Curio 7x21 vs. CL 8x25 pocket (4 Viewers)

[dougan]

I want to replace my Hawke Endurance ED 8x25, and was considering these two.
Size wise, either would be fine, the CL's are roughly the size of the Hawke's. I realise the Curios are somewhat smaller.

Image wise, is there much difference? Also, is the 7x magnification a drawback?
I would use them for walking and hiking.

 

[mwhogue]

Personally I would recommend the Curio between the two. The quality of the image of either is typical SW - excellent. The Curio has the same EP for practical purposes but with much larger FoV, steadier brighter image, greater DoF, meaningfully smaller and lighter and the double hinge is less fiddly for me than with the CL. You won't lose a lot with 7 as opposed to 8x unless you will be doing a fair amount of longer distance viewing with them. YMMV.

Mike

 

[Maximc1]

Having had both I'd vote for the Curio (which I still have)too.

 

[dougan]

I thought the CL would have been better, due to its larger glass, looks like I might be wrong!

 

[Scott98]

I do NOT own these, disclaimer, but I did order and try the Curios (and return them, they were damaged), and subsequently I did a long comparison with the CL's up to the 8x30 at the bird store. The 8x25 CL was my favorite of all them. The focuser and eye comfort, holding them, the views, I told myself this is one to buy when I'm flush with cash again

 

[dougan]

I do NOT own these, disclaimer, but I did order and try the Curios (and return them, they were damaged), and subsequently I did a long comparison with the CL's up to the 8x30 at the bird store. The 8x25 CL was my favorite of all them. The focuser and eye comfort, holding them, the views, I told myself this is one to buy when I'm flush with cash again

Cheers Scott!
The CL's are slight favourites at the moment

 

[gweller]

I have the Curio 7x21, the CL 8x25 and the CL 8x30. The 8x30 is very good, and does not seem to get the love it deserves in my opinion. It is though much bigger than the other two so if you want something small to take with you on walks then it's a choice between the other two. I bought the 7x21 with the intention of selling the 8x25, but ended up keeping both. The 7x21 is very, very good, and I think just a bit better than the 8x25, particularly with handling glare. I sometimes get veiling glare with 8x but never with the 7x. However the focus wheel on the 8x is very smooth - perhaps on of the best I've had, and if you have large hands the 8x is easier to hold. I really like the wide field of the Curio and being a fan of 7x binoculars (I also have the Leica 7x35 Retrovid) I have never felt that the are not powerful enough.

Basically you can't go wrong with either but try them out side by side if you can before deciding!

 

[ReinierB]

Which of the two is more comfortable regarding the eyecups? Are they narrower on the 7x21? Or doesn't that affect the eye placement and comfort of holding them to your eyes?
I have a Zeiss Terra 8x25 now and want to upgrade someday. The eyecups are just big enough for my taste. I don't want them to be smaller if possible.

Another question: which one of the two has the longest strap? I like to wear binco bandolier style. A longer strap than that of the Terra 8x25 would be nice.

Or do I have to consider the Leica Ultravid 8x20 as well? (Regarding comfortable eyecups and longer strap)

 

[gweller]

The eyecups on the 7x21 are narrower, approximately 31mm OD vs approximately 34mm OD for the 8x25 - see photo. Both have very easy eye placement, for me at least, as I generally prefer narrow eyecups anyway. I'm not sure about the straps as I never use neck straps with such small bins, preferring instead a simple wrist strap to keep things as compact as possible. I still have the straps somewhere in a drawer - just don't ask where

 

[ReinierB]

Thanks for the picture! I would assume that the CL 8x25 would be more comfortable in use: eyecups a bit bigger, AFOV a bit bigger, exit pupil a bit bigger, weight and size a bit bigger. Why is it that some people say that the Curio 7x21 is more comfortable? Only because it is 7 power in stead of 8 power, so the DOV is larger and there is less shake? It is also more pocketable of course. A bitter fit for normal pockets.

