Swarovski EL 8x32 Binocular with Snap Shot Adapter

Counting several pair I have purchased as gifts, the Swarovski EL 8x32 are about the TWENTIETH pair of binoculars that I have purchased. No one should buy them as their first pair, but if and when one makes a commitment to serious birding, or other nature study, it would be not just the OPTICS, but the HANDLING, including the effortless focus, that makes these or a variant size of Swarovski, such a reasonable investment. In my case, I purchased them in part to complement a Swarovski 65 mm scope, whose use I have so enjoyed.

8x32 is the size I recommend most often for binoculars, easy to carry all day, yet large enough for general usage. I have earlier-purchased pairs of 8x32 Eagle Optics Raptor roof prism and 8x30 Leupold Yosemite porro-prism binoculars, both excellent within their price ranges, which I will continue to use for certain situations, or loan to friends for days of serious birding. Their basic characteristics formed the foundation of my final move to the Swarovski.

Other reviewers have covered the specifics very well, so I won't recapitulate them. Again without discounting less expensive alternatives, what I would emphasize regarding the Swarovski 8x32 EL, finally, is their ELEGANCE, as their function fuses into their form.

Once you own top class optics you cannot go back. It is a once-in-a-life-time investment.

I have compared the Swarovski EL 8x32 with it's competitors from Zeiss (Victory) and Leica (Ultravid) for a weekend and decided to buy the Swarovski. In the end all 3 binos performed extremely well. But since this is my first top of the line bino, I was surprised that these binos are not perfect.

I wanted an as small as possible bino, the best money can buy. I did not want a small 8x20 because that size bino has a small exit pupil which makes it very sensitive to eye distance as well as position in front of the eyes. The focus knobs are also quite small. So the smallest bino with a large bino feeling is 8x32.

I found the optical performance between the three binos very very close. Each had very little reflexes due to back light, but from different directions. The Zeiss had the least chromatic abberation (color edges) probably due to it's fluoride lens. But the difference to Leica and Swarovski was very small. The contrast, detail and color fidelity is outstanding in all 3 binos.

The Leica was the smallest and I would have bought this one if the focusing mechanism would not have been a little hard to move; and it was harder in one direction than in the other direction. The weight of all three binos is very close. Leica and Swarovski have Magnesium alloy housing while Zeiss has a glass fibre enforced synthetic which makes it slightly lighter. But the difference is again small.

The Swarovski had the best feeling in the hand, it feels like a natural extension of your fingers. I use it very often one-handed, where it is no problem at all to run through the entire focus range. Also the focus knob works extremely easy. For example one of the competitors needed a higher torque to focus in one direction than into the other, so I found myself constantly trying to find best focus. The Swarovski snap into focus right away from any direction.

I would have considered the Zeiss as 1st choice if it would not have the "cheap" look from its rubber armoring. I also feel more comfortable with a metal alloy than with synthetic; I buy a bino like this to last for the rest of my life.

In the end the performance difference between the three models is very small. I decided in favor of the Swarovski because of the exellent mechanical design which makes feeling and focus a joy.