A2GG
Beth
That means your head is reliable and well made and can last a very long time if you take good care of it
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Noctivid First Impressions (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jwillson
- Start date
That means your head is reliable and well made and can last a very long time if you take good care of it
How did you know about my casual wear?
That means your head is reliable and well made and can last a very long time if you take good care of it
Nope, it's an intermittent goner I think but thanks for the optimism.
I'm glad the thread isn't badly interrupted and I think your idea of hearing from folks when they have had a bit more time to get used to their new bins is sensible so I look forward to more of that.
I don't often use my 8x43 but I remember concentrating on little things at the beginning but when I took it out the other day after not using it for a month or two I was wholly very impressed with it in comparison with my other bins in fact it performed pretty much flawlessly by comparison.
It would of course be interesting if I had a Noctovid to compare it to but sadly I don't but I'm not sad at all with how the Sapphire worked. Flawlessly is pretty good. I probably shouldn't even be looking at this thread but I do like to see when some-one can get to the bottom descriptively of how this binocular really is and I like those descriptions such as this contribution by JW (and others) that seem to tell the warts and all story.
It's really just idle curiosity on my part concerning this Noctivid but I am an optics fan and lucky to enjoy what I have, in fact my most often used bin outdoors currently is my little Viking Vistron 8x25 which for it's size does most of what I need pretty well. It's not the best optic available by any means but it's the best in terms of portability for my purpose at present.
A2GG
Beth
I do the same; I read threads about binoculars I will never buy and sometimes ones I'm not even interested in just out of curiosity. It's fun to read the different user reviews. I've been reading a lot about the Nocti, but it's a long shot I would ever buy one. I'm satisfied with the binos I have esp my 7x42. I like my little Viper HD 6x32 quite a bit and also the couple of 6x porros I have.
"Image plasticity" could be used, and would be much better than "plastic,"but it is not so idiomatic. In any case, it sounds like an attempt to say something sufficiently positive but vague that has not been over-used before.
I still haven't had the time to take a better look at the Noctivid. Maybe next week…
Kimmo
I still haven't had the time to take a better look at the Noctivid. Maybe next week…
Kimmo
Pinewood
New York correspondent
Hello Gilmore Girl,
Keep the purse closed until you think you truly need something rather than just want something. I have not bought a new birding binocular for years.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:
"Vivid" sounds like the right translation and would definitely apply to the Noctivids. Between the saturated colors (from the reflection suppression, presumably) and the high contrast they are significantly more vivid than my 10x42 Ultravid HD's, and those bins already had the most pleasing view of any bins I had looked through. The Noctivids don't have the widest view, the lightest weight, the closest focus, or the flattest field, but they are close enough in all those areas and do seem to have the highest contrast and most saturated view Inhave seen.
A2GG
Beth
Thanks Arthur...that's great advice and I'm getting there myself. I am very satisfied with what I have and won't 'upgrade' , as I don't see any need for it anymore. The only binocular I may add to my small 'collection' will be a 10x someday...possibly. I think having one good higher power binocular will be a good addition.
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Well the little cover on the tripod attachment of my Sapphire is a bit plastic but Hawke don't go on about it.
Note to Leica. A view that looks plastic might sound great in Germany but it sounds pretty bad in the English speaking world as in some bins do actually have plastic lenses and bodies etc and it's not a good association.
Glad you are liking these plastic Leicas, so far, or should I say Plastivids.
Oh no, I'm doing it again. Nurse !!!!!!
Ok thank you nurse, I feel better now. I meant Vivivid 8-P8-P8-P
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Hey, I thought we were done with this "plastic" stuff. They are named after owls--genus Noctua in Latin. Funny how that happened to fit right in with Leica's naming convention for lenses where the Noctilux series refers to their brightest, most expensive designs. I'm sure it's a coincidence. Noctivid. Noctilux. Yeah, just a coincidence. Now don't you keep thinking of "plastic".
JW
The Leica publicity machine says "state-of-the-art baffles and premium glass materials ensure image plasticity".
Naturally we are all interested in what this means.
