Swarovski 8.5x42 and 10x42 EL Binoculars

The latest version of Swarovski's excellent EL line is going to please a lot of birders. If you're in the market for a high-end binocular, you owe it to yourself to try these. We received the 8.5x42 and 10x42 EL models for review, and our major complaint is that they wouldn't let us have them for long enough!

The Swarovski EL is a classic roof-prism binocular: 6.5 inches long and about 4.8 inches wide with barrels about 2.5 inches in diameter. The broad, rubber-armored barrels taper slightly near the oculars and are held together by two separate bridging hinges, a design that facilitates one-handed use. Swarovski ELs have a very solid feel to them when you pick them up. At 28.9 oz. for the 8.5x model (the 10x is a bit lighter at 27.5 oz.), these are slightly heavier than average for high-end binoculars, but as soon as you grab them and let your thumbs slide into the deep thumb grooves under the barrel, that weight suddenly seems to be less. These binoculars are so well balanced that they feel lighter than they really are in the hands. The solid feel isn't illusory - Swarovski rates them as watertight to a depth of 4 meters. Like all high-end binoculars, these are fully sealed and nitrogen-filled to be fogproof and dustproof as well.

The critical optical properties of the ELs are summarized as follows: for field of view, the 8.5x model has a field of 390 feet at 1000 yards, while the 10x model has a 330-foot field at 1000 yards. These numbers put them pretty much at the top of the class for this property, particularly for the 8.5x model. Both EL models are listed as focusing to a minimum distance of 8 feet, but when we measured, we found them slightly better than rated with a minimum focus of 7 feet. This is about average for this property. Eye relief is 18 mm for the 8.5x EL and 15 mm for the 10x EL, very good and good, respectively, for this trait. Diopter adjustment is +/-3, though something needs to be said about the unique mechanism. Diopter adjustment is done by pulling on the focus knob until it clicks open, displaying a numerical scale and hash marks on the knob that line up with a white dot on the upper hinge. The beauty is in the micro-click stops that provide fine adjustment with three positions within each full diopter stop. When done, simply push the focus knob in again to lock it in place. We've seen much less successful diopter adjustment systems on the focus knob. This one is well designed and executed!

The view through either EL model is very crisp and bright. Watching hummingbirds go for a last drink as the last light of evening was dying, we were impressed by the quantity of detail and color still visible. Like all high-end roof prism binoculars, the ELs are fully phase-coated and optimized for greatest light transmission. Swarovski uses a prism coating called Swarobrightr to maximize color fidelity. Older Swarovski binoculars tended to show a slight yellow bias, which helps create those bright high-contrast views. The new 10x EL showed no detectable trace of this bias, but the 8.5x model was notably yellowish in comparison. The image is sharp right to the edge of the field and completely free of any color aberration, though they do exhibit a slight edge distortion.

We already discussed the ergonomics with reference to their weight, but it also affects other aspects of the ELs performance. Both EL models go from minimum close focus to infinity in just slightly more than 1.5 turns of the focus knob, which is slightly behind average in high-end roof prisms, but a notable improvement over older EL models which took 2.5 turns. The knob is well positioned to fall under the fingers and turns easily, thanks in part to the rubber armoring and raised grooves on it, which supply good purchase for the fingers. They might be a tad slow to focus, but you don't notice it in the field. The eyecups adjust to full-out position with about a 1/8 turn counter-clockwise. Swarovski advertises that the eyecups are easily removed to facilitate cleaning; in fact, in our hands, they come off a bit too easily. The first several times we took them out for testing, we almost took the eyecups right off adjusting them. The mechanism does not allow for intermediate positions and does not click-stop at either extreme, making it hard to tell by touch when the right position has been achieved, so there's room for improvement here. Birders who don't wear glasses should note that Swarovski offers angled eyecups as an accessory.

Among other structural features of note are the lens caps and covers. Both objective lenses have soft rubber caps that fit snugly over the ends of the barrels; they are secure, yet easily removed. The caps attached to the binoculars by short tethers fixed to rings that fit over the barrel ends. They don't pop up to occlude the view except under gale force wind conditions. This is well designed. The supplied rainguard is a hinged, hard plastic unit that fits snugly on the eyecups and doesn't dislodge easily. The hinge has several click-stops that allow you to set the angle of the rainguard to match the interpupillary distance you set for the binocular. This unit can be attached to the strap on either or both sides by sliding the strap through closed loops. When both loops are used, the rainguard will fall onto the eyepieces every time the binocular hangs down. This can be convenient in some cases, such as very wet or dusty/windy conditions, and when storing the binoculars in the case, but it usually slows down removing the rainguard and impedes viewing. To solve this problem, most manufacturers have a solid loop on one side of the rainguard and a split loop on the other. There are those, however who might prefer the rainguard to hang to the other side. By supplying a rainguard with both loops closed, Swarovski is allowing the buyer to cut a split in the loop on either side to suit their preference. Swarovski also offers a second rainguard. This optional accessory is made of softer rubber cups connected by a flexible bridge. Called the "Silent Rainguard" for its lack of click-stops, it attaches to the neck strap with a rubber tether on the left side. The neck strap is a fairly standard design of neoprene-like material welded to soft leather and a foam rubber type material, and it's comfortable enough. The soft case is a synthetic nylon zipping pouch that provides no cushioning, but does easily hold the optic and its strap.

Swarovski EL binoculars list at about $1821 for the 8.5x model and $1887 for the 10x model, but both can be found discounted to $1639 and $1699 respectively. In the end, while we had some minor quibbles with relatively unimportant features of these binoculars, that really isn't the point. The data say a few things, but ultimately, that isn't what will sell these binoculars. If you're in the market for top-of-the-line quality binoculars, pick them up and look through them. What will sell them to you is the view!.

Swarovski EL Binoculars - current price and availability