Swarovski SLC HD Binoculars

In the world of premium binoculars it seems as if the high end has no upper end, at least where the advancement of price, quality, performance are concerned.. Take the new Swarovski SLC binoculars with HD Glass for example; apparently the engineers at Swarovski were not satisfied with the current production SLC binoculars so they decided to up the bar once again. This was of particular importance to me as the SLC was one of my favorite binoculars, so I was eager to see what changes they were making to my old friend, especially since I had learned that the price was going up as well.

What can I say, sometimes change is good and sometimes it’s very good, and true to form for Swarovski it’s the latter always seems to be their reality. I read in one of their advertisements that they are calling the new SLC HD a “Classic Perfected” and I don’t see how a better description of this binocular could be made.  It is as near a perfect binocular as I’ve ever held in my hand, absolute magic.

Now there are lots of features to this binocular and you can find them all on the Swarovski Optik website, but here are some of my most important observations. First, a great binocular has got to feel natural in the hand, like the TV remote or a long neck bottle, you get the idea, and this binocular feels absolutely natural in every respect.  Second on my list is ease of function, and this is where Swarovski binoculars always seems to do it a lot better then most. The focus wheel is absolutely perfectly located and sized and even uses a combination of hard and soft materials which provides the perfect grip and feel wet or dry. Its buttery smooth and covers all practical focusing needs with a single turn, it will even focus down to an amazing short distance of 6 feet, so you can check out all the stuff near you that you’d rather not touch. Third, and very importantly they redesigned the dioptric compensator and expanded its capability. When it’s all said and done this binocular has an amazing vision impairment correction capability of 6 dpt. Just about everybody on the planet can optimize the view thru these binoculars. Swarovski was also thinking of my friends that wear eye glasses as they built a generous eye relief into this binocular, an amazing eye relief of 16mm in the 10X model and 18.5mm in the 8X model. At first you might think that all of this eye relief would come at the compromise of field of view, and in most binoculars it would, but Swarovski is using a very special wide angle eyepiece and the fields of view are just fantastic.

I know that shopping for a premium level binocular can be a bit overwhelming, and truthfully there are lots of really good options on the market, but if your thinking of buying one right now then I suggest you give these new Swarovski binoculars some serious consideration. They are simply magic!

Leupold Golden Ring Switch Power binocular

Now let  me start off with honesty; I’m not the first guy in the office to go around preaching about Leupold. I know that they are a huge company with a large following…I’m just not one of them. However, I just had the opportunity to test out the new Leupold Golden Ring Switch Power binocular and I was surprised. I liked it. And I don’t think that I wanted to like it. I thought that I would pick it up and just hate it from there. The binocular felt like quality construction. I thought it would be gimmicky and have shotty construction. It didn’t. The 10x/17x model that I held not only felt like a solid piece of optics but weighed considerably less than the other brand’s switch power bino. I used the other guy’s bino a few months ago and it was confusing because the switching happens independantly on each barrel. The Leupold center switch was very easy and effective. Next I thought that I wouldn’t be able to see anything at the high power because of the lower exit pupil. I was really surprised that the bino did not seem to dim. If I had been looking at them at lunch I would have thought that the sun’s brightness was compensating, but it was twenty minutes until dark and the switch was seamless. Visually they were great with crisp focus, perfect contrast and beautiful color. The Leupold Golden Ring Switch Power binocular is a great binocular and is everything that they say it is. My world crumbled.

