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Swarovski Habicht 8x30 W. (1 Viewer)

eric4

Member
Hello,

I'm looking to purchase my first nice pair of binos. I've looked into the Minox 8x44 bl HD, maven b1 and b3, meopta binos, and celestron granite 7x33. As a photographer, I greatly appreciate good optics and have enjoyed various lenses from zeiss, leica, minolta hexanon, olympus, pentax etc.

I don't mind spending the ~$750 for a great pair of optics that will last me a lifetime, but perhaps a more affordable, modern optic would be a better fit

The main purpose is an all-around so weather sealing is a definite plus. The draws to the Habicht are the light weight, great optics, and apparently the brightness and light transmission compare to a ~40mm objective lens bino

I currently have quite good vision and young eyes (26y/o) and don't wear glasses either.

The only other high end binoculars I have access to are my fathers Zeiss 10x40 T* (unable to find specific model, they look like the dialyt, but are single hinge) which are quite nice to look through.

Since these Habicht's don't seem too common in the US, I'm looking for some advice. Would you recommend this model? Or do you think a more modern, roof prisim style bino is a better fit for the price?
 
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Eric4, post 1,
The Habicht 8x30 is waterproof, very light, excellent in handling comfort and a joy to use if you do not wear spectacles. The only thing may be that the turning resistance of the focussing wheel is a little higher than with some other binoculars, that has to do with the waterproof properties. Compared with high quality roofs, the price of the Habicht is also very attractive.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
The Habicht 8x30's are sold on the popular auction site by European sellers. Another excellent mid sized bin in the price range if you search is the Zeiss 8x32 Conquest HD. It is built like a tank and by all accounts has superb optics. Here's a 10x32 Conquest HD put through a lot of abuse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nzP3RU2nhE
 
Hello,

I'm looking to purchase my first nice pair of binos. I've looked into the Minox 8x44 bl HD, maven b1 and b3, meopta binos, and celestron granite 7x33. As a photographer, I greatly appreciate good optics and have enjoyed various lenses from zeiss, leica, minolta hexanon, olympus, pentax etc.

I don't mind spending the ~$750 for a great pair of optics that will last me a lifetime, but perhaps a more affordable, modern optic would be a better fit

The main purpose is an all-around so weather sealing is a definite plus. The draws to the Habicht are the light weight, great optics, and apparently the brightness and light transmission compare to a ~40mm objective lens bino

I currently have quite good vision and young eyes (26y/o) and don't wear glasses either.

The only other high end binoculars I have access to are my fathers Zeiss 10x40 T* (unable to find specific model, they look like the dialyt, but are single hinge) which are quite nice to look through.

Since these Habicht's don't seem too common in the US, I'm looking for some advice. Would you recommend this model? Or do you think a more modern, roof prisim style bino is a better fit for the price?
The Habicht's 8x30 W focus wheel is a little tight because they waterproof and the eye cups are a little small in diameter for some people. Other than that they are a beautiful binocular and have some of the highest light transmission I have ever seen in a 30mm binocular. I once compared them to a Fujinon 7x50 FMT-SX and I swear those little Habicht's were just as bright. I have this huge aperture Fujinon and this tiny little Habicht is just as bright. Amazing. The Habicht's have their quirks but they deliver a 3D view that is amazingly transparent and bright that an alpha level roof will not although for all around birding I think an alpha level roof might be better for most people because of their faster easier focus. I have a love, hate relationship with them. I recently bought another pair after having several pair in the past because I just like the optics and I decided I am going to tolerate the tight focus. I got a like new pair on Ebay for $623 from Canada. My opinion is and I have had all the top porro's is the Habicht's are the best porro binocular made even better than the Nikon EII and SE. You can get new Habicht's 8x30 W on Ebay shipped free from Germany for $750. They are a bargain for that price. The Habicht's don't come with any objective covers but those on the Amazon link from Opticron fit pretty good. Also, if you Email Swarovski they might send you some objective covers and maybe even a better case. The case that comes with the Habicht is pretty poor.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Swarovski-H...reXAMEiLAPcRiRYZtNC4E%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I3ZZZOA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00
 
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Just a quick reminder, you might want to find out the country they were originally purchased in, including buying them new yourself, because that's where the warranty is / will be active.
 
