I have an 8x42 SLC, which I find to be fantastic
Is the expense really worth buying the NL? Is it really that much better that I spend another 2k plus?
Thoughts please?
I was really contemplating buying them but do I really need to? Are they that much better than what I already have?
I'm in my mid 60s and my eyesight is not "Alpha"
Lots of questions lol
I think the only way of any validity for you is to compare them side by side in the viewing situations you usually find yourself in, or would like to see, hadn't thought of seeing, or had felt somehow limited in seeing before.
How do they perform relative to each other ?, and relative to how you'd like them to perform ? (sometimes we can't even really conceive of that until we see an example that makes us go Wow !)
In the end it comes down to - what do YOU see through both bins, How much do you like/(dislike) what YOU see, and what is that worth to you ?
How well do you know what you value most in a view ? Fit ? The centre? the edges ? Fov ? Ease of view ? CA handling ? Distortion profile ? Sweet spot ? Colour rendition ? Brightness ? Glare handling ? Something intangible ? What ? ..... Has what you value become limited by the binoculars at hand ? Is there a whole different world of possibilities waiting ? Or just tiny incremental improvements ? Or no practical discernable difference at all ?
There is enough info floating around here about colours (somewhat subjective) , brightness, cleanness, contrast, sharpness, CA and other distortion handling, and glare performance, etc to assess the view in different conditions - with YOUR eyes in the different states they find themselves in.
Looking at it in terms of engineering development - this is it for the next 5, maybe 10 years in practical differences ..... how does that affect the decision ? How confident are you that any bugs are ironed out of this product launch - or will there be minor upgrades ? Will they be distinct delineations in unit serial numbers - or possibly offered as an upgrade refurbishment ? Or will those minor nit improvements be saved for the next model cycle ?
Ultimately - how do you like the view ? How do you like the feel in the hand ? How is the steadiness ? and operation ? How do they perform in snap viewing, non-standard situations ? (Sod's law has it that you are most likely to only get a less than ideal fleeting glimpse of a Griffin, Dragon, Leprechaun, Fairy, or Sprite, etc ! :-O ) Can you see stuff with one that you can't see with the other ? - details, colours, making an id, etc ?
Is one just easier to throw up to the eyes ? Does one just fit your face/ eyes better ? What's the margin of error like ? Does one seem more pleasant to use ? What about the quality ? How does that feel ?
How do they make you feel ? Does one bring more pleasure than the other ? What are the feelings ? Are there regrets about NOT looking through a particular one ?
Consider your age, and your situation/values, and make YOUR choice from there.
One of them will speak to you ......
Be happy !
Chosun :gh: