New SLC is on the way... (1 Viewer)

[Fireform]

I would interject that, having used both extensively, the Swarovision optics are better than the Zeiss FL, full stop. I spent nearly all of yesterday hunting and birding behind my SVs and did not even remember until I was in my truck on the way home that there exist such things as chromatic aberration and glare in binoculars.

 

[rockfowl]

EL = open bridge, slightly inferior optics compared to ultravid HD and Victory FL.
:

I would totally disagree Temmie, but each to their own

SLC = heavy as a brick, good optics but not better than the cheaper 'brick' Trinovid.

The new SLC's - Completely new design with HD lenses so logically optically better, with a better field of view and larger exit pupil diameter, now an 8x instead an 7x42, with the weight dramatically down and with a new focus mechanism (which is similar to new EL) - hardly a 'brick then

 

[temmie]

I would totally disagree Temmie, but each to their own

No question they are SLIGHTLY inferior, this can be measured and seen if you are capable of seeing the differences. For some aspects I am not capable seeing differences, like the CA people see more in Swaro, but I can see more neutral colors and better light transmission in certain circumstances with the Zeiss.

The new SLC's - Completely new design with HD lenses so logically optically better, with a better field of view and larger exit pupil diameter, now an 8x instead an 7x42, with the weight dramatically down and with a new focus mechanism (which is similar to new EL) - hardly a 'brick then

Just want to temper the rave going on about Swaro optics lately. They are by no means any bad, but to say that they are innovating with the new SLC can honestly not be supported by any good arguments.

If you are just enthousiastic because they look slick (oh yes they do) and you want to spend your money on something new, you should.

But in comparison to Zeiss Victory T*FL they are:
1. pretty late with HD glass, so when viewing that marketing-talk-flash-player thingy that I blocked up first, I wondered if they really can be proud or should be ashamed about being the latest of the class with the fluorite glass.
2. They are very proud of the 'best overview in their class' providing a whopping 136m/1000m distance. This is a whole one (1) meter more than the Victory FL...
3. They have a new focusing mechanism. With one turn of the wheel, you focus from 2m to infinity. Zeiss did that already 5 years ago! If the focusing is smooth and free of play now, they are suggesting it wasn't so in earlier versions?
4. They still weigh 800grams, about 50 more than the Victory.

The only possible advantage would be the eye-relief, which is claimed to be 4mm larger than the Victory. But as I can see the whole FOV already with the 8x42, this would be no advantage particularly for me (maybe for some here).

I would interject that, having used both extensively, the Swarovision optics are better than the Zeiss FL

They better be, for ~150% of the price in Europe, and being developed many years after the Zeiss!

 

[statestat]

Seems odd to have the price so close, about $300, for the HD SLC to the EL, only a 15% upgrade to go from the HD SCL to the El. Not sure how this makes marketing sense, especially since they have not included the 7x42 as of yet.

 

[henry link]

The optical design of the new SLC looks like the SV-EL without the field flattener more than it resemble the old EL design. The old EL (and SLC) had 3 element objectives, a fixed doublet followed by a positive focusing element. The objective of the new SLC more closely resembles the SV-EL with a fixed triplet followed by a negative focusing element. I also see that the new SLC eyepiece is 5 elements rather than 4 as in the old SLC and EL.

 

[Kevin Purcell]

The other thing I didn't pay attention too (as I usually have Flash turned off when browsing) was the new open-bridge design.

It's like the new (new!) 2010 Nikon EDG i.e. this is a single hinge open bridge design. Unlike the Swaro EL double hing open-bridge. There is no hinge at the objective end of the bin.

I see Leupold, Nikon, Kruger Optical and now Swaro all have one design like this. This is the trend of the future!

Seems odd to have the price so close, about $300, for the HD SLC to the EL, only a 15% upgrade to go from the HD SCL to the El. Not sure how this makes marketing sense, especially since they have not included the 7x42 as of yet.

Upsell to the next model, perhaps?

"Well, the SV is only $300 more ..."

It is curiously close in price.

I suspect the 7x42 SLC may have gone .. the previous range only had two bins the 7x and the 10x. Has the 8x now taken over?

 

[henry link]

Kevin,

Don't forget the 8x50, 8x56, 10x50 and 15x56 SLCs. It would be nice to see those in the new range.

Henry

 

[Kevin Purcell]

Kevin,

Don't forget the 8x50, 8x56, 10x50 and 15x56 SLCs. It would be nice to see those in the new range.

Henry

Those I can see appearing. Just a little later. I was just considering the 42mm versions. Perhaps a version for later but it does seem odd given they have 8.5x SV so why not the 7x option at introduction.