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It is always a good idea to try the bins before you buy them, but finding a Habicht porro is impossible for obvious reasons. Any decent sporting goods store will have a variety of modern roofs to try. A cursory search of stores selling optics in the Napa area brought back Bear Basin Outfitters. IMO it will be worthwhile to try a few bins at the store before making a decision. I have looked through some mid and high priced bins at the store and found some with the best reviews don't fit my face and IPD. Some of the newer bins have too much eye relief causing black outs for non-eyeglass wearers like me.
 
Just a quick reminder, you might want to find out the country they were originally purchased in, including buying them new yourself, because that's where the warranty is / will be active.
Jesus! I forget how good those Habicht's 8x30 Were! The 3D view and light transmission are phenomenal. I think your right on the warranty Proud Papa. The Swarovski binoculars have to bought in North America for the warranty to be good but how often do you have trouble with Swarovski's?
 
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Thank you all for the info!
There is a local hunting shop I'll check out to compare the various high end binos. I doubt they have the habicht models of course, but it sounds like the sharpness is comparable to the best out there.

The warranty is slightly concerning, does this mean I'll have to send the binos to Germany if there is a problem? What about if I purchased them second hand from a forum or online auction, are the warranties transferable?

Sounds like the eye cups and stiff focusing are the only complaints with these. Maybe I can get clever and 3d print some better cups, shades for the objective lenses, and a beefier focusing wheel if I find these to be problems for me
 
Swarovski North America is pretty lenient with transferring warranties on binos originally purchased in the U.S. If you have a serial #, you can call them to find out what country they were purchased in.
 
Thank you all for the info!
There is a local hunting shop I'll check out to compare the various high end binos. I doubt they have the habicht models of course, but it sounds like the sharpness is comparable to the best out there.

The warranty is slightly concerning, does this mean I'll have to send the binos to Germany if there is a problem? What about if I purchased them second hand from a forum or online auction, are the warranties transferable?

Sounds like the eye cups and stiff focusing are the only complaints with these. Maybe I can get clever and 3d print some better cups, shades for the objective lenses, and a beefier focusing wheel if I find these to be problems for me
They are not deal breaking problems really with the Habicht. You really don't have to move the focus wheel too far and the eye cups aren't that bad. Just little problems. Overall though the Habicht 8x30W is VERY impressive for the money. If Swarovski would put a little better baffling in it to combat glare, update the eyecups or at least make them a little bigger and loosen the focus wheel just a BIT there would not be a binocular on the market roof or porro that could compete with it. Isn't that weird that a 60 year old design is still that competitive with the current alpha's. It is just that a porro is such a simple uncomplicated design. It is EASY to make perfect.
 
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Te same could be said about the Habicht 10x40. For me the Best of te Habicht. Specially de GA versión.
 
ProudPapa in PA used to stock the 8X30 and I think other powers on occasion and sold them through his eBay Store. However I can not get any to come up now. I believe he also sells from their brick and mortar optical shop. He is the only one I know of that makes an effort to have some in inventory here in the US. Maybe he is just out of stock right now.

Doug at Cameraland New York shows them to be available as a special order item.

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/swarovski.pl?page=swarovskihabicht8x30
 
Where can these be purchased new in the US?

CG

In N. America, O4B and CL has them. Since they are registered SONA dealers (Swarovski Optik North America), they are covered by the US lifetime warranty, but could be sent off to Austria anyway for any major repair work.

Other sources where their market sales originated from Absam, you're covered by the limited 30 Yr Warranty (downloadable .pdf at bottom of page). Actually, SONA use to carry the Swaro Habicht porros, but due to popularity of their roof optic lines (CL, SLC, EL) here in the US, they dropped their porro NA sales. However, if you need Absam service work on an Absam covered\non-covered optics, they can ship them out for you to Austria for R&R!

May be easiest to just call SONA (located in RI) at 800-426-3089 and ask any questions. They are very helpful and have very efficient and friendly customer service!

Ted
 
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Hello,

I'm looking to purchase my first nice pair of binos. I've looked into the Minox 8x44 bl HD, maven b1 and b3, meopta binos, and celestron granite 7x33. As a photographer, I greatly appreciate good optics and have enjoyed various lenses from zeiss, leica, minolta hexanon, olympus, pentax etc.

I don't mind spending the ~$750 for a great pair of optics that will last me a lifetime, but perhaps a more affordable, modern optic would be a better fit

The main purpose is an all-around so weather sealing is a definite plus. The draws to the Habicht are the light weight, great optics, and apparently the brightness and light transmission compare to a ~40mm objective lens bino

I currently have quite good vision and young eyes (26y/o) and don't wear glasses either.

