Swarovski Curio 7×21 Binoculars: Our Review

At A Glance

PROS:

• Excellent optics: sharp and very bright
• Tiny size and light weight
• Wide field of view thanks to 7x magnification

CONS:

• Slightly less magnification than other binoculars in this review
• Narrow eyecups can take extra time to align with eyes
• Double-hinge design can be fiddly

STATS:

• Price: $899 MSRP at press time. Prices often fluctuate, so check with retailers
• Close focus: Listed at 8.2 feet (250 cm). In tests, we could focus these binoculars down to about 7.4 feet (226 cm)
• Field of view: 7.7° (404 feet at 1,000 yards). More about field of view 
• Weight: 9.1 oz (258 g)—that’s about 1.6 oz (44 g) lighter than the average for compact binoculars in our review
• Eye relief: 16 mm

Viewing Experience: These tiny bins are the smallest in our review (tied with the Leica Ultravid), but they are at the top of the pack in terms of brightness and crispness at distance. They’re also the only 7x pair in a field of mostly 8x binoculars. The lower magnification means it’s harder to see details at great distances, but it also gives these binoculars a very generous field of view. Overall, they deliver on the Swarovski promise of an incredibly bright, clear image with no discernible distortion or color aberrations. We found it easy to track an Eastern Meadowlark fluttering in a lazy circle high above an open field, its yellow belly and dark V-shaped throat patch glowing in the orange morning light.

Close focus is a respectable 7–8 feet: suitable for most bird encounters and not bad for studying insects. The focus wheel turns smoothly, with just enough resistance to make it easy to zero in on the right focus. The small focus wheel takes 5 swipes with the index finger to go from close focus to infinity. This is more than some other binoculars, and we found focusing and refocusing a bit slow when tracking a close-by Ruby-crowned Kinglet hopping closer then farther away through the brush. On the other hand, this also means you can fine-tune the focus for maximum crispness no matter the distance.

Feel and Build: These elegant little bins come in basic black or in a more colorful rusty-orange and silver design that stands out from the crowd. The double-hinge design allows them to fit easily into all but the smallest of pants pockets, even a shirt pocket. A rubbery coating makes them comfortable. The eyecups and ocular lenses are small, meaning it can be take a bit of adjustment each time you put the binoculars up before you get a perfect-circle image—the first order of business when glassing birds. For some people, the narrow eyecups may not fit around the eyes, requiring you to hold them a little ways away from your eyes rather than nestling into the eye socket as with most binoculars. The eyecups turn smoothly, without preset positions, and with enough resistance to stop anywhere in between. As with all double-hinged pocket bins, getting the interpupillary distance (distance between eyepieces) correct can take a tick longer then with a single hinge. Fortunately, the hinges are stiff enough that they stay in place fairly well once fitted to a user. The hinges are integrated with the bridge in such a way that you can’t pinch your hands during adjustment (thank you!). The neck strap is a humble polyester cord—not really a problem with such light binoculars, and the very small cord allows these to slip more easily into pockets.

Comments From Testers: 

• So small I don’t know what to do with my fingers
• Could fit these nicely into my purse
• Amazing image

This article is one in a series of mini-reviews. To see how these binoculars compare to others we’ve tested, see our full review of pocket binoculars.