Swarovski habicht 7x42 (2 Viewers)

[limonabe]

A bit off topic from the OP in this thread, but does anyone know a dealer in the US who has the GA version currently in stock? I've got an order in with Adorama, but they're backordered.

 

[Paultricounty]

A bit off topic from the OP in this thread, but does anyone know a dealer in the US who has the GA version currently in stock? I've got an order in with Adorama, but they're backordered.

Gordan from Honey Creek Bill and Beak may have in stock. I bought my 7x42 (non GA) last year form him. Tell him PW sent you 😉

Good luck.

Paul

 

[Ndsb]

Hi all.

First post here in bf. Very interesting thread. Learned quite a lot.

I got my selfe a new pair of habicht 10x40 w GA about two years ago. Really happy with them. Quite a huge leap from Steiner Skyhawk 10x42 pro, which I still use eventually, and usted to be my everyday pair of bins (my only pair for that matter...).

Swaro 7x42 is knoking now on my brain. I breaffly tested them back when I got the 10x40s, but it wasn't dawn or dusk, so I don't know how they perform at "their hour". I would use them mainly for watching ouls and mammals at dusk. 10x40 w does good, but I'd like to take a try using 7x42.

Has any tried both at dusk or dawn? How do they compare?

Many thanks,

Nathan.

 

[Loud Green Man]

Yes I have and they are very good but clearly lack that all-important unrestricted FOV that is apparently so important to birders. Even when they’ve located the target (species)!

They are also waterproof which is important to me:

LGM

 

[Ndsb]

Thanks for the fast reply.

Waterproof is a good spec indeed. Rainy days are good for watchig mammals. That allways comes in handy.

Guess I'll just have to check the FOV and compare it with the 10x40s to make sure it's not an issue.

About brightness at dusk, is there really much of a difference? I mean if you compare Habicht 10x40 to Habicht 7x42. I've heard 7x42 are killers in this aspect, but never had the chance to check it my selfe.

Thanks again.

Nathan.

 

[Ignatius]

@ Ndsb: 7x42 = 6 mm exit pupil, 10x40 = 4 mm exit pupil. BUT 7x magnification vs 10x magnification. I have both and it is a bit of swings and roundabouts.

 

[William Lewis]

I ran the 7x42 for a good few months in the end, it's an excellent optic, took it all over the place, it's damn tough too. I may end up going back to it in the fullness of time!

The Fov is narrow when you first look through them, no denying the field stop is immediately apparent! Thing is when you start to let your eyes wander around the view it is second to none, really really sharp, really really bright. Decent field flatness too, not quite sharp to the edge but not noticeably blurry or at all intrusive when viewing.

C.a control and glare resistance is absolutely top class. I didn't struggle with getting birds on the wing in the Fov as the handling (I like porro's) is excellent and the depth of field is also large compared to most binoculars. The stability with 7x is good, not quite the just not a problem stability you get with a 6x but not noticeably shaky either like you can sometimes get with an 8 and especially a 10 or above.

For what I like in my birding binoculars - I'm a high transmission, large exit pupil type - you have to go to a lot higher cost (and weight, and size!) to get anything noticeably better in a centre focus optic.

 

[Ndsb]

@ Ndsb: 7x42 = 6 mm exit pupil, 10x40 = 4 mm exit pupil. BUT 7x magnification vs 10x magnification. I have both and it is a bit of swings and roundabouts.

Thanks for your reply. Both are good I guess. 10x40s certainly are. It's got tricky things like some glare in some conditions (you get to see a milky dent in the image), but I like them.

 

[Ndsb]

I ran the 7x42 for a good few months in the end, it's an excellent optic, took it all over the place, it's damn tough too. I may end up going back to it in the fullness of time!

The Fov is narrow when you first look through them, no denying the field stop is immediately apparent! Thing is when you start to let your eyes wander around the view it is second to none, really really sharp, really really bright. Decent field flatness too, not quite sharp to the edge but not noticeably blurry or at all intrusive when viewing.

C.a control and glare resistance is absolutely top class. I didn't struggle with getting birds on the wing in the Fov as the handling (I like porro's) is excellent and the depth of field is also large compared to most binoculars. The stability with 7x is good, not quite the just not a problem stability you get with a 6x but not noticeably shaky either like you can sometimes get with an 8 and especially a 10 or above.

For what I like in my birding binoculars - I'm a high transmission, large exit pupil type - you have to go to a lot higher cost (and weight, and size!) to get anything noticeably better in a centre focus optic.

Thanks for such a complete answer.
One of the reasons i got the habitch rather than other models was the fact that for the price they had, performance was great to my eyes. Another reason was I wanted to go back to porro's.

Many thanks,

Nathan

 

[Ndsb]

 

[Ndsb]

View attachment 1478479

Golden eagle pic made with the habicht + mobile camera

 

[Loud Green Man]

View attachment 1478479

Now that’s interesting as the intense purple edge halo is what I see when viewing strongly lit critters through my Zeiss 8X56 Night Owls but not with the 7X42 Habicht.

Of course that could be caused or exaggerated by the camera lens?

K

 

[Ndsb]

Now that’s interesting as the intense purple edge halo is what I see when viewing strongly lit critters through my Zeiss 8X56 Night Owls but not with the 7X42 Habicht.

Of course that could be caused or exaggerated by the camera lens?

K

 

[Ndsb]

I believe its caused by taking the pic with the camera slightly unaligned to the bins optical axis. It's also just a bit on the out side of the sweet spot. The camera may also add to the effect.

CA is in the habicht, but it only appear to my eyes if I look to the edge. It will only appear in the sweetspot if I dont look throug the binoculars aligned to the axis.
May 10x40 Habicht have some more CA than 7x42 due to the higher magnification?

Don't get me wrong, 10x40 is good at moving out the CA, there May be some, but it's not bodering; at least it doesent bug me.

Thanks.

Nathan.

 

[Ndsb]

Last night I tested Swaro Habicht 10x40 taking a picture to the moon. I compared it to Steiner Skyhawk pro. Definitly it's the camera that's putting the CA into it.

 

[Ndsb]

The first pic is with the swaro, the second with the Steiner

 

[Bako]

May 10x40 Habicht have some more CA than 7x42 due to the higher magnification?

I think Habicht 10x40 have more CA than 7x42. I don't know exactly what will cause it, maybe a smaller FOV in 7x42 or higher magnification in 10x40.

 

[Ndsb]

I think Habicht 10x40 have more CA than 7x42. I don't know exactly what will cause it, maybe a smaller FOV in 7x42 or higher magnification in 10x40.

Thanks for the input here.

 

[Thotmosis]

Yes I have and they are very good but clearly lack that all-important unrestricted FOV that is apparently so important to birders. Even when they’ve located the target (species)!

They are also waterproof which is important to me:
View attachment 1478362
LGM

Nice picture, the Habicht GA was made for this kind of environment i guess.