The only other high end binoculars I have access to are my fathers Zeiss 10x40 T* (unable to find specific model, they look like the dialyt, but are single hinge) which are quite nice to look through.

Since these Habicht's don't seem too common in the US, I'm looking for some advice. Would you recommend this model? Or do you think a more modern, roof prisim style bino is a better fit for the price?

Hi Eric and welcome to BF! :hi:

Many experiences, much knowledge and very diverse opinions to be garnered from the BF membership here. What have you looked through yourself and where do you seem to find a comfort level? Have you looked through porros and roofs, maybe figuring out if a certain type might fit you best? There are Many mid-tier binoculars that offer great values for the investment (too many to mention here), but You will have to take time and see-for-yourself if these (or at 3 to 4X the investment top alphas) will be the answer, for You!

Good Luck in your optics journey,

Ted
 
I (Honey Creek Bill & Beak) try to keep one Habicht 8x30 in stock and when it sells there's a 3-4 week gap before a new one comes in.
We used to stock all the Habichts, 7x42 Black or Green, and the 10x40 Black or Green, but some might sit on the shelf for 3 years. That unto itself is not a problem but a lot of folks (like on this forum) are savvy to dating their bins by serial # and would rather not get one that's already 3 years old. So now we order them on request.
 
Hi Eric and welcome to BF! :hi:

Many experiences, much knowledge and very diverse opinions to be garnered from the BF membership here. What have you looked through yourself and where do you seem to find a comfort level? Have you looked through porros and roofs, maybe figuring out if a certain type might fit you best? There are Many mid-tier binoculars that offer great values for the investment (too many to mention here), but You will have to take time and see-for-yourself if these (or at 3 to 4X the investment top alphas) will be the answer, for You!

Good Luck in your optics journey,

Ted

The only high-end glass (other than camera lenses) that I've looked through were my dads Zeiss Classic T* 10x40 which are sharp and clear, no issues with the older rubber style eyecups either. In the early hours of light, which pair of binos would have a brighter transmission between a Habicht 8x30 or the Zeiss 10x40?

Seems like the rubber coated Habicht 8x30 are harder to come across, are these going to be that much tougher? Or do the rubber coatings just help with scratches/grip?

Part of me wants to just pick up a pair of cheaper binos for ~$300 (celestron granite, carson 3d, pentax) but I'm being drawn to something that will last a lifetime, has better build quality and optics, AND a killer warranty. I think the "buy once cry once" philisophy applies to good optics. I'll try to be patient and snag a pair in the classifieds
 
The Green Rubber Habicht 8x30 is not available, even by special order, in the U.S. Which is a shame. I'd get one for myself.
 
The only high-end glass (other than camera lenses) that I've looked through were my dads Zeiss Classic T* 10x40 which are sharp and clear, no issues with the older rubber style eyecups either. In the early hours of light, which pair of binos would have a brighter transmission between a Habicht 8x30 or the Zeiss 10x40?

Seems like the rubber coated Habicht 8x30 are harder to come across, are these going to be that much tougher? Or do the rubber coatings just help with scratches/grip?

Part of me wants to just pick up a pair of cheaper binos for ~$300 (celestron granite, carson 3d, pentax) but I'm being drawn to something that will last a lifetime, has better build quality and optics, AND a killer warranty. I think the "buy once cry once" philisophy applies to good optics. I'll try to be patient and snag a pair in the classifieds

Eric,

If you are really serious about "fine optics" at a reasonable investment, maybe take a look at THESE. I have had both Swaro porros (8x30W and these 10x40 W GA) side by side (still have 10x40's). For My eyes, the 10x40's are the best porro I've ever looked through...image should be better than your dad's Zeiss 10x40 T. I also found the Habicht 10x40's were As Bright in low light as the 8x30W, were more comfortable to hold, had better eye relief, a wider EP and Much better eye cups! Attached a pic of my pair for your drooling pleasure! As always, YMMV!!!

PP and HCB&B should be able to get one ordered for you, probably With the full SONA warranty!!

BTW, if you still want the GA (green armor) style but desire a lower power, Absam is still producing a Habicht 7x42 W GA. With your "young" eyes, you'd probably be able to take full advantage of that very large 6mm exit pupil in low lighting conditions! :t:

Ted
 

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The 7x42 Habichts are just awesome in low light. They're the ones I grab to look at the bird feeders at very early first light.
 
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