Swarovski 8x30 SLC WB
Review
Swarovski’s pre-HD 15x56 SLCs were my main astronomy
binoculars before I replaced them with the HD model. They were far from perfect,
but were of high optical quality and great for astronomy.
At the other end of the scale (literally), I needed a
lightweight pair to take walking and nature viewing and when Swarovski
introduced the original (pre Field Pro) 8x30 CL
‘Companions’ I was keen to try them. So I did, at my
local camera shop.
The shop was, as always, friendly and helpful, but sadly I
didn’t feel the same about their Companions. Yes, they were perhaps the
smallest and lightest ‘proper’ binoculars I have tried. But I didn’t think the
view was up to much – a bit narrow, dropped off a bit towards the edge, just
not very special really; certainly nothing like the 8x32 ELs I was able to
compare them with (but note that I’ve reviewed the latest Field Pro version of
the Companions and they’re much improved).
I didn’t buy the Companions, but they got me wondering about
the binoculars they replaced – the 8x30WB SLCs, the little brother of my
15x56s. So I bought a used pair to see how they stack
up as an alternative budget choice to the 8x30 CL Companions.
At A Glance
|
Magnification |
8x |
|
Objective Size |
30mm |
|
Eye Relief |
15mm claimed (14mm measured) |
|
Actual Field of View |
7.8 degrees |
|
Apparent field of view |
60 degrees |
|
Close focus |
4m |
|
Transmissivity |
? 85-90% |
|
Length |
141mm |
|
Weight |
590g |
Data from Me/Swarovski
Design and Build
The 8x30 SLC has a long history going back to the 1980s, but
if you are planning to buy a pair that creates a problem because all the older
models fetch the same sort of used price, but they’re not the same. In fact, versions prior to the one on review here are
probably best avoided. Why? Not because they’re faulty, but because they lack
important optical coating features.
The oldest (Mark I) models are easy to spot, as they look
very different from this one. The Mark I lacks SWARObrightTM
mirrors and has no phase coatings either. They are not really worth buying in
my view unless very cheap.
The last (Mark IV) version with its ‘Neu’ style two-tone
black and green armour is distinctive and has all the latest features, no issue
there. For reference, I’ve included a graph of transmission comparing the ‘neu’
Mark IV with the Mark II and the Mark III.
The real problem is those middle-aged
models (always the way) – the Mark II and the Mark III version on review here
because they look so similar.
Below is a photo of the previous version to the ones on
review, the Mark II. It has phase coatings, but not SWARObrightTM
mirrors. This is the one to be careful of because it looks very similar to the
Mark III, but will be dimmer in use. The only clue is the ‘cut’ in the armour
below the eyepieces (armour colour, black or green, is irrelevant).
Transmission values for three different SLC 8x30s compared (Swarovski
image).
These Mark IIs look similar to the Mark IIIs on test, but
lack dielectric mirrors. Note the extended ‘cut’ in the armour below the
eyepieces, the only way to distinguish.
Body
The 8x30 SLCs are a compact binocular with similar styling to
other SLCs models of the time. Build quality is good, but workmanlike compared
to the exposed alloy and finer armour of a pair of ELs. Despite being (I think)
made of aluminium rather than magnesium alloy, these are light at 590g – as
light as (Zeiss 8x32 FL) or lighter than (Swarovski 8x32 EL) most premium 8x32s
today.
The armour is grippy, doesn’t smell rubbery and doesn’t
attract fluff like many do – i.e. it’s typical
Swarovski.
Like other SLCs, these are waterproof to 4m. All versions were
made in Austria and are readily and economically serviceable by the factory in
Europe, or by a dedicated US facility – a big Swarovski advantage.
Focuser
The focuser is unusually at the front of the bridge, but it’s
convenient in such a short binocular. It’s both smooth and accurate, with no
play and no shift of focus when changing direction (a fault you find in some
mid-range bino’s).
Close focus is about 3.5m, at which the image merges almost
perfectly for me. From there to infinity takes just over ¾ turn – pretty fast.
