Looking at purchasing a new set of binos - either Swarovski or Leica, just not sure which. I've used both & they are TOP NOTCH, just not sure what's better or what would size/magnification would suit my needs best. The majority of my hunting is whitetail deer in the woods & farmland of VA but I went to Alaska last year to hunt brown bear, TX this spring to hunt Rios, MT to hunt Elk & Mule deer this Fall, & hopefully back to Alaska to hunt moose next fall so a set of binos that is versatile is important. Any help is greatly appreciated before I drop $2k+.

Weight, size, magnification, ranging capabilities ..........?? Fog proof & rain guard a must !!!


Buy it once, especially at $2,000.

I own both.


Optically they are on the same playing field. Leica might have a slight edge. EVER SO SLIGHT. If I was birdwatching it might come down to Leica VS Swarovski.

Leica has a weird warranty policy and I will never buy from them again because of it. You have to buy Leica from a Leica authorized dealer and you have to send in the Leica warranty card and get your optics registered or you have ZERO warranty. I do not believe that the optics warranty carries over to a future owner should you resell your optics or pass them on down to a family member.

With Swarovski they do not give a flying flip who you bought your optics from or if you bought them third or fourth hand. The optics speak for themselves. You send them to Swarovski for repair under warranty and you get them repaired under warranty.

Swarovski all the way baby!

Thanks for the good info. I was not aware that Leica was so persnickety with their warranty service. I have a pair of Swarovski's and I can attest to the fact that they really do warranty their binos with no hassle or problems.

Both are Alpha glass. Nod to Swaro due to customer service.

I'm pretty certain I have not ever even picked up a pair of Leica binos. However, being a surveyor by trade I have used some instruments (Wild, Zeiss) with veeerrry nice glass from other manufacturers, so I have a moderate and informal sense of what "nice" is. Having said this, I own a pair of Swarovski (8x30) my wife bought me about 20 years ago which I dearly love. I could look through those things all day long without fatigue or eye strain. Clarity? Awesome! I used to use them for dall sheep hunting in AK and they were the cat's meow. Are they better than Leica, I don't know! Is there enough difference in the lenses? Probably, but nothing my eyes could tell!!!! I would probably focus more on the adjustments and, as other have stated, on their warranty.