The new Swarovision EL 42 Binoculars

How can the best possibly get any better? It’s hard to imagine getting a better binocular than the Swarovski EL series, but the new generations of Swarovski EL Swarovision 42 binoculars are even better. By using a flatter lens, the new EL 42’s will have the ability to pick up the smallest details and finest structures with sharp clarity up to the image edge. These binoculars give you very sharp peripheral focus, even the finest objects in the very edge of the binocular are very clear. This sharp focus will allow you to focus and identify objects at lightning speed. These binoculars also sport high definition fluoride lenses that aid in contrast and peripheral resolution. This technology eliminates annoying color-fringing allowing the user new insights into nature’s world of shapes and colors. Another great feature is large eye relief, perfect for eyeglass wearers allowing them to enjoy the edge sharpness. The eye cups have 3 stage adjustments to suit everyone, also allowing for comfortable use. Like previous models, the new EL 42’s have Swarovski’s superb lens coatings, Swarodur,Swarobright, and Swarotop. These coatings allow for lifelike color reproduction and outstanding brightness even in lower light conditions. They also come complete with Swaroclean coatings on the outer lenses, making care of the outer lens easy to clean and repel dirt, water, insect repellents and tree sap. The EL 42’s have a new focusing mechanism that is smooth and tolerance free making the EL 42 comfortable and precise for all around observation. They have a close range of 5 feet, so the EL can become a magnifying glass for macro observation of insects and other fine objects at close range. The new focusing mechanism enables correction of vision at least 6 diopters to accommodate for near or far sidedness. It also offers plus or minus 5 diopters to accommodate for different visual acuity in each eye.  This gives you maximum adjustment for individual visual acuity when used without glasses. Lastly the new EL 42 has the time tested fully functional wrap around but with some new improvements. The grip and focusing mechanism are designed so that the binoculars can be held and operated securely even with one hand wearing gloves. All load bearing parts are made of strong yet light weight material and high quality alloys for maximum ruggedness and stability.  The new design, alloy, and magnesium housing gives the new Swarovski EL Swarovision 8.5×42 an impressive weight of 28 ounces. To summarize, the advantages are: you are getting 6 lens objectives with excellent light gathering qualities, sharper quality in the periphery, flatter lens for sharp detail, proven lens coatings to improve vision in low light conditions and coatings to help keep your lens clean.  Also included is fast and precise focus, great macro observation, removable eyecups with various adjustment stages, and rugged yet light magnesium housing. Next, a new mechanism that allows easy yet precise focusing.  Finally the EL 42 is airtight, dustproof, and watertight to 13 feet.  The design is functional, fast and easy even when using one hand. I could go on about these binoculars, but I’ll just stop here and say I cannot wait to get my hands on some. They will be available spring 2010 in Swarovski EL Swarovision 8.5×42 and Swarovski EL Swarovision 10×42 and the suggested retail price is 2,479.00$ on the 10×42 and 2339.00$ on the 8.5×42. That’s the word from sportoptics.com.

Nikon @ Shot Show

We stopped by our friends at Nikon Sport Optics to review some of their 2009 product introductions. We always look forward to this visit because this company has the reputation of consistently introducing new products that really fit the needs of their customers, and this year was no exception.

We asked Jon LaCorte, Nikon’s Senior Product Manager, to give us a drive by introduction to two of his favorite 2009 items.

• First, on his list was the new binocular the Monarch-X. Built on the ultra successful lightweight frame of the Nikon Monarch this unit fits the hand like a fine sports car. It’s stylish in looks and has the super reflective prisms usually restricted to the markets most expensive binoculars.  The best I can suggest is that this Nikon Binocular is optically about as good as it gets, and with a street price of about $500 its sure to be a big hit.
• The second product reviewed dealt with Nikon’s introduction of the Coyote Special Rifle Scope, a specialty rifle scope built from the ground up with the Coyote hunter in mind. To make the scope as effective as possible Nikon developed its new Predator BDC Reticle. This reticle design is optimized for quick target acquisition on running game. A real plus for those fast moving critters.

