perterra
Well-known member
My advice, you're not going to make a bad choice between them.
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So....SF 8X42 has arrived... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter chill6x6
- Start date
My advice, you're not going to make a bad choice between them.
Gijs van Ginkel
Well-known member
Hermann, post 76,
No I do not see a color cast in the 8x42 SF and that is also not expected to occur, since the transmission spectrum from 500-600 nm is almost as flat as a pancake.
Gijs
No I do not see a color cast in the 8x42 SF and that is also not expected to occur, since the transmission spectrum from 500-600 nm is almost as flat as a pancake.
Gijs
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
Better try them for yourselves, the feel and ergonomics are quite different.
The SF:s are significantly lighter than the SV:s. I would throw in a pair of Leica Ultravid Plus in the comparison to.
Bins is so much about personal preferences so reading others opinions is mostly confusing.
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
I think this discussion about color casts might be about
test conditions, color temperature of light varies over the day, with place and light source,
slight differences in trasmission might be emphasized in some light
conditions.
To me my SV:s have a cooler view than my FL:s in some situations but to say that any of them have a color cast would be to dramatize things.
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Vespobuteo
Well-known member
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I went over to Sportman's Warehouse in Loveland, Co. today to see what kind of binoculars they had and low and behold they had one Zeiss 10x42 HT. It was BRIGHT and I could again see no "Green Monsters". The color looked neutral to me and I looked at some very white objects. I didn't like the HT ,as well as, the SF though. The SF IMO had better ergonomics and the forward weight distribution makes the SF feel lighter. The HT's FOV is considerably smaller than the SF also and the edges aren't as sharp. I didn't like the shape of the optical tubes on the HT either. The SF just overall to me is more impressive and it has more of the things I want in a binocular. As they say it ticks more boxes than the HT.
Glad you got to compare the SF/HT. It sure helps one know what they are looking for.
My 10X42 HT has proven itself over the past year to be a great binocular. No doubt it's been used the the most and the most has been asked of it and it's delivered. No hiccups whatsoever. Where the SF feels "light," the HT feels "solid." Swarovski "solid" if you will. Ergonomically, it's pretty close to the SF, just different, and still no binocular has a better focus adjustment. I'd purchase again! :t:
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The HT and SF are both great binoculars. I was personally impressed with how light the SF's felt with their forward weight distribution. I am a sucker for a big FOV with sharp edges coming from Swarovisions so for me the SF would be my choice if I were to buy a Zeiss. One thing I did notice about the HT's is that they were bright. So if you want bright that is the way to go. I thought the focus on both the HT and SF were exceptional and I really noticed very little difference between the two. I didn't like the little ridges on the bottom of the HT but that is a personal thing.
You won't go wrong with either the Zeiss 8x42 SF or the Swarovski 8.5x42. Either one is superb. Would you like a little lighter feeling binocular with a huge FOV and an exceptionally smooth focus? Get the Zeiss SF. Or would you rather have something with a little more heft, a slightly smaller FOV but a superb quality feel to it. Get the Swarovision. The Swarovision too most people would look like it is higher quality but the Zeiss SF is sleek and modern and in no way is it cheap looking. Just buy the one you get the best deal on. You won't be unhappy either way.
Zeiss after-care is poor. That not true my friend. Its superb in my opinion
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
according to the allbinos diagram, 8x42 FL would have 95% max transmission, seems impressive, but thats not true for sure.
But the figure we get from the table says 93.9% +-1.5% (perhaps the graph is interpolated/rendered from only a few measurements). A bit odd to give the result with one decimal when the error marginal is 1.5%.
Gijs measures 92% at 550 nm, which is more realistic,
http://www.houseofoutdoor.com/testrapporten/Test_Zeiss_Victory_HT.pdf
http://www.houseofoutdoor.com/testrapporten/Test-42mm-kijkersMEI-2011.pdf
With another scale for wavelength the curves also look more flat.
The color sensitivity of the human eye is far less flat than these curves.
This is a bit interesting perhaps, to broaden the perspective:
http://www.livescience.com/21275-color-red-blue-scientists.html
"I think we can say for certain that people don't see the same colors"
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Thanks for this (and to everyone else who's responded). I think I really know the answer to my own question and that is that there is no alternative to trying these pieces of kit out for myself and see what suits. The one thing that does concern me is the variation within one spec from model to model. Swarovski have a reliable reputation but even here I have heard that they've had significant variation within their binoculars with some being superb and others being indifferent, this usually being to do with tone. I don't suppose there's anyway round this - is it worth asking to try out several examples of the same binocular in a shop? Anyway, compared what I'm used to, my old pair of Trinovids (which I still really like!) I am going to see a significant improvement - sharpness and lack of CA I'd imagine will be what I most appreciate.
Again, thanks.
Again, thanks.
This online colour challenge is quite an interesting exercise. As they point out there are a lot of variable in our ability to discriminate colour.
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge
David
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge
David
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
Some facts from the color vision test:
"Regardless of your color vision score, your ability to see color accurately depends on many factors.:
Lighting: Light plays a significant role in color perception. It's actually the color of the light that determines the color your brain will perceive. Examine samples side-by-side when comparing colors, preferably under controlled lighting conditions.
Backgrounds Effects: A phenomenon called simultaneous contrast means that the background upon which we’re evaluating color strongly affects our eye's ability to correctly perceive the color.
Retinal Fatigue: Our eyes get tired very easily. When we stare at an object for longer than a few seconds, chemicals in our eyes start to deplete and begin sending incorrect information to our brains.
Poor Color Memory: Our brains find it extremely difficult to remember the specifics of any given color. Even looking at two colors across the room from each other to see if they match is a challenge.
Age: As we get older, color perception starts to fade. However, color perception isn’t just innate; it's also a learned skill."
- See more at: http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge#sthash.OYqEftwy.dpuf
"Regardless of your color vision score, your ability to see color accurately depends on many factors.:
Lighting: Light plays a significant role in color perception. It's actually the color of the light that determines the color your brain will perceive. Examine samples side-by-side when comparing colors, preferably under controlled lighting conditions.
Backgrounds Effects: A phenomenon called simultaneous contrast means that the background upon which we’re evaluating color strongly affects our eye's ability to correctly perceive the color.
Retinal Fatigue: Our eyes get tired very easily. When we stare at an object for longer than a few seconds, chemicals in our eyes start to deplete and begin sending incorrect information to our brains.
Poor Color Memory: Our brains find it extremely difficult to remember the specifics of any given color. Even looking at two colors across the room from each other to see if they match is a challenge.
Age: As we get older, color perception starts to fade. However, color perception isn’t just innate; it's also a learned skill."
- See more at: http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge#sthash.OYqEftwy.dpuf
I agree with you. I originally had a Leica scope. And when I looked through my brother's Swaro scope, I was very much irritated by the blue cast I noticed. Meanwhile, I have a Swaro model as well and I don't think it is blue any more.
Unless you had the various samples to examine simultaneously, the perceived differences may also have come from your eyes. We don't always perceive colors exactly the same, even if the light is comparable.
Why would you imagine that myself or any other user wouldn't be able to spot the big differences between the warm biased SLC Vespobueto posted and these two other Swarovski profiles when looked at side by side?
http://www.allbinos.com/223-binoculars_review-Swarovski_EL_10x42_Swarovision.html
http://www.allbinos.com/251-binoculars_review-Swarovski_EL_8.5x42_Swarovision.html
David
