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Can someone help me decide?

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windstrings View Drop Down
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    Posted: October/22/2007 at 10:48
Cabelas sells thier EO version 10 X 42 which apparently is the same as the Swarovski SLC body with the EL lenses and seems to have excellent brightness, field of view and clarity and with excellent reviews at that.

I'm wondering how they stack up to the Zeiss Conquest model 10 X 40?
http://www.swfa.com/pc-5825-207-zeiss-10x40-conquest-binocul ar.aspx

The Cabelas "salesman" all seem to defend the EO version as superior to anything Zeiss has in that price range both in clarity and brightness..... is there anyone out there who have compared the two?

For those who feel the Zeiss is better, whats up with the different versions that are so close in price?
http://www.swfa.com/c-178-zeiss-victory-binoculars.aspx
And the new version of the conquest? http://www.swfa.com/pc-5824-207-new-zeiss-8x40-conquest-bino cular.aspx


I"ve always wanted a Zeiss pair of binoc's but wondered if the Cabelas version is really better?

I originally was going for the 10 X 50 Steiner, but the  Cabelas EO killed it in clarity and brightness?

thanks for you help.


Edited by windstrings
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Roy Finn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/22/2007 at 13:42
The bino you are looking at from Cabelas is made for them by Meopta and is the same as their Meostar. I don't know how it compares to the Conquest but there are several folks here (koshkin for one) that have used the Meopta Meostar and if I recall, though they were very close to the Swarovski SLC.
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windstrings View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote windstrings Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/22/2007 at 13:46
Originally posted by Roy Finn Roy Finn wrote:

The bino you are looking at from Cabelas is made for them by Meopta and is the same as their Meostar. I don't know how it compares to the Conquest but there are several folks here (koshkin for one) that have used the Meopta Meostar and if I recall, though they were very close to the Swarovski SLC.


I did notice Meopta and Meostar on the package or box... the looks are exactly the same as the Swarovski... same adjustments etc.
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windstrings View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote windstrings Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/25/2007 at 09:23
I went back to Cabelas to compare my recent purchase of their Euro 10 X 42's with the Zeiss Conquest 10 X 40, 12 X 45's, and a Swarovski 10 X 42 SLC that they had in their bargain bin. I felt bad about going back, but for the money, I just has to know if the others were indeed any better.
The first time I went into the store, I didn't test some against the Euro's because the saleman talked as if the others were either out of my league of what I wanted to spend, or inferior. But I learned about the Zeiss Conquest "in my price range" and they had a set of Swaro's SLC 10 X 42's as well as the Zeiss conquest in their bargain bin at a reduced price which put them within a painful reach!

First of all, I also went back to the same salesman and challenged him again about Swarovski's being made with Meopta parts and told him I am having trouble confirming that anywhere.

OK.. lets see if I can remember this right...He said the Swarovski rep was in a few months back and they said Swarovski bought out 51% of Meopta's company and that since competitor has an agreement with Meopta, that their Euro has the Swarovski SLC style body with the EL lenses, but a different coating on their lenses.ie: SWAROBRIGHT prism coating verses the Eurobright.
Well the body is not exactly the same, but pretty close. The weight difference is only .3 oz.

There are indeed allot of similarities between the two models just with physical appearance and setup... however I think the coatings on the lenses can be quite a difference... even if that indeed is the only real difference "which is not confirmed".... this could all be rumor or only partial fact as compared to total truth.
The diopter adjustment pushes in and turns on the Swaro, where the Euro just turns, but both are integrated into the focus the same fashion.

HUMM... I don't know which.. its hard to say... unless he misquoted his numbers... he also said the Swarovski SLC 10 X 42 had a light pass through index "if I'm wording that right" ....of 96.5% in the Day and 20.5% at total dark in the middle of the night as compared to their Euro which was 98.5% or 99.5% in the Day and also 20.5% as the other at night?
He said the EL's were 21% at night.

Well Swarovski boasts of 99.5 across the entire light spectrum as noted in the literature in the box?
I"ve heard the SLC now has the same light transmission as the EL's... but I don't really know.. sometimes companies throw generic pamphlets in all their boxes too.

Anyway When I tested them against the Zeiss Conquest..... I'm sorry to say the Zeiss was darker than the Swarovski's or the Euro.... the 12X was notably darker and the 10X also but not as dramatic. It didn't take me long to set those aside in the comparison... although I've always dreamed of owning a pair of Zeiss binoculars.... these weren't the ones!
If I was going to get another pair that day, it would have to be "better" than the Euro's!

I spent the next 3.5 "hours"... yes.. 3.5 hours comparing the Euro 10 X 42 against the Swaro 10 X 42 SLC!
That tells you they were very very close.
The  Cabelas store is quite big and I found dark corners in the top rafters and I would try to see how well I could see the black bolts that held the beams together as I was studying for brightness differences.... I  know this is not outside at night, but its the best I could do in the store.