Seems that the German for 'plasticity' can also mean vividness.
Lee
If you look at some of the websites where photographers or painters are discussing the term "Plastizität", you see that it essentially comes down to the following concept: trying to shape or create an image (e.g. a painting on a canvas) so that it does not appear to be on a two-dimensional plane, but in a three-dimensional space. So in the end, we are back in the area of "3D", "depth of field", etc., and Leica marketing just used the additional term "Plastizität" to promote the particular 3D effect of the image seen through a Noctivid (which, alas, my eyes so far have stubbornly refused to acknowledge).
Yeah, same for me. Vivid, yes. More 3D than other 10x42 roofs? Nope. Frankly, I'm not even sure that is possible optically. All roof prism bins are separated by just your interpupillary distance, so nothing the manufacturer can do about stereoscopic effect. The power determines how much the field is compressed. Field curvature might have a little to do with perceived depth of field and therefore how 3D a binocular feels, but it's likely quite subtle. Other than that, I'm not certain what Leica could do. As far as I have ever been able to tell, all bins of a given magnification and prism design seem to have similar if not identical depth of field and 3D perception. I know others have different experiences, though, so maybe it says more about me as an observer than it does about the equipment. I've picked up some basic understanding of optics as an amateur astronomer, but I certainly don't know anything about the subtleties of binocular design. In any event, they are a great pair of bins and I am certainly enjoying the views. Spent an hour with them last evening looking at Andromeda, Triangulum, Perseus, etc. and was very happy.
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
If the angry birds jump at you as in the latest 3D movie from Pixar/Disney, the bins have that extra "plasticity".
Maybe Leica forgot to mention that you need 3D-glasses to enjoy it?
But I don't think that "plastizität/plasticity" should be confused with stereopsis.
It's about more about rendering something so it looks really alive and kicking.
Since it's discussed for camera/lenses as well.
Good rendering of shadows/highlights would be important I suppose
since it's the mix of shadows and highlight that builds the sense of depth/shape in a portrait for example.
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If the angry birds jump at you as in the latest 3D movie from Pixar/Disney, the bins have that extra "plasticity".
Maybe Leica forgot to mention that you need 3D-glasses to enjoy it?
But I don't think that "plastizität/plasticity" should be confused with stereopsis.
It's about more about rendering something so it looks really alive and kicking.
Since it's discussed for camera/lenses as well.
Good rendering of shadows/highlights would be important I suppose
since it's the mix of shadows and highlight that builds the sense of depth/shape in a portrait for example.
Also the ability to render more graduations of tone with subtle roll off.
Long a strength of Leica M lenses. I remember shooting the first roll of velvia way back when I first got a Leica M6. The images jumped off the lightbox giving more solidity of form than the rather flat looking Canon images I was used too. They also avoid that flat cut and paste look detested by cinematographers
Same applied to the Hasselblad 6x6 Zeiss lenses when compared to Pentax medium format lenses of the day.
Renze de Vries
Well-known member
The German concept of Bild-Plastik, widely used in the field of optics since many a decade, refers to three-dimensional objects of art created by modeling and/or to the making process thereof. It seems that in English all three dimensional objects of art, or their making, are called sculpture. However, in Germany (as well as The Netherlands) a distinction is made between 'Skulptur / skulptuur' (objects made bij removing material, f.i. carving) and 'Plastik / plastiek' (adding material, f.i. clay).
Note that Wikipedia refers to sculpture as one of the plastic arts.
Renze
Note that Wikipedia refers to sculpture as one of the plastic arts.
Renze
I've been using now since 1 month a new pair of LEICA NOCTIVID 10 x 42 ---- And since I am the Italian testimonial for Leica my reviews here and somewhere else may sounds too much in favour...however my proud has always been to be honest and direct...so, when I do not like something...simply I do not write anything !
I have no time for technical comments and to report any technical data, all in all, to birders, what really means and care is THE USE in the field, and the real stuff.... Nude crude data could say something, while direct use in the field it's what really we care about !
