Euro HD's vs Swaro SLC's

Hey guys,

Was in Cabela's today looking at purchasing some new bino's. Currently I have some older Vortex vipers 10x42. Purchased them back in 07. Anyway, getting tired of having to send them back to Vortex every other year for repair. Nothing major, usually having to replace the cheap eyecup assembly's that seem to bind and bend very easily. I am not a fan of the incredibly sharp drop off of the focus either.

I would like to step up to the next class of binos. I spent about 30 minutes today comparing models (10x42) in the store. The optics guy was pushing the Vortex razors pretty hard. I spent an evening last week using my father-in-laws newer razors next to mine, and I really wasn't overly impressed. Today, the more I switched between the razors, euro HD's, and Swaro SLC's....to my eye the Euro HD's and SLC's were brighter and more crisp. The razors also have that sharp drop off on the focus as well, compared to the Euro's and SLC's that seem to hold their focus point much longer. The SLC's seem to be just a tad bit crisper, with a tad more edge to edge clarity than the EURO HD's....but it was really close.

Anyway...I was wishing I could have been at cabela's this evening to take these two sets outside at sunset and get a comparison of how each gathers light.

Hoping some of you may have some feedback on your experiences using these binos in hunting conditions, specifically low light conditions.

Guess I might have to make the 3 hour trip to Cabelas again, this time in the evening.

Thanks

You said it yourself that you don't like always needing to use that vortex warranty. If I wanted "new" alpha glass, on a budget I'd go for Meopta/Cabelas Euros. If money is not a concern, I would buy Swarovski or Leica.

I just ordered a set of minox 15x56. I had a price point budgeted for 15's. I could have gotten Vortex, but side by side vortex have never impressed me and I also wanted something durable.

LAST EDITED ON Sep-13-15 AT 09:24PM (MST)[p]I've not known anyone who regretted getting the Euros or the SLCs. No doubt the Sworovski glass is a bit better, but your eyes would have to determine whether they can see the difference or not. Sometimes ergonomics weigh in. Which feel better in your hands, does one have an eye relief that works better for you? Look to the edge of the field of vision and look for differences there. We know Swarovski does a stand up job on warranty (not that it seems needed very often) and will refurbish for very reasonable prices. Sometimes the money weighs in, though I wouldn't be afraid of a used pair of SLCs, and used you can probably find some in the same price range as the Euros...

I HAVE COMPARED BOTH THE SLC AND THE HD EURO AND THE SLC WINS HANDS DOWN.

"You'll never get a big one if you shoot a little one"

Funny how eyes differ.

I have the Meopta HD 10X42 (Same as euro hd) And to me they offer better view than the original SLC Neu. HD does a better job controlling CA, Everything else is about equal.

Now Im sure the new SLC HD's offer a better view - not sure how mcu though. I got my Meopta's for $1099 and they are truly a lifetime quality European binocular. Very Happy with them.

If you can't see your animals with this level binocular, another $1000 for the next step up isn't going to help you.

I spent some time comparing the Euro HD and Swarovski SLC outside during two different times of the day (middle of the afternoon, and right at sunset) for a total of about 30 minutes.

Man...it was incredibly difficult to distinguish any real noticeable differences between these two. They are very, very similar to my eye. Clarity, brightness, crispness, light gathering ability. Ergonomics, for me, was fine with either pair. I did not mind the few ounce difference in weight of the Euro HD after handling them for a while.

I was really hoping that one was going to stand out over the other, during the low light testing, so my decision between the two would be easier. Or I guess, kind of hoping that the Swarovski was going to be noticeably better....but it wasn't. They were extremely similar. The Euro HD seemed a tad "warmer" also. Not sure if the expert optic testers, consider that a positive, negative, or indifferent. But it was noticeable. Also, it seemed like the SLC's had a slightly larger FOV, even though both are listed @ 330ft @ 1000yds.

Extremely tough call. I do agree that the SLC's are probably a better investment, as they will likely retain more of their value down the road. For the money, the EURO's are a pretty sweet set of glass so far. Also had a friend there while I was doing the comparison and he thought they were very, very similar with no clear cut "winner."

I did the same comparison and came to the same conclusions between the SLC and Euro. I ended up finding a good deal on a new pair of SLC's and got them solely for how they hold their value and they were just a tad brighter/crisper. Every so often I like to upgrade bino's and the SLC's will definitely be better on the resell.