I bought a pair of 8.5x42 ELs last year and they are my first pair of "alphas". I know they aren't the top dawg any more after the introduction of the NLs but I absolutely love them. I'm constantly curious what the other offerings from the Big 3 look and feel like but at the end of the day I'm perfectly happy with these. They are great. I'm just going to copy over a review I wrote for them on the website I ordered from.
"I ordered these Swarovski 8.5 x 42 bins from B & H recently after having excellent service from them with past orders. These Swaros are my first pair of Alpha level binoculars and just fyi, I am not a professional optics reviewer. Just a regular guys opinion and observations.
I was upgrading from a mid-tier level ~$500 binoculars which were good but I just knew there had to be more and I kept reading about how great top tier binoculars like Swarovski were.
Once I got my hands on these I could immediately tell they are a high quality product. I love the fit and finish of the binoculars. The
rain guards fit perfectly with a satisfying hold. I love the attachment system of the eye cups, it is very clean and they pop in and out easily but securely. I love the unique strap connection system. They include different mounts so you can attach traditional straps other than the unique Swarovski strap. The only downside here which, I will admit, is baffling given the price- they do not come with a case of any kind, just a bag. Oh well. There are a few other small accessories and paperwork.
Then we get to the view, which is what we all care about right? The first thing I notice is just the overall clarity of the image. It is SO clear and crisp. You may think your current binoculars are sharp but I'm convinced until you look through a top tier binocular, you don't really know sharpness. These are crisp and clear literally all the way to the edge. There is no sweet spot because the entire view is sweet. They are wonderfully bright in perfectly lit conditions, however, they really shine in more dim light like at dawn/dusk. I've used these binoculars to view birds in my backyard until well after sunset. There is virtually no chromatic aberration visible until the final ~5% of the outer edges and even then you really have to look for it. The focus depth is better than an binocular I've used and the focus wheels is smooth and easy to operate.
Another big point, I am a glasses user and some binoculars can be very finnicky when it comes to placement and eye relief (seeing the full image). Not so with these! With 20mm of eye relief it is so nice to have a pair that I can use with virtually no hassle while wearing my glasses. I bring them up and every time I have a perfect image.
Lastly, I would say the main thing I have noticed with these is just how easy on my eyes they are. All pairs of binoculars I've had in the past would eventually give me some type of eye strain. Some are much better or worse than others, but it seemed like no matter how good, I could only look through them for a while before my eyes started to feel tired. With these Swarovski EL's, I have not experienced this feeling once! And I have been so captivated by the view that I can hardly stop looking through them when I put them up to my face. To me, this fact alone is almost enough to justify the price tag.
Overall, I highly recommend these binoculars. You will not be disappointed. And I especially recommend ordering them from B & H Photo."
