New released Swaro CL Companion 8x30 B (1 Viewer)

[proudpapa56]

And these two boxes come in a larger box. The actual binocular box is not sealed.

 

[[email protected]]

A frustrating tidbit from a dealer point of view. The cases for the new Companions come in their own sealed boxes so I haven't been able to check out the Northern Lights wool felt cases. I'll have to buy one for myself.

Would you give yourself a discount?:-O

 

[tenex]

And these two boxes come in a larger box. The actual binocular box is not sealed.

I thought people (esp. in Europe) were conscious about excessive packaging these days. If the glass isn't in its case the box is twice as large as it needs to be. The little Zeiss pocket Victory also has an incredibly oversized presentation box. Couldn't figure out whether it was meant to make people feel they got their money's worth (which actually would have required better quality control), or discourage shoplifting.

 

[cycleguy]

Binocular People,

UUUhhhhggggg!!! Said I wouldn't be doing this anymore but did. Purchased a bino sight unseen based on what others are reporting....

Had over $100 credit that had to be used by the 21st (3 days left) or I would lose it. Figured it was going into camera gear but the rumors didn't pan out as anticipated. On-line retailer is indicating the 8x30 cl is out of stock so who knows how long till it arrives???

Had been visiting Cabela's frequently in hopes of getting to handle one but they never did have one available.

Ended out going anthracite/urban jungle. Was flipping on the strap; less is more for backpacking vs all day comfort for hunting.

Thanks for your inputs,

CG

 

[Torview]

Mine should be here tomorrow, and I`m hoping to get over to Yarner Wood looking for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, so may get to try them out.

 

[Troubador]

Mine should be here tomorrow, and I`m hoping to get over to Yarner Wood looking for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, so may get to try them out.

Good luck with the woodpeckers. We still remember a pair that came to look at us by peering around the trunk of a tree as we sat in Groton Wood, Suffolk, having a picnic from about 12 metres away. This was about 40 years ago!

Lee

 

[chris6]

[email protected],

On the site you linked "8x30 New" has "ER 13". Elsewhere for 8x30 CL ER is quoted as "16" but, strangely, on Swarovski's own site I could not find ER for 8x30B at all, and is that the same as '8x30 New'?

Also, I think I understand that ER is a simple spec. and that whether a user can see the limits of the view depends upon his/her face-shape, as well as upon the depth of the eyepiece-lens-surrounds, rather than upon the ER itself.

I see than non-glasses-wearers are said sometimes even to need extended eyepieces, but what sort of glasses-wearers can usually enjoy CL 8x30 New please? (I am the sort which often needs 'ER 16')

Edit: even more so so CL Companion 10x30, "ER 14" on Amazon uk:-
Is that one really only a 'companion' for non-glasses wearers?

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

chris6, post 327,
The clean eyerelief (measured) is 16 mm, but if you wear spectacles you have to take int account that the eyecup rings are about 3 mm thick, so with spectacles you can not use the full 16 mm, but 16-3=13 mm. I hope that this is clear (it has been discussed before).
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[ceasar]

Isn't its new "Optical Box" design for its eyepieces supposed to take care of eye placement issues?

Bob

 

[NDhunter]

U.S. release date 1/23//18.

Papa:

Your PM mailbox is full, could you clear some room ?

Thanks, Jerry

 

[chris6]

Gijs, your post 328.

Right, I have got that.
Can usually get way with 'ER 15' - 3mm eyecup rings = 12mm, so 16-3=13mm should be ok,

but for CL Companion 10x30: 14-3 = 11mm may not do...so thank you

 

[proudpapa56]

Thanks to one of my phone customers, (you know who you are), for giving me permission to open his sealed Northern Lights case box to take a look at the grey wool felt case before shipping. Now I can say, yes, it is very nice, instead of I don't know.

 

[Torview]

Been using mine quite a bit since they arrived on Monday, I`m struggling to find any thing negative to say about them, easily the most competent 8x30 I`v ever been Birding with, (ok I don`t like the diopter wheel), if I could only ever use this from now on I`d have no reservations.

