Swarovski el range finder binos

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Craggy

Craggy

Well-Known Member
Hi all
I am thinking of getting a pair of Swarovski el 10 X 42 range finder binos.

I know they are mega expensive and iam trying to convince myself iam worth it.

Are they the bees knees or just a gimmick?
Should I save a grand and just buy a top decent pair of binos and use my pocket range finder.

Thanks for your help
 
Never regretted buying mine to replace Swarovski 8.5x 42 which I got almost all my money back after 10 years use. Using the separate rangefinder was just too much faffing about for me.
Like everything else if you buy quality it should last a lifetime.
 
I've got a pair in 8x42, excellent binoculars, great glass and relatively compact. They don't have the inbuilt ballistic calculator of the Leica's but do you really need that?

You could fund them with a very low interest credit card/bank transfer offer spread over a period of time though for example. Uttings .com currently do a 0% APR offer for 12 months on items costing over £500. But you should be able to get an 18-24 month credit card bank transfer deal (at about 3 to 4% admin charge) if you need longer to pay it off.
 
paultap said:
I've got a pair in 8x42, excellent binoculars, great glass and relatively compact. They don't have the inbuilt ballistic calculator of the Leica's but do you really need that? I used a Zeiss rangefinder and Zeiss binos for a while but found carrying two items quite inconvenient.

You could fund them with a very low interest credit card/bank transfer offer spread over a period of time though for example. Uttings .com currently do a 0% APR offer for 12 months on items costing over £500. But you should be able to get an 18-24 month credit card bank transfer deal (at about 3 to 4% admin charge) if you need longer to pay it off.
Click to expand...
 
Im having a similar dilemma, but mine has now turned from RF binos vs thermal...:rolleyes:

Used my pals Swaro 8x42RF binos and a guides Leica RFs and both were excellent. Its not the quality, its the cost im also struggling to stomach.

Not an easy plunge to take, effectively what is the value of my wifes car sitting on the drive... however am trying to justify it a bit by selling down other bits of my unused kit to go against it.
 
I had the Swaro 8.5x42 some years ago then sold them on to a member on here, bought 10x42 RFs and had them for a few years used them every time out with the rifle and just for day to day use.
I just traded them in for a new pair of 10x42s RF/O would not be without them, aye they are expensive but worth it in my eyes. Buy once cry once! well twice for me LOL.
 
Got a pair and there fantastic Swarovski customer service is also great I would never consider another manufacturer for that reason alone. Good luck
 
I do not leave home without my Swaro EL Range binos. They are absolutely fabulous and worth every penny. Married to a Kuiu bino harness, they are always to hand without bobbing about or dragging in the dirt. Great for bird-watching days, rambles and hikes and, obviously, deerstalking.

In that last role they have become an integral part of my set up: To see and range quarry in one motion is brilliant.
 
I have the EL range 10x42, lovely bins. That said, all the top brand offerings are good. If you're stretched financially then take a look at the Vortex and Kahles products too as they offer incredible value for money whilst still retaining excellent optical quality.
 
Replaced my old Swarovski 10x42 with the Swarovski 8x42 RFs some time ago. Both very good but expensive. I only shoot deer out to 180 yards (off quad sticks) as I feel very confident at that range so the RFs help. The RFs also have the advantage that I can play at guessing the distance to any target while I wait for the deer to show, I’m getting better.
I managed to drop a break my RFs and sent them back to Swarovski who quickly repaired them free of charge, another thing to consider.
Willie
RFs versus Thermals now there’s a question?
 
I keep re-visiting this potential decision myself. I have Viper HD's and a tiny little reliable RF which both work faultlessly but I can see how having it in one unit would be a good thing. There are times when I just go for a trek to shoot some targets when I just take the tiny RF to measure some different ranges to practice targets. In this instance, the full Binos would not be desirable at all as I can just chuck the tiny RF in my pocket.

For me, the issue is not cost as such but vale. I have the money to spend if I want but before I spend on anything in life, I still need to make sure it represents value to me and I just do not see that at the moment. It really is a case of do I want to spend £2k+ on RF/Bin convenience, as a variety of previous comparisons with my HD's have shown that there is basically no benefit optically in terms of "upgrading" my bins. I just cannot hit the buy button because of this. I might one day if I have a day where my heart suddenly rules my head but that doesn't happen often. On the other hand, I can see it would be a purchase for life or at least for many many years. I tend to keep costly purchases forever, so I could justify it. My head just still keeps saying no ha ha.

I'm buying a thermal in Jan though. Now that has an absolute purpose for me and I can see it will represent value and improve my experience in a measurable way.
 
I have the exact pair you are looking for. I very nearly sold them about a year ago as I fancied going over to the new Zeiss rangefinders. I find that swarovski are great, but can be difficult to some people's eyes. I found this with my Z6i and hence why I sold it. So be advised that you won't know how great they are until you put them to your eyes.
 
Thanks for your replies, I've been to the shop today and tried the Swarovski EL against the Vortex Fury HD.

Both seemed good
Swarovski £2350
Vortex. £1195

I think I need to do some internet homework

Craggy
 
Go try a pair before you buy any of them
You wont regret moving to a single unit over binos+rangefinder. Whether you think you need them now or not, they will become invaluable and there is not a day goes by that I use mine that I am not surprised by perceived distance VS actual distance

There are a lot of RF binos on the market
The big Euro brands are all similarly priced but do not all perform the same and don't suit everyone's eyes
Some of the major differences are the way the RF operates and the outer shape and packaging.

Cost
Optical clarity
RF accuracy and Range
Price and Value Retention
After Sales service

All important, you need to decide which ones are more important
 
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