Swarovski EL 10x32 Binocular with Snap Shot Adapter

I own several pair of binoculars. I have my trusty old Leica Trinovid, a pair of Leica and a pair of Swarovski mini's, a Nikon Superior E 8x32 (why in the world did they stop making this bin??), a Swarovski EL 10x32 and a brand spanking new Leica 7X42 HD Ultravid and a couple of others. I do love binoculars.

When going birding or to a concert event (the two times I take bins out) I have to say that there is one binocular which I start from when deciding which binocular to take. The question is always "Ok, should I take the EL or something else?" (the something else being any other bin in my collection).

Strangely, I am not a huge fan of the EL 42 objective bins but I consider the 32 objective bin as perhaps the field glass most close to perfection. It is compact enough to wear for an evening at a concert or to stick in my briefcase for a trip. It is light enough to wear for a full day in the field. The 7 ft close focus is good enough for butterflies without sacrificing your depth of field (I think any close focus tighter than 6.5 ft sacrifices to much DOF, IMOHO) The morning and evening light issues do exist (a product of the 32 object) but really are not bad due to Austrian ingenuity (glass and coatings). The image quality and color rendition are all top notch (as you would expect from our Austrian friends).

As a person who uses binoculars all the time, I get very annoyed by how they are portrayed in the movies. The person is always holding them up with one hand and anyone who uses binoculars knows that is not how it is ever done. Whoops...never say never. My EL 10x32 bins are the only binocular I currently own or have ever owned that I can effectively use with one hand. The difference from the movies is that I am actually also focusing with that one hand. It can really be done with this bin. No joke.

So, in my view, the 10x32 Swarovski EL is the perfect size, the perfect weight, the perfect close focus, can realistically be used with one hand, has world class image and build quality and has all the European binocular bravado you could want (you all know we think this way).

You can have a bin that is smaller (if you need it) or one with a larger objective (if you need it) but I don't think you can get a better, all around field bin than the 10x32 EL if you can only get one bin.

One last note - Try the 8x32 EL as well. It is definitely cool but I preferred the 10x32. Not exactly sure why - maybe because of it's size and weight and form factor I could hold it pretty steady for a 10.

Good luck.
Patrick