That also brings up the idea that there would be a 32mm (or 30mm?) new SLC compact with the new "single hinge open bridge" enclosure. I hadn't thought of that either.

Have these new SLC been formally announced in the US yet? They're not on the US front page but they are on the Austrian site front page (where I presume the OP found them).

http://www.swarovskioptik.at/de/startseite

Their PR in German is here

http://www.swarovskioptik.at/de/pressemitteilungen/pr-de_das-neue-slc-42-hd-fernglas

or you can be amused by the Google translation into English

http://translate.google.com/transla...-de_das-neue-slc-42-hd-fernglas&sl=auto&tl=en

The mention the new focusing mechanism which seems to be "rate changing" to speed up the focus at closer distances (slow close focusing (or variation in the perceived focusing rate across the distance range) is a problem for bins that move a positive lens close to the objective). I wonder if they use some of the SV focuser ideas here?

So is this (to oversimplify) "just" a SV-like design minus the field flattener in a different style enclosure?

They also come with an innovative new bag.

 

[Alexis Powell]

The mention the new focusing mechanism which seems to be "rate changing" to speed up the focus at closer distances (slow focusing is a problem for bins that move a positive lens close to the objective). I wonder if they use some of the SV focuser ideas here?

I don't think reports of the, in my opinion disappointing, SV focus are consistent with what is described here--this is more sophisticated! So now my hopes are much higher of seeing the SV focus upgraded in the near future to a variable ratio such that a single turn takes it from 5 feet to infinity, and with even more speed and precision than my candidate for the current functionality leader, the Zeiss 8x32 FL, which uses a conventional design.

--AP

 

[NDhunter]

No question they are SLIGHTLY inferior, this can be measured and seen if you are capable of seeing the differences. For some aspects I am not capable seeing differences, like the CA people see more in Swaro, but I can see more neutral colors and better light transmission in certain circumstances with the Zeiss.



Just want to temper the rave going on about Swaro optics lately. They are by no means any bad, but to say that they are innovating with the new SLC can honestly not be supported by any good arguments.

If you are just enthousiastic because they look slick (oh yes they do) and you want to spend your money on something new, you should.

But in comparison to Zeiss Victory T*FL they are:
1. pretty late with HD glass, so when viewing that marketing-talk-flash-player thingy that I blocked up first, I wondered if they really can be proud or should be ashamed about being the latest of the class with the fluorite glass.
2. They are very proud of the 'best overview in their class' providing a whopping 136m/1000m distance. This is a whole one (1) meter more than the Victory FL...
3. They have a new focusing mechanism. With one turn of the wheel, you focus from 2m to infinity. Zeiss did that already 5 years ago! If the focusing is smooth and free of play now, they are suggesting it wasn't so in earlier versions?
4. They still weigh 800grams, about 50 more than the Victory.

The only possible advantage would be the eye-relief, which is claimed to be 4mm larger than the Victory. But as I can see the whole FOV already with the 8x42, this would be no advantage particularly for me (maybe for some here).



They better be, for ~150% of the price in Europe, and being developed many years after the Zeiss!

Temmie:

Wow, you do not seem too enthused about the new products coming out from
Swarovski.

I think the new announcement on the new SLC is very exciting, and the reports
on the Swarovision are very positive.

I looks like Zeiss and Leica will be busy with their next efforts.

Lately all we have heard about is about the Chinese HD's, now when the Alphas
show their stuff it is setting the new standards.

You see, competition is good for everyone.

"The best never rest".

Jerry

 

[dalat]

The mention the new focusing mechanism which seems to be "rate changing" to speed up the focus at closer distances

Where did you see the "rate changing" feature mentioned? Maybe a misunderstanding from the google translation?

 

[Ingle1970]

Temmie:

Wow, you do not seem too enthused about the new products coming out from
Swarovski.

I think the new announcement on the new SLC is very exciting, and the reports
on the Swarovision are very positive.

I looks like Zeiss and Leica will be busy with their next efforts.

Lately all we have heard about is about the Chinese HD's, now when the Alphas
show their stuff it is setting the new standards.

You see, competition is good for everyone.

"The best never rest".

Jerry

Agreed Jerry,

It can only serve to put more pressure on Zeiss, and in particular Leica who have been living in the shadow of Swarovski for qute a while now.

Lets hope the R&D men are working hard.
And as far as chinese bins are concerned, they can keep them... B

 

[Kevin Purcell]

Where did you see the "rate changing" feature mentioned? Maybe a misunderstanding from the google translation?

