@ post 9 - I suspect the only thing that has changed about the Habicht is that d***o is now in the "pump" stage (all too soon to be followed by the "dump").
NB. when I tried the Habicht 8x30 the conditions were bright but not glare-inducing (I often wondered whether the former Birdfair organizers placed the main optics marquee very carefully!) so I wasn't able to try it against glare. In general, though, all the old 8x30 porro designs I've tried/owned have not been great against glare, something of newer design like the (actually quite old now) SLC 8x30 mark II being distinctly better. I remember following a peregrine stooping down near the sun, which was actually out of my field of view, in my old 8x30 Jenoptem. The image of the bird plummeting through a multitude of golden ghosts was surreal and memorable, but very far from what one might call optimal. It could be that modern coatings help in this respect (or perhaps not - see quotes above) but I think modern designs are simply better in areas such as baffling and blackening.
In any case, if you're keen on trying to see what your binocular is like against glare, my suggestion is to go out on a bright clear morning/evening when the sun is low, and walk the binoculars (carefully!) close to the sun. As you get closer you should (well, if your eyes are anything like mine - which is by no means a given) see more extraneous light entering your field of view and the quality of your image seeming to fade out as it becomes awash with light. I have definitely seen the phenomenon d***o describes of having the FOV flooded with light. There are other situations where glare can be a problem - getting too close to the sun when it's unobstructed by clouds and high in the sky; at times bright white clouds can seem almost filled with light. But trying to observe targets close to a bright morning or evening sun, especially one reflected back on water, is the surest way I've found to see how your binocular performs against glare. Incidentally, having some warning the sun is close to your FOV isn't a bad thing - I've read reports that said the Noctivid was so well baffled it gives you very little warning when the sun is close, though I can't really say I noticed that myself when I used a friend's 10x42 (though I do agree its performance against glare seems very good).
It might be worth noting that I don't need to contend with difficult viewing conditions too often (experience in where to situate yourself taking into account sun and wind helps muchly, I suppose), and do still use and enjoy my 8x30s quite regularly over the summer months (the photos here with the evening sun near St Paul's actually show a decent example of the situation I mentioned in the previous para re: glare). In many situations their ease of use (wide field of view, lightness, handiness) and the pleasure in using them (wonderful 1950s/60s West German build quality) far outweighs their weaknesses.
NB. when I tried the Habicht 8x30 the conditions were bright but not glare-inducing (I often wondered whether the former Birdfair organizers placed the main optics marquee very carefully!) so I wasn't able to try it against glare. In general, though, all the old 8x30 porro designs I've tried/owned have not been great against glare, something of newer design like the (actually quite old now) SLC 8x30 mark II being distinctly better. I remember following a peregrine stooping down near the sun, which was actually out of my field of view, in my old 8x30 Jenoptem. The image of the bird plummeting through a multitude of golden ghosts was surreal and memorable, but very far from what one might call optimal. It could be that modern coatings help in this respect (or perhaps not - see quotes above) but I think modern designs are simply better in areas such as baffling and blackening.
In any case, if you're keen on trying to see what your binocular is like against glare, my suggestion is to go out on a bright clear morning/evening when the sun is low, and walk the binoculars (carefully!) close to the sun. As you get closer you should (well, if your eyes are anything like mine - which is by no means a given) see more extraneous light entering your field of view and the quality of your image seeming to fade out as it becomes awash with light. I have definitely seen the phenomenon d***o describes of having the FOV flooded with light. There are other situations where glare can be a problem - getting too close to the sun when it's unobstructed by clouds and high in the sky; at times bright white clouds can seem almost filled with light. But trying to observe targets close to a bright morning or evening sun, especially one reflected back on water, is the surest way I've found to see how your binocular performs against glare. Incidentally, having some warning the sun is close to your FOV isn't a bad thing - I've read reports that said the Noctivid was so well baffled it gives you very little warning when the sun is close, though I can't really say I noticed that myself when I used a friend's 10x42 (though I do agree its performance against glare seems very good).
It might be worth noting that I don't need to contend with difficult viewing conditions too often (experience in where to situate yourself taking into account sun and wind helps muchly, I suppose), and do still use and enjoy my 8x30s quite regularly over the summer months (the photos here with the evening sun near St Paul's actually show a decent example of the situation I mentioned in the previous para re: glare). In many situations their ease of use (wide field of view, lightness, handiness) and the pleasure in using them (wonderful 1950s/60s West German build quality) far outweighs their weaknesses.
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