Zeiss Victory Compact Binocular Review

Greetings. I wanted to talk about the Zeiss Victory compact binocular today. The Victory series is of course Zeiss’ flagship line. The compact family sports two sizes: the 8×20 and 10×25. The fully coated optics realistically boasts maximum brightness in minimum dimensions. The view is tremendous with crisp sharpness that fits in any pocket. What I really like about these compacts over their little sister line, Zeiss Conquest,  is the single hinge design. It’s asymmetrical design took a few minutes to get over, but it really does makes sense and allows one barrel to fold under the other and therefore compresses the unit to it’s minimum. The single hinge (to me) is better because there is only one axis to adjust the interpupilary distance…with the Conquest’s dual hinge the barrels can float around and be off-set from each other. In my experience, you need a binocular be set up and working in a matter of seconds with minimum adjustments. Mother Nature is not going to sit around wait for me to catch up. I think that a single hinge accomplishes this best. Now I know there are a lot of fine qualities to the Conquest compact and that it has a huge following of satisfied customers, but this is a review of the Zeiss Victory and I’m allowed to be a little biased.

It’s always give and take with binoculars and if I have to give up the benefits of a full size bino then it better take me to multiple places and work perfectly. When I look at buying a compact binocular it has to fit into several environments. I think that the Zeiss Victory compact family does this very well. The Victory compact is a very versatile binocular that can go from the ball game, to nature hike, and opera in one weekend. The simple black housing is stylish enough for the theater and sporty enough to cover all other occasions. It’s truly compact and of course nitorgen purged to protect the internal components from oxidation as well as prevent internal fogging. Compacts are probably the hardest working binoculars out there since they need to perform well with minimum housing, that’s why it’s especially important to choose a well-established authority in optics (like Zeiss) when purchasing one.

As far as the sizes go, if you are either a birder or theater goer, you should consider the 8×20 for the larger field of view. If you are a traveler and want that extra magnification of vistas and far off animals, I’d choose the 10×25’s. Zeiss has designed them to have the same exit pupil so they will work the same in low light. Just make sure that you purchase them from an authorized Zeiss dealer in order to get their USA lifetime warranty.

Steiner 20×80 Military Binoculars

Today I want to talk about the highly specialized Steiner Military 20×80 binocular. I got to my hands on these binoculars last Friday and was surprised at their performance. The optics are amazing; although the eye pieces have to be focused individually. The 20×80 is like the Incredible Hulk compared to other binoculars with massive lenses and a body length of 12 inches. Just like the shirtless Hulk the binos come without a case. At 20x you have to stabilize them, so they do come with a tripod adapter in the box. This was pretty easy to set up and really enhanced my viewing experience. I used them in the late afternoon and was impressed at the color clarity and crispness of the tree line I was gazing into. I also pointed them at the half moon and enjoyed the full texture and tones of its surface. Now make no bones about it, these binoculars are the real deal; a marriage of quality construction with high performing optics. However, I’m not sure where they fit in the world of binoculars outside of highly specialized military use (and even then, I’m not sure what that application would be).

I wanted to write this article for the backyard astronomer who thinks that the Military 20×80 would be a great tool for the hobby. I know you guys are out there; you’ve called me before. These binoculars are set at 20x so other than the moon you are not gonna see any of the planets…I don’t care how much they cost or how great the glass is. Also, the exit pupil of 4mm is too small for gazing into the dark abyss of space, so mark that off. Next, the field of view is too small for the most popular star clusters and nebulas…stick with a good quality 10×50. Let’s go back to the magnification which is the point of binoculars…20x is an impressive number and I can see how you might think that these would be great for your hobby…but 20x also the starting point on most spotting scopes and telescopes. This is where I feel that the Military lands out of place. Why not just buy one of those and have the ability for more magnification?

I’m sure that the Steiner Military 20×80 has a great function somewhere or they wouldn’t be produced. They just aren’t for everyone. They aren’t your Dad’s binoculars (or your cousin’s, aunt’s or uncle’s) If you have some…please post back a reply to me and let me know (and other readers) how you use them and how you like them. Maybe my vision of their usefulness is impaired and needs some enlightenment.

Zeiss at the 2009 Shot Show

At the 2009 Shot Show Carl Zeiss Sport Optics introduced two premium level optical rangefinders, the Victory PRF Pocket Range Finder and the Victory RF Range Finding Binoculars. The company makes an impressive move into the laser rangefinder market for sportsmen. Both of these models are marvels of design and construction and feature advance features including ballistic compensation assistance.