Faster switching between near and far from new Fokussiermechanik

The new focus knob of hard and soft components is in any weather grip and stable. The Fokussiermechanik works very smoothly and consistently without clearance, so the SLC 42 HD is also accurate to use with gloves. With only a half revolutions gives you the option to change rapidly from infinity to Nahfokussierung less than two meters.

If they have positive focusing lens then they need to have done something special to do this. Swaro did do something special in the SV (a two lens focusing system, IIRC).

If it's a negative focusing lens system (like the SLC?) then they probably haven't changed much except sped up the rate.

As we haven't seen a cutaway (yet) then we don't know what the optical system looks like but if they have made them more EL-like(with a positive focuser) then they need a clever mechanism for this.

It's all speculation until we actually see their design.

 

[dalat]

Hi, I got no clue myself about details of focussing mechanics, but maybe you will get more out of Swarovski's translations instead of google's:

"With its unique combination of hard and soft components, the new focusing wheel offers excellent grip and stability in any weather conditions. Thanks to its focusing mechanism, which is particularly smooth and free from backlash, the SLC 42 HD SWAROVISION can be operated accurately even when wearing gloves. Just a turn and a half takes you from infinity to a close range focus of less than two metres."
http://www.swarovskioptik.com/en/press-releases/pr-en_the-new-slc-42-hd-binoculars

There is also a cutaway in the animation here: http://www.swarovskioptik.com/en/press-releases/pr-en_the-new-slc-42-hd-binoculars

 

[temmie]

Temmie:
Wow, you do not seem too enthused about the new products coming out from
Swarovski.

Just not a fan, but always applauding the arrival of really improved optics!

I think the new announcement on the new SLC is very exciting, and the reports
on the Swarovision are very positive.

please enjoy the excitement!

I looks like Zeiss and Leica will be busy with their next efforts.

I don't see how Zeiss should feel the need to improve the quality of the glass, compared to the SLC. I don't know about the Swarovision, that one feels like a real improvement, indeed...
So Zeiss can do something with the pincushion and flat field, put bigger prisms in or redesign the oculars to make them again number one for eye relief (Swarovski has always exaggerated usable eye relief in their technical sheets), or redesign the ergonomics.
But for now, they are light, tack sharp, superfast en fluid focus and without too much CA that I can notice (but maybe you do). And the more I use them, the more I am convinced they are very well built. They are dirt cheap too, compared to Leica and Swaro in Europe. In the US, prices are awfully inflated!

Lately all we have heard about is about the Chinese HD's, now when the Alphas
show their stuff it is setting the new standards.

The Swarovision is setting a new standard, but don't forget they keep setting awful standards in price, too. The SLC is not setting any standards, as far as I can see. If they only had one of features REALLY better, e.g. the weight, or some sort of geared focus (I read on the dutch translation it has 1.5 revolutions from 2m to infinity, which is more than the 1 revolution on the English translation). Or some superb ergonomics. Okay, I don't know about the ergonomics yet, but they could easily build a cheaper model with EL/swarovision ergonomics. I realise there will be a good market for them: hunters etc. especially for the 10x50 and 8x50 configurations. The 7x42 and 10x42 is what I am looking at, and my comments are about...

You see, competition is good for everyone.
"The best never rest".

The more I think about that, the more I am impressed by what Zeiss did with the Victory, and the less I am impressed with the marketing talk about the new SLC.

Now I have made my point and responded to the comments, I won't bother any longer disturbing other people's enthousiasm. B

 

[Kevin Purcell]

In the English PR it is 1.5 turns from 2m to infinity.

I still can't find that cutaway of the new SLC ...

 

[iporali]

The SLC is not setting any standards, as far as I can see.

Yeah - sour grapes...

Ilkka

 

[jacquot]

For use in the field, basically whatever ED/HD alphas you have are going to give you the view you need, whatever critical standards you have. The spec details may lead you one way or another. I know that's not just what this discussion is about, but it's good to keep in mind.

 

[dalat]

I still can't find that cutaway of the new SLC ...

Sorry, wrong link in the post above. Here you find the animation with cutaways: http://slc.swarovskioptik.com/#/home/us

You need to click on one of the dots on the first image of the bin and then the cutways appear (in the text with the animation, it says a single turn. not really consistent with the press release...)

 

[Kevin Purcell]

Thanks, Dalat, for your persistence.

Clicking on the HD Optics dot gives the cutaway. I hadn't tried that.

I suspect that's a negative lens focuser (given the distance between the focusing lens and the objective). So maybe nothing particularly new here.