The dioptre knob is at the back of the bridge – it is
spring-loaded and you push it in to adjust it. It’s precise, but slightly
awkward to use.
The 8X30 SLC’s focuser is at the front of the bridge, it’s
fast and smooth.
Dioptre knob is at the back: push in to adjust.
Optics - Prisms
The prisms are the usual Schmidt-Pechan
(a.k.a. Roof) prisms, but these Mark IIIs have the all-important SWARObrightTM mirror coatings – modern
multi-layer dielectric mirrors that increase transmission to enhance
brightness. Think twice before buying Mark IIs and earlier models that lack
this feature (see above).
As explained above, from Mark II onwards they should have
phase coatings too, which is pretty much essential (more so than the SWARObrightTM mirrors) because
without it resolution is mediocre.
Optics - Objectives
These probably have a triplet objective like other SLC models.
Swarovski make no claim for ED glass or ‘HD’ lenses, but false colour is
minimal, as we will see. This is understandable: if the SLCs were a scaled
design up to 15x56, you might expect the smallest model to be well corrected
and these are.
There seems to be a plane optical window in front of the
objective for sealing purposes, because the whole objective moves to focus.
Canon IS binoculars use the same system. It doesn’t seem to have any
detrimental effect, not on focusing feel, nor on brightness, nor on stray
light.
The whole objective assembly moves, so the front is sealed by
plane glass windows. Barrels are baffled; coatings are top quality.
Optics - Eyepieces
Looking at the numbers, you can start to see why I wasn’t
impressed with the Companions. These old SLCs have a field 0f 7.8 degrees,
which translates to around 60 degrees apparent, similar to most modern premium
bino’s. The CL Companions have just 7.1 degrees (55 degrees apparent) by
comparison, which looks a bit narrow in use.
Both the SLCs and their CL replacement have the same claimed
eye relief of 15mm. I measured these SLCs at 14mm, but in either case it’s usable
with my thick-framed specs, but the whole field isn’t visible.
The SLCs have typical Swarovski click-stop eye cups with a
solid feel and positive twist-out mechanism. There is only one ‘out’ position
for people without specs.
The eyepieces don’t
suffer from significant kidney-bean blackouts as you shift eye position.
Accessories
The SLCs come with a soft, unpadded fabric case – it’s logoed
but that’s about it. The caps are typical band-on types for the objectives and
pivoting for the eyepieces (a nice feature). The strap is also a typical logoed
Swarovski item – no skimping there.
In Use – Daytime
Ergonomics and Handling
Handling in the field is good and the small size and light weight
make these a pleasure to walk with. I like the front focuser now I am used to
it, but I know others don’t. Focusing is smooth and accurate. Dioptre
adjustment is convenient and easy.
Eyepiece comfort,
free of blackouts, is excellent. There’s not enough eye relief to see the whole
field with my thick-framed specs on, but it’s competitive with other compact
binoculars. The eye cups are solid, positive and easy to adjust with no
Leica-style flex or poor seating.
These are just a
really nice binocular for every day use – ‘nuff said.
Swarovski 8x30
SLCs are small and unobtrusive to wear.
The View
A slightly older design they may be, but I really like the
view through the 8x30 SLC – it is wide, sharp and bright with masses of detail
on axis and doesn’t drop off badly towards the edge either. Colour rendition
seems very natural too.
If the first impressions are good, nothing changes as you use
the little SLCs. Internal reflection and ghosting are well controlled, in
typical Swarovski fashion, so using these around water or snow would not be a
problem. I found no problems with ghosting as some have claimed.
Both barrels come to focus with that definite snap that is
typical of good optics – there’s never any doubt you’ve got best focus.
Looking at plumage or other subjects with a lot of fine
detail, the impression is of very high resolution.
Field curvature softens the view, but only towards the edge.
Flat field?
The field is surprisingly flat and well-corrected (much like
the 15x56’s field, in fact), despite no claim to field-flatteners, with just
some curvature and a touch of astigmatism from about 70-80%.