Additional infomation on each of these range finder products can be found at the Carl Zeiss website.

Steiner 10×42 Merlin binocular

The Steiner Merlin binocular is the subject of today’s scrutiny of high quality optics. Upon opening the box I am pleasantly greeted by a fully zippered deluxe thermo-molded case. So many manufacturers make great binos and then fall asleep in the design of the extras like the case, eye cups and straps. I must say, Steiner has this one right and as a whole I think they do a fair job in this area across all their series.

The roof prism Steiner binocular is compact, more like a mid-size binocular, with a brown rubber armor. The brown rubber armor absorbs light; this means the binoculars won’t reflect light and alert wildlife to your presence. When you wrap your fingers around it you can tell that this bino is meant to be a tool…an everyday tool if necessary. And this rugged binocular has some interesting features that the user can decide on. First off, it has winged eye covers that will turn down for viewers with glasses. This is a nice option to have; other manufacturers will gladly sell you an extra set of eyecups for those lucky enough not to wear glasses when using binoculars. Another nice feature that Steiner has incorporated is in the flip down objective covers and neck strap. Both the strap and the lens covers have a button that will release them should the user want to leave them at home. Personally, I didn’t think they flipped down very well, but in Steiner’s defense, this pair is fresh out of the box and would probably loosen up with age and hang better. The center focus knob and diopter adjustment are kind of tight but again, I suspect that they will work better with use.

The optics on this binocular is fantastic. The image is crisp and clear at it’s closest range (about 6 feet) and far off. The German optics are fully coated and offer remarkable color fidelity…this is especially nice for the naturalist viewing wildlife. You can tell that Steiner put careful thought into the design of the  Merlin binocular series for hunters, birders and naturalists. The optics are spectacular, the unit is hiker friendly, the armor is both silent and anti-reflective, and the accessories are well made with the additional option of detachment. I like this binocular and would readily recommend it as a true bargain in it’s price range. Way to go Steiner.

Nikon Monarch ATB review

The Nikon Monarch ATB series is a wonderful line of binoculars developed specifically with the hunter in mind. Nikon has done a great job providing an array of sizes for just about any hunting adventure; ranging from 8×36 up to 12×56. These roof prism binoculars are small and compact with full size function and crystal clear optics. Each bino has a rugged rubber armor to protect the it from the weather as well as reduce noise by preventing any metal to metal contact. The entire line is nitrogen purged to eliminate internal fogging and has fully coated optics for the very best light transmission possible. Each binocular features adjustable eyecups for ease in viewing regardless of whether you view with or without eyeglasses. The newest feature added to the line are the flip down objective covers that snap into the barrel but can be taken out and left at home if one prefers. One neat feature that is underplayed or just plain overlooked is the ability for tripod adaption and rock steady viewing; just remove the hinge cap and screw in the accessory (not included) to any standard photography tripod you already own. The soft case completely envelopes the bino for added protection and can be looped through your belt for hiking. They come in green and black or two forms of photo realistic camo (Team Realtree and Drury Outdoor: Dream Season). The Monarch series is the flagship line for Nikon and boasts a 25 year “No Fault” warranty. You should take this line into serious consideration when about to purchase a new set of glasses for your hunting lifestyle. Nikon has certainly made a solid name for itself with outstanding camera equipment over the years, why wouldn’t they know a lot about sport optics and be able to create an excellent product for a reasonable price? Go check them out for yourself at www.nikonsportoptics.com

Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 Binoculars

The Pentax Papilio binocular is a refreshing surprize to the compact / travel size class. It has the wonderful optics that Pentax is known for as well as all the standard magnification and field of view for a perfect travel companion, but what is exciting is its close range focusing. The close up focus range is a foot and a half. That’s amazing. When your through checking out the vista, point them at your feet and discover a whole new world as well as a sudden urge to buy new shoes. It’s Disney’sBug Life brought to life. No need to drive across the country to see amazing things; just walk out in the backyard and check out what you’ve been missing. This is a binocular for every weekend and fun with school age kids. I highly recommend this one.