Swaro EL question
General Topic
Saving up to buy some EL bino's.
I live in Iowa, hunt whitetails primarily but do/will travel West.
Trying to decide between the 8.5 or 10x42's.
I'll use either one off of a tripod when I do head west, and plan on eventually adding a spotter as well.
Thoughts?
Iowa: Have both and used for 25+ years. The 8.5's are my 'go to's'. The main issue is the weight factor. Climbing up and down those western hills every ounce can count. But honestly, if it's open country you might like the 10's but for timbered country I just like and use the 8.5's more. Hope this helps....
I havent had a chance to use either of them, gonna head to Scheels and hope they allow me to take both outside.
I'd think the enhanced FOV and lower weight for only a minute or decrease in magnification would point to the 8.5's
I’ll take 10s every time. The west is big! Some of those Iowa areas are too. I would only buy 8s if I knew my hunting would always be in the cover.
10x42 el all the way for me once you get them in a chest harness don’t think the weight difference is very noticeable. Besides a new 10x42 just came out and eBay has some really good deals on the older ones I’ve had my 10x40 els since 2004 and never even consider a different glass as far as binoculars go. Good luck on your search.
10’s for me everyday of the week. I own 10x ElL’s and 8x CL’s If I could only have one it wouldn’t even be a competition. If it’s ONLY Midwest whitetails then there may be a discussion, but I would still probably go 10x personally.
And if you are saying you will be using them on a tripod the ounce counting is kinda moot IMO.
I don’t know what kind of western hunts you are planning to do, but I really have never found the need for 10x binos on a tripod. Specialized situations I can certainly see an advantage, but for general hiking and hunting situations I just don’t see the need it the desire to carry a tripod for binos only.
—Jim
This tripod would/had been used for serious glassing situations, my 10's were mainly in my harness unless I was sitting down for extended periods of time.
Sorry for the confusion
I hunt in the west all the time because I live out here. I use 12x50’s. I carry them on my neck. I can hand hold them. But they really shine on a tripod. Absolutely love them. My favorite piece of gear I own.
best glass out there. i have loved mine since i bought mine new in 2003.
there are times when a guy may say "I wish i had little less magnification", but those times are far less than a guy saying "I wish i had little more magnification".
You are spending $2,500 - $2,700 on binos if new.................. get the 10's....they are a lifetime purchase if not a generational hand-me-down.
I don’t have the 8s. I’ve had a pair of 10 ELs for about 10 years. I love them, and don’t have any issues with size. I don’t see any need to go down in size. I’d love a new pair of 12s to be honest.
10 X 42 EL. It's like buying a tractor or building a barn...How many times have you heard someone say "I wish that I had built a larger barn" or "I wish that I had gotten a larger tractor"....It's better to have the "extra", and not need it, than not have the extra, and wish that you did.....
I just sold a pair of 8.5x42 EL’s they would be great for the whitetail woods but the 10’s are needed in the west. I replaced the 8.5’s with 12 x50 EL’s and with a tripod they are in a class all their own ! There were many days hunting here in NM when I would ask my hunting buddy to hand me his 12x50’s when we would be glassing across big canyons. Swarovski EL’s hold their value better than any bino on the market.
I have been using the 10 x 42 ever since you could buy them for $ 1300.00 if that tells you anything.
10's. I've used 10's exclusively and they are still great in up close bowhunting situations. Would a pair of 8's be potentially better? Sure. In some situations. But the negatives of having only 8's in ANYTHING OTHER than tight bush far outweigh the positives of having the 8's in tight quarters.
Get the 10's. If you want a pair of 8's you can also get a second pair of 8's years later if you want. The beauty of 8's is you can spend less and still have better performance. You need to spend more as you go up IMO.
I have the el and they are great but the new nl’s are something to think about.
10x glass in the west is the bare minimum one needs.
10 x 42 if buying a single pair. Add a pair of 8x32 for closer/tighter stuff later. I have both and in a year they get about equal use but no doubt would keep the 10x42 if restricted to one pair.. Good luck!
If you hunt in places thick enough to justify 8s then you don’t really need the Cadillac of binos either. By the 10 power and if you really need 8s somewhere get a cheaper set of binos.
I own a pair of 10X42 ELs and they suit my needs here in the west. Before you buy, be sure to take a look at the new Swarovski binos that are due out this year. They are said to have a wider angle of view and some other features that are supposed to be an upgrade from the EL's. Be sure to have a LOOK ! The new ones hit the market in September I am told.
If you plan on using them on a tripod, you might look at the SLC's as well. The EL's are great binoc but they are not well designed for tripod use (Outdoorsmans stud system specifically).
The new pure just came out. Lots of discounts on the EL right now.
I live in Vermont and hunt tight wooded areas. I have the EL 10x42s and never wished I had the 8x. I have hunted Newfoundland, Ontario, the mid west, and western states. The 10x42s are great!
I hate all of you. I was functioning perfectly fine until I read Ucs's post above. . . . I have 10x42 EL, now I NEED and MUST have a new pair of Pure 12x42s. . . .
Ya'll have cost me a fortune over the years
Yes the Pure NLs look great and the lower end (power) models are only $3,300 or about $700 more than ELs.
Get the best and do a product review on them for us.
I looked through a set of Pures on Friday....Truly unbelievable. Field of view and just perfect clarity from 10’ to 1000 yds. ELs will definitely be on sale.
Bou, MidwayUSA has backordered status for the new Pure, but it's $3,099 for the 12x42 and $3,029 for the 10x42. It's what they have listed at least.
I have 10X32EL, and like them a lot. I hunt Midwest whitetails and also hunt mountain west.
