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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dwever" data-source="post: 3396521" data-attributes="member: 118803">Was at the University of Alabama this weekend visiting kids an couldn't resist a trip to Woods and Water which carries the full Swaro and Zeiss alpha lines.  My 90 minutes there basically reinforced existing impressions. Both SF's armor were not uniformly attached to the bins - is it design intentional that you can press in on that armor where it is not attached to the cylinders?  The HT's remain premiere in image with perhaps not quite the saturation and therefore contrast of the Leica's.  HT's had good build quality, and nice focus.  The Swaro EL's were second to the HT's but ahead of the SF's due to their industrial design and build.  HT's and Swaros and Leica's feel much higher quality in the hand.Interestingly, the Woods and Water guy felt the SF's were "about $1,000 overpriced" due to build issues.  He said they've had at least six 10x samples and one 8x.  He also said the 8x54 and 10x54 HT's were their big sellers as their customers are not typically birders but hunters, and their stock was impressive.  He mentioned most of his 54mm customers were too old to take advantage of the big exit pupil in very low light, but that they buy 'them anyway.  Finally he said the banana Geovids are for the moment the best rangers you can buy and they stay sold out.  Nice retail safari.UPDATE - Cabela's Huntsville, EL's in 10x50 and 12x50, the former on sale for like $2,300, the later the new strap connector at $2,800.  Each very very nice, and would have to be serious contenders for long glass.</blockquote>

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