Short video comparison: Swarovski EL vs Skyrover Banner Cloud APO 8x42. (3 Viewers)

[binomania]

Hello from Italy, I would have liked to include this short video under the review that was posted, but since I am working on my own review, as a matter of practice they don't want to read the others so as not to influence me, so I apologize in advance. I am sending you a link where I posted a simple comparison that I call "of my wife's white gazebo." I juxtaposed the Olympus mirrorless with 17 mm Zuiko lens with the eyepiece of the Swarovski EL 8.5x42 and then the SkyRover binoculars. Unfortunately, the lens is not able to show the full field of view provided by the binoculars, I am sorry for that, but I hope you will still be interested. If time permits, I will come out with my video review on Friday. Best regards from Italy!
The video is on binomania and it's visible at this link: http://www.binomania.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GPxp5RknEQFESMICAMFAIA_yLkgKbmdjAAAF.mp4 Sorry for the compression but i can only upload mp4 compressed on my server.

 

[Chris Pringle]

Thank you for the sneak peek video, binomania.

Wow, the differences are incredibly subtle. A couple of things still stand out to my eyes, although it's hard to tell how much the camera sensors are compensating:

1. Central sharpness (on the shiny crystal ball with a hook) seems better on the Sky Rover Banner Cloud.
2. The pink flowers on the top right corner look quite washed out on the Swaro EL while I see more vivid colors and better resolution on the SRBC.

Too bad your lenses are unable to capture the FOV to the field stop. For your final video, would it be possible to mount the camera to the binoculars to get a steady image? Too much hand vibration on this one which forces the camera sensors to constantly micro focus. Also, any chance you could borrow a Swaro NL from a friend? Since both the 8x42 NL and the Banner Cloud share the same FOV and similar specs, it would be great to see how they compare/differ. Perhaps material for another video? For now, very much looking forward to your narration describing your own subjective impressions which most often is the best method.

 

[binomania]

Thank you for the sneak peek video, binomania.

Wow, the differences are incredibly subtle. A couple of things still stand out to my eyes, although it's hard to tell how much the camera sensors are compensating:

1. Central sharpness (on the shiny crystal ball with a hook) seems better on the Sky Rover Banner Cloud.
2. The pink flowers on the top right corner look quite washed out on the Swaro EL while I see more vivid colors and better resolution on the SRBC.

Too bad your lenses are unable to capture the FOV to the field stop. For your final video, would it be possible to mount the camera to the binoculars to get a steady image? Too much hand vibrations on this one which forces the camera sensors to constantly micro focus. Also, any chance you could borrow a Swaro NL from a friend? Since both the 8x42 NL and the Banner Cloud share the same FOV and similar specs, it would be great to see how they compare/differ. Perhaps material for another video? For now, very much looking forward to your narration describing your own subjective impressions which most often is the best method.

Hi Chris, thanks for the comment. I don't have the possibility to attach my mirrorless to the eyepiece I could do it with a smartphone but the quality- in my opinion would not be similar. I may try more tests in the next few weeks though, maybe using my daughter's iphone and a universal adapter, but she is now on a high school trip to Sicily. I have a CAT 62 PRO with thermal sensor, it is sturdy but does not make good videos, it would be counterproductive in my opinion.
I will come out with a long video review tomorrow night. On May 11 I will have an event with many enthusiasts and I will also bring the cloud banner so there will be a way to do further testing. In the review you will find tests done on a tripod, tests with the USAF CHART at 35 meters, twilight test, diffuse light, astronomy, birdwatching, and landscape and more. I hope I have been comprehensive enough although these are always personal opinions and everyone has their own perception and visual accommodation. In any case, vision with mirrorless and iphone will never be comparable to vision with two eyes and our perceptual ability. I urge you to try it because "optically" it is an amazing pair of binoculars in that price range

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Hi Chris, thanks for the comment. I don't have the possibility to attach my mirrorless to the eyepiece I could do it with a smartphone but the quality- in my opinion would not be similar. I may try more tests in the next few weeks though, maybe using my daughter's iphone and a universal adapter, but she is now on a high school trip to Sicily. I have a CAT 62 PRO with thermal sensor, it is sturdy but does not make good videos, it would be counterproductive in my opinion.
I will come out with a long video review tomorrow night. On May 11 I will have an event with many enthusiasts and I will also bring the cloud banner so there will be a way to do further testing. In the review you will find tests done on a tripod, tests with the USAF CHART at 35 meters, twilight test, diffuse light, astronomy, birdwatching, and landscape and more. I hope I have been comprehensive enough although these are always personal opinions and everyone has their own perception and visual accommodation. In any case, vision with mirrorless and iphone will never be comparable to vision with two eyes and our perceptual ability. I urge you to try it because "optically" it is an amazing pair of binoculars in that price range

Looking forward to hear more about the event and comparisons, thanks for sharing.

 

[yarrellii]

Just checked the Sky Rover shop in Aliexpress, and (at least for Spain) it is no longer 499 $ (around 470 €), but 604 €. Maybe they are aware of the stir the SRBC is causing and are thus raising the prices due to the interest

 

[Chris Pringle]

Just checked the Sky Rover shop in Aliexpress, and (at least for Spain) it is no longer 499 $ (around 470 €), but 604 €. Maybe they are aware of the stir the SRBC is causing and are thus raising the prices due to the interest

View attachment 1575459

An important difference is that the new price on AliExpress in € includes shipping which, IIRC, was being charged separately before. Does AliExpress in Europe collect import taxes in advance? If so, then the base price really about the same and they’re just trying to collect all expenses in advance for a hassle-free transaction. Just guessing here since the base price on their U.S. website is still $499 USD for the 8x42 version. For the U.S., they charge an additional $50 USD for shipping.

 

[yarrellii]

@Chris Pringle That's an interesting point, and you could be right, but according to my first hand experience I'm not 100 % sure. Let me explain.

I have bought from Aliexpress several times (especially trekking/camping related gear) and usually I don't have to pay import fees (the amounts are not usually higher than 100 €), but oddly enough, the last time I had to pay some juicy import taxes was when I bought no other than... a Sky Rover binocular, the 8x30, I wrote about it here. You might be right about them trying, but failing, to calculate the expenses beforehand (or something like that); in my particular case it was done the other way round. Aliexpress/SkyRover did not collect the taxes in advance, but instead deducted them at checkout... but to no avail, since I ended paying some copious import taxes.

It went like this:
The price of the Sky Rover 8x30 Banner Cloud MS ED on the website was 235,68 €, but while doing the payment checkout I was only charged 194,78 €, I assumed the import taxes would be the amount discounted, which added up to 40,90 €.

But, halas, once the binoculars arrived in Spain they were held at customs, and the only way to get them was to pay the import fee, which was 85,81 €, as you can see, more than double the "alleged" import fee amount calculated by Aliexpress. So, in the end, the binoculars were 194,78 + 85,81 = 280,59 €, not 235 € as advertised.

That is my first hand experience, that's why I'd be cautious when facing an advertised 600 € price from China, since it may or may not work as straightforward as expected. I'm not saying it's not possible that you can pay 605 € and get the binoculars, but it could be more complicated, like in my experience buying binoculars from the same brand in the same platform.