The Euro  "may" be ever so slightly brighter in those dark corners... but I'll tell you.. I spent allot of time trying to figure that out... my neck is still sore.. they are so close, I suspect outside at night is the only real test..... I would never buy the Swaros over the Euros based on that test alone.  I didn't have them both side by side at night outside to see the real acid test....
However that same test was very apparent with some of the other models........ The Steiner 10 X 50's Military marine were "terrible" and I  felt I could even see a faint smokiness to the air when viewing across the store, especially if I allowed a bright light to be in the view.

So I spent 95% of my next 3.5 hours with the Swarovski's and the Cabelas Euro.
It wasn't until I got on their elevated stand where they test their spotting scope I was able to tell the difference in clarity.
They are very very very close....  however, if you place the binocs to rest on one of the spotting scopes so you are no longer supporting the weight, the "shakiness" goes away and if you don't touch the front lens covers with your skin as you look through them, the binocs stay still without movement.... only then was I able to confirm I could see the next row down of tiny lines on the reading Eye Chart they had across the store up next to the ceiling... maybe 60 yards away or so.

The Swaro's seem to make the letters darker and bolder more consistently... my vision is 20/20 with my contacts, but I had to blink my eyes a few times with my long stares and it was difficult to confirm for a while. Sometimes the Euro's would show the letter more "grey" to the letters and I would have to blink several times to get the boldness to come back.. the swaro's didn't torque my eyes so.

The Swaro's were definitely clearer in the extreme edges than the Euro's, ...you may ask.. "who cares, no one looks through the edges?"....
Well I do.... I feel when your scanning a field or horizon, your eyes don't have to work to "refocus" different parts of the viewing field when all parts are more consistent. You shouldn't have to "move" the binoculars to see something towards the edge of the viewing area to still see it clear.  Fact is, when you watching a field, its nice to leave the binocs in one place and still be able to pan an area with your eyes and see clearly!
If you strain your eyes, you can "focus" the fuzzy edges and your brain will subconsciously try to do that and only cause more eye fatigue.

I don't know how to explain this, but I have a big screen  TV and if I play with the "convergence" settings, I can get a little blue to the right or left of letters etc...... it seems in bright sunlight, I got a little of that with the Euro's. Around tree twigs etc against bright sunlight.
Once I was looking at the horizon and there was a little pile of white lime crushed rock in front of me about 15 yards that some road crew left and as I looked "beyond" them into the distance, the white rocks had a blue glow that covered them in the forefront of my viewing.
I wondered if it was a lens aberration so I flipped the binocs upside down and saw the same blue glow.
I'm assuming this was some type of chromatic aberration with that frequency that was uniform through the circumference of the lens.....

I have yet to notice that chromatic aberration with the Swaro's.

I realize I'm splitting hairs here, but I think thats what separates the 800.00 binoc from the 1450.00......

Anyway... I don't see the difference as worth almost double the money, unless you want among the very best and don't mind the bucks...

What tilted me in my decision is the Swaro's were in Cabelas bargain bin so I got them about 400.00 off their regular price so I jumped on the opportunity and am very very happy!
I suppose there may be a pair of Euro's in their place now!

The Euro's are very fine binocs for the money too, but I wanted the best I could reach for without future regrets so I went with Swaro... to each his own I guess.
Thats allot of stinkin money for binocs, but like a fine car verses a regular family car, you get what you pay for.. they both go from point A to B, but one does it in total style and ease.

Although when I was checking out at customer service a fella walked up and commented that he had tried both and the Euro's were a bicycle and the Swaro's were a Harley!.. I don't see the difference as that dramatic.  I
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote livetohunt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/25/2007 at 14:16
Great post I have a pair of Zeiss Classic 10x40 and a pair of Cabelas 10x42 Euros and the Euros are better in low light and resolution .I hate to say that but I have compared the two several times while hunting.I bought the Euros at the Cabelas store in Fort Worth Texas for 624.00 . The manager sold them to me at employee priceing.I also compared them to the ELs and the SLCs and the ELs were beter but I could not tell little if any difference in the SLCs so I went with the Euros. The Manager told me if I  ever wanted to return them for any reason that I could trade them in on a pair of Swaros.The other reason was if they ever break he said just bring them into the store and they would give me a new pair.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonbravado Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/25/2007 at 14:24

meopta makes good stuff. i suspect that the cabelas euros are no different.

 

i love my meostar scope and would buy another.

 

J

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote windstrings Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/25/2007 at 17:04
Yes, the offer and knowing you can just walk in the store and swap them out is a real benefit and blessing should you need it.....It was hard to walk away from that temptation... but I watch over my toys meticulously and never loan then out and always know exactly where they are at all times.. so I'm betting I will not have any mishaps....

I didn't look through the  EL's.. unless I could find then on a really good sale, I'm several hundred from reaching them......

What kind of difference did you notice between the SLC's and the EL's?... is it noticeable or comparable to the difference between the  SLC's and the Euro's.. because that was very negligible to me.

If you feel the difference is notable, would you rather trade from a pair of of Swarovski SLC "new" to the 10 X 42 EL's or the 10 X 50 SLC's?

The 10 X 50's would be bigger and heavier I know.

EDIT... I answered some of my own questions here:
http://www.birdforum.net/archive/index.php/t-37436.html


I would still appreciate further comments.


Edited by windstrings
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