Swarovski, the SLC vs EL?

[Daxter]

What is the difference between the SLC and the ELs? I am looking to buy a pair of 10 x 42s. I read that the EL models are made of magnesium, what else is different? Are the lens coatings different? The EL models are about $500 more which is quite a bit I think.

 

[_droptine_]

From what I understand, the coatings are the same now. The body is designed different on the EL so it weighs less.

 

[SoTX]

Forget about Swarovski. Buy the best, buy Leica Ultravids
George


"We must HUNT"

 

[peregrine]

Leicas are great to look through, however, if you need customer service or warranty work they are the worst. I had a prism drop due to a screw that was supposed to be holding it in, backing out in my 10x42s. They would not honor the lifetime warranty because of "apparent use." Swarovski warranty claims to be unconditional, and as far as I am concerned the glass is as good or better. Leica will never see another penny of mine. My Leicas now reside on the floor of my truck so can show them to anyone considering a pair.

 

[NMRaptor]

I've used both the SLCs and ELs side by side on hunts. I own the SLCs. In my opinion the only real difference is the weight. Both are quite clear but the ELs are significantly lighter.
-Raptor

 

[kilowatt]

Swarovski Data:

EL 10x42 Length: 6" Weight: 27.5 Oz.

SLC 10x42 Lenght: 5.79" Weight: 30.7 Oz.

Is $500.00 worth less than a 1/4" and 3.2 Oz., that is the thing you have to decide.

Brian

 

[SoTX]

C'mon Peregrine
The only reason Swarovski gets all the attention is because they market the hell out of there product. They sponsor every hunting show that comes around except for maybe Bushnel's Secrets of the Hunt.
You sound a little bitter about waranty work on your Leica's. I am a long time customer and have never had a problem.
Everyone knows including you that leica is a superior product. They concentrate on OPTICS unlike Swarow who has their fingers in all sorts of ventures, crystal etc....
If you like, mail me the Leicas you keep on the floor of your truck and I will get them fixed for you in short order if infact they realy do have a waranty issue
George Major Jr.
118 Braniff
San Antonio, Texas 78216

"We must HUNT"

 

[NMRaptor]

Swaros and leica are both great glass. The ultravids are leicas version of Swaro ELs. The duavids are comparable to the SLCs. I wouldn't say leica are superior to swaros or vice versa. Comparing the two is like a first time golfer comparing calloway to ping. Select the one that feels good overall.
-Raptor

 

[peregrine]

I agree, Leicas are a great glass. Side by side with the rest thats what I chose. However the experience i had with there US division in New York was enough for me. I use my glasses almost daily. I will have warranty issues over the years with them and I want to deal with a company that doesn't have the customer service problems Leica does. The rep from swarovski promised that would not be an issue if I choose their glass. Of course hes tryin to sell glasses so who knows. They are both quality optics

 

[fatrooster]

LAST EDITED ON May-07-04 AT 05:11PM (MST)[p] Daxter, I suggest going down to your local optics dealer and taking a pair of EL's, SLC's, Ultravids and Trinovids and any other namebrands and models that your store has in stock. Take them outside and adjust them all for your personal vision. Glass away and compare. Make sure you glass in the daytime and glass right on into sunset. I did this several times before making my decision. I've never been to a store that had any Leica Ultravids so I cannot say anything about them. But I've compared the SLC's with the EL's and Leica trinovids. I found the EL's to be the brightest of everything I looked through. When I put them up to my eyes they were right on. The SLC's and Trinovids were neck and neck with a strong second. I've been told that the Ultravids were as good as the EL's. So its mostly personal preference. I went with the EL's and love them but let me say that I've looked through some mid range priced bino's that were not far behind in quality. Pentax, Wind River Pinnacles, Steiner to name a couple. But will that quality be there when your 80 years old? I don't know. I've seen some older Steiners that had lost thier quality but that may have been through rough usage and abuse. I saw on a different post where a guy had some problems with his Nikon warranty and that they had lost thier quality after 7 years. So I went with a good reputation and a good USA warranty. The difference in SLC's and EL's? The EL's are a little lighter and a little brighter. Worth $500.00 more? Thats up to you and your wallet. In my opinion a USA warranty with a company that honors it is a big factor. I've learned a lot from people on this site and listen to what they have to say. I was not aware that Leica was hard to deal with on thier warranty. But thier glass is just as good as Swaro's. Good luck. Fatrooster.

