High end Bino questions???????

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bigsky_songdogs

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For you guys who have and use high end Binos, i have a couple questions.

#1. I am wondering on the optical quality and differences between Swaros and Leica

#2. For those that have Geovids, do you think they will last a lifetime? i know since there is electronics in them, and they can tend to fail over time, but do you think they will hold up? and how well does the RF feature work on all the different targets?

#3. If you could do it over, which ones would you choose, or would you pick the same ones

and anything else you can tell me about high end Binos. I Have Vortex Viper HD's that are nice, but obviously not on the same level as the top end stuff.

I am wanting to make a "lifetime" purchase (with proper care and cleaning e tc ofcourse), especially for the cost of the high dollar ones, is that reasonable or am I dillusional?
 
Thanks OT
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i have had my leica 10x42 for almost 8 years, havent even had to change the battery yet. ranges better than my leica lrf1200. i have no complaints other than they are heavy.
 
when you get up to the high end binos such as the leica or swarovs it gets hard to tell the difference between the glass... swarovski has always been called the rolls royce of optics, but i have looked through both and i own the EL 12X50 swarovskis and the leica glass is right there as well.
 
I have had the 10x42 Leica(not Geovid) for many years. Should have taken the shortcut and bought good ones first. I fully understand budget but also recognize qualifying statements like good for the money.

10 power is the max I would go and only bought them over 8 power because of a sale price. 8 is best and favored heavily for shake free viewing. Swaro had an 8.5 that was a tad lighter with good picture, the color transmission was slightly different.
I have never had any warranty issues or maintenance dealing with Leica. Have only seen one pair of the Geovids returned. Sounded like customer abuse.
Having a few friends with both brands I have only seen the Swaros go in for service or maintenance, mostly from hard use or abuse. Swaro has been great about service.

I have seen piles of Swaros returned, at one time 6 pairs of 12x56 along with several smaller pairs. I can't help but wonder if this is customers thinking the return policy is a free rental agreement.
Some of the newer light weight models will blackout quickly with slight eye alignment variation.
I am quite happy with the Leica 10 and have compared side by side with Swaros over and over with no discernible dif.

To do over I would do the same for the sale price at the time.
If the price were equal I would have purchased the 8x42 Leica or the 8.5x42 Swaro. All are easy on the eyes for extended use.
 
I have the Swaro EL 8.5 X 42
They are such a wonderful set of glass
I've heard nothing but positive about lieca bit I have used Swaro for years
The clarity and transmission on the Swaro are excellent
Mine have been with me on antelope hunt in Wy, caribou hunts in Canada, mule deer and elk hunts in Co and everywhere in between
They are a fine investment
 
Originally Posted By: bigsky_songdogsFor you guys who have and use high end Binos, i have a couple questions.

#1. I am wondering on the optical quality and differences between Swaros and Leica

#2. For those that have Geovids, do you think they will last a lifetime? i know since there is electronics in them, and they can tend to fail over time, but do you think they will hold up? and how well does the RF feature work on all the different targets?

#3. If you could do it over, which ones would you choose, or would you pick the same ones

and anything else you can tell me about high end Binos. I Have Vortex Viper HD's that are nice, but obviously not on the same level as the top end stuff.

I am wanting to make a "lifetime" purchase (with proper care and cleaning e tc ofcourse), especially for the cost of the high dollar ones, is that reasonable or am I dillusional?

I have a pair of 10 x 42 Swaro EL's and have enjoyed them for a number of years. To answer your questions:

#1) I think this becomes a matter of subjective preference once you get into the high end European glass.

#2) I don't have any experience with Leica Geovids, I'm sure they are great. I do own a Leica 1200 rangefinder and I love it. My rationale for going with a separate rangefinder vs. having one incorporated into the binocs was that I don't always need a rangefinder, the weight of the glasses increases with the built in rangefinder, if you were to experience failure IMO it would be more likely to be electronic, and you would be out both your glasses and your rangefinder while in for repair, and you can have another person run the rangefinder by just handing it to them vs. swapping binocs. As always, your YMMV.

