Swaro SLCs

[Brush Buster]

It’s about time I upgrade my vortex diamondback 10x. Used em as a chest bino that I could be rough with for a few years now. Now that I have 15x meostars and a 65mm ats hd I figured I should get a pair of 10x or maybe even 8x that compare. I’ve been looking at lots of reviews and write ups on all kinds of binos. Anything by the big 3 would be great but it seems like the SLCs can be obtained with decent value now. What do you guys think of these binos? I might try to look for them at sheep show if there are any deals goin on. Anybody ever buy optics at sheep show in Reno?

 

[AGPank]

The SLC HD (2011-present) are about as good as you can get in any price range. There are 2 versions with the HD black on inner barrel and current all green armor.


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[MikeStrong]

A lot of it comes down to your eyes. I prefer the ELs to the SLCs, but a hunting buddy of mine is the opposite. And I haven't bought any yet cuz I'm planning on get lasik eye surgery, and things could change after that. Find a place to try looking through them to compare with other models and see what you prefer

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[Brush Buster]

I’ve looked thru my buddies el ranges and another’s friends 15x slc. Both great glass with the el field flatterers seeming to be the big difference. The thing that keeps me away from the ELs is the price. I would like to keep it around 1500 or so if possible. Any Ultravid hd plus or noctivid, victory ht or sf, and swaro el or slc wouldn’t bother me one bit as it would be a huge leap up from my diamondbacks. But I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg either. Seems as tho the slc can be got at a cheaper price than the other top glass from the big 3.

Does the SLC hold its own against the other top models? I’ve found a new victory ht for 2000 but I really don’t want to spend that much. Maybe sheep show will have some deals.....

 

[realunlucky]

I’ve looked thru my buddies el ranges and another’s friends 15x slc. Both great glass with the el field flatterers seeming to be the big difference. The thing that keeps me away from the ELs is the price. I would like to keep it around 1500 or so if possible. Any Ultravid hd plus or noctivid, victory ht or sf, and swaro el or slc wouldn’t bother me one bit as it would be a huge leap up from my diamondbacks. But I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg either. Seems as tho the slc can be got at a cheaper price than the other top glass from the big 3.

Does the SLC hold its own against the other top models? I’ve found a new victory ht for 2000 but I really don’t want to spend that much. Maybe sheep show will have some deals.....

El ranges don't have field flattener like standard Els

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[Matt Cashell]

I’ve looked thru my buddies el ranges and another’s friends 15x slc. Both great glass with the el field flatterers seeming to be the big difference.

The EL Range does not have field flattener lenses. It also doesn’t have HD elements.

If you liked the optics in the EL Range, you will love the SLC. The SLC is a bit better corrected and brighter than the EL Range.

 

[JollyRoger]

I recently upgraded from Diamondbacks to SLCs. It was a huge upgrade... definitely happy to have made that switch


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[Brush Buster]

Wow I never knew that.... that being the case I don’t know how I wouldn’t love the SLC. If the SLC is as nice or better than the ELrange I can’t see how I could get anything better, or need anything better, if I can get a decent deal on them.

So then which do you guys prefer.... the 8x42, or 10x42. Is there any differences besides more FOV of the 8s vs the magnification of the 10s?

 

[Nick Muche]

I've bought two pairs of Bino's since I started hunting around 23 years ago. My second set was a pair of 10x42 SLCs around 10 years ago or so. I don't plan on ever buying another set and if I take care of these I shouldn't have to. The SLC's have been great to use, and after looking through some EL's it would take a little getting used to as there is a difference in the two.

 

[Chico103]

Wow I never knew that.... that being the case I don’t know how I wouldn’t love the SLC. If the SLC is as nice or better than the ELrange I can’t see how I could get anything better, or need anything better, if I can get a decent deal on them.

So then which do you guys prefer.... the 8x42, or 10x42. Is there any differences besides more FOV of the 8s vs the magnification of the 10s?

I have the 8x42s, they’re awesome. The biggest thing for me besides the low light clarity is how easy they are to look thru. You put them up to your eyes and its an instant perfect picture. I guess you could say they have a very forgiving eyebox.

But I’m probably going to sell them to get the 10x. I just want the extra magnification. With glass this good you’re not losing much on the low light by going to the 10x. You do lose a little field of view to see things closer. Its a compromise and a personal preference.


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[Brush Buster]

So is the only difference between the SLCs and the Els the field flattener lenses? Or do they use different glass or coatings?

 

[Broomd]

Yes, that is the only difference.

I just picked up a set of SLC HD 10X42's. (2015) still waitng to receive them. I've never had the SLC's but have had the EL SV's (still have some 8X32 SVs) and they are spectacular.
Excited to try the SLCs!

 

[Newtosavage]

Honestly, it's subjective. SLC's are beloved by the forum members here, for good reason, but my eyes just don't get along with them. I've bought and sold 2 pair in the past 3 years. I am one of those people who doesn't care what brand is on their equipment, so long as it suits me. My eyes prefer Zeiss Conquest HD's and Nikon LXL's to the SLC's. Whatever the Japanese do to their glass, my eyes like it.

Try out as many pairs as you can and by all means, keep an open mind. You might just end up with something you didn't expect.

 

[Trial153]

I like my slcs as much or more then my els. If I could get slcs in 8x32 and 12x50...I would get dump both sets of Els and have all three slcs. First world problems for sure.

 

[Matt Cashell]

So is the only difference between the SLCs and the Els the field flattener lenses? Or do they use different glass or coatings?

Each optical design uses the glass and coating specs needed to satisfy the design. I haven't seen anywhere where Swarovski has released the specific glass types and coating technology used in each design, so that would be hard to say for certain. The leading optics companies keep the details of their "recipes" pretty secret.

The SLC does also have a simpler, less costly focusing mechanism. The SLC armor isn't as nice, IMO.

In regards to optical performance, the biggest difference I see is the field-flattening.

 

[sndmn11]

So is the only difference between the SLCs and the Els the field flattener lenses? Or do they use different glass or coatings?

This comes from Evan at Swarovski.
"Both the SLC and EL binoculars use our HD glass. One of the biggest differences is the field flattener lens which provides for perfect edge to edge clarity and eliminates shape distortion. There are other differences such as field of view, close focus, and of course the ergonomics.

A big part of the selection comes down to what your using them for. Normally we find that those hunting in very dense environments enjoy the field flattening lens of our EL binoculars. Those hunting more open terrain (Western Hunters) often choose the SLC binoculars since they are doing more panning with the binoculars than of the eye. The slc’s are also ready to accept a tripod pin for added stability when glassing longer distances.

They are both amazing glass and I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. Everyone eyes are a bit different so if possible I would suggest to get them each in your hands and take a look. Then select the ones that not only feel the best in the hand, but also feel the most natural when looking through them. A big part of buying high end glass is the ability to mitigate eye fatigue since most of our users tend to spend more time than the average bino users behind the glass."

 

[Brush Buster]

Thanks guys great stuff!

 

[Broomd]

Snapped a picture of the 10x42 SLCs next to the little 8X32 ELs. Amazing how compact the SLCs are! Swaro really nailed these bincs....

 

[ljalberta]

I have a set of 10x42 SLCs! Absolutely love them. I will say to my eyes the EL's were superior. However, I prefer the ergonomics of the SLC, and to me the price difference wasn't worth it. No regrets here.

 

[Brush Buster]

Got a deal on some SLC 10x42s. Excited to get them. you guys made the decision a lot easier thanks!