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Swarovski DF 8x30W O GA STP (1 Viewer)

Creeping along at a snail's pace. Maybe another week...or two.

How about the 8x56 SLC?

Henry: Have not had a chance to use it lately with family visits and now remodeling coming up. Will let you know when I get some more time with it, hopefully by the end of the month!
 
Hello,
I don't want to start a new thread, that's why I'm writing here.
I found on internet e-shop Swaro Habicht DF 8x30W O STP binoculars. I already have it at home, I don't have much time to test it better, but at first impression it looks perfect. It is a brand new piece, never used. Serial number starts with B82... The package included the original box, neck strap, protective eyepiece and lens covers, manual, reserve rubber eyecups, microfibre cloth and some wet wipes.The seller wrote that he still has a few pieces in stock.
For me, this scope is excellent because I will primarily using it for hiking and wildlife viewing. I observe all the wild animals around my home. The depth of field is excellent, I don't need to focus at all for my use. When I have more time, I will write about my experience.
Here is the link:

 
Hello..

I ordered a Swarovski Habicht 8x30W from one of the European dealers. Instead I was sent a Swarovski DF 8x30W O GA STP (see thumbnail picture for what it looks like).

What does STP stand for? I know GA means the green rubber. O means individual focus..

It looks like it was manufactured in 2012 (from the B82... I deleted the other numbers).

How does this perform compared to the black Habicht 8x30W? Anyone has compared or reviewed them together?

I'm deciding whether to return it immediately.

Thank you.
whezka,

I think back when Swaro also made a GA version of the CF 8x30 Habicht and it also made a 6x30 version. The GA's eyecups are supposed to be more comfortable than than the short, hard rubber ones on the CF Habichts, but the lenses on those older Habichts don't have the latest Swaro coatings like these GA IF's and the leather CF.

I have a Fuji 6x30 FMTR-SX, which is super sharp, gives super 3-D views, has a wide 8.5* FOV, incredible depth of field, field flatteners that make the image sharp almost to the edge, and comfortable rubber eyecups. The colors are true and the image is bright. I love it, but the IF EPs and long close focus doesn't make it practical for birding. Better for boating, hunting and hiking. The IF EPs turn smoothly.

The CF Habicht has a tight focuser, so it's not ideal for birding either, though from what Tobias said in his review, Swaro can loosen up the focuser, so the focuser is easier to turn. IF the GA version's IF EPs are easy to turn, you might actually be better off with that version than the CF one.

Either version Habicth is not the best bin for birding, but optically it's Tobias Mennle's reference standard by which all other bins he reviews are measured, because it's super sharp in the center, but it has a lot of field curvature, starting at about 50% out. Is that also true of the GA IF version?

What's your intended use of the Habichts?

Brock
 
whezka,

I think back when Swaro also made a GA version of the CF 8x30 Habicht and it also made a 6x30 version. The GA's eyecups are supposed to be more comfortable than than the short, hard rubber ones on the CF Habichts, but the lenses on those older Habichts don't have the latest Swaro coatings like these GA IF's and the leather CF.

I have a Fuji 6x30 FMTR-SX, which is super sharp, gives super 3-D views, has a wide 8.5* FOV, incredible depth of field, field flatteners that make the image sharp almost to the edge, and comfortable rubber eyecups. The colors are true and the image is bright. I love it, but the IF EPs and long close focus doesn't make it practical for birding. Better for boating, hunting and hiking. The IF EPs turn smoothly.

The CF Habicht has a tight focuser, so it's not ideal for birding either, though from what Tobias said in his review, Swaro can loosen up the focuser, so the focuser is easier to turn. IF the GA version's IF EPs are easy to turn, you might actually be better off with that version than the CF one.

Either version Habicth is not the best bin for birding, but optically it's Tobias Mennle's reference standard by which all other bins he reviews are measured, because it's super sharp in the center, but it has a lot of field curvature, starting at about 50% out. Is that also true of the GA IF version?

What's your intended use of the Habichts?

