That's worth a lot. At what kind of purposes do you use/prefer the Habicht instead of other binos?
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8x42 vs. 10x50 dawn/twilight (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ReinierB
- Start date
I mainly use EL 10x32s in the Summer and use the Habichts on dull winter days, particularly when I'll be birding into late afternoon. For Dawn/Twilight I switch to SLC 7x50s.
@Richard D What kind of habitats you normally use Habicht 10x40. In open areas or forest areas? I don't see flare in open areas however see flare with above quoted conditions and with some trees behind me.
NDhunter
Experienced observer
The Swarovski 10x50 SLC is really something in low light. And that means compared to any 8x42.
The only thing that may compare is a really bright 10x42 like a 10x42 SF. I have done some viewing in
dark thirty and early morning. The 50-56 size really has the horsepower.
Jerry
The only thing that may compare is a really bright 10x42 like a 10x42 SF. I have done some viewing in
dark thirty and early morning. The 50-56 size really has the horsepower.
Jerry
Are trying to force large oculars on the masses? Posts like this really get me curious to try some 50-56 models out and now has me even considering looking at (through?) them. If I end up getting one I'll just blame the forum.
It is mainly open areas and over sunlit water, certainly not forest (I'd use my SLC 7x50 in dark woods).
One reason I have so many Leica had initially to do with the excellence+compactness combination but if I end up getting some larger binoculars there's a good chance I may end up with whatever offers the best view, regardless of size, within reason that is.
Hard to believe I'm even talking about 50-56x when just a few months ago I was adamant about never even having anything over 32x, but now have 7x35 on the way.
tenex
reality-based
Compactness was once very important to me, and that's why I carried a small roof prism for over thirty years (most of that time a Leica 10x32). I particularly wanted to be able to hike with a camera also without getting too weighed down. I remember day-hiking the Grand Canyon and feeling I had to choose between the camera and my Zeiss 10x50; the camera won.
No regrets about the 30/32s, they served me well for a long time... but it is just so nice to carry a more full-sized binocular again (even a 42 which I once thought pointless), with fewer compromises and a more generous exit pupil, filling the hands in the right way. I hope they're still making 56s by the time you decide you want one.
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What brings you back to the bigger binos? Is it the comfort because of the larger exit pupil? Or is it the better performance at dusk/dawn?
Or do you think the overall performance of the 10x50 is better that the 10x32? So also during bright days?
That is also what I wonder. Do bigger diameters have more contrast/sharpness/pixels/depth, etc. etc.? Or is it just the advantage of 15-30 minuten longer bird watching because it performs better at dusk?
I have the same question. Most people cannot see a big difference in sharpness in modern x8 regardless of the objective size between 32 to 42. However, I have not seen a lot of comparisons between x10 magnification. I don't have either 10x32 or 10x42. However, I see a very noticeable brightness and resolution reduction in the daytime when coming from 3.75 to 3.125 mm exit pupil size. That I don't see between the exit pupil size from 5.2 to 3.75 mm. My Habicht 10x40 is bright enough for me with a 4 mm exit pupil however have doubts about the 3.2 mm exit pupil of 10x32.
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
10x50 : exit pupil 5 mm
7x42 : exit pupil 6mm
If your eye pupil can dilate to 6 mm, a 7x42 might be worth it. In low light it can be more about contrast (exit pupil size) than detail (magnification).
Transmission and good stray light handling in the binocular will also be more important in low light.
I think you will have to try what works best for you under the specific conditions/light level.
Twilight factor is a mathematical formula that can give "misleading" results when the exit pupil is smaller than your eye pupil.
More mag can help in low light (as eye resolution drops), but not to the extent that the exit pupil is much smaller than your eye pupil max size.
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tenex
reality-based
I have enjoyed following owls with the 10x56, but don't think of it in terms of X minutes longer, just wanting all the brightness I can get in low light. Big glass can also be sharper in daylight because your pupil stops it down to the better central portion of the lens, and due to that and/or manufacturer priorites I can definitely say that it's sharper than my Leica 32 (as SLC 42 also is). I am enjoying a larger exit pupil, although again 3.2mm was entirely usable, so I'm not trying to make any sort of argument here. It just feels like less of a compromise, maybe even some sort of luxury.
Can you explain that? I do not understand why that is. Does it have something to do with the do with the resolution as well? Bigger EP gives better resolution/sharpness?
William Lewis
Wishing birdwatching paid the bills.
As long as the lights focused properly into the beam that hits your pupil, i.e no prism leaks etc the only factors to consider when comparing 2 equal quality bins are exit pupil size and transmission in terms of how bright they are although the exit pupil size only comes into play when It gets dark or your somewhere dim providing it's above 3/4 mm.
Exit pupil is the simplist sum in the book, objective size divided by magnification. Anything above 6mm is plenty - you have to be very young in the tooth to make use of more.
I use 8x56slc's as they have a 7mm exit pupil (more than I need) and 93% transmission from there abbe konig prisms. 7x42's with there 6mm exit pupil will be enough if your over 30 years old.
Transmission wise the swaro habichts are top of the pack followed by Zeiss ht's (apparently but I can see no difference so am not convinced by Zeiss specs) then slc hd's of the currently produced birding bins. For a given quality porro prisms (in all flavours) always have the highest transmission followed by abbe konig prisms followed by Schmidt pechan prisms - total internal reflection and less glass surfaces are always a friend of high transmission.
Exit pupil is the simplist sum in the book, objective size divided by magnification. Anything above 6mm is plenty - you have to be very young in the tooth to make use of more.
I use 8x56slc's as they have a 7mm exit pupil (more than I need) and 93% transmission from there abbe konig prisms. 7x42's with there 6mm exit pupil will be enough if your over 30 years old.
Transmission wise the swaro habichts are top of the pack followed by Zeiss ht's (apparently but I can see no difference so am not convinced by Zeiss specs) then slc hd's of the currently produced birding bins. For a given quality porro prisms (in all flavours) always have the highest transmission followed by abbe konig prisms followed by Schmidt pechan prisms - total internal reflection and less glass surfaces are always a friend of high transmission.
William Lewis
Wishing birdwatching paid the bills.
In terms of resolution larger objectives will generally mean a longer focal length and when there stopped down by your smaller exit pupil your using the middle (i.e best) part of the lenses and optics, both of these factors generally mean for a given quality higher resolution.
Conndomat
United States of Europe
The assertion is too apodictic for me!
There are still many people over the age of 30 who have a significantly larger eye pupil than 6mm.
I'm almost 60 years old and my pupil still opens to 6.8mm... now what?
This knowledge also now seems outdated.
Yes, the Habicht is the brightest binocular (96% transmission) followed by the Zeiss HT (95% transmission), the question would be which porro lenses are even brighter than the HT?
Due to the new coating techniques and types of glass, AK prisms achieve almost identical values to Porro prisms.
The Habicht. is here with 1% more transmission in front of the HT because it has a simpler optical structure.
Andreas
William Lewis
Wishing birdwatching paid the bills.
All true. Hence "for a given quality". As for pupil dilation, your lucky. Most have less 6mm or less by the age of 40. If you download this study you'll see just how lucky you are! Factors affecting light-adapted pupil size in normal human subjects. | IOVS | ARVO Journals
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William Lewis
Wishing birdwatching paid the bills.
But yes, the gaps are getting closer with each generation of binocular, maybe why Zeiss has largely ditched the abbe konig's. Also albino's only had the ht's at 91% not sure what Gijs has found.
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