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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Absolute top 10x (under $3000) (1 Viewer)

I'd love to get a look through each of those. The only way that will happen is through my friend. The balls in her court. It could take her a year to decide. She's often like that and cannot make up her mind for what seems to me like an eternity. I on the other hand often act too quickly.
 
If she can handle the bigger aperture try the Swarovski 10x50 SV. I think it is the best 10x I have tried outside of the Canon 10x42 IS-L.

There is absolutely no reason to buy the 10X50 SV over the Zeiss 10X42 SF (black version) unless you're out at night looking at the stars. I carefully compared the Zeiss 10X42 SF to my 10X50 SV to see if I'd prefer it during the day. Knowing I'd keep the SV for stargazing I took a pass on the SF. The 10X42 SF, however, is one fantastic binocular. The 10X50 SV is much heavier, has less eye relief and is, in my opinion, not the best 10X choice for most daylight birders...at least not after examining the SF.
 
I better just link her to this thread and let her sort it out. lol.

For some reason my gut tells me the Zeiss is the right bino for her. She does no star gazing however she does have several small owls nesting in her backyard which is on our creek. It's got lots of amazing trees so it's often dark in there late in the day and early morn. She loves owls. However I think she would be fine with 42. She also has a spotting scope of about 80mm.
 
I better just link her to this thread and let her sort it out. lol.

For some reason my gut tells me the Zeiss is the right bino for her. She does no star gazing however she does have several small owls nesting in her backyard which is on our creek. It's got lots of amazing trees so it's often dark in there late in the day and early morn. She loves owls. However I think she would be fine with 42. She also has a spotting scope of about 80mm.
Use the scope on the owls!
Seriously, the Zeiss 10X42 SF is a lightweight compared to the 10X50 SV.
27 ounces versus 35 ounces is a BIG difference. :eek!:
 
Yeah that's a fairly serious weight increase. She's like 5' tall but she's fairly strong and an active runner at 70 years old. She can decide however. I told her yesterday I've given her almost too much info and I'm dropping it unless she has specific questions she wants me to try and answer.

I just hope she buys something fairly soon so I can look through it.
 
There is absolutely no reason to buy the 10X50 SV over the Zeiss 10X42 SF (black version) unless you're out at night looking at the stars. I carefully compared the Zeiss 10X42 SF to my 10X50 SV to see if I'd prefer it during the day. Knowing I'd keep the SV for stargazing I took a pass on the SF. The 10X42 SF, however, is one fantastic binocular. The 10X50 SV is much heavier, has less eye relief and is, in my opinion, not the best 10X choice for most daylight birders...at least not after examining the SF.
I will have to respectfully disagree with you, Pileatus. I compared the Swarovski 10x50 SV and the Zeiss 10x42 SF very carefully and let me say this. They are both superb binoculars but what I really preferred about the SV was that bigger exit pupil not so much for any brightness gain. The bigger SV just had easier eye placement and was more comfortable to use than the smaller Zeiss because of the bigger exit pupil. By the way the SV 10x50 is a superb instrument on the night sky even a little better than the like sized Fujinon.
 
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I will have to respectfully disagree with you, Pileatus. I compared the Swarovski 10x50 SV and the Zeiss 1042 SF very carefully and let me say this. They are both superb binoculars but what I really preferred about the SV was that bigger exit pupil not so much for any brightness gain. The bigger SV just had easier eye placement and was more comfortable to use than the smaller Zeiss because of the bigger exit pupil. By the way the SV 10x50 is a superb instrument on the night sky even a little better than the like sized Fujinon.
I own and use the 10X50 SV almost daily. I also have the 8.5X42 SV (similar size/shape/weight as the SF). The first time I picked up the 10X42 SF I was amazed. It's better balanced, has better eye relief, a wider FOV and is sharp as a tack across most of the field. The 10X42 SF is among the very best alphas available

I find the exit pupil difference to be meaningless. I have 4mm, 5mm, 5.25mm and 6mm exit pupil bins (all alphas) and none of them offer me an advantage to eye placement. Then again, I own and use them on a regular basis.
 
Hey guys my friend was looking at Mavens and wondering if they compare with these other Alpha Binoculars? They come in at half the price and you know people with money always want the best deal they can get. I've heard some good things about the company and that they are alpha and are lower cost because you buy direct. I think they are made in Japan, right? Are they in the same ballpark with the alphas we've been talking about? They have an interesting demo deal where you order a demo at full price but they don't charge your card at the time, and then you can either keep it at a discount or send it back and buy new or just forget the whole deal.
 
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Hey guys my friend was looking at Mavens and wondering if they compare with these other Alpha Binoculars?

I had a bad experience with a Maven B3 (I think) 32mm, which I had to check out because others touted them as "alpha but cheaper". The optics were decent but mechanicals lousy: focus knob unpleasantly knurled metal, action so stiff I really had to fight it; hinge so loose that while doing that, I lost my IPD; mechanism so cheap that the diopter needed readjustment after focusing very far. I returned it promptly. The larger models might be better built, but I would recommend caution.
 
The bit about "a brighter in low light" is correct, but I'm sorry to say, I totally disagree with the parts about better detail, better colour detail, and seeing in the shadows. They are not deliverable by a bigger objective.

