Hi all
I am trying to decide between the Swarovski 8.5 x 42 EL and the Zeiss Victory 8 x 42 FL's.
I had decided to go for the Swarovski after trying both at a dealers and finding the EL's slightly brighter and with a deeper depth of field, although admittedly, there wasn't much in it. I am concerned however to read about the build quality of the EL's in a few reports and having experienced a faulty diopter on a pair I tried at a dealers. Also, while trying a pair last week a couple came into the showroom to return a faulty pair. So, should I read the signs and go for the Zeiss instead? Have any owners of the EL's experienced problems?
Would be great to hear from owners of both models to help me decide.
Thanks 
Go with your preference. You're probably just as likely to get a bad pair from either maker. If you buy in a shop, you can get to try out the ones you go home with; if you buy on the Internet, just choose a dealer that has a good return policy.
Having said that, 8.5x magnification binoculars can't have a greater depth of field than 8x; magnification decides depth of field. I'm also sceptical about the Swarovski being brighter than the Zeiss. Kikkert Spesialisten gives the Swarovski 10- for brightness and the Zeiss 10+.
Michael.