Leica Noctivid 8x42 design flaws and review - owners please check (4 Viewers)

[giosblue]

Nothing wrong with it.

 

[Canip]

Brillant Leica head of lens design Peter Karbe had 16 years of thought about the perfect 50mm and when Leica finally produced it it was initially spoilt by a flare issue.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/285811-50mm-apo-summicron-is-flare-problem-resolved-after-service/

Of course it was the customers recognizing this issue, not the engineers :smoke:

I see the same irony in the Noctivid, Leica clearly put a lot of effort into it but the flaws are serious, so this glass is only using 70% of its potential at the moment.

The 100% would only require a better internal blackening and more Ultravid HD+ like coatings which they could easily do, whereas the Zeiss SF will always remain an abomination to some users due to the optical construction.

Leica is hurting customers, but even more so themselves probably.

They would sell more Noctivids with a better product.

Hmm, Tobias ...

Is Leica really "hurting customers" ?

And do you have any reliable indication whatever for your claim that "they would sell more Noctivids with a better product"??

I know you are a particularly critical reviewer (your website is full of evidence).

Regarding stray-light suppression, I feel more like Mike (post #20); for me, the Noctivid appears generally well shielded and shows none of the slight reflections and even glare which can appear in the Ultravid when panning the bino in front of a dark landscape while there is still some light in the sky.

What bothers me more is that the Noctivid shows clear „cross spikes“ (an effect of the roof prisms) on point-like light sources which „reach out“ quite a bit through the FOV; these are brighter and more distinct than in the Ultravid. Flares and small amounts of ghost images can also be triggered by bright light sources.

So while I agree that the Noctivid is clearly not perfect, and that the unblackened focusing shaft reflects (pun?) badly on Leica's design and manufacturing process, I don't believe the Noctivid performs at just "70 percent of its potential".

Canip

 

[chill6x6]

For some reason this comes across a little like a personal vendetta with Leica. Something just doesn't feel right here...

 

[Torview]

It looks to me like part of the focus mechanism, two different metals to negate lubricant perhaps ?

How could this work if it were blackened ?

I did`nt choose a NV because I prefer the SF, but I don`t buy this argument about its quality of execution, its superbly engineered.

 

[gerdwichers8]

I bought my Leica's this winter and beginning of June I was very excited to find that the binoculars takes harsh light conditions very well.
Owned two pairs of EL's or Swarovision for the last 14 years which I wasn't to buy at that time (went for Ultravid) and before all that, had used two pairs of Zeiss for 16 years.

Noctivid doesn't disappoint me at-al actually It keeps surprising me not to be some useless posh alternative but as something I really want to be birding with all the time: outstanding properties!!

 

[Renze de Vries]

Andreas,

1. Excuse me for asking, but did you make absolutely sure your objective lenses were/are perfectly clean?

2. See Mike's post 20. What happens if you use the Noctivid upside down and check for flare? As the sun could reach the bolts more easily this way, one would expect flare to increase. Correct?

Renze

 

[Torview]

There`s a similar steel rod visible inside the SF on the grey loan pair I have.

 

[Canip]

You are right.
It's not as prominent as the one in the Noctivid, but it's clearly there (roughly at "4 o'clock"), and it's silvery-shiny.
:eek!:

 

[Mike F]

You are right.
It's not as prominent as the one in the Noctivid, but it's clearly there (roughly at "4 o'clock"), and it's silvery-shiny.
:eek!:

And..... the internal blacking looks quite shiny compared to the NV......

 

[Torview]

Yet for me the 8x42SF has the best stray light control of everything I`v owned.

Tobias what do you mean by the SF being an abomination ?, I don`t understand.

 

[dries1]

I have used all the glass mentioned, the EDG and Noctivid are the best for countering glare IMO.

Andy W.

 

[Renze de Vries]

I just performed the (dangerous!) test of trying to induce flare or other nasty phenomena in my Noctivid 8x42. I looked almost straight into the sun and given correct eye position the results were exceptionally good. Absolutely no flare whatsoever. In comparison to Leica Ultravid 7x42 HD+ and Zeiss 8x56FL the image was just a tad more clean and just as clear as in normal lighting conditions.

Renze

 

[Troubador]

QUOTE: Tobias Mennie
the Zeiss SF will always remain an abomination to some users due to the optical construction.[/QUOTE]

This user has been successfully and enjoyably using SFs for nature observation for 5 years from the rugged islands off the west of Scotland through England's East Anglia, the French Vercors, Languedoc and the Eastern Pyrenees. Eagles, Otters, Hen Harriers, Seals, Alpine Swifts, Bee-eaters, Lesser Kestrels.....etc. Lovely optics, great handling.

Lee

 

[Canip]

.....
.....
..... Eagles, Otters, Hen Harriers, Seals, Alpine Swifts, Bee-eaters, Lesser Kestrels.....

Lee

You forgot to mention the sheep which keeps you company ...

 

[Conndomat]

Andreas,

1. Excuse me for asking, but did you make absolutely sure your objective lenses were/are perfectly clean?

Hi Renze,

I think your question was for Tobias?

Otherwise, I've never seen clinically pure binoculars in everyday use, something is always on it, lenses seem to magically attract dust?!

Andreas

 

[Renze de Vries]

Hi Renze,

I think your question was for Tobias?

Otherwise, I've never seen clinically pure binoculars in everyday use, something is always on it, lenses seem to magically attract dust?!

Andreas

Andreas,

Thank you! Sometimes my head is not where it should be.

Tobias,

Excuse me please.

Renze

 

[Conndomat]

Andreas,

Thank you! Sometimes my head is not where it should be.

No problem, sometimes my head does what it wants ...:brains:

Andreas

 

[Troubador]

You forgot to mention the sheep which keeps you company ...

Yes you are right: an unforgiveable oversight. We definitely miss the hill sheep of Scotland just now. We can see sheep about 3 km away but these are English sheep, confined to a comfortable easy-life field, that don't roam hills and coasts like the ones in Scotland and which exhibit a wide range of interesting behaviour.

Lee

 

[Renze de Vries]

What bothers me more is that the Noctivid shows clear „cross spikes“ (an effect of the roof prisms) on point-like light sources which „reach out“ quite a bit through the FOV; these are brighter and more distinct than in the Ultravid.

Canip,

Those spikes you mention, what do they look like? How can I recognize them?

Renze

 

[Holger Merlitz]

It should be possible to test whether that shiny brass installation is of any harm: Under a low light situation, use an LED to illuminate that brass part and check whether that spoils the overall contrast of the image. Then move that LED to another angle so that its light does not fall directly onto the brass; check again. The loss of contrast may possibly arise somewhere else, e.g. from a poorly sharpened roof edge or a not completely finished polishing of the objective lenses.

Cheers,
Holger