Swarovski - odd business policy - near point (2 Viewers)

[Bentley03]

Good morning. Long time lurker, but first time poster on here.

I have a question, which I have so far been unable to get a definitive answer on, despite extensive online searches.

I was very close to pressing the button on the purchase of a pair of new EL 10x32 binoculars, until reading this (and another) thread. Clearly the EL 42's received an 'upgrade' to their focusing mechanism, but it appears, as far as I can tell, that the focusing mechanism of the EL32's remained unchanged until they were discontinued and production ceased. I know the close focus distance remained unchanged, but were there any changes to the focusing (or any other) components to enable Swarovski to cut manufacturing costs on this model (the EL 32's)?

Many thanks in advance...

 

[jan van daalen]

Mmmm, nice car....

AFAIK there is no change in the mechanism regarding the 32.

Jan

 

[Bentley03]

Mmmm, nice car....

AFAIK there is no change in the mechanism regarding the 32.

Jan

Super, that confirms what I assumed, and I'm very sure you'd know if it were otherwise. Thank you very much, Jan!

And the car reference relates not to one I either own or aspire to, but one I very much admired on the race track. My road cars of choice are Italian. 🙂

 

[Steve O4B]

Super, that confirms what I assumed, and I'm very sure you'd know if it were otherwise. Thank you very much, Jan!

And the car reference relates not to one I either own or aspire to, but one I very much admired on the race track. My road cars of choice are Italian. 🙂

The big change is now that the NL Pure 32mm bins are available, the 32mm ELs have been discontinued.

 

[Stevenkelby]

Super, that confirms what I assumed, and I'm very sure you'd know if it were otherwise. Thank you very much, Jan!

And the car reference relates not to one I either own or aspire to, but one I very much admired on the race track. My road cars of choice are Italian. 🙂

Don't be embarrassed a Fiat Punto is a fine car! 😂

 

[Bentley03]

Don't be embarrassed a Fiat Punto is a fine car! 😂

Haha, despite your tongue in cheek comment, I did in fact own two Punto's back in the '80's, and thought they were terrific little cars, they served me very well indeed, as did my first car, a Fiat 850, as well as the wonderful Tipo 16V I owned in the '90's. They all had character and charisma, and for that I loved them all! 😉🙂

But I better get back on topic...

 

[Bentley03]

The big change is now that the NL Pure 32mm bins are available, the 32mm ELs have been discontinued.

Yes. I never intended to buy a pair of mid size 'alpha' binoculars, but over the past 18 months I've regularly found myself in situations where I've wished I'd had more magnification than my old and very basic Bushnell 8x42 bins, as well as a more compact design. But, as a glasses wearer, this has proved extremely difficult to achieve 'on a budget', as I am auditioning 8x42's also, to replace my current ones. My intention had been to take a no compromise approach to choosing the 8x42 bins, and throw as little money as possible at the 10x32 bins. The EL's are not cheap, but beside the NL's represent considerably better value for money (in my opinion). My only slight nervousness is regarding the frequently mentioned glare.

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

Bentley, post 227,
Try an EL and look for glare, I never saw any and asking around in binocular shops here there were no compaints whatsoever about glare.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[Bentley03]

Bentley, post 227,
Try an EL and look for glare, I never saw any and asking around in binocular shops here there were no compaints whatsoever about glare.
Gijs van Ginkel

Thank you for the reassurance, Gijs, good to hear not everyone who owns or has tried these bins is experiencing glare. There are no dealers with demo models of these anywhere near to where I live, so I'm just going to have to order them and test them in conditions where glare is most likely to be generated. I also need to ensure that I can use them with both my pairs of glasses, as I often find bins which work with one pair will not work with the other, and with a smaller exit pupil than I'm used to, positioning could be an issue. Anyway, I just need to get my hands on a pair and try them, rather than speculating on potential problems. I really want to love these binoculars!

 

[Bentley03]

Well, the binoculars arrived yesterday morning, and will be returned this morning.

Maybe I should have given myself longer to get used to them, but having driven to three different locations where I would regularly use bins, and with both of my pairs of glasses, I found myself unable to position them quickly or with any confidence whatsoever. When I got it right, the view was very wonderful indeed, but I rarely got the positioning right first time, and found the sweet spot for one of my pairs of glasses involved jamming the instrument against the lenses and using it to elevate my glasses off the bridge of my nose. I struggled to find the sweet spot first time with the other glasses too.

I feel somewhat frustrated and disillusioned, but I guess I either need more practice with a smaller exit pupil, or I give up on the idea of carrying midsize bins. For me, the most important thing is comfort and compatability.

I'll audition some more 10x42's...