#3) If I had to do it over again, I would make the same choice. Before I bought my Swaro's, I looked through and handled all of the high end stuff with no preconceived opinion. Although there were several different pairs that were awesome, and were definitely a huge upgrade to what I was presently using, I just kept going back to the EL's. They just viewed the best and felt the best in MY hands. For you, it may well be something different. Although I could have spent less and still probably been pretty satisfied, I decided to bite the bullet, and "buy once, cry once" as to me this is a lifetime investment.

FYI, I have not had to use the Swaro warranty yet, even with a number of hard years use on my glasses, but I have heard of others who even abused theirs (like dropping them off cliffs, etc) to the point of needing to be rebuilt, and apparently Swarovski has always stepped up and done the repairs for nothing or next to it. I'm sure the other high end mfrs. are similar. I have used Zeiss repair on a rifle scope, and it was done in a reasonable amount of time at no charge.
 
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I have the 8X42 Geovids. Very clear and extremely bright. The rangefinder works great. I love them, however, I would like to try a pair of the 15X56 Geovids.

Anyone want to cook up a trade?
 
I own Leica and Zeiss...but to be honest, I think the Swaros are just a little bit more 'luxurious'.

The build quality, ergonomics, and general look and feel of Swarovskis are imo just a bit better. Optical quality is great with all of them but subjective and unique to the user.

I don't think you'd be disappointed with any of them, but my next pair will be a Swarovski. My brother owns two pair of Swaros, and they are incredibly nice.
 
I have swaro 10 power slc's.I like em alot.I've had them for many years now.They fit my face better than any others I have tried.
If I was doing it again I would buy them again.
 
Thanks guys, i was thinking Swaro from initially, but then keep hearing about how much people like Geovids, and Leica in general. I have a Leica CRF, soi dont have to get a RF built in, and i was wondering about longevity on RF in the optics.

Thanks Huntsman, thats the kind of reccomendation i am wanting
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After owning Leica Geovids for several years I could never go back to separate binos and a rangefinder. The glass is as good as it gets, plus I love the convenience of not having to fish around for a rangefinder at that moment of truth.

You'll hear guys say they're heavy, but they're actually several ounces lighter than a Swarovski 10x42 SLC and say a Leica 1200 CRF/LRF.

My personal experiences with Leica customer service have always been top notch. A few years ago I bought a beat to [beeep] Leica 10x42 Geovid for $650.00 from a guy in Arizona. I knew going into it that the lenses were scratched and the armor was peeling off from sitting on a dashboard in the Arizona sun, but the LRF worked perfect. After I received them I boxed them up and sent them into Leica for "cleaning and inspection" and within two weeks they sent me a brand new pair. No questions asked and didn't cost me a dime other than postage getting them there. I used that pair hard until I upgraded to the HD's just a few months ago.

Having said that, you really can't go wrong with any of the top brands. The glass is all fantastic, so I'd suggest you try as many as you can to see what fits and feels best to you, because that's what it will really boil down to. Also, don't be afraid to buy used. Be patient and use a little common sense and you'll find some great deals out there.
 
I prefer my Swaro EL glass over my Leica ultravid glass 8*32 & 7*42.

Don't get me wrong, Leica's glass is very nice, but for me, Swaro glass is better to MY eyes.

My Leica 7*42's might be for sale shortly.
 
I have a pair of Leica Ultravid 10 42's and couldn't be happier. Well, maybe if someone wanted to give me the HD version. My brother never understood the purpose of carrying binos and a rifle with scope until he looked through these.
 
You fellas with the Leicas, how big of a difference was there between the HDs and the older models glass?

At some point in my life Id really love to have the Geovid 10x42s. However my financial situation says theyll probally be used/discounted before I can even consider affording them.

Is it worth looking for the HDs?
 
I kinda prefer my LRF & binos to be separate units.
Binos are Leica Trinovid 10x42BN and laser is a Leica LRF 1200Scan. High end glass is all pretty much awesome, so your choice will prolly come down to ergonomics, rather than subtleties in glass quality...

As in, which binos are more comforatble to YOU? How do different models fit YOUR hands & face?
Will you be looking through them all day?
If so, do YOU want the extra heft of an LRF unit in your binos, or not?
Do you use your binos for non hunting/shooting related viewing? Bird watcher, perhaps?

High end binos are a sizeable investment, so take your time & figure what's most important to you & satisfying your viewing needs. Good luck!



 
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