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Message: <blockquote data-quote="brocknroller" data-source="post: 1869858" data-attributes="member: 665">"Wifes"? How many "wifes" does Kevin have?? With all that alimony and child support, how does he have money leftover to buy bins??? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />Styling is an interesting topic, one that deserves more attention than it gets, and this thread should probably be moved to the general threads section, otherwise, only those interested in ZRs might reply. All open bridge roofs look somewhat alike, as do closed bridge roofs, as do porros. Form follows function, but beyond the basic necessities of form, there is room for distinctive design. As Jimmy Bean alluded to earlier, how many car/truck/SUV buyers would buy a vehicle they thought it was butt ugly even if it got the job done? And remember our buddy who bought the Leica because the "red dot holds more cachet in the field" than the Swaro that he thought had better optics? (I have a feeling that the new SV EL and SLC-HD might have changed that perception). Looks do count, let's face it, folks. Charlize might try to dumb down her looks so we take her acting more seriously, but she wasn't voted Esquire's "Sexiest Women of the Year" because she shaved her eyebrows and wore no make-up in "Monster". Vauxhall's "The clean line of good design" sounds like an excellent mission statement to me. I've admired Minox's "clean," minimalist design for quite awhile, but the bins are so small and up until recently, they didn't have an open bridge roof, so I never seriously considered buying one any more than I thought of buying another Philip Glass CD. And to take Jim's earlier statement a step further, I think there is a connection in the buyer's mind between quality and understatement in design. Gaudy designs equate with "kitch". Elvis is a "soul" exception. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />Let's compare two of the bins shown in the OP (EL in this post, ZR in following post).  The bloated pre-SV EL loses a point for being a behemoth. These suckas are BULKY. Good for my big hands, but admittedly, more of a proletariat "dicke frau" attribute than one of a lean, personal trainer refinement such as the new SV EL (the old EL is even bigger "in person" than it looks in those photos). Dittohead for the fat, black open bridge. Since it was the first of its kind, no need to blurt out the model name, configuration, and FOV, which are printed in light, white type on the top of the focuser. The Mercedes has the peace sign, the Cadillac has the Wreath and Crest, and the Swaro has the wing spread falcon. Small but distinctive. The eyecups. How can I describe the eyecups without writing on Ode? Not bulky like the frame, but narrow, with just a slight outward chamfering. Perfect for my eye sockets, which are hard to please. The focuser looks nice enough, but don't be fooled, like the SLC, it's stiff to turn in one direction (okay, we're not discussing functionality, but style). Whether you like the pop out diopter design or not, it's easier to use than the EDG's on-the-focuser diopter. The open bridge design was revolutionary. It set the standard for a new style of roofs, one in which the BIG-handed could finally participate. The texture of the armoring is pebbly like old style porros (804 Audubons), but with much finer grain - as if to simulate leather. Unfortunately, with time, the armoring grows "slippy" (see my book "Quaint Colloquialisms of Central Pennsylvania) - not to be confused with the British slang for "quick, alert" - and turns from fine grain to polished glass. Still good looking though. SWAROVSKI written in raised type inset into one barrel (as if anyone would mistaken the EL, well, now that there's a plethora of open bridge roofs, green ones too, I suppose one should look). Bold but not too loud. We end with the end cap, which has a larger falcon on it. It's not a clone, I see the falcon! Fashion statement on the ZR 7x36 ED2 in Hot Farts! Part Deux below....</blockquote>

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