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SLC VS EL

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katesdad View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote katesdad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: SLC VS EL
    Posted: December/01/2008 at 23:11
Can someone explain the difference between these two swaro's.  will be for hunting.  thanks in advance.  any suggestions or advice welcomed.
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mike650 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/02/2008 at 00:29
To start, the SLC's come in more configurations but they're heavier. Close focus and focus wheel location is better on the EL's. I feel the EL's are slightly more color neutral too. Other than that their pretty much the same optically.
“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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anweis View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote anweis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/02/2008 at 06:36
I can comment on the 8x30 SLC and 8x32 EL, which i have and use, and the 10x42 SLC and 10x42 EL which i have examined closely.
 
The bodies differ and the weight and handling differ as well. ELs are a bit lighter, handle better, and focus closer. 
 
The two lines are similar, but not identical optically. ELs are a bit brighter, more color neutral, have less color fringing in bright light, work better when looking into backlit objects (as in searching for deer at the base of a hill when the sun is setting behind it), and have slightly more distortion at the edge of field of view.
The SLC work just as well in poor light and dark weather, but have more flare and less contrast when looking at backlit objects. They work well, though. They also are just a bit less bright and less color neutral, they show colors with less vividness than the ELs, especially in sunlight. They have a wider "sweet spot" free of distortion at the edges. 
The differences are small enough that you probably would not be able to see them inside a store. I've used both extensively in the field, and i can tell you that the SLC line is all you need for hunting. 
If you will hunt the open spaces in the west and handshake and handholding are not a problem, go for the 10x42 SLC. If you will need low light performance to check foodplots in the dark, go for the 7x42. If you want both in a smaller package, go for the 8x30 SLC. 
Despite it being small and having a smallish focuser in an odd place, the 8x30 works very well with gloves and in low light and dark weather. During November hunting, my SLC 8x30 works very well with excellent brightness and contrast about  35 minutes before sunrise and 35 after sunset.
One more difference: the focuser on the EL does get stiffer and harder to operate in the cold, the one on the SLC does not appear to.    
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bird_hunter66 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bird_hunter66 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/02/2008 at 07:01
I looked at both the EL and SLC Swarovski binoculars when I was in the market for a pair of high end binoculars and compared them to Zeiss and Leica.  The Swarovski fit my hands and eyes better then the other two brands and Swarovski definately has the best customer service of the big three European binocular companies.  I even called the factory in Rhode Island and talked to one of their representatives and they answered all of my questions.  Both the EL's and the SLC's are very nice binoculars.  I looked through both and I couldn't see paying the difference about $700 between the EL's and SLC's.  I thought the SLC's had a tougher body with a more confortable feel.  I couldn't hold a 10x steady so I went with the 7x42 which is excellent in low light preformance.  I really liked the 8x30 SLC as well but with the 7x42 I had a little better preformance at dusk and dawn.  I truly love my 7x42 SLC's and I couldn't of made a better choice.  You should try them all out in your hands and to your eyes and see what works best for you.  
D. Holmes
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