Swarovski Optik EL (10x42) Binocular

Introduction
I knew I was in for it when my wife asked me that question. See, I already had a pair of very nice Leica binoculars. The Leica's are just so nice and clear with a super image... but they are also HEAVY! I had taken my Leicas on a spot and stalk hunt in British Columbia and these binoculars were just sooo darn heavy that I ended up leaving them behind half the time because I had a sore neck! Another guy on that trip had a pair of Swarovski EL's and when I tried them, I knew I was hooked. "I've decided I need to have one pair in my hunting pack and one pair on the boat. These heavy ones will stay on the boat", I explained. It worked...

Features
These are the top of the line Swarovski binoculars. They are only 27.5 ounces and with a nice bino harness they feel less than that. They are made of a lightweight magnesium housing with a rubberized coating so they grip well. There is a click adjustment for the left eye so if your eyes aren't matched perfectly (whose are?) you can adjust one lens independent of the other. Once that is locked into place, the primary focus knob takes over. The grooves in the focus wheel are large enough so that you can handle these with gloves on. There are twist in/out eye cups so that you can have the proper eye relief whether wearing sunglasses (or prescription lenses) or not.

Focus range is a very close 8 feet to infinity. Field of view at 1000 yards is 330 feet. They are completely sealed, waterproof and fog proof as they are filled with nitrogen gas.

When I bought mine they came with both a hard case and a soft case. While the hard case is very nice, I find that I really don't put them in there much. When I am driving to and from the mountains, I like to keep my Swarovskis close at hand to take a closer look at game I spot along the way. They also came with covers for the eyepiece, a strap and then I had to buy objective lens covers.

In Use
There are those who claim that 10 power binoculars provide too much magnification to hold steady with bare hands. I have not found that to be the case and really appreciate the larger magnified image. When I am glassing a whole hill side, I will usually sit down and put my elbows on my knees and slowly pick my way back and forth across the mountain looking for game. These are very clear and I can use them for hours without feeling any eye strain like you would with lesser optics. The extremely sharp image is clear out to the edges of the glass with no distortion. The color reproduction is true/natural and the contrast is crisp.

As I mentioned, I purchased a Swarovski binocular harness with these. That is a way to wear them with a strap over the shoulders and centered on your back. It takes the weight off your shoulders and makes hiking 10 miles with these comfortable. The harness is recommended if you are going to be carrying these for miles and miles.

For a hunter, a good pair of lightweight binoculars is important. You sure don't want to make the safety error of glassing a hillside with your rifle scope, now do you? Better make the investment once and you'll have them for a lifetime... and then your kids will get to fight over who inherits them! (Hey, there's another good reason to have two pair of $1500+ binoculars.) "Hey honey..."