SWAROVSKI VS. ????????

[GEARHEAD]

Well.....assuming that Swarovski HD spotters and Binos are the best, and i have looked thru both, and agree, any opinions on the second best maker/brand out there.

[Knocker of rocks]

Swarovski's are very good, and amoung the best.  The thing about Swarovski, is that they do not make a consumer grade product, so everything they make is "the best".  But top echelon Lieca, Nikon and Cannon is equal to or exceeds Swarovski (as a matter of opinion). 

[dreamunelk]

Basically it is what you can afford.   As stated above there are some very good alternatives.

[CplRaines]

Zeiss
Steiner
Leupold

in that order.... after Swarovski.

[Bigtine96]

keep in mind hd does not mean much unless you use your spotting scope for taking pictures of wildlife. I have the 65mm Swarovski angled with the 25-50 wide angle lense and I love it, one of the best purchases I have made as far as outdoor equiptment.

When you spend as much time as I do behind the glass buying anything other than the best is a waist of time.

[nwwanderer]

Spent more than a year comparing, bought the top of the line KOWA.  All of the good ones are amazing.

[Knocker of rocks]

Spent more than a year comparing, bought the top of the line KOWA.  All of the good ones are amazing.

And about the same price.  All $2000 spotting scopes are going to be really good.

[jjhunter]

Ask the hard-core guys and MOST will say that Zeiss makes the best spotter and Swarovski Swarovsision are without peer in the bino market.

I am currently packing a pair a Zeiss RF 10x45, a Swaro HD 80 spotter, and a pair of Swaro 15x56s.    Since $$ is not an option when it comes to my glass, I obviously feel that this is the best glass for my style of hunting.   I am purchasing a pair of 12x50 Swarovision before Colorado and will try them out on a tripod as a possible replacement for my 15s.   

If I were to purchase one pair of binoculars, it would probably be the 10x42 Swarovision.

[deerslyr]

I hear the vortex razor is great and a little bit cheaper

[Knocker of rocks]

I am currently packing a pair a Zeiss RF 10x45, a Swaro HD 80 spotter, and a pair of Swaro 15x56s

Sounds like a ghetto set up

[deerslyr]

 

[thinkingman]

When you get into alpha glass, the old standards are Swaro, Leica, Zeiss....then there are the others.
I love Swarovski...I think their coatings have the best balance between brightness and natural color.
Leica is extremely bright....almost synthetic....loss of color at the expense of brightness.
I do not have enough experience with Zeiss to form an opinion.
Meopta makes excellent glass and I believe their construction is like a tank...and weighs like one, too.
Steiner has a rep as a euro military vendor....I have not been impressed with their glass, but construction is very solid.
Nikon is a very advanced manufacturer and their products have an excellent reputation and their EDG line is competing with the Alphas.  Nikon Premier SE's have been around for a while and are still the reference glass in the porro prism market....once you look through them, you're spoiled for life.
There is a pair on CL right now in Kirkland.
I have a pair of Nikon Premier LX's that have the widest field of view I've ever encountered....once you get used to it, it's hard to go to a narrower view.
I have demo'd Vortex Razors and they didn't work for me....can't quite identify why.
I would love to have ZenRays for a month or so..they have a great rep.
I've never been impressed with Leupold glass, nothing compelling there.

[jjhunter]

I am currently packing a pair a Zeiss RF 10x45, a Swaro HD 80 spotter, and a pair of Swaro 15x56s

Sounds like a ghetto set up

I know....working on getting those Zeiss out of the line-up.    Got the 12x50 Swarovision on Thursday - AMAZING!

[Greg30-06]

Any that are less than $200 so  I don't have to sell my first born.

[deleted BGS]

I am really wanting a pair of leica geovids 10x42 bad