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Best Alpha Glass for Low Light? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ragin-cajun
- Start date
ragin-cajun
Well-known member
just received my SLC 8x56s. they are great and what an upgrade! thanks for all of the good advice in this thread.
Cool. Congrats. I've always wanted to look through a pair of those.
ragin-cajun
Well-known member
tested the 56s out on the golf course tonight at dark WOW. this is where they shine. its like turning on a light. heavier yes but it pays big dividends at low light.
now i start my search for an alpha 8x42
now i start my search for an alpha 8x42
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Those big 56 mm binoculars are like turning on a light, aren't they? For a bright 42 mm, you can't beat the Habicht 7x42 or a Zeiss HT 8x42. The Habicht is brighter because of higher transmission and a bigger exit pupil. The Habicht is just like your 8x56 SLC in that it is like turning on a light when using them in low light. The Habicht might even beat your 8x56 in low light if you are older because the bigger exit pupil of the 8x56 wouldn't be advantageous if your eyes are only dilating to 6 mm and the Habicht has higher transmission.tested the 56s out on the golf course tonight at dark WOW. this is where they shine. its like turning on a light. heavier yes but it pays big dividends at low light.
now i start my search for an alpha 8x42
ragin-cajun
Well-known member
they are...i'd like to test a Zeiss HT 8x42... the SF was splendid but the eyecup adjustments ughh.
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j_2112
Member
Congrats!
This will hopefully be my next, (and final) set of bins. Would love to compare to my 8x42 sf and 8x42 NL! (If you want the best alphas, get one of these)
Did you manage to find / see any good deals on the 8x56 SLC?
I gotta sell some other glass first!
ragin-cajun
Well-known member
best price was at bear basin.. was on back order a month so they knocked off 100.
After comparing the Habicht 7x42 to several 8x56 big eye binoculars, I think for the money of less than $1K, it is one of the best low light binoculars you can get plus it only weighs 24 oz. It is nearly as bright as most 8x56 and 7x50 binoculars, and I found it even brighter than the Fujinon FMT-SX 7x50 in low light and better on the night sky with more pin point stars and clearer resolution of nebulae like the Orion Nebula.
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
If your pupils can't dilate to 6-7 mm those big guns might be a bit of overkill.
Also the resolution of the eye decreases in low light, thus a higher mag like 10x might help.
My personal favorite is the 7x42 FL though.
The Habicht 7x42, even brighter due to the optical construction obviously, but handling is a bit primitive for my taste.
You're correct. Most people unless they are young are not going to have pupils that dilate to 7 mm, so the big 8x56's are really going to be no better than a 7x42 with a 6 mm exit pupil in low light. In fact, a 7x42 with super high transmission like the Habicht 7x42 or FL 7x42 will actually be brighter for most people in low light than an 8x56, and you will get the added advantage of the "sparkle" a high transmission binocular gives you in the daytime. The 7x42 will have more apparent brightness than an 8x56, but because of the higher magnification, the 8x56 will have a better Twilight Factor and you will see more detail in low light than the 7x42.
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ragin-cajun
Well-known member
they're splendid at dark. you can debate the why....
j_2112
Member
Do you realize how terrible a 342 ft fov is on a 7 power? Not to mention that terrible focus that requires a vice grip to turn!
William Lewis
Wishing birdwatching paid the bills.
Agree. But within the field of view its perfect and the depth of field is great. You pay your money and take your choice.
Some people don't understand the Habicht 7x42. All binoculars are compromises in design, and that is what the Habicht 7x42 is. The focuser is tight because it has seals for waterproofing and to keep dust out of the optics, which makes the focuser tighter than a non-waterproof binocular like the E2 or SE. But when your E2 or SE are full of dust because of the accordion effect of the open focuser you will be glad you had the seals in the Habicht. You don't need to focus the Habicht 7x42 much anyway because of the superb DOF. The Habicht 7x42 was designed for the army and hunting in the Alps, so Swarovski wanted to keep it light and make it extremely bright in low light. For this reason, they used a simple 3 element Kellner eyepiece that is much lighter than the complex WA eyepieces used on the NL or SF and because it has less