New Swarovski EL HD binocular

Here is the text from my most recnet binoculars blog at http://www.binocularsblog.com/

By now, most Swarovski fans have heard that the great Swarovski EL binocular has been discontinued by Swarovski (though we still have some of the old model EL binoculars, here at OpticsPlanet, at a great price). Not to worry, though. the rumor is that a new Swarovski EL HD binocular is on the way.

This is more than a rumor. It is all true and I am pleased to report that during a visit from the Swarovski folks, last month, I actually got my hands on a prototype of the new Swarovski EL HD binocular. My reaction when I picked up the new Swarovski EL HD 10x42 can be summed up in one word: Wow! Hey, I'm a long time Swarovski EL binocular fan and it would take an awful lot to make me go "Wow" with anything else, but this new Swarovski EL HD binocular truly is a significant step up over the old Swarovski EL and, trust me, this new Swarovski EL HD is much more than an HD version of the old EL.

Let's begin with the optics. First thing I noticed on the new Swarovski EL HD binocular were the oversized eyepieces. The eyepiece lenses are huge. They look like a pair of car headlights sticking out of a binocular. The reason? This new Swarovski EL HD features flat field optics and these newly designed eyepieces do their part. The field of view is amazingly free or barrel or pincushion distortion, and, even more impressive, this new EL HD was tack sharp right to the edge to a degree that I have rarely seen in any binocular.

Okay, what about the HD? That's what this new Swarovski bino is all about, after all. Is it really HD? Would you notice a difference over the already excellent optics of the old Swarovski EL? Oh, yeah. Contrast and resolution in the new Swarovski EL HD were superb! Using my resolution chart, I was able to resolve the smallest resolution box on the chart. This, in itself, was an excellent showing, but, even more amazing, is that I was able to do it without the benefit of a tripod. This is the result of the HD lenses, of course, but it is also the result of Swarovski using six elements in the objective on the new EL HD, versus three elements in the old Swarovski EL objective design. Not to worry, though, the weight of the new Swarovski EL HD is still on a par with the old EL.

Like I said, this new Swarovski EL HD binocular is more than just an HD version of the old Swarovski EL. The EL HD actually got a new body design, as well. Now, don't panic; this is still an EL in terms of handling. In fact, it is an even better EL, in terms of handling, at least in my hands. This is a result of a new chassis design, resulting in a trimmer outline and a modifed shape. Holding the new and old EL binoculars side by side, you can see that the new EL HD adds a tapered contour at the top of the binocular where you hold them in your hands, not present in the old EL. The result? You get even a nicer handling binocular with the new EL HD than with the standard EL, something I would not have thought possible.

Is there a down side to all this. Oh, yeah. The price tag. The new EL HD will also be a significant step up over the standard EL in price, but if your quest is for the finest binocular made, you better get a new Swarovski EL HD in your hands and see for yourself.

We will be posting a page for the new Swarovski EL HD on our site, soon. Stay tuned for prices and specs.

Wow.... in one way, this makes the decision easy if your gonna spend big bucks anyway, on the other hand... just how expensive?.... ouch!.. its not like the standard EL's are cheap either!

They do sound like more than hype.
Much of this is so cutting edge the natural eye many not appreciate much of the benefits without sophisticated equipment to measure.

However, I'm a firm believer the subconscious picks up more than we realize.

There nothing like looking into a set of binos and suddenly your propelled into a new world of HD and beauty with vivid colors and clarity you don't even get up close with the natural eyes.....

Conscious or subconscious?.. who knows, but I think I appreciate the difference.

It may or may not make the difference of whether you can see the points on a deer at 500 yards, but it does make the world more enjoyable and a wonder looking through clear crisp lenses.

I have gotten spoiled... high powered cheap lenses just irritate me, because I now expect more.
Although the magnification helps to see, the world I look into with cheap lenses looks "worse" and not better than the real world through my unaided eyes.

Oh, you hit the nail right on the head. We are spoiled and we are addicts when it comes to good optics. My ultimate test is the "I can't put it down" test and that new EL HD passed with flying colors. I really hated to hand it back to the Swarovski team during their visit. No kidding on that. It hurt.

Price? Will be mid 2k. Yes, ouch! Believe it or not, Swarovski is doing its best to keep the price down for North America, but our weak dollar is making it very difficult to even keep the price even at that point.