Thats Scott's take. Not mine. Whats yours?
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Swarovski EL vs Zeiss Victory SF (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Stuarts vision
- Start date
exactly....just an example of how I ended up with the 8x42's. It includes 3 testing sessions at the bird store, plus ordering one pair to my house and returning after a couple days of use. I don't even like 8x32 or 10x32 binos, yet these are some of the most common ones for birding.
the takeaway should be....these are so expensive, and will last you many years, it's best to invest some time into trying them out before getting wedded to one brand and size. If you're not sure, it might be best to try a few different used models for a year before making the big purchase on new ones. You can buy & sell used binos without taking much of a loss.
This is the key point really you can read and watch a lot on the internet but 30 minutes looking through them all side by side and you will know where your money is going š
This is the best advice.
Prolly not. 30 mins in a shop comparing multiple examples will more than likely not get the best outcome. It takes time - time out there where you bird.....
Yeah I am luckily by a binocular shop which has a large meadow area attached to it so you get to look at various birds and other objects which are within the area giving you a good idea of distances and detail levels
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Stuarts vision
Well-known member
Thank you all for your advice, it was very much appreciated.
Had the chance to look through the following today;
Swarovski NL Pure 10x32 and 8x32, all I can say is WOW, I was absolutely blown away, unbelievable experience, the handling, view, everything just blew me away.
Zeiss Victory SF 8x32, I was rather disappointed with these, they weren't in the same class as the NL Pure in my opinion and felt a little cheap. The eye cups felt uncomfortable to me and looked plastic, even the lighter weight compared to the NL Pure just made them feel cheaper.
Swarovski El 8x32, not in the same class as the NL Pure but a big improvement compared to my Opticron BGA Classics I am upgrading from. I could make out more detail and the wider field of view compared to my Opticron is a big improvement.
I also thought the Zeiss Victory which I quickly eliminated weren't as good as the EL, in my humble opinion.
Anyway after speaking with the better half she knew I couldn't justify the massive price difference of the EL's and the NL Pure and as she said I wanted something better, lighter and with a wider field of view compared to my Opticrons which the El ticked all boxes.
She also said, I can put the 1k saving by buying the EL instead of the NL towards the Swarovski ATC scope which sealed the deal on the ELs. They are also on mint condition, see attached.
I think I have made the right decision but, man those NL;s WOW.
Again, thank you all for your advice.
Had the chance to look through the following today;
Swarovski NL Pure 10x32 and 8x32, all I can say is WOW, I was absolutely blown away, unbelievable experience, the handling, view, everything just blew me away.
Zeiss Victory SF 8x32, I was rather disappointed with these, they weren't in the same class as the NL Pure in my opinion and felt a little cheap. The eye cups felt uncomfortable to me and looked plastic, even the lighter weight compared to the NL Pure just made them feel cheaper.
Swarovski El 8x32, not in the same class as the NL Pure but a big improvement compared to my Opticron BGA Classics I am upgrading from. I could make out more detail and the wider field of view compared to my Opticron is a big improvement.
I also thought the Zeiss Victory which I quickly eliminated weren't as good as the EL, in my humble opinion.
Anyway after speaking with the better half she knew I couldn't justify the massive price difference of the EL's and the NL Pure and as she said I wanted something better, lighter and with a wider field of view compared to my Opticrons which the El ticked all boxes.
She also said, I can put the 1k saving by buying the EL instead of the NL towards the Swarovski ATC scope which sealed the deal on the ELs. They are also on mint condition, see attached.
I think I have made the right decision but, man those NL;s WOW.
Again, thank you all for your advice.
Attachments
Owlbarred
Well-known member
Well said and a crucial consideration when buying.
tenex
reality-based
So do I, congratulations on a lovely EL. Taste varies on most things, but your reactions to EL/NL/SF are quite similar to mine... I actually prefer SLC (which you seem not to have encountered) to EL but never mind, I didn't want to make the choice any harder. I'm impressed by NL but wasn't convinced to buy one, the previous generation was already so good and possibly even more comfortable somehow. I find myself having that sort of reaction lately instead of wanting the latest and greatest.
Yes, good choice! I have the NL 10x32 but if the EL 10x32 was still available I would have bought that one. I was a bit blinded by the large FOV, but now I have it, it just does not blow me away. NL 32 is even heavier than stated by swarovski, so you have the most lightweight option with a very nice FOV. You do not have the field pro now and I think you wont regret that. I have a SLC as well, which I like very much. I prefer the strap of the SLC, the one you have now.