air to glass surfaces it does not absorb as much light and this together with the simple porro prism design, updated coatings and the best EL glass means the Habicht 7x42 has the highest transmission of any binocular at an incredible 96%! The simple eyepiece design and the narrow FOV also make the Habicht 7x42 one of the most glare proof binoculars available. There is almost NO glare in the Habicht 7x42. You can't say that about either the latest roofs, like the SF or the NL. In fact, I had so much glare in my NL 8x42 I got rid of it. I don't like glare. Another advantage of the Habicht 7x42 is the DOF and of course the steady view at 7x. The 3D view of a porro can not be taken lightly, and it does more than make the view more realistic. It helps you pick out birds from the background because you can see in 3D! Instead of the flat "Pie Plate" view that an SF or NL gives you which is like looking at a flat picture, the view is now in 3D and the bird is in front of the bush or tree and seems to pop out from the background! For a full size 42 mm binocular, the Habicht 7x42 is incredibly light at less than 24 oz. which really is appreciated when you are carrying your binoculars all day and hiking. There is no other 42 mm binocular that is as light outside of the Nikon MHG 8x42 and possibly the new Zeiss SFL 8x40 and neither come near the 96% transmission of the Habicht 7x42 nor do they have the 3D view. If you are over 50 years old and your pupils are only dilating to say 6 mm, the Habicht 7x42 is the brightest binocular you can buy and the best value at only $1K compared to over $2K for the 8x56 FL or 8x56 SLC. It is even brighter than the humongous, heavy 8x56 FL or 8x56 SLC because your eyes probably can't use a 7 mm exit pupil if you are over 50 and the 6 mm exit pupil or cone of light entering your eye will be brighter because the Habicht has higher transmission. The Habicht 7x42 also has a sparkle during the daytime also because of it's super high transmission, which lower transmitting binocular simple do not have. The Habicht 7x42 is not the ideal birding binocular because of it's narrow FOV and tight focuser, but for the money and if you are over 50 it is the brightest. I compared the Habicht 7x42 to my Fujinon FMT-SX 7x50, and it was even brighter than it! Why you say? It is because my eyes can't use a 7 mm exit pupil and the 6 mm exit pupil of the Habicht is brighter because of the higher transmission. This doesn't apply to birding, but the Habicht 7x42 outperformed the Fujinon FMT-SX on the night sky also. It star tested better, and the stars were tighter and more pinpoint. I could also see dust lanes in the Orion Nebulae better with the smaller aperture Habicht than I could with the bigger aperture Fujinon because it had better contrast, and it was brighter. Herman had a good thread on the Habicht 7x42 a few years back, and it is excellent reading on the Habicht 7x42. The Habicht 7x42 is a unique, iconic porro prism binocular.
And now for something completely different: The Habicht 7x42
Have to get the right version, the Soviet era design had screw down eye cups that could be extended over a centimeter, but when retracted worked very well with glasses. The post Soviet production was much lower cost, so a tall rubber fold down eye cup was substituted instead. I've seen claims...
www.birdforum.net
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dorubird
The unskilled mechanic blames his tools!
ragin-cajun
Enjoy your new SLC 8x56[email protected]
Habicht 7x42 has the best transmission.!!!! We don't have to repeat it. But what must be repeated here on birdforum, is that this is not a useful pair of binoculars for birdwatching in general speaking, due the very important compromise of the extremely narrow apparent field of view (45.5 degrees). You said it was designed for the military and hunting, so it's a niche binoculars with that narrow 7x AFOV. The Apparent Field Of View and Field Of View in birdwatching is crucial.When you looking in the dark, in addition to the good transmission, a wider AFOV also helps to spot the details much easier because we have a broader view of the all context view, not fragments as in narrow AFOV
Very few are happy with a keyhole view, even if it is the brightest in the world. You may be one of them, but we are different and most of us appreciate more airy AFOVs because are easier to orient ourself in a dark context view, more immersive and pleasing to the eye even if not so bright.
Don't get me wrong. We are different and I'm glad you don't mind this keyhole view of Habicht 7x42 because you're "blinded"
by his excellent light transmission. All appreciate this light transmission also as an optical performance in itself in Habicht series...So, Enjoy your Habicht!
