7x42BGAT vs 7x42 Ultravid (1 Viewer)

1894 · Jun 30, 2004

A fleeting visit as I don't watch birds other than as a secondary activity to my deer stalking. I have a pair of 7x42BGATs that are 8 years old. They have been superb but a recent purchase of some 8x32ELs has me wondering if the new generation of optics might offer me a bit more performance? My requirements in changing would be increased brightness at very low light levels.

The BGATs have class leading FOV (150m) and could not be more comfortable to use (other than the 8x32ELs but that's a size thing)

Has anyone experience between the 7x42BGAT and the 7x42 Ultravid. The Ultravid would need to be quite a lot brighter or clearer to make up for the reduced FOV which is very important.

pduxon · Jun 30, 2004

Have a look at the new Zeiss 7x42 FL

Edward woodwood · Jun 30, 2004

used the 7 x 42 bgat for nearly 15 years now. I dropped them two years back but they are good as new and are now my second pair to Nikon HGs. Perfromancewise the zeiss are the best bins I've ever used even though for some reason i usually take out my Nikons these days (smaller size probably). They've been everywhere, extreme cold, heat, humidity, bangs, knocks you name it. The engineering is top class. The field of view is amazing and you can quickly pick up birds in a forest or when seawatching. The brightness is also spectacular.
The new ultravids are probably as good optically but will they prove as dependable in the long term? is it worth changing my Zeiss? No way!

For stalking and use in low light i would stick with the Zeiss and save a lot of cash!

1894 · Jul 2, 2004

Tim Allwood said:
used the 7 x 42 bgat for nearly 15 years now. I dropped them two years back but they are good as new and are now my second pair to Nikon HGs. Perfromancewise the zeiss are the best bins I've ever used even though for some reason i usually take out my Nikons these days (smaller size probably). They've been everywhere, extreme cold, heat, humidity, bangs, knocks you name it. The engineering is top class. The field of view is amazing and you can quickly pick up birds in a forest or when seawatching. The brightness is also spectacular.
The new ultravids are probably as good optically but will they prove as dependable in the long term? is it worth changing my Zeiss? No way!

For stalking and use in low light i would stick with the Zeiss and save a lot of cash!

Having tested the ultravid and bigger EL swaro I have come to just that decision! Thanks

bunny · Oct 11, 2005

BGAT Vs Ultravid 7x42

Having compared my Ultravid 8x42BR with my Zeiss BGAT 7x42, I still say the Zeiss is the better binocular. However, the lack of waterproofing and the plastic eyepiece housing are of grave concern to me, which is why I only use the Zeiss for special occasions!

Also, for anyone who has the Zeiss 7x42, don't get rid of them - they no longer make that model so look after yours, as I am, and they will become a collectors item. If I could afford it, I would have bought a 2nd pair of &x42 Dialyts - one to use and one to keep in the box!

The Zeiss 7x42 is THE most comfy bino design I have ever come across.

xenophobe · Oct 13, 2005

I recently bought, and then sold a pair of 7x42 Classics. They provided a beautiful view, but I found them to be uncomfortable. The eyecups are stiff, the overall length bothered me as well. They're really heavy, but I didn't mind that. The final straw was that the magnification was too low for me.

Oddly, I find the 10x40B Classic to be superb, excellently balanced, and the same eyecups that bothered me on the 7x42 are not uncomfortable to me on this model. I think it has to do with the overall length, but I'm not positive. I do know that I hold my 10x steadier than I did the 7x. Go figure...

Jonathan B. · Oct 13, 2005

xenophobe said:
I think it has to do with the overall length, but I'm not positive. I do know that I hold my 10x steadier than I did the 7x. Go figure...

I am certain you are right. I don't use 10x, but I have handled all of the 7x and 8x bins out there. The SE 8x32 is the steadiest, and the Zeiss ClassiC 7x42 is among the shakiest. The image in the SE 8x32 is even steadier than that in my Ultravid 7x42. I also concluded that the length of the binocular contributes to the movement of the image.

Robert Ellis · Oct 13, 2005

It all depends on balance. Swaro 10x SLCs are well balanced and I could use them for a while despite the magnification, whereas a ligher 8x roof, like the Monarch which is about the same length, bounces quite a bit for me. Where the weight is in one's hands can be as important as how much is there, though really long nis do seem to be worse.

7x42BGAT vs 7x42 Ultravid (1 Viewer)

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