 

[cycleguy]

Been using mine quite a bit since they arrived on Monday, I`m struggling to find any thing negative to say about them, easily the most competent 8x30 I`v ever been Birding with, (ok I don`t like the diopter wheel), if I could only ever use this from now on I`d have no reservations.

Torview,

Your comments are in line with the consensus: optical performance (positive); diopter adjustment (not so positive).

How did you get along with the field pro type attachment system? Comments so far seem more divided on this.

Any other comments about the ergos (non-diopter adjustment related of course)?

CG

 

[Torview]

Torview,

Your comments are in line with the consensus: optical performance (positive); diopter adjustment (not so positive).

How did you get along with the field pro type attachment system? Comments so far seem more divided on this.

Any other comments about the ergos (non-diopter adjustment related of course)?

CG

Hi CG,

I`m well used to the FP system, and a big fan, over 18 months use on my SV.

Ergonomically I think this will suit the majority of users, its very easy to find a comfortable hold. The focus on mine is probably the best Swaro I`v ever tried, super smooth but weighty with equal tension in both directions.

If you`re used to the current Swarovski view, its clear that dna is here.

This is going to be a hard 8x30 to beat.

 

[Hermann]

Torview:

Could you live with the diopter adjustment if you had to change the settings on a fairly regular basis? That's the question I'm asking myself at the moment. The CL has a lot of things going for it from what I've seen on the couple of occasions I had a chance to try it in the field - size, weight, quality of the optics. However, I'm not really sure about the diopter adjustment mechanism.

Hermann

 

[Torview]

Torview:

Could you live with the diopter adjustment if you had to change the settings on a fairly regular basis? That's the question I'm asking myself at the moment. The CL has a lot of things going for it from what I've seen on the couple of occasions I had a chance to try it in the field - size, weight, quality of the optics. However, I'm not really sure about the diopter adjustment mechanism.

Hermann

Hi Herman,

If one needed to make frequent adjustments it would be irritating no doubt, its bizarre really given what quality level they have achieved everywhere else to put such a poorly marked (read near impossible to see markings) diopter system in place.

However mine is set and in reality I doubt I`ll ever need to move it again.

John.

 

[PhilR.]

Torview:

Could you live with the diopter adjustment if you had to change the settings on a fairly regular basis?

Hermann

If you would care to read another’s opinion about the diopter mechanism — we find it very easy to use, which means that even though we don’t change the setting frequently, it would nonetheless be easy to live with if we did have need to change it frequently.

 

[kabsetz]

Making your own more visible markings on the diopter adjustment knob and focus wheel would be quite easy, and I would certainly do that if I had a CL-P. What you cannot change is the difficulty/unfeasibility of adjusting the diopter while viewing.

Kimmo

 

[stephen b]

Checked out the new CL at our local Cabelas. Thought long and hard about picking one up to replace my Leupold 8x32 Mojave. I also thought about picking one up as a gentle trial checkout ( as Cabelas is very good about a return )- but decided against that. My Mojave has stellar optics that compete very well with bins costing a lot more. My main use binoculars are my 8x42 Swarovski SLC-HD ( original one) and a 8x20 Ultravid BL. My wife uses the 8x32 Mojave the most; when I do not use it as a tweener bin (wt wise) compared to my other main use bins.

The new CL optics from what I could ascertain from inside and outside 20 minute checkout where quite nice; much better to my eyes than the previous CL. I am not 100 % sure that it would beat my 8x32 Mojave in apparent resolution, which in extensive comparison to the 8x32 SV the Mojave really holds up very well. The ergos are good ( on the CL); FOV is good; and overall pretty nice bin. Just did not completely wow me. I did not care for the diopter situation ( markings, and adjusting while viewing ) at all. I have never used the current attachment system, so do not know how I would like that, as I tend to be more of a traditionalist. I just was not ready to buy it, and before checking it out, I thought that I very well might be walking out the door with it. If I did not have the bins and combos that I do have I very well may have. It just did not trip my trigger enough to pull out the dinero.

Now, if it had been built the way the old 7x30/ 8x30 SLC ( which I used for years and knew and liked very well) with updated current optics- it very likely would be at my house right now. If for no other reason than a bit of nostalgia, as I do not have a small SLC at this time.