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Review: Euro Diamond vs. Swarovski PH

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maine(r) View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote maine(r) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Review: Euro Diamond vs. Swarovski PH
    Posted: February/20/2007 at 10:07

 A while back I posted with the intent to upgrade to either a Zeiss or SB. However, the opportunity arose to purchase a Swarovski PH at very reasonable price. I bought it.   It is a PH 2.5-10x42 with a duplex reticle in perfect condition.

Over the last two weeks I have been comparing this scope to the Burris I used last hunting season.  The Burris is a  Euro Diamond model  1.5-6x40  w/  illuminated German #4 reticle.  

Fit /Finish/ Ergonomics:

The Swaro is a little more than an inch longer @ 13.23 inches and is noticeably lighter at 15 oz.  Both have a matte type finish.  The eye relief on both scopes is about the same.  The reticle in the Burris is in the RFP while the Swaro is FFP.  W/E adjustments on both are audible on both scopes with the Swaro finger adjustable knobs very easy to manipulate.  The Swaro has the shock absorbing eye piece.  The power adjustment on the Burris rotates the entire front ocular section while there is a power ring on the Swaro. Both operate smoothly.  As a note, the Burris had to be returned after purchase for a faulty power adjustment (turning it resulted in no change to the power) and was repaired and returned promptly with no further issues.  The Burris has an adjustable reostat for the illumination that lights the middle duplex inside of the 3 thicker posts of the #4 reticle.  The battery is a cheap Cr2025 and lasts for a day even when left on,  which I seem to do routinely.  It does not over power the target in low light on the lowest setting but probably could use an even lower minimum setting.  At the highest setting it stands out even in bright light.   

Daytime use observing objects from about 30 yards to 200 yards away:

License plates, mailbox numbers, birds in trees were all used as targets. Both scopes are very clear and bright with slight edge to the Swaro. As others have noticed, the images in the Swaro seemed "bigger" at the same  6X power.  The Swaro also had an edge in FOV.  I also noticed it took me maybe a second or two to focus on the target e.g. a license plate number with the Burris, however once focused, the object was very clear.  I don't know if this is an optical phenomenon or just my eyes.  This focusing issue continued every time I compare the two scopes. I had not noticed it before but had never compared the Burris to another scope.   Objects focused immediately with the Swaro

The thin section of the duplex in the Swaro subtends the length of a normal front door of a house at all powers.  The #4 of the Burris subtends less at 6x. Objects came into the center of the reticle easier with the #4 han they did with the plex.  The increasing reticle size of the Swaro was neither an advantage nor disadvantage in bright light although it is a bit thin at 2.5x.

Sunset to 1 hour after sunset objects 30 to 150 yards away:

Began with focusing on targets just below the setting sun, flare was not a major issue with either scope. I  could easily have shot animals almost directly into the setting sun.

Up until twenty minutes past sunset there was little difference in the resolving power of either scope. The Swaro had the same level of advantage it had in daylight.  Shots could be taken at deer in the "black growth" (spruce pine bushes heavy underbrush) where I hunt here in Maine.

Every few minutes thereafter the Swaro's advantage grew. However this advantage was slowed by the difference in reticle thickness.  The posts on the Burris are very thick and held up well in low light ( I did not use the illumination function) The Swaro's plex reticle, even though it grew as power increased, was not thick enough for the densest of underbrush at 6x, at 2.5x it was invisible.  However, in targeting objects in an open field it was the better choice.

At 40 minutes past sunset, something drastic happened.  The ability to see through the Burris just shut down like someone turned off a switch. The scope just went dark.  The view through the Swaro continued to slowly erode until about ten minutes later when the reticle at 7x became invisible against the dark brush which effectively ended the ability to take a shot.  We have 16" of snow cover and this allows you to see in the fields at all hours of the night with both scopes and I could have easily taken a shot with both at 1 hr after sunset.

Conclusions

The extra money you pay for extreme quality vs. good quality optics makes little, if any, difference in effectively taking game where I hunt until the first and last 10 minutes of legal shooting time which is +/- 1/2 hr.

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Dogger View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dogger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2007 at 10:20

Interesting observations.  From what I read for a hunter like me the Burris would be the better value proposition.  Also hunt in heavy brush scenarios and can only legally hunt to 1/2 hr past sunset so the #4 would make up for the lower light transmission.

 

Thanks for the feedback

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tahqua View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2007 at 10:36

Nice post and good observations. I like your references to legal hunting light and reticles.

I have a question, though. How does the power adjustment move the front objective on the Burris?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Narrow Gap Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2007 at 10:43
Great post maine(r)!!!
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maine(r) View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote maine(r) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2007 at 18:52
Originally posted by tahqua tahqua wrote:

Nice post and good observations. I like your references to legal hunting light and reticles.

I have a question, though. How does the power adjustment move the front objective on the Burris?

 

Maybe I dont have the correct technical term.  The entire front objective "section" of the main tube rotates 1/2 turn from 1.5x to 6x .....

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2007 at 03:02
Originally posted by maine(r) maine(r) wrote:

Originally posted by tahqua tahqua wrote:

Nice post and good observations. I like your references to legal hunting light and reticles.

I have a question, though. How does the power adjustment move the front objective on the Burris?

 

Maybe I dont have the correct technical term.  The entire front objective "section" of the main tube rotates 1/2 turn from 1.5x to 6x .....



Front objective section is actually the part of the scope that is the furthest from your eye.  The part that is closest to your eye is called eyepiece or ocular lens, or sometimes ocular bell.

Nice review and mirrors my own observations.  Reticle thickness is absolutely critical.  I do not care if I see the target, when I can not see the reticle.

ILya
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maine(r) View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote maine(r) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2007 at 07:09

Duh !

I meant the "ocular" lens section

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tahqua View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2007 at 08:46
If you edit your initial post and change objective to ocular, the Gang of Five will give you extra credit and change your grade
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2007 at 11:22

Good review, maine(r)!

Ted


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