leica hd 8x42 vs swarovski el 8.5x42

chrisdolan11

hi guys looking to invest in set of binoculars. the ones im looking at are the swarovski EL42 . there pricey but im assured an investment. just wondering does anyone know of a good dealer in ireland id rather purchase here for comeback and service plus would rather not get them bashed up by a courier!. Im having trouble finding a dealer so any help is greatly appreciated

V_Moth

Conn's Cameras in Dublin city centre are the only stockist of Swarovski bins/scopes that I know of in Ireland. Unfortunately they charge significantly higher prices than similar shops in the UK.

It may be worthwhile looking at getting a cheap day return trip to London with Ryanair/Aerlingus. For example, London WWT centre in Barnes has a very good optics dealer meaning that you can try out your new bins in a realistic setting.

http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/london

PS: Forgot to add that Swarovski is generally very unfussy about repairs, etc. Having used one of their scopes for the last 6/7 years, I have not experienced any problems. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Leica...

chrisdolan11

thanks for info ye i seen conns all right. hes actually keen enough on price says hes supplied direct from austria. he has them in stock also so can try them out only snag is its city centre!
i cant find them cheap anywhere on net. best price is 1600 sterling and conns in dublin is 1850 euro so not much difference.

Half-cocked

I looked everywhere when I bought my Swaro scope and ended up buying from Conns. The few quid you saved buying abroad was eaten up by P&P costs. They also did me a deal on a tripod to go with it:D

1squidge

I would definitely try a few bins out before you buy. I use a pair of Minox mig hg's and they are up there with the swaro's. I got an open box special from a shop in the US. I got them for $700 including postage. Yes the Swaro's are a bit better but not €1000 better. So you could save yourself a fortune by trying out a few different bins.

boneless

I have purchased at Conns in the past and have indeed got some good deals from them. Did you check and see if he has some second hand bins in stock? My SLCs were second hand from them, and I got a great bargain.

chrisdolan11

ye i rang them up very helpfull no second hand ones at the moment though. The only reason im looking at swaros is with the intention of never buying again and saying what ifs all my life. its a lot of money but spread over the lifetime of the binos not a lot i think.

He has zeiss in stock and leicas also being the most expensive. Ill try them and see i guess

chrisdolan11

ok little help needed. im ready to purchase either one of the above. have sourced both from different suppliers and are working out give or take same kind of money. cant decide which to go for. uses include bird watching and some early morning duck flight watching . any input or experience greatly appreciated.

Mothman

Merged with your previous thread.