Brock

Brock, I’m afraid you talking to a ghost 👻​


@whezka

Guest
Joined Mar 4, 2016
Last seen Mar 7, 2016
 
Maybe there will be a resurrection of whezka - its the time of the year for that kind of things after all- and hopefully of the rebirth of the Swarovski Habicht 8x30 GA CF.
Yes, that would be great, wheezy and the GA CF. What concerns me more are former longtime members such as Frank D., Bob (Caesar) and Steve Moore, who disappeared during the pandemic. Steve was still posting until late last year, but I know he was having health problems. We used to get together to compare binoculars in the park near where I used to live since he worked in the town where I lived. I met him on BF.

The GA's eyecups are supposed to be better than the hard rubber version, from what I've read. I also read on BF or CN that you can order the GA eyecups from Swaro for the 8x30 W.

Being a porro fan like my great uncle Ignacio, I was naturally interested in a high quality porro with the lastest AR coatings. After reading Tobia's rave review of the Swaro 8x30 W on the greatest binoculars, which is his reference standard for all others, I almost bought a Swaro 8x30 W Habicht a few years ago when my pockets jingled.

I was going to order it from Honey Creek Bill and Beak in Lewistown, Pa. I first wanted to try one in person but the pandemic hit, and I'm not sure if Gordon's store was open or not. He personally owns a 7x42 Habicht porro.


I'm not edge obsessive but a sweet spot of only 50% seems too small for the Habicht, which costs $1300. Add to that the hard to turn focuser and short, hard eyecups, and it seems less appealing than it used to be.

I'm more enthused about the new 8x30/32 porros from APM and Oberwerk, which have ED glass, and are waterproof and fogproof but do not have focusers that take two fingers to turn.

Brock
 
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Yes, that would be great, wheezy and the GA CF. What concerns me more are former longtime members such as Frank D., Bob (Caeser) and Steve Moore, who disappeared during the pandemic. Steve was still posting until late last year, but I know he was having health problems. We used to get together to compare binoculars in the park near where I used to live since he worked in the town where I lived. I met him on BF.

The GA's eyecups are supposed to be better than the hard rubber version, from what I've read. I also read on BF or CN that you can order the GA eyecups from Swaro for the 8x30 W.

Being a porro fan like my great uncle Ignacio, I was naturally interested in a high quality porro with the lastest AR coatings. After reading Tobia's rave review of the Swaro 8x30 W on the greatest binoculars, which is his reference standard for all others, I almost bought a Swaro 8x30 W Habicht a few years ago when my pockets jingled.

I was going to order it from Honey Creek Bill and Beak in Lewistown, Pa. I first wanted to try one in person but the pandemic hit, and I'm not sure if Gordon's store was open or not. He personally owns a 7x42 Habicht porro.


I'm not edge obsessive but a sweet spot of only 50% seems too small for the Habicht, which costs $1300. Add to that the hard to turn focuser and short, hard eyecups, and it seems less appealing than it used to be.

I'm more enthused about the new 8x30/32 porros from APM and Oberwerk, which have ED glass, and are waterproof and fogproof but do not have focusers that take two fingers to turn.

Brock

The focuser on Habichts is stiff, and they wouldn't be my first choice if you regularly bird somewhere where you're frequently having to swap focus between close up and distant views, but you'd have to have exceptionally weak fingers to need more than one finger to focus. Not sure ED glass makes that much difference in a Porro - the simple light path doesn't really call for it. I've not tried the APM or Oberwerk to see how they optically compare.
 
The focuser is indeed stiff compared with others but it is smooth and, unless you are moving from very close focus, needs such a small amount of movement it is not really an issue for me at least. The sweet spot on mine is considerably more than 50% horizontally and mildly better than 50% vertically. Eyecups are a weak point. I understand the GA cups can be fitted or alternatively some cheap slip on eyepieces can be remarkably effective.
 
The focuser on Habichts is stiff, and they wouldn't be my first choice if you regularly bird somewhere where you're frequently having to swap focus between close up and distant views, but you'd have to have exceptionally weak fingers to need more than one finger to focus. Not sure ED glass makes that much difference in a Porro - the simple light path doesn't really call for it. I've not tried the APM or Oberwerk to see how they optically compare.
I was using hyperbole, although I did try an early 8.5x EL that did take two fingers to turn to the rigth (smooth turning to the left, like most samples), but it seems from most reports that the Habichts' focusers are the polar opposite of Zeiss Terra's. Tobias sent his 8x30 W to Swaro to get the focuser loosened. I would imagine if it's looser, it's also less waterproof, but I don't think he's concerned about that.