I could first say, it is a binocular that at first it is hard to get "in confidence" with, while with Swarovision Bin it is very easy to get quickly in "confidence"... so when I first got the Noctivid I was a bit disappointed by them... that's why "first impression" I think are never good!
indeed, after using them day by day, any time of the day, during our MISC team harcore birding at Linosa islands, Sicilian Channel... I step by step fall in love with this Noctivid. It's like an important and unique love story with a complicated girl (or man!).... it is hard and it is difficult, but once you discover the secret it is the most important love of your life !
So, the Noctivid are indeed pretty heavy, and since I have problem to my neck this at first appeared to me to be a bad limit...then using them I got the impression that this weigth gave to me more balance in the hands, and that the binos were very robust and strong. Also, the focus ring it is for me too high up, so it is in level with the little iron things for the strap... so that when focusing, my hands press too much against the edge and have some trouble for the first days before I got used on how to handle the bino!
Having said this ... Once after some days, may be a week, I got used and got the confidence with the Noctivid.... I fall in love with it !! The sharpness of the images, at any time of the the day, the complete lack of any colour deviance (in Swaro its too yellowish, in Zeiss too greenish and in leica was too bluish) its simply outsanding! The 3D effect, reported in several webpages and also considered impossible, it is real to my eyes !! It seems like be in a Steven Spielberg 3D fanta movie.... watching birds or the mediterranean macchia in Linosa where the birds were, was incredibile...I could feel like be there with the birds, touching them, almost "feeling" them or feeling as being there amonst the trees and bushes branches ... Just fantastic !
never got before such feeling !! I think once you are so much over the top like with the new Zeiss, the new Swaro and the new Leica, after all it is a matter of taste which one to buy... they all are simply GREAT!! BUT, I should say I have one pair of each of those, and in these days I am going out birding with the Noctivid, as there is this feeling of be part of the NATURE, be part of the birds flock,l like flying with them !! A sexy and emotioning experoience I never got before with a bino!!
That's it...
I have no time for technical comments and to report any technical data, all in all, to birders, what really means and care is THE USE in the field, and the real stuff.... Nude crude data could say something, while direct use in the field it's what really we care about !
I could first say, it is a binocular that at first it is hard to get "in confidence" with, while with Swarovision Bin it is very easy to get quickly in "confidence"... so when I first got the Noctivid I was a bit disappointed by them... that's why "first impression" I think are never good!
indeed, after using them day by day, any time of the day, during our MISC team harcore birding at Linosa islands, Sicilian Channel... I step by step fall in love with this Noctivid. It's like an important and unique love story with a complicated girl (or man!).... it is hard and it is difficult, but once you discover the secret it is the most important love of your life !
So, the Noctivid are indeed pretty heavy, and since I have problem to my neck this at first appeared to me to be a bad limit...then using them I got the impression that this weigth gave to me more balance in the hands, and that the binos were very robust and strong. Also, the focus ring it is for me too high up, so it is in level with the little iron things for the strap... so that when focusing, my hands press too much against the edge and have some trouble for the first days before I got used on how to handle the bino!
Having said this ... Once after some days, may be a week, I got used and got the confidence with the Noctivid.... I fall in love with it !! The sharpness of the images, at any time of the the day, the complete lack of any colour deviance (in Swaro its too yellowish, in Zeiss too greenish and in leica was too bluish) its simply outsanding! The 3D effect, reported in several webpages and also considered impossible, it is real to my eyes !! It seems like be in a Steven Spielberg 3D fanta movie.... watching birds or the mediterranean macchia in Linosa where the birds were, was incredibile...I could feel like be there with the birds, touching them, almost "feeling" them or feeling as being there amonst the trees and bushes branches ... Just fantastic !
never got before such feeling !! I think once you are so much over the top like with the new Zeiss, the new Swaro and the new Leica, after all it is a matter of taste which one to buy... they all are simply GREAT!! BUT, I should say I have one pair of each of those, and in these days I am going out birding with the Noctivid, as there is this feeling of be part of the NATURE, be part of the birds flock,l like flying with them !! A sexy and emotioning experoience I never got before with a bino!!
That's it...
