EL Swarovision binoculars by Swarovski provides the birder with a vivid and clear viewing experience. With increased brightness and color accuracy, these binoculars offer a much improved depth of field while also minimizing the need to constantly adjust them, like you may experience with other models. These binoculars work well even in low light and feature a minimum focus distance of just under five feet while still maintaining a sharp image across the FOV. This is a company with a reputation for quality, so it comes as no surprise that their line of birding binoculars seems to have impressed most consumers.
The Swarovski EL model line features some of the best binoculars out there currently. The Swarovision features a durable construction paired to crisp and clear lenses that are flat and have great contrasting capabilities all the way to their edges. These binoculars are great for both close and long range observation making them an all-time favorite for bird watchers.
Product Overview and Features
In order to reach the maximum focus, you’ll need to turn the knob a couple of times. This can be a problem if you need to adjust them quickly, however, the first turn will adjust from just under five feet, while the following turn extends to nineteen feet. The final turn will go to infinity.
The eye relief on these binoculars is excellent, allowing for comfortable viewing, even for individuals who wear glasses, which can be a huge plus, as finding a pair of glasses-friendly binoculars can be quite difficult.
Birding Rocks Rating:
- Premium construction
- Durable design
- Great magnification properties
- Lifetime warranty
- Superb Lens clarity
Durability
A waterproof model, these binoculars are cased in a rubber armor and feature a limited lifetime warranty. This warranty will cover all manufacturing defects that concern the model’s optical system. All other components will be covered for ten years. If you care for these binoculars properly, they can definitely last you a lifetime. One consumer discussed their experience with sending in their model for a cleaning.
Changes Compared To Previous Models
To their pleasant surprise not only had their binoculars been cleaned, but the manufacturer had also replaced the eye cups, focus mechanism, objective lenses and had them re-armored in rubber. Talk about excellent customer service. Keep in mind the consumer did not pay a single cent for this service. With an impressive warranty and a manufacturer that goes above and beyond, a consumer can feel confident about this type of major purchase and consider it money well spent.
If you want to check a cheaper alternative, we suggest these Zeiss binoculars.
Birding with Swarovision
Many newbies automatically assume that the binocular’s main job is to enlarge an image, which must mean it’s better to purchase the most powerful binoculars they can find. However, this is a common rookie mistake because field of view and brightness are by far more important than magnification. In actuality, too much magnification can make a pair of binoculars useless. Binoculars that are designed to magnify an image eight times will also magnify the small movements you make with your hands eight times.
The more an image moves, the less useful info you’ll be able to get from it. The human brain must work harder in order to interpret a shaky image and because of this, a pair of higher powered binoculars can be a pain and a drain to use.
Models that feature higher magnification can also cause increased distortion that’s due from heat shimmer, which is the rising of hot air currents. Fortunately, this model by Swarovski can offer even the newbie the best viewing experience possible.
Care and Maintenance
Never, ever touch the lenses of your binoculars with your fingers, or clean them using newspaper, paper napkins, toilet paper or tissue. All of these types of paper contain wood fibers that can easily scratch and possibly destroy the thin lens coating that’s essential to the performance of the binoculars.
And unfortunately, once destroyed, the lens coating cannot be replaced or repaired. You should also avoid using commercial glass cleaners, which often contain ammonia or other types of chemicals that can also destroy this coating.
Maintenance
The best binoculars for bird watching should only be cleaned using a high quality microfiber lens cloth or lens tissue from a camera or optics store. You can also purchase lens cleaning fluid or a can of compressed air whose label clearly states that it’s safe for binocular use. To clean, start of by using the can of compressed air to remove any loose dust and debris. Next, spray the lens cleaner onto a microfiber cloth and gently clean the lenses using a circular motion. Wipe them dry using a different part of the cloth, again doing so using circular motions in order to prevent streaks.
If you’re out birding and decide you could use a snack, make sure you place the lens covers on your binoculars first. While they’re called rain guards, they can also be used as coffee, and food guards.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Great improvement from the previous models
- Superb field flattener lenses
- Very high contrast all the way to the edge of the lense
- Produces a great flat image
- Close focus capabilities
- Comfortable to hold
- Compact in size & Very durable
Cons
- According to some consumers, the viewing sharpness isn’t comparable to other brands in this price range, especially when it comes to nighttime viewing.
Conclusion and Rating
Birding Rocks Rating:
Consumers gave this model a rating of five out of five stars for improved clarity, ergonomic design and overall quality. With excellent customer service and an impressive warranty, expect to enjoy these Swarovski binoculars for many years to come. A great set of binoculars for the newbie or pro, most consumers can agree that these durable, dependable and highly accurate binoculars have a lot to offer and can definitely improve your birding experience, even when it comes to viewing shorebirds or eagles.