Happy for others to chime in but there is one principle you need to understand. It doesn't matter if you are using an 8x20, 8x32, 8x42, 8x50 8x58 and so on, on a bright when your pupil is stopped down, to 2mm, every single one will be an 8x16 as far as your retina is concerned. Consequently, providing there is no difference in coatings and optical quality or stray light, they would have the same brightness, same resolution and same colour rendition. If we are really very picky, the bigger binoclars will be slightly dimmer due to thicker glass.

While responding to this I decided I'm not enough of an optics expert myself. Would those who are please weigh in here? I read or hear the "advantages" I listed all the time, and this question matters. Where would people get these ideas, and why would they claim to have seen what's not true? Why do the overwhelming majority of birders lug at least 42mm if it buys them only an extra few minutes at twilight?

For what it's worth, my everyday bino for decades has been a 30-32mm, and I agree that in daylight it's all you really need. But I've found that people with larger glass can tell the color of a flying albatross's eye when I can't.
 
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10x

Black Crow,

How about this model. Great views in the day or night, and less $ than the SV 10X50.

A.W.
 
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Funny I just wrote to my friend earlier this evening that Leica binos had not been talked up much in this thread.
 
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I own and use the 10X50 SV almost daily. I also have the 8.5X42 SV (similar size/shape/weight as the SF). The first time I picked up the 10X42 SF I was amazed. It's better balanced, has better eye relief, a wider FOV and is sharp as a tack across most of the field. The 10X42 SF is among the very best alphas available

I find the exit pupil difference to be meaningless. I have 4mm, 5mm, 5.25mm and 6mm exit pupil bins (all alphas) and none of them offer me an advantage to eye placement. Then again, I own and use them on a regular basis.
'I find the exit pupil difference to be meaningless. I have 4mm, 5mm, 5.25mm and 6mm exit pupil bins (all alphas) and none of them offer me an advantage to eye placement."

Interesting. I have always found a 2mm difference in exit pupil to make a difference in ease of eye placement and viewing comfort.
 
Funny I just wrote to my friend earlier this evening that Leica binos had not been talked up much in this thread.

I think they should. Zeiss (SF, HT), Swaro (SV) and Leica (NV, UVHD+) all have their special qualities and all of them need to be evaluated if you want to make an enlightened choice. But the fact that all are very good binoculars is no guarantee that all of them will fit everyones eyes and preferences.

For the 10x mag models my impression is that SF and NV works best with glasses though. But the others might work as well.
 
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Hey guys my friend was looking at Mavens and wondering if they compare with these other Alpha Binoculars? They come in at half the price and you know people with money always want the best deal they can get. I've heard some good things about the company and that they are alpha and are lower cost because you buy direct. I think they are made in Japan, right? Are they in the same ballpark with the alphas we've been talking about? They have an interesting demo deal where you order a demo at full price but they don't charge your card at the time, and then you can either keep it at a discount or send it back and buy new or just forget the whole deal.

IMO nothing wrong with a Maven whatsoever. I've used the B1 8X42 and B2 9X45 a good bit. Nothing to complain about and both work well for me with eyeglasses. Maven also offers and excellent way to try a binocular before you buy which I like. I wouldn't say they are quite on par with some of the other mentioned binoculars but they are certainly a nice option. But best at any expense was mentioned so I believe most stuck with that.

Funny I just wrote to my friend earlier this evening that Leica binos had not been talked up much in this thread.

For ME there are several reasons I haven't. One reason is I didn't want to confuse the issue. Several nice binoculars that are excellent have been mentioned. I THINK about twenty different binoculars have been mentioned. How does one even consider all that? Another reason is I don't have an UVHD+ 10X42 or a Trinovid HD 10X32 so I didn't want to talk about something I have no experience with. Lastly....I was considering weight. I don't know if the Noctivid 10X42 is the best 10X42 or not BUT it's pretty close! I sure use it more than my SV 10X42. BUT it weighs a little more than some of the others mentioned. If a little extra weight isn't an issue then by all means throw the Noctivid in the hat.

So here's my final non-complicated list. ;)

Best 10X42 for eyeglass wearers:

1a. Noctivid 10X42
1b. SF 10X42
2. SV 10X42

Best 10X for a 5ft 70yo lady. None of us are getting any younger:

1. SV 10X32
2. SF 10X42(I wish it were smaller)

PICS
#1. SF 42mm, Trinovid HD 42mm, UVHD+ 42mm, SV 32mm
#2. SV 42mm, SF 42mm
#3. Noctivd 10X42 and SV 10X42
 

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Yeah I'm overwhelmed. I have experience with none of these binos and only have one alpha myself which is a Swarovski that doesn't qualify.
 
Black Crow,

Chuck's advice in post #77 is excellent and should be enough for you and your friend to go by. He owns and uses all of the models he talks about here, they are all premium, and all are slightly different in view, handling and relative strengths. None have any particularly significant weaknesses. Have her try out those four models on Chuck's non-complicated list and choose the one she prefers most. She'll be happy for as long as she can keep on birding.

Kimmo
 
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