Whatever Happened To Swaro's Latest Bin? (1 Viewer)

[Pileatus]

http://www.swarovskioptik.com/en/press-releases/80
http://www.swarovskioptik.com/upload/media/media/43/pr_el_swarovision_en[1308].pdf
http://el.swarovskioptik.com/ (Open then click to see the details)

I'm guessing it will take less than 5 minutes to evaluate this binocular.

 

[npos]

Looks like they are on the way. Check out official swarovski site 13/10/09.

Tim

Fresh meat instead of the bleached bones the BF regulars have been tirelessly and redundantly quarreling over the recent few years. . . ;>)

 

[NDhunter]

http://www.swarovskioptik.com/en/press-releases/80
http://www.swarovskioptik.com/upload/media/media/43/pr_el_swarovision_en[1308].pdf
http://el.swarovskioptik.com/ (Open then click to see the details)

I'm guessing it will take less than 5 minutes to evaluate this binocular.

John:
Nice links here to get a good look at the new Swaro. Should be a nice bin,
things here that look improved are the more grippy rubber covering, more shallow thumb detents, improved weight balance, brighter HD glass and better, smoother focuser wheel.

These are all things that I can see are nice improvements.

Then this new EL will be much like the Nikon EDG that I have enjoyed.

 

[drn]

Fresh meat instead of the bleached bones the BF regulars have been tirelessly and redundantly quarreling over the recent few years. . . ;>)

:t:
quite right.
But it inevitably turn out to be a bone of contention anyway.

 

[drn]

J brighter HD glass

why should "HD" glass be brighter |8.|

 

[Kammerdiner]

Great links, John. I love that 360 "cut view." Something tells me the SE's may have finally met their match in roof prisms--at maybe 5x the price!

I can't wait to read the reviews 'cause I sure can't afford one.:-C

 

[Mac308]

It's a bloody shame Swarovski decided to go with a "fast focus"... that's something in a bin I just can't live with.

Oh well...

 

[John M Robinson]

It's a bloody shame Swarovski decided to go with a "fast focus"... that's something in a bin I just can't live with.

Oh well...

Mac, I don't know if you're a birder, I'm not, but having read post here for a while I learned that birders value fast focus because they are viewing birds at relatively short distances, and have to refocus quite a bit with birds at various distances. For my kind of longer range vieweing I like slower, more precise focus mechanisms. The focus on my Nikon SEs are perfect.

John

 

[blizdas]

It's a bloody shame Swarovski decided to go with a "fast focus"... that's something in a bin I just can't live with.

Oh well...

From what I've seen, the new EL's have 2 full rotations from infinity to close focus. I think most wouldn't consider that to be a "fast focus". Now the 8x32 Nikon Premiere, with less than one full turn from end to end, has a fast focus :t:

Ben

Ben Lizdas
Sales Manager
Eagle Optics
www.eagleoptics.com

 

[falcondude]

From what I've seen, the new EL's have 2 full rotations from infinity to close focus. I think most wouldn't consider that to be a "fast focus". Now the 8x32 Nikon Premiere, with less than one full turn from end to end, has a fast focus :t:

Ben

Ben Lizdas
Sales Manager
Eagle Optics

It is all relative. it is faster than old EL. Just like new Zen ED2 is slightly faster than the other first generation ED. In practice, I don't think there is much difference in focus speed.

 

[SUGS]

It's a bloody shame Swarovski decided to go with a "fast focus"... that's something in a bin I just can't live with.

Oh well...

They probably mean fast focus compared to previous EL models, which are pretty slow from what I remember.

 

[falcondude]

They probably mean fast focus compared to previous EL models, which are pretty slow from what I remember.

Mine is 2+ turn. It does not feel slow at all.

 

[henry link]

The focus speed of the new EL is probably not going to be particularly fast or slow. About one of the two turns from "close focus" to infinity will be used up just going from 1.5m to about to about 3m, then about one more turn from 3m to infinity which is about average, not exceptional one way or the other. IMO, the original EL focus was too slow for birding that included quick changes from close to distant focus. I was much happier after my pair was converted to the "fast" (still slightly slower than average) focus.

