Cabelas Euro Hd
Equipment
Anyone have any experience with these? Or the meopta meostar hd, since they are the same glass. Good bad or otherwise I'd like to know your thoughts.
Outstanding glass. I think Cabela's actually has them on sale right now for an excellent price. My personal opinion is that the Meopta's are the best glass in that price range by a far margin.
They are on sale. All 3 models. 200-300 off.
I have the Cabelas Euro HD 10 X 42. Awesome glass. Hunt both close & long range with them. Vivid to say the least.
Hmmm I was about to sell my swaro 10x42EL and pull the pin on some Trinovids but may have to change that our for the Euro's...
I have had my Euro HD 10x50's for 4 years now.
I totally am satisfied with them.
You can't go wrong with the warranty that is for sure.
It is your $$$ so you should do what you feel best about.
Good luck, Robb
Apauls, why you coming off the EL's? Most would kill for a pair.
I was wondering the same thing as ohiohunter. Aren't they supposed to be the gold standard?
I bought the Euro HD's. Truth be told fellas I bought the EL's thinking the same thing. "Buy once cry once," "Get the best you'll never be sorry." To be dead nuts honest (Hope I don't get flogged) I just wasn't THAT impressed with them. Maybe expectations are too high I don't know. Maybe it is that my EL's are I think something like 5 years old, before the "HD" coatings came in. The new glass some of these other companies are kicking out after the coatings are at least as good as an old pair of Swaros.
I've been testing binos for weeks. All testing has been done using 10x42's. Been looking at Zeiss Conquests, Leica Ultravids, Trinovids, and compared my Swaro EL's in the mix. I have deep set eyes, so not all binos fit my eyes. Here's what I've found: My 5 year old swaro EL's seem to be optically equivalent to new Leica Trinovids. Maybe if I was a birder I'd notice some odd tinting on some "ruffage" or something lol, but I have been through dawn to dusk with these things and night time and everything in between and can't spot a single difference. My brother has a pair of Ultravids and they were the only set of glass where I noticed a difference. Interestingly enough the difference only seemed to be for about 15 minutes, and it wasn't last light. The difference was about 30 minutes to 15 minutes prior to last light. The last 15 minutes of light they once again seemed on par.
Seeing as we had purchased these, I also had my brother test them. We found both of our findings to be similar. The other thing the Ultravids had on BOTH sets was FOV. The sight picture was narrower using the Trinovids and the Swaros. Speaking specs, the Ultravids I think are like 99% light transmission, and the Trinovids were 90%. Now I should also mention the Trinovids I had picked up on sale (and later returned) were the non HD version. So the newer ones could only be better.
Seeing that these were real world tests, not just the inside of a Cabelas, and my swaros are bought and paid for I simply didn't see the reason to hold on to them. After doing fairly extensive research, people don't seem to get eye fatigue or anything after spending a lot of time behind the other glass, so I just thought I can pick up another set of glass and make $500-$800CDN on it. Buy a couple tree stands or something. The Cabelas Euro 10x42 also have 99% light transmission so I look forward to receiving them and seeing what they are like. I still have my swaros at home, so I will test them side by side before I let the swaros go, but I for one simply couldn't find the swaros to be optically better. The comparison isn't totally fair as I am comparing older swaros to new glass, but that's what I've got. I sure as heck am not spending for a new pair of swaros.
As a side note I used to rent canoes, and when I sold the outfit I sold 4 aluminum canoes and a trailer. I owned half my buddy owned half. With my half I bought the Swaros and a lone wolf stand lol.
Here's the glass, felt like such a baller with so much high end glass at once. The Ultravids are my brothers that he got a great deal on, the swaros are mine (soon to be sold) and the Trinovids I had bought on a sale when they were $500 off, but returned them.
There is a major difference in the pre-Swarovision EL versus the newer Swarovision HD version. I have both and always take the newer ones hunting due to a fair bit higher resolution.....especially the clarity right to the edge. The old glass is good, the new is outstanding. The old ones live in the kitchen to look at the sheep, deer and bears on the mountain above the house.
As a side note I have three pair of Leica binoculars and consider them comparable to Swaros from the same era......2005 Ultravid 8 x 32 (pre-HD) that are my shorter range, non-open country glass, Ultravid compact 8 x 20 that are broad daylight hiking glass as well as a pair of 2010 era Geovid 15 x 56 HD rangefinder/binos. The 15 x 56 HD are optically excellent in my opinion for tripod work. (They mostly live at my brothers house and get used for his long range prairie dog excursions).
Wow, Kurt you've got a nice array of binos! Amazing what we have available to us today. For so many years people have talked about how amazing the Swarovski's are and now the newer glass is better yet. So if you want what people used to brag about, it can be bought for far less today, under a number of different brands.
