Swarovski EL 8x32 already discontinued? (1 Viewer)

[sfphoto]

Even before the NL 8x32 is available in stores, it looks like the EL 8x32 is already listed as discontinued in some US online stores (e.g. green EL 8x32 at B&H) and is discounted down to $1600 in another store. Great for those of us who do not want to spend the premium for the new NL 8x32, but they are not yet available for a thorough comparison...

 

[PYRTLE]

Surely quite normal for retail outlets to reduce their stocks to facilitate a new line..... but in regard to being "discontinued", I would think the 32mm EL will still be available for sale a little while longer and in production? The brand will no doubt have sufficient spares for it's warranty terms. Doesn't appear to be any noticable price reduction here in the UK ( perhaps down to new trading processes with Europe ), if anything a slight upwards hike.

 

[GrampaTom]

From Birdwatching.com also , "Swarovski's great 32mm EL binocular is going to be discontinued by Swarovski. The alternative are the new Swarovski Pures. We have a few 32mm ELs left in stock. When they are sold out, there will be no more."

What do we think Swaro is up to? NL32s advertised at $2500. That seems a largish spread between 32 and 42NL. Was the EL 32/42 spread that much or closer?

 

[Aotus]

Even before the NL 8x32 is available in stores, it looks like the EL 8x32 is already listed as discontinued in some US online stores (e.g. green EL 8x32 at B&H) and is discounted down to $1600 in another store. Great for those of us who do not want to spend the premium for the new NL 8x32, but they are not yet available for a thorough comparison...

Well, B&H had the CL companions listed on some pages as discontinued a few weeks ago too, while it was buyable on other parts of the same site. I bought (the LAST!?) green EL32 and a CL from them a couple weeks ago. What I'm saying is they may have some glitches on their website (one worked in my favor and I got the CLs for $250 less than elsewhere on their own site), and there stock may need some refreshing.

That said, the CL and NL LOOK like compact and full-sized versions from the same series, or period, at least, and the EL really stands out as something different. I would believe the change to drop the EL32 and keep EL42 and ELrange as specialty items. Not sure how I'd feel about that, having just bought the latest EL32, but thee NL is well beyond what I wanted to spend, so I guess I'll just be ecstatic that my timing was right to get the best of the EL32s before they're gone!

 

[In Focus]

The EL 8x32 is no longer available for us to order on the Swarovski dealer portal and we were told it and the 10x32 would be discontinued.

 

[eitanaltman]

What do we think Swaro is up to?

capitalizing on their dominant market position?

 

[John A Roberts]

Hi Tom and Eitan,

With the recent announcement of the NL x32 - and now the discontinuation of the EL x32 - Swarovski’s intention going forward seems to be increasingly clear. In terms of general purpose binoculars there’ll be:
• the high-end NL line, and
• the medium CL line *

Unlike the EL x32, the EL x42 is continuing for the moment due to necessity. With the discontinuation of the SLC x42, there’s no other lesser x42 offering
- which stresses the need for a CL x40/42.

That then leaves the issue of the larger roof prisms, and consistent with the above, presumedly the NL x32 and x42 will be supplemented with a x50.
Though perhaps the SLC x56 may remain as a niche item? Unless a CL x56 is to follow?

* and they are of course supplemented by both the newly updated specialist EL Range TA line, and the perennial niche Habicht Porro line.


John

 

[GrampaTom]

Thanks John, I keep forgetting about the CL line. Someone else said it first, but in profile the CL and NL, (sans wasp waist for the CL) do relate visually.

 

[chill6x6]

If I was wanting an SV 8X32....I'd be getting one. I paid $1600 for mine(pre Field Pro) on close out at Cabela's in 2016(I think) when Swarovski introduced the Field Pro system. Folks will be scrounging for them once they are gone. I've seen this movie before.

 

[jan van daalen]

The EL 8x32 is no longer available for us to order on the Swarovski dealer portal and we were told it and the 10x32 would be discontinued.

Mmmmm, maybe a new communication strategy from Swarovski to inform their dealers afterwards about a -no longer available- status of a model through a public forum.

Jan

 

[matt green]

Whatever happened to product development and making an existing product even better value for money, now it seems a potential customer has to dig even deeper for the nl pure if a Swarovski 8x32 is desired..unless You’re happy to settle for the cl companion.

