Swarovski EL 8x32 vs Swarovski NL Pure 8x32
Quick take: The Swarovski EL 8x32 costs $469 less; the Swarovski NL Pure 8x32 has a wider field of view (450 vs 441 ft @ 1000 yds).
Field of view, to scale
Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration
Which one to buy
The NL Pure 8x32 is what Swarovski replaced the EL 8x32 with, and owners of both describe the change as evolution rather than revolution. The EL is discontinued, so it may be hard to find new; the NL costs $469 more than the EL's $2,330 and is the one you can buy with current support.
What the NL adds: a 450 ft field, the widest of any 8x32 by owner accounts, against the EL's already huge 441 ft; color fringing owners call nearly imperceptible; a waisted body they describe as an ergonomic landmark; and a focus wheel with a far nicer feel than the EL's. Eye relief is the same 18mm, with more eyecup stops. Owners also say it handles glare better than the EL, whose veiling glare in low sun is that model's most documented flaw.
What the NL gives up: it is heavier and longer, 22.8 oz against 21.2 oz, and its close focus is 6.6 ft against 6.2 ft. NL owners still list glare as its most-cited weakness, varying widely from face to face, and say its maximum interpupillary distance rules out wide-set faces. Detailed testing even found a whisker more edge softness on the NL than on the EL.
Both share a 4.0mm exit pupil, so neither is a dusk specialist. Owners who compared them often kept their ELs, judging the gap smaller than the price difference. For a new buyer, the NL is the one to get. A clean EL at a fair used price remains one of the best values in alpha glass, but at $2,330 it makes much less sense.
Swarovski EL 8x32
Worth it only as a clean used or leftover unit well below $2,330; it is discontinued, and the NL Pure 8x32 is its successor.
Swarovski NL Pure 8x32
The one to buy new: a wider 450 ft field, better handling and focus feel, and current Swarovski support.
| Spec | Swarovski EL 8x32 | Swarovski NL Pure 8x32 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$2,330 | ~$2,799 |
| Use case | Birding | Birding |
| Magnification | 8x | 8x |
| Objective | 32mm | 32mm |
| Exit pupil | 4.0mm | 4.0mm |
| Field of view | 441 ft @ 1000 yds | 450 ft @ 1000 yds |
| Eye relief | 18mm | 18mm |
| Close focus | 6.2 ft | 6.6 ft |
| Prism | Roof | Roof |
| Glass | FL | FL |
| Coating | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Weight | 21.2 oz | 22.8 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.2 x 4.4 in | 5.7 x 5.1 in |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Feature comparison
Swarovski EL 8x32
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✓Magnesium Body
- ✓Locking Diopter
Swarovski NL Pure 8x32
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✓Magnesium Body
- ✓Locking Diopter
What birders say
Swarovski EL 8x32
- ✓Swarovision field-flattener optics deliver edge-to-edge sharpness that reviewers called the cutting edge of the 32mm class - the whole 441 ft field is usable, not just a central sweet spot
- ✓That 441 ft field of view is enormous for an 8x32 and wider than most 8x42 alphas - forest birding through it feels like looking through a window
- ✓At 21.2 oz it gives you a genuine alpha view at two-thirds the weight of a 42mm EL - the classic 'all-day hike' alpha
- ✓18mm eye relief is outstanding for a 32mm glass and makes it one of the most eyeglass-friendly compacts in the alpha tier
- ✓6.2 ft close focus turns it into a legitimate butterfly and dragonfly binocular, a real advantage over the CL Companion's 9.8 ft
- ✓The open-bridge wrap-around grip is a signature EL strength - owners with all hand sizes praise how securely it carries one-handed
- ✓Discontinuation closeouts and the used market have turned it into a value play - clean examples change hands for far less than any current 32mm alpha
- ✓Many longtime owners kept their 8x32 EL even after trying the NL Pure 32, finding the differences too small to justify the price gap
- ✗Veiling glare is the model's documented weak point - forum threads dedicated to glare in the 8x32 EL exist, and some users called it the fatal flaw in low-angle light
- ✗The field-flattener 'rolling ball' globe effect divides owners - some perceive the scene bulging as they pan and a minority never adapt to it
- ✗Discontinued when the NL Pure 32s arrived, so you're buying used or hunting rare leftover stock with no new-production option
- ✗Chromatic aberration at the field edges is part of the Swarovision signature - fine on-axis, but visible fringing appears in the outer zones
- ✗A 4mm exit pupil gives up twilight performance to the 42mm ELs - it fades earlier at dusk than the 8.5x42
- ✗Resale values softened once the NL Pure landed, which stings owners who bought at full price
- ✗The flat-field aesthetic isn't universal - some birders prefer the more relaxed, natural rendering of a traditional field and find the EL view clinical
- ✗Focus wheel feel varies by production year - forum threads comparing vintages note earlier samples can feel stiffer, so trying the specific used unit matters
Swarovski NL Pure 8x32
- ✓Colossal 450 ft (150m) field of view - the widest of any 8x32 ever made, wider even than the vaunted EL 8x32's 141m
- ✓Sharp essentially to the edge, with the field stop 'discernible all around' - you use the whole enormous window
- ✓Chromatic aberration nearly imperceptible thanks to fluorite-containing HD glass
- ✓The NL waist-shaped body is an ergonomic landmark - it settles into one hand naturally for long steady sessions
- ✓18mm eye relief with seven eyecup click-stops accommodates glasses wearers unusually well for a wide-angle design
- ✓Precise ~700-degree focus wheel with a far nicer feel than the EL's plastic wheel it replaced
- ✓Premium accessory kit (field bag, tethered caps, locking strap) and Swarovski's legendary service network behind it
- ✓Light and small enough that many owners make it their only binocular - a genuine full-size replacement several hundred dollars cheaper and 7 oz lighter than an NL Pure 42
- ✗Glare is the most-cited weakness - in harsh low-sun light, bright arcs at the exit pupil edges can wash out the view, with severity varying wildly between faces
- ✗At 22.8 oz and 5.7 inches it's heavier and longer than nearly every other 32mm - Zeiss's SFL 8x40 gives you 40mm objectives for less weight
- ✗The $2,799 price is brutal - within sight of NL Pure 42 money and double a Zeiss SFL
- ✗No locking diopter - the old EL's locking design was better and owners still grumble about the regression
- ✗4mm exit pupil concedes real twilight and night performance to the 42mm NL Pures
- ✗Maximum interpupillary distance of 72mm rules out wide-set faces - try before buying
- ✗No standard tripod thread - stabilized long sessions need a proprietary adapter
- ✗Versus the EL 8x32 it replaced, testers call it 'evolutionary' - star-point testing even shows a whisker more edge softness than the EL's flawless field edge
Swarovski EL 8x32 vs Swarovski NL Pure 8x32: common questions
Is the Swarovski NL Pure 8x32 worth upgrading to from the EL 8x32?▾
For most EL owners, probably not. Owners who compared them call the NL evolutionary: a slightly wider field, better ergonomics and a nicer focus wheel, with a little more weight. New buyers are better served by the NL, though, since the EL is discontinued.
Which has less glare, the Swarovski EL 8x32 or the NL Pure 8x32?▾
The NL, according to owners, who say it handles glare better than the EL. Glare is still the NL's most-cited weakness in harsh low sun, and reports vary widely with face shape and eye position, so test one against a low sun if you can.
Is the NL Pure 8x32 heavier than the EL 8x32?▾
Yes, slightly. The NL weighs 22.8 oz against the EL's 21.2 oz and is longer, and NL owners note it is heavier than nearly every other 32mm binocular. The EL remains the lighter all-day carry of the two.