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CharleyBird
Well-known member
Wow. Perhaps you have finally found a keeper.Some people don't understand the Habicht 7x42. All binoculars are compromises in design, and that is what the Habicht 7x42 is. The focuser is tight because it has seals for waterproofing and to keep dust out of the optics, which makes the focuser tighter than a non-waterproof binocular like the E2 or SE. But when your E2 or SE are full of dust because of the accordion effect of the open focuser you will be glad you had the seals in the Habicht. You don't need to focus the Habicht 7x42 much anyway because of the superb DOF. The Habicht 7x42 was designed for the army and hunting in the Alps, so Swarovski wanted to keep it light and make it extremely bright in low light. For this reason, they used a simple 3 element Kellner eyepiece that is much lighter than the complex WA eyepieces used on the NL or SF and because it has less air to glass surfaces it does not absorb as much light and this together with the simple porro prism design, updated coatings and the best EL glass means the Habicht 7x42 has the highest transmission of any binocular at an incredible 96%! The simple eyepiece design and the narrow FOV also make the Habicht 7x42 one of the most glare proof binoculars available. There is almost NO glare in the Habicht 7x42. You can't say that about either the latest roofs, like the SF or the NL. In fact, I had so much glare in my NL 8x42 I got rid of it. I don't like glare. Another advantage of the Habicht 7x42 is the DOF and of course the steady view at 7x. The 3D view of a porro can not be taken lightly, and it does more than make the view more realistic. It helps you pick out birds from the background because you can see in 3D! Instead of the flat "Pie Plate" view that an SF or NL gives you which is like looking at a flat picture, the view is now in 3D and the bird is in front of the bush or tree and seems to pop out from the background! For a full size 42 mm binocular, the Habicht 7x42 is incredibly light at less than 24 oz. which really is appreciated when you are carrying your binoculars all day and hiking. There is no other 42 mm binocular that is as light outside of the Nikon MHG 8x42 and possibly the new Zeiss SFL 8x40 and neither come near the 96% transmission of the Habicht 7x42 nor do they have the 3D view. If you are over 50 years old and your pupils are only dilating to say 6 mm, the Habicht 7x42 is the brightest binocular you can buy and the best value at only $1K compared to over $2K for the 8x56 FL or 8x56 SLC. It is even brighter than the humongous, heavy 8x56 FL or 8x56 SLC because your eyes probably can't use a 7 mm exit pupil if you are over 50 and the 6 mm exit pupil or cone of light entering your eye will be brighter because the Habicht has higher transmission. The Habicht 7x42 also has a sparkle during the daytime also because of it's super high transmission, which lower transmitting binocular simple do not have. The Habicht 7x42 is not the ideal birding binocular because of it's narrow FOV and tight focuser, but for the money and if you are over 50 it is the brightest. I compared the Habicht 7x42 to my Fujinon FMT-SX 7x50, and it was even brighter than it! Why you say? It is because my eyes can't use a 7 mm exit pupil and the 6 mm exit pupil of the Habicht is brighter because of the higher transmission. This doesn't apply to birding, but the Habicht 7x42 outperformed the Fujinon FMT-SX on the night sky also. It star tested better, and the stars were tighter and more pinpoint. I could also see dust lanes in the Orion Nebulae better with the smaller aperture Habicht than I could with the bigger aperture Fujinon because it had better contrast, and it was brighter. Herman had a good thread on the Habicht 7x42 a few years back, and it is excellent reading on the Habicht 7x42. The Habicht 7x42 is a unique, iconic porro prism binocular.
And now for something completely different: The Habicht 7x42
Have to get the right version, the Soviet era design had screw down eye cups that could be extended over a centimeter, but when retracted worked very well with glasses. The post Soviet production was much lower cost, so a tall rubber fold down eye cup was substituted instead. I've seen claims...
It's a shame you didn't get on with the NL 8x42 as it's probably the best birding and general all round usage binocular on the market at the moment.
As for astronomy, if you want the best, remember the two Nikons? e.g.the WX 10x50.
I find the Habicht 7x42 interesting because of its imperfections. It makes no claim about being the perfect all around birding binocular, but what it does, it does superbly. It is the brightest binocular on the market, it has almost no glare, it is one of the lightest 42 mm binoculars on the market, it has superb on-axis resolution, fantastic DOF and a 3D view that an alpha roof can only dream about. I personally think you are going to see a reversal of the FOV war because birders are realizing a huge FOV creates other problems like glare. The new Zeiss SFL 8x40 is an example with its normal 8 degree FOV. I think Zeiss made a good decision, and I bet the SFL will handle glare and CA better than the SF or NL.ragin-cajun
Enjoy your new SLC 8x56
[email protected]
Habicht 7x42 has the best transmission.!!!! We don't have to repeat it. But what must be repeated here on birdforum, is that this is not a useful pair of binoculars for birdwatching in general speaking, due the very important compromise of the extremely narrow apparent field of view (45.5 degrees). You said it was designed for the military and hunting, so it's a niche binoculars with that narrow 7x AFOV. The Apparent Field Of View and Field Of View in birdwatching is crucial.
When you looking in the dark, in addition to the good transmission, a wider AFOV also helps to spot the details much easier because we have a broader view of the all context view, not fragments as in narrow AFOV
Very few are happy with a keyhole view, even if it is the brightest in the world. You may be one of them, but we are different and most of us appreciate more airy AFOVs because are easier to orient ourself in a dark context view, more immersive and pleasing to the eye even if not so bright.
Don't get me wrong. We are different and I'm glad you don't mind this keyhole view of Habicht 7x42 because you're "blinded"
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The NL 8x42 for me was a "glare monster". The 32 mm NL and SF are better with glare, but they still have some, probably because of their big FOV's. For most people, the the little 32 mm alphas are best for an all around birding binocular. I have found the Noctivid 8x42 to be the best alpha roof for glare, color saturation, 3D view, build quality and on-axis resolution and that is what I am using for my all-around binocular, but it still doesn't have the 3D view and brightness of the Habicht's. I would like to have a Nikon WX 7x50 and I could have bought one when they came out for $3500 but now that they are all around $8K from Japan they are out of my price range.
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CharleyBird
Well-known member
🙄Absolute rubbish😄
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