I have just made a profound observation and I wonder if any of you have ever experienced it. Once you have birded and used alpha binoculars for any length of time do you find it hard to use lesser binoculars in the field? I have Swarovision 8.5 x 42's now and I have used them extensively in the field. From time to time I have tried using lesser binoculars and I just don't enjoy birding as much as with the Swarovision's. I don't mean cheap junk binoculars either I mean $1000.00 and up binoculars. My memory retains the view I had with the Swarovision's and when the view is not as good it dissapoints me and actually bores me. You know everybody says the alpha's give small incremental improvements in your view but when it comes down to it that small difference makes a big difference in your birding enjoyment. Just an observation and I wondered if any of you have experienced it.
No, I do not personally find that to be evevn remotely close to the case. While I will say the alpha is better, $2k for an alpha simply does not, in my view, justify the price. I have spent quite a bit of time with Swaro and Zeiss, and have a Razor HD, I simply don't think the difference is there. Others will undoubtedly disagree and that's fine.
Sadly I don't believe that I will ever own a set of Alpha binoculars. Still I don't think that makes me any less of a birder for not having them. You just have to make the best of what you have, which of cause you do. It do's make you wonder how people coped before Swarovision's came along, or indeed binoculars!