I was looking for the APM-MS-8x30 ED binoculars but couldn't find them on APM's website. Pinac got a prototype and gave them a favorable review on Cloudy Nights, but they didn't seem to materialize, only the 6x30 model, which has 9.3*. Porros are better at controlling CA than roofs, but from the Neil's and other views of the Obie 8x32 SE, I think in addition to reducing CA, it enhances colors since it brings them to the same spot on your eye.

Like the 6x30's they are very industrial looking with screws on top of the prism housings whereas Obies were made to look like the Nikon SEs.

I had a 9.5x44 Celestron ED back in the day, and I noticed the better color rendition compared to my 8x30 E2 at the time, and at 9.5x, CA would be more noticeably that at 8x. Same with the Swift 802 Audubon ED.

The 2017+ 8x30 E2 has flat spectrum coatings and better glass than earlier models, so CA is very well controlled, so I don't see the need for ED glass, but in the most high contrast situations, it still shows some CA, so if you are porro fan and are particularly bothered by CA, and frequently watch raptors against cloudy skies, an ED glass porro would be the way to go.

Brock
 
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This Orion binocular looks like the 8x30 that APM chose not to import. It has ED glass, which the APM-MS-6x30 lacks, but close focus is a bit long by current standards, 13 feet.

 
I have a Habicht 8x30W and also a Habicht 8x30W IF GA STP. Basically, they are optically identical, glare is found in both. However, sometimes it seems to me that the Habicht IF is a bit sharper, but maybe it's just my feeling. I haven't noticed any other differences yet.
I often go to the forest and observe wild animals (e.g. deer, foxes, etc.). Sometimes I watch birds, but very rarely. For my use, the Habicht 8x30 IF is very good, because I almost don't need observation at close distances, so basically I don't need to focus, because the Habicht is still focused at a distance of 50m and more.
 
The focuser is indeed stiff compared with others but it is smooth and, unless you are moving from very close focus, needs such a small amount of movement it is not really an issue for me at least. The sweet spot on mine is considerably more than 50% horizontally and mildly better than 50% vertically. Eyecups are a weak point. I understand the GA cups can be fitted or alternatively some cheap slip on eyepieces can be remarkably effective.
So the "sweet spot" is lopsided with more in focus horizontally than vertically. I hadn't heard that before. Tobias and Henry rated the sweet spot as 50% from center, so I assumed it was circular like on most binoculars. I have had binoculars the lopsided sweet spots such as the Nikon 7x35 Aculon, which has aspheric optics. Very sharp in the center, but with field curvature that shifts to the left. So on the right EP, the outer edge is in focus but the inner edge is out whereas on the left EP, the inner edge is in focus and the outer edge is out.

How large is the sweet spot on your sample, and is it the W or GA? There have been rumors that the GA IF version has better optics, but from what I can tell they are just that, rumors.

Also, how steep or gradual is the fall off after the sweet spot? That is, how steep is the field curvature? I've seen binoculars where I can either focus the center or the edge but not both at the same time.

Others such as my 8x30 E2, the fall off is so gradually past the sweet spot as to be still usable at the edge of the very wide 8.8* FOV with a contracted pupil. The E2 sells for less than half the price of the Habicht and the 2017+ models have Nikon latest flat spectrum coatings and glass and smooth, fairly fast focusers. I never missed a bird because I couldn't focus on it in fast enough. It also controls flare a lot better than the Habicht. Although the E series goes back generations, the E2 is a more recent design vs the Habicht, which was never updated.

Brock
This Orion binocular looks like the 8x30 that APM chose not to import. It has ED glass, which the APM-MS-6x30 lacks, but close focus is a bit long by current standards, 13 feet.

Thanks. Yes, it looks like the APM 8x30 ED. I wonder if Orion selling it was why APM decided not to import it?