Good price. The Swarovski optik website says models starting at $3,299 Available 9/1 /20
I’ve never been in the whitetail woods that I have felt overpowered with a 10x Swarovski; EL or SLC. 10s are so good for everything. If I was only going to have one binocular for the rest of my days I would be happy for that to be a 10x42 Swaro. With that said, I have a pile of binoculars...
10’s. Live out West, but deer hunt in AR every year and have stands I can’t see over 60 yards.
10s all day long versus the 8s. No question.
I hunt MN and out west. I sold my 10x and replaced with 8X and I’m much happier. Between the field of view and steadiness, it was a huge improvement.
Good price. The Swarovski optik website says models starting at $3,299 Available 9/1 /20
I have a set of Leica 8x32 Ultravids (that I'll be selling to help fund the Swaro purchase) and really liked how lightweight they were.
I'm going to look thru both the 8.5 and 10's here soon. Thanks for all the feedback!
The Leica 8x32 Ultravids are a top notch binocular that weigh 19 ounces on my scale.....and really nice for a lot of your hunting as you know. Paired with a Swaro EL 10x42 (over 30 ounces on my scale) you’d have a great combo. I’d pick up some extra work or wait another year to save up to buy the Swaros without selling the Ultravids.
I have both the Ultravid 8x32 (for 15 yrs) and Swaro 10x42 (two pair at the house, 7 and 18 yrs old, wife uses one pair) and use the heck out of both sizes. Two pair of Binos of various size and magnification are just like having some warmer weather and colder weather pants to pick from...or a day pack versus an multi day back pack....useful.
10s or 12s for the west period. (You have chosen the best)
check out camera land of new york when comparing prices,also get ready to buy a really good harness to protect the $$ but read all the reviews
I will go against the grain. If I had to have only one set of binocs between the 8.5s and the 10s I would pick the 8.5s. And I hunt in Colorado every year.
8.5s Pros:
Wider field of view, better in low light, easier to hold steady without a tripod.
Don’t get me wrong, I have both, but I use my 8s. 80% of the time. And granted, if you are trying to figure out how good a buck or bull is at 1/2 a mile, 8.5x is not enough.......but neither is 10.
And let’s not forget what website we are on: Bowsite! We are not gonna shoot an animal at 800 yards ??
Can I count points better at 400 yards with the 10x? That’s a good question. I think it is close because of steadier image of 8s. Everyone’s eyes are different? Try both and decide which you will be happiest with. That is ultimate test!
To Kurt and Tx point, I have a pair of 8X32 Ziess as well as 10X42 Ziess, same model except for the size. I never carry the 10's here East of the MS, but do take the 10's when I go out West, but every time I have the 10's, I think that my 8's would likely do just as good of a job. That being said, I am not a trophy hunter when dealing with elk. Take it for what it is worth. I would not get an 8X42 though.
Good call on the bino harness as well. Have the rick young for my Leica's, looking at probably the Marsupial Gear or AGC for the bigger bino's.
Regarding someone's ability to hold 10x's steady, I thought I held mine very steady, until I put them on a tripod. Once I did that I realized how much the image cleared up. Standing and glassing with a bow on the hip is the worst. Standing with a tree to lead against is better, Sitting with a back rest using knees to steady is even better. A tripod is obviously the best. 8's are definitely easier to hold steady and it gets worse as we age, at least for me it has...
All that said, I still recommend 10's and I don't use 8's for any of my hunting even though I've owned a pair. Normally when glassing for longer periods, or even if I see something of interest when standing, it's easy enough to find a place to sit and use knees, or lean against a tree to steady the binos.
So 10's for me for sure.
you could call swarovski and they could tell you what the relative sales mix is between 8.5, 10 and 12. It would be a statistic that may help you.
Another tip to hold steady. Is hold your bow string to chest and rest binos on bow cam. I would not go higher than 10s unless going to be using on a tripod then why buy 12s when you could buy 15s or a scope?
I'm also not a fan of Swaro bino's. I get the "rolling ball" effect when trying friend's EL's. To the OP, most people don't have this issue, I'm one of a rare few, so Leica binos have worked much better for me. I only mention this just in case the OP is buying based only off of recommendations and not personal experience using Swaros. If you've used them and love them, then buy them. IMO you can't go wrong with any of the top 3 and of late the Zeiss' top of line bino has been the top rated for the past few years and that was based off of ergonomics while images and quality are so close it's really personal preference.
The Swaro Pure appears to have been designed to meet or exceed the Zeiss ergonomics along with an improved FOV and they may have even adjusted coatings to help the rare few like myself who can't use Swaro's due to the rolling ball effect of the Swarovision flattening. Damn, might have to take a look!!!
Lot of people prefer the SLC because of the roller ball. Doesn’t affect me but the Swarovision is really the only difference between the two that I know of.
I got the Marsupial Gear for mine,it seems kind of tight but you get used to it and you can get longer strap.They are great to work with
I had a pair of SLC's, really liked them. Had to trade for a bow when my bow blew up on the 1st day of my rut vacation year before last
Good price. The Swarovski optik website says models starting at $3,299 Available 9/1 /20
JohnMC - sitting side by side with 15x56. My 12x50 ELs have wider FOV. And seems to be brighter and more clear. Can spot an animal as good if not better as someone with the 15x56. Like I said before I can hand hold them but they really shine on a tripod. Much lighter to carry around than 15’s too
Just another thought about the original question.
I see 10x42 ELs for sale all the time but hardly ever an 8.5x42.? Maybe they just sell more of the 10x or do people just keep them and not resell 8.5s?
