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Swarovski optics question

bjkpharmd

New Member
If you had the choice in Swarovski ELs would you buy 8.5 or 10 power glass? Both in the 42mm lens. I have a pair of the good old Pentax waterproofs in 8.5 but sometimes I really wish I had just a little bit more power.

Second part. On a spotting scope they offer two objective sizes, so who has what size and would you rather have the other?
 
I would go with the 10X. That's what I have (unfortunately not Swarovski), and I've never wished I had a lower power.
I can't offer anything on spotting scopes other than I wish I had anything other than the piece of crap that I have.
 
I have the 8.5 power EL's and I love them. I bought them 2nd hand so I had no choice in power, but I've never felt handicapped with them. More than enough power when in the stand anyway.
As for spotters, if you arent backpacking it I'd buy the biggest objective they have. Bigger is better in optics, IMO. I bought a Pentax 80mm ED scope this fall and its fantastic, even at the edge of darkness. Its the 1st spotter I've ever used that didnt seriously degrade the image once you got above the lowest power setting. Go to http://www.betterviewdesired.com (birding site) and they have a great review on it, they actually rated it above the Swarovski 80. If you shop around you can find them for under $1K.
 
I would say it depends totally on how you plan on using them.

If I were just going to get them for bowhunting in the woods I would actually go with the 8.5 X 32. They are very small and light and even though they are 32's the don't differ that much from the 42's in light gathering.

If you were going to using for scouting purposes from a distance I would either get the 80 HD spooting scope or the 10x 42's

Also the EL's are great but if you want equally as good glass for a much less price I would just go with the SLC. They are just as good just not quite as ergonomic.
 
Here is some good info on exit pupil to clear up what I ment by being able to pick up more light.

Exit Pupil
The diameter, in millimeters, of the beam of light that leaves the eyepiece of a pair of binoculars is the "exit pupil". The larger the exit pupil, the brighter the image obtained will be. Having a large exit pupil is advantageous under low light conditions and at night. For astronomical applications, the exit pupil of the binocular should correspond with the amount of dilation of your eye's pupil after it has adapted to the dark. This number will be between 5mm and 9mm. 9mm of dilation is the maximum amount for the human eye, and this number tends to decrease with age.

To calculate the exit pupil, divide the size of the objective lens by the magnification of the binocular. For example, the exit pupil of 7x42 binoculars is 42 ÷ 7 = 6mm.

Another article
Exit pupil is another important concept to understand, though it is not a property of an eyepiece by itself; instead, it is a characteristic of one specific eyepiece when used with a particular telescope. When the eyepiece is in perfect focus, all of the light from it will be contained in a tiny circle at the distance above the eye lens where the image is focused. The exit pupil is the diameter of this small circle. The exit pupil of an eyepiece on a particular telescope equals the diameter of the telescope’s objective divided by the magnification. Thus, if your telescope’s objective has a diameter of 125 mm and your eyepiece is giving you a magnification of 25 times, the exit pupil of the eyepiece will be 5 mm.

So, why is exit pupil so important? If the diameter of your eye’s pupil is the same diameter or a greater diameter than the exit pupil of the ocular you are using, your eye will receive all of the light from the eyepiece. In that case, the image will appear the brightest it can possibly be. However, should it be that the pupil of your eye can not dilate to a size that is at least equal to the exit pupil, some of the outer edge of the small circle of light will not be able to enter your eye and the image you see will be dimmed.

Given the explanation in the immediately preceding paragraph, it becomes apparent that it would be very useful to know what is the maximum size exit pupil that you as an individual can use. This size varies from one individual to another, though it is possible to make an educated guess as to what your maximum allowable exit pupil will be. The pupils of teenagers and young adults can typically dilate to at least 7 mm. As a person gets older this maximum dilation diameter becomes gradually smaller until it reaches a lower limit. For most people this lower limit is about 5 mm. There you have it, shy away from eyepieces which will yield an exit pupil greater than 5 mm if you are age 30 or older. Everyone should avoid oculars yielding exit pupils greater than 7mm.
 
I don't have the EL model, but I do have the SLC in 10X42. I have been more than satisfied with them. I have never regretted buying the 10X. IMO the extra magnification far outweighs the extra weight.
 
I can find the 10x42 EL for $1670 on eBay with a buy-it-now but stumbled upon the Leica Trinovids for under $1000. I can't find anyone here to match the on-line prices and I really wanted to look through the actual pair I was purchasing. I guess I'm off to compare the Leica and Swarovski at the shop.

The Pentax spotter looks great.
 
If you compare the top brands make sure you go into the store at dusk and see if you can get an employee to go outside with you so you can compare during low light situations. I didn't think there was much difference until I did that at Scheels when I worked there.
 
A friend of mine told me inside a store, there is not much difference btwn the nikons, pentax, swarovski, leica etc but when you see the difference in the products is out in the field, low light, etc...outside.
 
My suggestion is the 10x42s. I bought the SLCs after talking to several experts who convinced me that the ELs have the same glass as the SLCs, just different tubes. I couldn't justify the extra money for the EL's. I have not regreted the purchase for one second. Their low light performance is unbelievable, compared side by side to Leupolds, top shelf Burris's, and Nikons. I would say that you can't go wrong with Leica's or Zeiss glass, but the Swaros just fit my hands and face better. Plus the customer service is unbeatable. I torture my stuff, so when I have had to call to get replacement eyecups and lens covers when I have ripped them, they were in my mailbox four days later, no charge. Can't beat that.
 
I'm a self confessed Leica whore and would chose the lower X for better low light performace. The big ones always show up in the last couple minutes of visible light.

Really you can't go wrong with either....
 
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