Besides that, I have the ATC 56 and I really like it!
Besides that, I have the ATC 56 and I really like it!
Stuarts vision
Well-known member
Thanks Reinier,
I am very happy with the EL's, a significant improvement over my 15 year old Opticron BGA Classics.
I am looking to buy a scope now and have it narrowed down to the Swarovski ATS 65 and the ATC. Don't want anything bigger or heavier.
Have you compared the above and what do you like about the ATC?
Many thanks
tenex
reality-based
There is a whole section of the forum devoted to scopes: Spotting Scopes & tripod/heads
Congrats on the EL's! Love the optics on those. It's a powerful instrument in a very compact form. Rock-solid build quality. I'm not that excited about wide-field and I wouldn't value the NL's much over the EL 8x32 myself. As prices go into the stratosphere you have to start doing the math on the value - for me the 10X56 SLC made the most sense.
Short answer. I did not compare them. I went straight for the ATC 56, because:
- more compact and lightweight.
- flat field. Nice for digiscoping.
- handheld possible. So useable without tripod
Stuarts vision
Well-known member
No, but I did try the Zeiss Conquest a couple of months ago and again I was very disappointed. I actually preferred my Opticrons. The Zeiss just felt cheap and the focusing wheel was awful, as were the eyecups.
I am being honest when i say I had nothing against Zeiss before I bought the EL's. That's why in my initial post I wanted to compare the Zeiss SF against the EL's a friend was selling before i committed as I wanted an Alpha pair of binoculars. Part of me was wishing the Zeiss would be better than the EL's before I compared them but, unfortunately this wasn't the case.
Why Zeiss don't improve the eyecups is confusing to me, for me they are one of the most important considerations, I mean what do you do with binoculars except put them up to your eyes.
The Zeiss SF were no match compared to the Swarovski EL's with the winged eyecups.
In my humble opinion.
Hey Stuart, nice catch on the EL 832. Bet you'll love it.
On scopes.. After years of avoidance, last fall I bit the bullet. Wrote about it here. You might find this interesting, I hope.
www.birdforum.net
Am still thinking that was a good choice. Got two see an ATS 65 this weekend for the first time, (wasn't available where I bought the Opticron). Im glad to have pocketed the money.
That bit of savings helped with the NL832 I bought as compliment to scope. I see them as a system. Now keep 1042s for non scope days/places.
On scopes.. After years of avoidance, last fall I bit the bullet. Wrote about it here. You might find this interesting, I hope.
Am I the Only One...
......who sees it this way? I bought a scope back in September. I was a reluctant purchaser, as I'd a well laid down, preferred way of birding. Fanny pack on hook, binos in pouch, grab and go wherever the mood on a given day. Birding is always fundamentally about a hike, always getting out and...
www.birdforum.net
Am still thinking that was a good choice. Got two see an ATS 65 this weekend for the first time, (wasn't available where I bought the Opticron). Im glad to have pocketed the money.
That bit of savings helped with the NL832 I bought as compliment to scope. I see them as a system. Now keep 1042s for non scope days/places.
Stuarts vision
Well-known member
Thanks for the link Tom,On scopes.. After years of avoidance, last fall I bit the bullet. Wrote about it here. You might find this interesting, I hope.
Am I the Only One...
......who sees it this way? I bought a scope back in September. I was a reluctant purchaser, as I'd a well laid down, preferred way of birding. Fanny pack on hook, binos in pouch, grab and go wherever the mood on a given day. Birding is always fundamentally about a hike, always getting out and...
Will save this for my after tea reading in the week. š
etc
Well-known member
I upgraded from the 2007 8.5x42 EL to the first gen of 8x42 SF and regretted it. I liked the EL better. Probably because of the 0.5x difference in power, which is noticeable.
I thought I would prefer the better FOF, DOF, etc. and realized the higher power is nicer. Since then dumped both and moved to 10x Zeiss.
Highly suggest 8.5x42 EL, versus a 30mm objective.
I thought I would prefer the better FOF, DOF, etc. and realized the higher power is nicer. Since then dumped both and moved to 10x Zeiss.
Highly suggest 8.5x42 EL, versus a 30mm objective.
norway
š»FPš»
Just wanted to echo @tenex's comment that the FoV for the 32 mm ELs, though not quite as insanely gigantic as their equivalents in the SF and NL, is still among the widest available; I've personally never felt constrained by it.
Anyway, I was wondering about your experience with the 8x32s a few months on; are you still happy with them?
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