MuleyJ

FYI........... it has changed. I purchased my SLC and ATS 80HD at different times in 2004. Both warranty cards state that the products carry a lifetime warranty as long as they are owned by the original purchaser. The EL ranges that I purchased have a warranty that follows the optic, minus the electronics, for its lifetime and that is the warranty that Swarovski now offers on all optics. I suppose we could pretend that change had nothing to do with companies like Vortex, but I think we all understand that is probably not the case. Don't misunderstand, I would not trade mine for anything, but that still does not make Swarovski the answer to every sport optics question. If it is then you might have to put a checkmark next to "fanboy," and apparently "young buck who knows everything about the shrimping business" as well.

Buy the optic that meets YOUR performance criteria and allows YOU to glass the longest because it fits YOU the best. I own a lot of $ worth of Swarovski optics and they have been very good to me and others too, but this fanboy stuff gets a little irritating on occasion. Yes they are Swarovski and they are great, but there is a prestige factor to them also and there is a price tag on it. It seems some of the guys around here would have everyone believe that Swarovski is simply the only glass on the planet worth purchasing and fits everyone, their goals and their pocketbooks equally well. That certainly is not the case, the razors are fantastic optics for 2/3 the cost. I think it would only take a little searching to find that the Vortex warranty has been worth significantly more than the paper it is written on to a lot of folks. That claim is a disservice to a quality company with some very fine products and customer service. There are some people who own Swarovski products, myself included, who owe Vortex a nod for helping to pressure Swarovski back into offering a no hassle transferrable warranty.

That is certainly how the warranty reads off of their website. I hope so.

It reads differently on the website. I wonder if the new warranty policy applies to all optics purchased in any era?

Read straight from the warranty card from my Swarovski SLC 10x42: "Swarovski Optik warrants this instrument during the life of and as long as it is owned by the original owner against defect in the materials and workmanship, subject to normal use." That being said I know several people who bought used and were well taken care of by Swarovski. They may have changed it recently due to market pressures from some other companies, but I know that at least some of these warranties are not transferable.

I did read your post, but I though you were wanting to reduce size and/or weight to justify giving up exit pupil and you really won't be doing that by going to the SLC. Not to mention the fact you will no longer have a warranty, but I guess at least you'll be getting something with a hawk on it so go for it.

Apparently I need to find someone with some 12x50 razors and point them in the direction of you guys

What do you mean by "downsize?" I just measured my SLC 10x42 and it is about an inch and a quarter shorter than the razor spec length. Depending on which version of slc they would weigh between 30.7 and 33 oz., so they will be 2.5-5 oz. heavier. To me that does not seem like to much of a downsize.

I use the Minox MIG 15x56 in between a Swaro HD scope and 8x EL range. I also have 10x slc and 8x Nikon premier lxl and the Minox are not out of place at all IMO. They surely beat the SLCs off of the tripod and are AMAZING glass for the money if you get the open box price from CLNY. The Kaibabs just don't fit me at all, but the new Swaro and Zeiss are both very nice. I may still end up spending an obscene amount of money upgrading to one of those two, but I have not yet made myself comfortable with the idea that a return on that investment would likely never be realized.

They are all good heads and should come with the plate. The bonus is that if you ever want to build a lightweight backpacker you can just swap out heads. Good luck!

Good luck on that hunt BTW, that is a great area. You better get this straightened out quickly!

I have two of the 3130 heads, one on my heavier manfrotto pod and one for a window mount. The 128 was a direct replacement for those and seem to be virtually the same. They are well suited to a heavier pod and function slightly better than the 700rc2 IMO, but too heavy for a backpack pod where the 700rc2 works better. One benefit is that your Swarovski scope foot will lock directly into that 128 head without the use of a quick release plate, which is pretty handy. The 700 rc2 uses the same qr plate but it must be rotated 90 degrees so you need to use the plate to maintain proper function. I have no experience with the other head you mentioned so I cant help you there, but I see it uses a different quick release plate than the other two. For me it would be the 128 unless I wanted a pod and head to be folded down and stuffed into a pack.

Which slik? I have the 624cf pro. Wonderful pod, the twist locks are very nice and way faster.

That is a very nice scope and I suspect once you get used to it you will prefer the angled version(I certainly do). They are slightly more difficult to initially acquire spotted animals with until you become accustomed to the difference. There should be a small peep in the box that attaches to the body and locks on under the eyepiece to help with this. I have used the ATS 80 HD version in the CO high country for about ten years and would never have a straight body scope again, EVER. There are a few hefty benefits with the angled scope, you can get away with a lot shorter tripod and still maintain a perfectly comfortable glassing position. The fact that the scope sits lower means that it is more stable, which is important in the wind which can be brutal on the high ridgelines. The rotator ring in the middle of the body makes the angled scopes significantly more versatile for window mounts as you can view from virtually any position. That same feature also makes it very nice from a tall tripod where you have a buddy along that is of a different height. It would be nice to know what kind of tripod you had and weather you were planning on packing far, but a good fluid head is a must IMO. I use the manfrotto 700rc2 on a slick 624cf pro pod for backpacking and that setup handles the larger 80mm version of your scope well. There is a rebate on that head right now and it can be had for about $70. There are lots of heads that would work(depending on your pod) if you will not be packing.