Swarovski 8 x 42 EL Range

Given Swarovski were the first European company to produce a laser rangefinder rifle scope many years ago, they have been conspicuous by their absence in offering a set of BRFs (binocular rangefinders). The nearest they got was their 8x30 Laser Guide monocular. The lead was taken by Leica with their original Geovid and later BRFs and Zeiss with both their Diarange rifle scope and Victory RF binos.

The introduction of Swarovski’s new EL Swarovsion binoculars back in 2008/2009 put them at the top of the tree, with quite possibly the best optical package I have ever seen! I use a set of Leica 8x56 BRFs for the simple reason I want the combined rangefinder/bino package and it was the best thing out there at the time. So as a confirmed Swarovski user am I prepared to give my time-tested Leicas the flick in favour of their EL Range?

WHEN FOR GOD’S SAKE?

With Zeiss’s Victory RF in production Swarovski owners were asking when would they respond? Finally in 2011 they launched their EL Range BRFs in 8x42 and 10x42. Building a laser rangefinder into a set of binos to produce a practical product is not easy. The original Leica Geovids were huge and not the sort of thing you would take hunting. Swarovski have pretty much kept the Range the same as their new ELs as they only offer an 8 or 10x42 spec, which are near enough the same size. The main physical difference are the twin bellies at 6 o’clock on the Range’s barrels, which are also a tad beefier, as everything else is internal.

Control-wise there’s a discrete firing button on top of the rear left bridge with a mode (programme selector) button on the lower inside hinge point. A CR2 Lithium battery is housed in the central focusing drum. This is the major mechanical change as the new EL binos use that control to set-up individual eye focus. The Range instead shows focusing wheels on each tube.

BEEFIER

Weight differs as you might expect with the ELs being 1lb 14oz and the Range at 2lb 2oz (with strap and lens covers), noticeable but negligible in the hand and around the neck! The electronic package is similar to the 8x30 Laser Guide. So what do you get for the not inconsiderable sum of money you need to own them?

Optics are brilliant as they are after all EL Swarovision binos, which have yet to be bettered in my eyes. With superb low light ability, great and true colour reproduction, a dead flat image and crystal clear right up to the edge. Though rating my Leicas, which I have been using for years, the EL Range has the edge at dawn, dusk and general image reproduction; I never thought I would say that, but technology moves on!

INSIDE

The electronics package is sophisticated and offers: yards or meters selection, brightness adjuster, including an automatic mode, scan mode (multiple target ranging) and inclination angle, which can be displayed as an angle (in degrees) or a corrected distance. Just to clarify on either an up or down hill shot the bullet takes a shorter path so is less affected by gravity, which causes it to shoot high in relation to a horizontal trajectory. You can either make the calculation using the angle displayed, or let the programme do it for you where it shows distance to target on top with the corrected range below.

The display is orange with a circular aiming point, underneath is the display with the Y or M (YARDS/METERS) notation on the right. Under that is the angle or corrected range as selected, which can be switched off if not required. Menus navigation is selected by using the Mode button with actual selection by the firing button. It’s not that hard to use, but practice makes perfect!

COMPARED TO

For control I used my Leicas. Swarovski says, the Range is accurate up to +/- 1m, personal experience shows that this will vary according to range, weather conditions and the size and colour of the target. They kept up with my BRFs easily out to 1200 yards+ with the usual variation in readings I have come to expect, which is why I always ping the target a few times then go for the average! In the hand they feel good with the bellies on the optical tubes sitting easily and securely into the palms.

I was less keen on two aspects of the build! Firstly the firing button on my example was stiff and took some pushing, which causes the binos to dip as they range, which can give a false reading. Secondly and unlike other hand-held rangefinders; as soon as you press the button you get the circle come up and an instant range read out. Normally you press once for the reticule, locate it on target then press again to range.

This in conjunction with the heavy button can make it hard to tell if you have actually pinged what you are looking at. To get over this I tended to ignore the first reading and with the aim point in view ping again, which does the trick. In fairness after a few weeks the button did seem to lose some of its resistance.

So what’s the verdict? Optically brilliant, with a comprehensive and hunter-practical electronics package. The heavy firing button is not ideal unless you are braced out and the instant readout without knowing if you have correctly positioned your aim point can be confusing. So would I? After much thought and use the answer is yes. Not liking the heavy button or the single press readout, but I can live with them as they do offer more than my Leicas! But I think I’ll wait until they come out with a set of 50 or 56mm objectives!