 

[mwhogue]

Thanks for the picture! I would assume that the CL 8x25 would be more comfortable in use: eyecups a bit bigger, AFOV a bit bigger, exit pupil a bit bigger, weight and size a bit bigger. Why is it that some people say that the Curio 7x21 is more comfortable? Only because it is 7 power in stead of 8 power, so the DOV is larger and there is less shake? It is also more pocketable of course. A bitter fit for normal pockets.

Reinier,

Both are excellent but I do prefer the Curio for the reasons you mention. In addition, not a complaint but I find the CL is a bit heavy for its size as well. It's practically the same size as the Terra but noticeably heavier for a "pocket". Just personal but I also prefer the physical handling of the Curio. For me the Curio eyecups are more comfortable. But my CL is the previous version and the newer version might be better.

Another question: which one of the two has the longest strap? I like to wear binco bandolier style. A longer strap than that of the Terra 8x25 would be nice.

Or do I have to consider the Leica Ultravid 8x20 as well? (Regarding comfortable eyecups and longer strap)

On the straps, the Zeiss Terra is the longest of the included straps but some people can use the UV 8x20 strap for cross body/bandolier style. If you need something longer, you might take a look at the Optech compact bino strap or bin op strap, either is longer and they are quick connect and easily adjustable. The older/previous generation CL strap might work for cross body for smaller people but the Curio strap is too short and it looks like the new CL strap is the same design and length as the Curio version. In terms of the eyecups, I like the UV better than the older version of the CL.

Hope this helps and good luck with your choice.

Mike

 

[Doheth]

<snip> - see photo. <snip>

gweller, thank you for the photo.

I see yours is orange. Do you have an opinion on the color and quality of finish of that variant? Does it get grungy?

 

[hongyan]

gweller, thank you for the photo.

I see yours is orange. Do you have an opinion on the color and quality of finish of that variant? Does it get grungy?

Hi, My experience is please avoid the original Swarovski strap on your orange binocular version. Because the leather material on the strap will stain the orange rubber black. And it's hard to scrub clean.

 

[PW42]

Hi, My experience is please avoid the original Swarovski strap on your orange binocular version. Because the leather material on the strap will stain the orange rubber black. And it's hard to scrub clean.

Same problem here. Like the orange but regret not getting the black. Did you have success in getting it clean or have any tips?

 

[hongyan]

Same problem here. Like the orange but regret not getting the black. Did you have success in getting it clean or have any tips?

After I found that the orange rubber was stained black, I tried cleaning it with alcohol and soap, but it didn't work. So I had to replace the original strap with another strap. There was no new black stain after that.

 

[PW42]

Thanks. I feared as much.

 

[dougan]

About to buy the 8x25 CL, not sure on which colour to get, green or black.
Always preferred green binos, but thought the black version of these look better than the green. Just think the green makes them look more cheaper than they are.

 

[gweller]

About to buy the 8x25 CL, not sure on which colour to get, green or black.
Always preferred green binos, but thought the black version of these look better than the green. Just think the green makes them look more cheaper than they are.

I have a black 8x30 CL B and a green 8x25 CL. I always think the black finish is more prone to showing fingerprints/marks than the green, so personally I would go for the green.

 

[gweller]

gweller, thank you for the photo.

I see yours is orange. Do you have an opinion on the color and quality of finish of that variant? Does it get grungy?

So far so good! It's not showing any signs of discoloration etc. But I'm not using the original strap from Swarovski, just a simple wrist strap from an old compact camera.

 

[Elkhornsun]

I first bought the 8x25 Cl binos and then ended up giving them to my wife and bought a pair of the 10x25 Cl binos. They are compact enough that even in their carry case they fit neatly in a water bottle pocket or a jacket. I leave them hanging off my neck and it is easy to forget they are there with their 12.4 ounce weight. The 10x provide me with a better image with more detail as a result of the 25% increase in image magnification and I have no problems with holding them steady when viewing.

For a very light and compact binocular the Pentax 6.5x21 is light at 10.2 oz and has a remarkable close focus distance of 0.5 meter (so good for insects as well as birds) and they sell for only $99.