Chromatic Aberration
Despite the lack of ‘HD’ lenses, these smallest SLCs suffer
only modest levels of false colour, similar to many ‘HD’ models in larger
sizes. In general use false colour seems minimal, but watching a foraging Egret
I did notice a faint rim of green and purple around the brilliant white plumage.
In Use – Dusk
This is where the small objectives show. The 8x30 SLCs work
much better in low light than 8x20s, but they don’t penetrate deep dusk shadows
like larger-objective binoculars.
In Use – The Night Sky
The first thing to say is that these 8x30s are emphatically
not useless for astronomy like 8x20s.
Stars are really pin-point and that tight point-spread means
you can see densely populated fields of fainter stars in a way I wasn’t
expecting. Field curvature is the main off-axis aberration, but doesn’t start
until past 70% and isn’t intrusive until quite close to the field stop, where
it smears stars into short lines. But the central well-corrected area is plenty
large enough to fit in Orion’s belt. Coma and astigmatism are very minor.
Stray light is very well controlled, with just a couple of
very faint ghosts well off-axis when viewing a bright security light at night.
The same security light creates a hint of veiling flare, but overall
the SLCs are up to modern Swarovski standards for stray light.
The Moon
The Moon looks as good as it does with any top-notch 8x
binocular – crisp and detailed, with no flare or false colour. Lower power and
good depth of field mean enjoying the Moon in context – floating through icy
clouds or dropping below a distant chimney pot.
Jupiter
The 8x30 SLCs show Jupiter as a tightly defined tiny disk,
with minimal flare or spiking. The small objectives make the moons harder to
spot than larger apertures.
Deep Sky
You might think these would be marginal for deep sky, due to their
small objectives and older design. Not so. Admittedly, I had to use averted
vision more than I’m used to, but I found lots of stuff. Meanwhile, star fields
looked great, strewn with pin-sharp stars up to about 80% field width.
The Orion Nebula showed nice bright arcs of nebulosity with
averted vision, but was a bit dim viewed straight. The belt area was well
sprinkled with faint stars, though.
The Andromeda Galaxy showed its bright core and some extended
fuzz with direct vision, more with averted. Nearby M33 was easy to pick up as a
wide smudge. Fainter galaxies were trickier, though – I struggled to find Bode’s.
The Double Cluster showed up well and M35 yielded a few stars
viewed directly, many more with averted vision. The three open clusters in Auriga,
M36-38, were easy to spot as misty patches (all fitting in the same field), but
only partially resolved into their component stars with averted vision. The
Pleiades were a bit dimmer and less sparkly than I’m used to with bigger binos, but looked good nonetheless.
Summary
It’s hard to criticise the 8x30 WB SLC, in this Mark III
version at least. No, they aren’t as ‘perfect’ as a pair of Swarovision
8x32 ELs, with a little more false colour and field
curvature and a little less eye relief. But I found they gave nothing much away
to other premium binoculars in the 8x32 size. I definitely preferred them to
the original CL Companions (but again note that the latest Field Pro version of
the Companions is much improved).
The view is tack sharp, bright, quite wide and superbly
detailed. Minor false colour is only present where contrast is highest. Stray
light is well controlled, even compared with modern designs (much better than
Kowa’s premium 8x33 XDs for example). Field curvature is modest, astigmatism
well controlled.
Mechanically, the focuser and dioptre are both light and
precise, though the unusual dioptre adjust is a little awkward. These focus
fast - it’s easy to follow birds on the wing. The 8x30 SLCs are a light yet
easy to hold binocular. Eyepiece comfort is excellent. Eye relief isn’t enough
for my chunky specs, but competitive for a compact design.
Overall, the 8x30 SLCs don’t seem outdated, just typically
thorough Swarovskis - better in many ways than current mid-range binoculars of
similar (new) price. I prefer them to Kowa’s 8x33 XDs for example. Just make sure you buy a pair with SWARObrightTM mirror coatings and phase coatings
too (i.e. Mark III or IV).
The Swarovski 8x30 SLCs in their later versions get my
highest recommendation if you can find a good pair used: full Swarovski quality
at a modest price.