APauls, I do like binoculars and consider them like boots or hunting clothes....you need more than one pair to cover all possible uses!
As a historical note, if you go back to the original "gold" standard, the Zeiss 10 x 40 from the '70s and '80s, it was significantly inferior to the original Swaro 10 x 42 ELs (to my eyes)! You are right, the optics keep improving, and it sounds like there may be some future breakthroughs on the horizon......"built-up" lenses versus the ground lenses we use today that will be optically perfect and very lightweight. Bring it on!
One other comment on older binoculars....I wonder how much wear and tear on the coatings on the eyepiece and objective lenses have to do with new binos giving superior resolution? I am thinking of a rehab this coming winter on the 15 year old Swaro ELs. Bet that sharpens them up a bit.
Just unboxed mine at work. First impression was man these are heavy but compact, next impression was they feel really nice in the hands, next impression was they fit my face well and dag nebbit they are clear!!!! Colors are so vivid! Maybe because it is raining outside. Will do comparisons later with my older swaro EL's. As Kurt mentions, I wonder if my Swaro's coatings are worn down a little?
I bought a pair of euro hd's to keep in my truck, I didn't care for them and retuned them. The ergonomics didn't suit me. they in no way compare to my EL's , SLCs nor my victorys HT and being are less then half the cost it isn't a fair comparison anyway. However I did compare them side by side with Ziess Conquest HD and a pair of 10x42 Vortex razors. first and last light they didn't compare the conquests, the Zeiss was sharper all the way around and there wasn't any comparison when looking into shadows. The Euro HD were however slight better then the razors, better focas adjustment and sharper at first and last light. If i was in the market for lower to mid level glass I don't think you can can better then for under 1k then Conquest hd's.
Cabelas Euro 10x42HD
Cabelas Euro 10x42HD
Roughly 8 year old Swarovski 10x42EL
Roughly 8 year old Swarovski 10x42EL
Compared them to my Swaros and I was blown away how much brighter they are. Didn't expect that for sure first pic is Euro HD, second pic is Swarovski 10x42EL. I realize that I am trying to take a picture through a binocular but this is the honest difference I saw in light.
All focusing aside, and all the other issues that come from trying to take a pic through your binos aside, that is the equivalent light difference I saw through the binos. I also compared Zeiss Conquests in my travels, but didn't find them any different than the Leica's I compared.
I truly believe that there is an "individual" thing about glass much like how some people will compare bows and totally disagree on which shoots nicer. People are all individuals, and something about a manufacturers glass I believe just works with a person. It may even be the way it sits against their face that they can see better through them. Things like the amount of light transmission etc are just statistics that can be measured and those can not be argued. For me, I am completely pleased with the Euro HD's and they will stay at home. On another note, for anyone who wants nothing but the best, I have a pair of Swarovski 10x42EL's for sale...
APauls,
The new Swarovision ones are significantly better than the old ELs, which don't particularly suck either.
I've had a pair of 10x42 Cabelas Euros (not the HD) and the glass is phenomenal. I did switch over to an 8x42 in a different make simply because the euros are a bit heavy for midwest whitetail hunting in the timber. Great glass though.
WRO yes everything is a little nitpicky. All of the above mentioned units are outstanding pieces of equipment anywhere, no slouches there. I personally don't have the coin for a new set of Swaros, and actually seemed to be one of the minority that experienced the "rolling ball" effect when looking through swarovision. I couldn't stand looking through them for more than a few seconds I would have gone seasick lol.
As for the weight I carry my binos in a Alaskan Guide KISS harness, which makes it not noticeable. I will say this though. I believe the Swaro 10x42 EL's to be essentially perfect ergonomically and I don't know if anything could ever beat them.
Got my hands on a pair this weekend. Side by side with the vortex razor and swarovski slc hd. The vortex (while light and compact) were the 1st out of the mix. All in all I was very impressed with the Euros. Thanks for all the comments guys.
I know a lot of guys would argue this, but I think high end glass is overrated. I have a set of Pentax DCS that were won in a raffle and they are amazing. I think you can buy them for $299 on sale. Of course mine are 15+ years old and maybe they've cheapened them now.
No worries Steve, everyone is entitled to an opinion, just don't argue with mine ;)
Tell that to a bird watcher
Steve,
There is a huge difference between hunting in the Canyon country out west and sitting in a tree stand in Ohio. In you're neck of the woods cheap binos are adequate, not so much where I hunt.
Picked up a pair of the Instinct Euro HD 10x32 on sale last week for a more compact pair of binos. The clarity is exceptional. Cannot tell and difference between Zeiss, Leupold HD or Swaro glass.
WRO, I was referring to being in the west. I am a regular annually and love my Pentax out there. To each there own, I just cant "see" the difference even after trying.
