I'm not sure why I'm weighing into this debate - it really is all about
personal preferences after all. There are technical differences between
the various makers, but I suspect many of our eyes have trouble
distinguishing them!
I've owned a pair of Swarovski SLC 10x42 WB bins for about five years
now. I've tried them out in a large variety of environments, for both
professional and personal use, etc. - and I think they are the best
value for money purchase I ever made. When I first got them I was doing
fairly detailed foraging observation work on birds in the Murray River
forests of northern Victoria - scorching heat and dryness for summer,
going through to bitter cold and damp in winter. They excelled in all
light conditions - particularly good in dull light, partly because of
the large exit pupil - which I have on occasion likened to birding with
an IMAX screen. :-) I have taken them overseas a few times
(Malaysia, Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan, Western Europe) - again, always crisp
and reliable. The polyurethane barrelled SLCs are very heavy compared
to the magnesium barrelled ELs, but here's that personal preference
again - I like heavy bins - easier to hold steady in my hands. I like
the barrel moulding too - they feel good to hold for long periods.
I recently dropped them on a hard surface for the first time, and my
heart was in my mouth as I picked them up. No problem - I broke the pin
in the twist-up eye cup on one side - the optics were fine. They were
still useable, though part of they eyecup seemed sure to fall off during
a scrub bash somewhere! The replacement eyecup cost $20 ($25 mailed) -
all fixed now.
I've tried a few of the competitors - Leica, Zeiss, Minox, Kowa, Nikon -
and found them all somewhat difficult to adjust to in a short time. The
Minox and Nikon bins were definitely not as sharp, and I often had
trouble lining up my eyes with the narrow exit image of the Nikons. We
have two pairs of Nikon here at work (Monarch and Sporter??), but I find
them unpleasant to use, except for the odd quick glance at something.
For long periods of serious scanning and observation, the Swarovskis are
unbeatable (IMHO). I even loan them to our botanists from time to time,
so they can examine /Eucalyptus /fruits high in the canopy for tree ID -
they rate them very highly as well.
Back then they were on special, and cost me about AUD$1,750. At the
time it seemed like a lot of money, but as they were largely for
professional use that seemed OK. I've never regretted buying them for a
second, and now suffer withdrawal symptoms without them!
--
=================================
*Lawrie Conole
*/Senior Ecologist
Ornithology & Terrestrial Ecology
/
Ecology Australia Pty. Ltd.
/Flora and Fauna Consultants/
88B Station Street
*FAIRFIELD VIC 3078 Australia*
E-mail:
Internet: http://www.ecologyaustralia.com.au/
Ph: (03) 9489 4191; Mob: (0419) 588 993
Fax: (03) 9481 7679
ABN 83 006 757 142
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