I got a good deal on a pair of Leica Rangefinding Binos last winter after all the hunting seasons ended. I have loved my Swarovski 15x56 and have continued using them more than the Leicas. I used the Leicas a little here and there and finally this last week I put them to the ultimate test and comparison against my Swarovski SLC 15x56 binos. In a way it's like comparing apples to oranges because there are several differences between these two binos, but after two days of glassing for hours in low light conditions at dawn and dusk and in heavy and light snow conditions, I have the following conclusions to offer:
Weight:
The Leica 10x42 Geovids are lighter weight than the Swarovski SLC 15x56 and much easier on your neck over extended periods of time.
Bino Caps:
The Swarovski has better caps, although not perfect, they do stay on better. The Leica caps do not stay on very well, especially the caps on the larger end, both of which I have already lost.
Clarity:
The Leica are noticeably clearer than the Swarovskis.
Brightness:
The Leica are noticeably brighter than the Swarovskis.
Rangefinder:
The built in range finder easily gives ranges over 2000 yards, I did notice that 2500 yards and beyond it was tougher to get a reading, I did get a reading on a rock at over 2600 but didn't spend a lot of time seeing exactly how far certain types of objects would give a quick ready. I have never used Swarovski range finding binos so I can't offer a comparison.
Temp & Additional Data:
It was nice being able to read the temp in my binos as the day progressed. The Leica binos also provide other data which I haven't completely explored yet. It appears the 3000 may be discontinued and a newer 3200 is available with enhanced long range data, this is perhaps why the 3000's were a bargain.
Eye Strain:
For me the Swarovskis are very good to look through for extended periods of time, the Leica's seemed to be equally pleasant, I did not have any eyestrain after using them for many hours.
Overall Opinion:
By the end of the hunt I was using the Leica's almost exclusively, I really like them, the only time I used the Swarovskis was to look at distant antlers a little closer, the higher power is beneficial for better judging distant antlers. I will most likely eventually sell my Swarovskis and put the money toward a pair of 15x56 Leica Geovids if they come out with them, currently all I see are 8x or 10x available. I really like having 15x binos for many situations. Also I hope they eventually come up with a better style of caps, that is one of the few negative issues I found with these binos.
