because it has openings in the corners that are more likely to let in dust. I also have concerns of marring the smooth leather finish when the binocular is in a grab bag with other stuff. I have not seen the EL case. As I recall, some of the cases for other EL models were on the bulky side.
Covers: I do not use the rain guard or objective covers that came with the EDG so I can not tell you how well they work. The ends of the objective tube armoring have small "ears" sticking out so it looks like the objective covers should stay in place. I have not seen the covers for the EL.
STYLE AND PRESTIGE
If you are into prestige, then the EL is the way to go. Most everyone will know what is hanging around you neck. I have only had one comment on the EDG. Someone told me "I see you have a nice binocular". I don't know if they just recognized it as a Nikon or knew it was an EDG model. Looks and style is strictly a personal opinion. I like them both so it is a non issue for me.
VALUE
The best value comes down to the price you pay and if you are buying for the short term with plans to flip it or if you plan to keep it for many years to come. The EL will have much less depreciation from retail than the EDG (at least here in the US) so one would think it is most likely the better value. However you will rarely find a deal on a new Swarovski in the US. Swarovski of North America does a good job of holding the price to $2,159. Even deals on used models are not that great because of the high resale value.
If you are buying long term, then the resale is not as important. I was more interested in purchasing a binocular that was best for my needs and was not concerned about selling it in the short run. Better yet, it is much easier to find a good deal on an EDG in the US. Even though the EDG has a higher normal retail selling price of $2,300 it is generally not that hard to find it selling somewhere for much less. Nikon was offering a $500 instant discount when I bought mine and that was after an already reduced price. You can do even better if you are willing to buy a close-out or a Nikon refurb or a demo. I recently paid $800 on a new EDG I 10X32 case display model (which almost nobody ever looked at). It originally sold for $1,800. I think I got a good value.
On the surface, the EL sounds like the better value based on the normal retail selling price and low depreciation, but it comes down to what you initially pay and how long you are going to keep it. Just be sure an buy from a vendor that has an evaluation/return policy that is long enough for you to decide if it is a keeper.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
My understanding is both Nikon and Swarovski divide the world into sales regions and each division operates under their own polices. I believe you are in Germany so the quality of service may be completely different for you than it is here in the US. Swarovski of NA has a service reputation second to none. My brother got great service on his 12X50 Swarovision focus issue, but they did seem to loose track of it for a couple of weeks. I only had one phone contact with Nikon to clarify some questions and the agent were courteous, helpful and seemed appreciative that I decided on an EDG. He did tell me that the main number I called covered everything but they did have a separate customer service group for sports optics and suggested that if I ever had a problem to ask for that group. Unfortunately I did not think to get the number or more details. I wonder if some of the few complaints I have read about Nikon service were because the owner was dealing with the group that normally takes care of camera issues.
Nikon USA offers a 25 year no charge warranty to the original owner. After that is a Lifetime warranty with a ten dollar charge plus postage. The Lifetime warranty applies to a used purchase and a Nikon refurb gets a 90 warranty, then it goes to the Lifetime warranty. This is all in writing from Nikon USA. SONA, by practice, provides a lifetime no charge warranty that transfers to a new buyer. However I have never been able to find it in writing.
CONCLUSION
When it is all said and done, each is an excellent product and will give you one of the best views in the world. The differences will be minor for most. I doubt that you can go wrong with either one.
Bottom Line for Me: I will stay with the Nikon EDG without hesitation because they are the best fit for my preferences. The reasons are 1) The focus mechanism makes it much easier for me to achieve the world class view produced by the EDG. 2) No rolling ball for me. 3) Although not major, I prefer the fit and feel of the EDG, which is a very subjective opinion. 4) It was the better value because it was obtainable at a much lower price compared to the equivalent EL, and I intend to own for a long time. 5) Until I find out more, I have some concern about the overhead light impact on the EL. That being said, I would be extremely proud and happy to own an 8X32 EL SV. If I come across an offer I can not refuse, I will buy it in a heart beat.
Bottom Line for You: I got the impression from your first post that you were hoping someone would provide definitive reasons for getting one over the other. Sorry to say I do not think that will be the case. These two binoculars are so similar and each is so good, that I think you will have to try each and then decide which best meets your needs. Even then, it may be a very difficult choice. It all comes down to personal preferences. They are a big purchase, so it may be worth it to you to try each out.
Please let us know what you decide and how it works out.
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