 

[Daxter]

Thanks for all the good advice. The truth is I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the nicer glass and some of the good mid-range stuff. I figure spending $1500 once and buying the best there is, is cheaper than spending $500 for now and then spending $1500 in a few years when I decided that I really want the best. Still have to convince the wife that this a good idea. Man I can't wait for the fall. Take care.

 

[jacksonholio]

That extra couple of ounces in the SLC's may not seem like much on paper but put them in you rhand side by side and its huge, not kidding. I got the 10x42 EL's from NW Armory in Oregon last year for a great price, around 1300. Remember they have a lifetime warr. and hold their value tremendously. Not many other binos out there you could cast off for nearly full retail years after use, but the EL's yes, check Ebay. Don't buy the gray market ones even though you'll save 2-$300, they dont hae the warranty and I've already used the warranty for a busted eyecup, without the warranty they wouldnt send me one for any amount, I'd be saddled with a useless pair of $1300 binos. Anyway, EL's are worth it if you have that kind of money...The second best glass out there is the Nikon top of the line and thats over $1000 too, but its really heavy, much like the SLC.

 

[Daxter]

Does anybody know anything about www.hotbuysbinoculars.com, they have some killer deals (10x42 El $1200, 10x42 SLC $850) but I wondered if their stuff comes with warranty? I will have to call them and ask, but I am sure that they will say it does. I guess I should also call Swaro and ask them before making any purchases. Just wondered if anybody knew about this site. Thanks.

Dax

 

[fisrtcoueswas80inches]

my dad and i bought our Docter 15x60's there, good price and it got here quick!
casey

 

[Foreman4x4]

Hotbuys sells mostly grey market goods, which to me is not worth the savings. If by chance you ever need warranty work, you'd have to send them out of the U.S. to be repaired, which would eat up what little bit you might have saved up front in a hurry.

Hotbuys does sell U.S.A. warrantied items, but they charge more money.

 

[Triple_BB]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I spent an hour at Cabela's looking through a pair of 10x42 Leica Ultra's and Swaro EL's late in the afternoon until dark. I couldn't tell any difference in the glass quality between the two. When I asked the salesman if he could tell any difference, he asked if one felt better in my hands than the other. The Swaro body felt better, mostly because it was a bit larger. It also felt a bit lighter. He advised that people with bigger hands generally liked the feel of the EL's better. He also stated he had a difficult time telling a difference between the quality of glass in various light conditions. After I put the 2X multiplier on the Swaro, I decided that will be my next purchase for this falls hunting season.

 

[snowman22250]

READ THIS ALL!!!!

I have owned just about every new piece of equipment that comes out. I'm one of those absessed GADGET hunters.

I ended up this year with the EL 10x32's. WHY????

The 32's have a new wide angle technology. What I mean is, the 10x32's have more field of view at 1000yards than the 42's.

THe 42's have 330ft of view at 1000yards.
The 32's have 360ft of view at 1000yards.

Amazing, the new technolgy (32mm) has more field of view than do the 42mm objective binos.

AND now to top it all off. Look at the wieght differneces. When it comes to hanging around your neck, ounces count!!

PS--NYcameraland will ship the 10X32 EL's to your door for $1.289 and that comes with a USA warranty. Listen to my advise, as I spent days on the Internet searching the best deals around.

 

[ridgerunner]

I have the SLC's, in my opinion they felt better in my hand then the EL's, I didn't think the EL's were worth the extra $$$$, you can't go wrong with either one though.