There may be more controversy about the lack of pincushion distortion in the new EL. Some people are not going to like the "rolling globe" effect when panning.

 

[Mac308]

From what I've seen, the new EL's have 2 full rotations from infinity to close focus. I think most wouldn't consider that to be a "fast focus". Now the 8x32 Nikon Premiere, with less than one full turn from end to end, has a fast focus :t:

Ben

Ben Lizdas
Sales Manager
Eagle Optics
www.eagleoptics.com

Ben, would the new Swaro be as fast as, say, the Zeiss 8x32FL?

 

[Mac308]

Mac, I don't know if you're a birder, I'm not, but having read post here for a while I learned that birders value fast focus because they are viewing birds at relatively short distances, and have to refocus quite a bit with birds at various distances. For my kind of longer range vieweing I like slower, more precise focus mechanisms. The focus on my Nikon SEs are perfect.

John

John, I am a "birder" though not in the sense that many are here. I'm always looking at birds while I'm out looking at everything else. I have quite a few bird books but quit "logging" bird sightings in my Peterson many years ago... just felt out of place for me.

I've heard the idea of a "fast focus" being something some birders may want, but I found it absolutely unacceptable in a recent bin purchase (8x32FL). I just couldn't live with something in and out of focus so quickly. That and the 8x32 had less fine resolution, a smaller sweet spot, and a "harsher", less mellow image than my Leica 8x32 BR's.

 

[ticl2184]

How many glass elements do we count from the 3D cut view.
I count 6 in the objective 2 in the field flattener and 4 in the eyepiece.
Including the prisms thats 14 air to glass elements. That has to reduce overall light transmission doesn't it ?

 

[blizdas]

Ben, would the new Swaro be as fast as, say, the Zeiss 8x32FL?

The 8x32 FL goes just a bit over one full turn from near to far focus. Certainly faster than the new EL.

Ben

 

[henry link]

How many glass elements do we count from the 3D cut view.
I count 6 in the objective 2 in the field flattener and 4 in the eyepiece.
Including the prisms thats 14 air to glass elements. That has to reduce overall light transmission doesn't it ?

I think there are even more than 14 surfaces from what looks like a total of 10 lens elements and 2 prisms. I count 18 surfaces if the first field flattener lens is cemented to the back of the prism, 20 if it's air-spaced. The objective looks to be 4 elements in 3 groups (including the focusing lens) which makes 6 surfaces. The eyepiece is 4 elements in 3 groups, so that adds 6 more surfaces. The Schmidt-Pechan prism cluster has to have an air space between the prisms so the 2 prisms add 4 more. Finally the field flattener looks like an air spaced doublet which adds 4 more for a total of 20. If the first lens of the field flattener doublet is cemented to the prism (I can't tell for sure) then subtract 2 for a total of 18. That compares to 14 for the Zeiss 8x42 FL (AK prisms can be cemented), 16 for the Leica 8x42 Ultravid and 18 for the Nikon 8x42 EDG and LX-L (Basically the same design as the Leica except 4 group eyepieces instead of 3). There's probably not going to be much if any visible difference in brightness among the Swaro, Leica and Nikon EDG, but it's likely the Zeiss will continue to be the brightest of the bunch thanks to the AK prism.

 

[Mac308]

it's likely the Zeiss will continue to be the brightest of the bunch thanks to the AK prism.

I have to politely disagree here. My experience with the Zeiss is not that it's brighter, just more "contrasty" which gives one the illusion of brightness. I find the Zeiss image "harsh" compared to the Swaro and Leica. In low light conditions the Zeiss is no "brighter" than the Leica Ultravid...

 

[Mac308]

The 8x32 FL goes just a bit over one full turn from near to far focus. Certainly faster than the new EL.

Ben

Thanks Ben. That's useful info... do you know if Swaro plans on an 8x32 in the new design?