How do you choose a pocket binocular from Swarovski when the available models are so similar?
The optics are as good as it comes and there’s no need to discuss this – and that goes for every pair of binoculars from Swarovski, these pocket ones included. Not only the optics, but also the total product are of the highest quality. A lifetime warranty goes with everyone.
For starters these binoculars not only carry the name of “pocket binoculars” for nothing – they are that as well. You will hardly find any pocket binocular which fit the requirements as the ones from Swarovski. They all fit into the pocket of any jacket – even a shirt; on top of this they are very lightweight – maximum 8.1 ounce (some less than 7 ounces!)
Clearly, choosing between the different models is not going to be easy! However, there are some differences and I will show them to you. Maybe that will help you to make a decision.
Magnification:
Some of these pocket binoculars magnify by 8 times and some by 10 times.The Swarovski Optik Pocket 8x20B-P (Green) and 8x20B-P (Black ), the Traveler, Tyrol and the three crystal ones, the Tosca, Nabucco and Idomeneo – all have magnification of 8x. The Swarovski Optiks Pocket Binocular (10x25B-P, Green) and the 10x25B-P, Black, as well as the Traveler have magnification of 10x.
Obviously you have more magnification with the 10x models, but that comes at a price. If you don’t have a steady hand, don’t even consider any binocular with a magnification of 10 times. The problem with higher power is the fact that the slightest movement (either from the object you’re trying to look at, or your own hand holding the instrument) is exaggerated.
In addition to this problem more power also means a smaller exit pupil – where the light of the binocular enters your eyes. Smaller exit pupils means less light in dim conditions and a bad image. Fortunately Swarovski countered this problem by going for wider objective lenses (25 mm). In the end the exit pupils of the 10x’s are the same as those of the 8x’s (2.5 mm).
Objective lens size:
Pocket binoculars have to be small enough to fit into at least the pocket of a jacket. To make them small enough, but still be able to perform as a binocular, is quite a challenge. Roof prism design binoculars, like the Swarovski’s, have a distinctive advantage over porro designs and can be made very small indeed. The size of the objective lenses is the most crucial decision for the manufacturers of pocket binoculars. Too small lenses will render the instrument ineffective (too little light entering the instrument), but too big will make them too big and heavy. An ideal lens size seems to be 20 mm, with 25 mm probably at the edge.
The 25 mm of the Swarovski 10x25’s present an advantage of more light entering the instrument (better image in fading light), but they also succeeded in keeping the size and weight well within what can be expected from a pocket binocular, as will be indicated below.
Weight:
There’s a marginal difference between the two groups based on objective lens size: Bigger objective lenses always weigh more and that accounts for 0.5 ounces difference: The 8x20’s weigh 7.6 ounces and the 10x25’s 8.1 ounces.
Dimensions:
The dimensions of the 8x20’s are exactly the same: Their height is merely 1.5 inches, they fold up to an incredible 2.3 inches and their length is not even 4 inches (3.98 inches). The 10x25’s have the same height (1.5 inches) and width (2.3 inches), but are slightly longer (4.57 inches).
Field of view (FOV):
The field of view of a binocular is the range the viewer sees at a certain distance – which is 345 feet at 1000 yards. Another way of stating this is in degrees: 6.6 degrees. The wider the FOV, the easier one can spot an object in the distance and the easier to follow a moving object; the narrower, the more difficult. One of the technical features that determines the FOV is magnification: More power translates into narrower FOV, as can be seen in the case of the 10x25’s: 285 feet at 1,000 yards (5.4 degrees), which is considerably narrower than the 345 feet of the 8x20’s. This is one of the sacrifices one has to make going for a more powerful binocular.
Close focus:
The longer barrels of the 10x25’s also make a difference to the ability of the binoculars to focus on objects close by. The closest the 10x25’s with their slightly longer barrels can focus is 16 feet, but the 8x20’s with their shorter barrels can focus closer: 13 feet. For all types of applications this is excellent, except if you’re interested in real small things like butterflies or bugs, in which case you should consider the Pentax papilio, which can focus perfectly on an object 18 inches away!
Price:
Even though the specifications are, generally speaking, quite the same, there’s actually a huge difference in price from the lowest priced to the most expensive. At the low end of the price range you get the “standard” 8x20’s and the Traveler 8x20, going for $679 at the moment. Then you get the 10x25’s at $769. Then there’s quite a jump to the luxury group, with the Tyrol 8x20 going for $840 and the glamorous ones with the lustrous housing studded with world famous Swarovski crystals, the Nabucco, Tosca and Idomeneo, topping the list at $899. This represents a difference of 32% between the lowest priced and the highest priced ones. This is quite a difference, considering the fact that the only difference is really the housing. On the other hand, a crystal pocket binocular from Swarovski will probably regarded as a piece of jewelry at the same time!