Maybe the el 8x32 will get recycled off to kahles optics like the slc range?

Matt

 

[A2GG]

Whatever happened to product development and making an existing product even better value for money, now it seems a potential customer has to dig even deeper for the nl pure if a Swarovski 8x32 is desired..unless You’re happy to settle for the cl companion.

Maybe the el 8x32 will get recycled off to kahles optics like the slc range?

Matt

The top binos are so expensive now. When (or if) a 8x32 Noctivid becomes available I know I'll be excited, but I don't think I'll be able to afford one. There's not too many bins I'm interested in these days.

 

[PYRTLE]

Have to say Jan, that is a most peculiar attitude from a company with an extremely reputable approach to Customer care, but they must have had very good reasons just to remove the range from their ordering system. I would have thought all their approved dealers worldwide would have been notified as a matter of courteousy.

 

[jan van daalen]

Have to say Jan, that is a most peculiar attitude from a company with an extremely reputable approach to Customer care, but they must have had very good reasons just to remove the range from their ordering system. I would have thought all their approved dealers worldwide would have been notified as a matter of courteousy.

Hi Pat,

'till now such news would reach us 6 months before it would reach the market. It's really a extremely reputable approach to Customer care from Swarovski
to inform the customer before their dealers.
Maybe the Austrian Corona has mutated with this current event as a side effect and after a thorough vaccination program it will turn out to be a one time incident.

Jan

 

[GrampaTom]

I scanned the attachment from John Roberts here today https://www.birdforum.net/threads/glass-types-in-nl-pure-series.407965/#post-4179865. Lots of words. Lots of pictures. Lots of philosophy. Much of that quite good. A bit of duplication. How many ways are there to say the same thing? Pretty boxes, (we pay for). Not much technical. Not unlike the lack of explanations of these product changes and/or the real optical changes to the NLs we're asking about here, https://www.birdforum.net/threads/glass-types-in-nl-pure-series.407965/

 

[GrampaTom]

It's been written, family owned businesses are different from public ones. Internal, non pure corporate, relationships effect decisions and ways, differently than we might otherwise expect from outside looking in, at these. This seems potentially part of Swaro behavior mystery.

As well how "blinded" to other ways of promoting product and communicating changes, are they from the dazzle/sparkle/image of crystal business, which is a quite different thing? At $3000. binoculars "start," to become luxury products. Price as a tool to communicate something about quality, e.g. "It costs the most, it must be the best." rather than more simplistically covering material, labor, variances, a share of development costs, SG&A and a desired profit margin, seems problematic, if there's confusion about the end customer.

 

[Paskman]

There does appear to be a business logic to dropping the EL 32s: When the NLs were introduced the price of the 42 and 32 ELs was dropped, so as not to to compete. Swarovski cut the manufacturing costs of the 42s by simplifying the focuser and increasing the close focus. They did not do this to the 32s, therefore eating into their profit margin. If they kept the margin higher, they would compete with the NLs on price and their sales drop or collapse. If they put in a similar focuser to the 42s, their performance would be too similar to the considerably cheaper CLs and again their sales again potentially drop to non profitable levels. Of course, with the loss of the SLCs, this scenario does not occur with the 42s, as there is, currently, no 42 CL. Should one appear, then you could see the end of the 42 ELs as well. The 50 ELS are of course, currently unaffected by this scenario as long as no 50 NLs and CLS appear. Just my thoughts 🙂

 

[Swissboy]

The top binos are so expensive now. When (or if) a 8x32 Noctivid becomes available I know I'll be excited, but I don't think I'll be able to afford one. There's not too many bins I'm interested in these days.

As long as you have some great ones already, it'll just help you saving money.

 

[Swissboy]

................ Price as a tool to communicate something about quality, e.g. "It costs the most, it must be the best." .......................

Actually that had been Swaro's strategy in the past already. Maybe not continuously so, however.

 

[Aotus]

Do you think there might be a CL42 (CL40 maybe?) in the works to fill the $1k-2.5k gap, and provide a sub $3k option for a 42mm? Otherwise they are giving up the bracket to Leica, Nikon, etc., no?