I'm more interested in the 6x30, which doesn't need ED glass to control CA. I love the super 3-D views through the Fuji 6x30 FMTR-SX and after hiking up the mountain, my hands are shaky since I use trekking poles, so 6x helps me see birds and wildlife with less shakes, but the close focus on the Fuji is 21 ft (after 48 ft. everything's in focus to infinity). So, 13 ft. and center focus would be even better if the optics are good. Pinac gave the 6x30 a good review on CN.

Brock
 

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I have a Habicht 8x30W and also a Habicht 8x30W IF GA STP. Basically, they are optically identical, glare is found in both. However, sometimes it seems to me that the Habicht IF is a bit sharper, but maybe it's just my feeling. I haven't noticed any other differences yet.
I often go to the forest and observe wild animals (e.g. deer, foxes, etc.). Sometimes I watch birds, but very rarely. For my use, the Habicht 8x30 IF is very good, because I almost don't need observation at close distances, so basically I don't need to focus, because the Habicht is still focused at a distance 50m and more.
That's like the Fuji 6x30 FMTR-SX. It can focus down to 21 ft for my eyes but after 48 ft, I can "set and forget." Everything beyond that point is in focus.
 
The focuser on Habichts is stiff, and they wouldn't be my first choice if you regularly bird somewhere where you're frequently having to swap focus between close up and distant views, but you'd have to have exceptionally weak fingers to need more than one finger to focus.

Seconded. Admittedly I like my focuser somewhat on the stiff side, but the demo 8x30 unit I tried back in 2019 could in no way be described as stiff, let alone excessively so. Maybe it had been run in by the hundreds of people queuing up to try a Habicht? (joke - the Swaro rep had to hunt around in a couple of drawers before he found one.) For what it's worth, I never felt the so-called roughness of Swaro focusers was an issue for me, either - I'd rather have a focuser free from diopter drift. Then again, I don't have the touch of a safecracker, or a concert pianist...

Incidentally, I was lucky enough to try the Anniversary Edition Nikon EII 8x30 on the same trip and I have to admit I was underwhelmed. Leaving aside the fact it had neither sufficient eye relief to allow me to use it with glasses, or focus beyond infinity to allow me to use it without, I found the sharpness and overall clarity of the Habicht superior. Maybe not by a great deal, but enough to be noticeable. I'd like to have looked through a standard EII 8x30 to see if there was any difference between them, but none were available. No doubt it works well for plenty of folks, but I guess I'm not one of them, alas.

regarding ED or equivalent glass in porros - aren't porros (or in particular the externally focusing design) supposed to have less CA than internally focusing roofs? I may not be the most CA sensitive person out there, but the porros I've owned/tried have seemed to perform very well in this regard.
 
HenryThis Orion binocular looks like the 8x30 that APM chose not to import. It has ED glass, which the APM-MS-6x30 lacks, but close focus is a bit long by current standards, 13 feet.

Henry,

Did you ever wrote a review about your modified 8x30 GA?
Do you still use it, if so what are your thoughts after all this years?

REgards,

T.
 
I have a Habicht 8x30W and also a Habicht 8x30W IF GA STP. Basically, they are optically identical, glare is found in both. However, sometimes it seems to me that the Habicht IF is a bit sharper, but maybe it's just my feeling. I haven't noticed any other differences yet.
I often go to the forest and observe wild animals (e.g. deer, foxes, etc.). Sometimes I watch birds, but very rarely. For my use, the Habicht 8x30 IF is very good, because I almost don't need observation at close distances, so basically I don't need to focus, because the Habicht is still focused at a distance of 50m and more.
For me the 8x30 IF GA is a hidden gem. I bought it as a hiking binocular but now use as the most comfortable landscape binocular when i dont need to focus. Best ergonomics from all my bins, but have to admit I’m a Porro fan. Great for fog piercing as wel. And the 3D… oh well… you dont get any better i guess. Tempted to buy a CF as well.
 
The focuser is indeed stiff compared with others but it is smooth and, unless you are moving from very close focus, needs such a small amount of movement it is not really an issue for me at least.
To me the focuser is the one of the most precise of all my focusers for some reason, old school engineering?
 

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