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

CA On The Noctivid (1 Viewer)

Alexis Powell said:
...My apologies to experts for likely not using proper terminology, but what I mean is as follows...--AP
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I am sure experts will accept your apologies! He who asked is not one of them, but one who often uses, and yet marvels at, binoculars, and in optical matters remains a curious layman.

Thank you AP for that patient explanation.

FWIW here is something I posted a few months ago.
Iinitial reflections on the new Zeiss Victory Pocket 8x25.
. . .
Color rendering. . .
Chromatic aberration. I am sensitive to color fringing in that it can be "provoked" easily and here that occurs less than 1/2 way from the center of view. In actual use it was never obtrusive or even noticeable.
Ease of view. . .
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Alexis Powell said:
A bin w/CA that does many things very well can still have superb optics and be enjoyable to use. I've enjoyed and gotten excellent use out of many bins with a lot of CA, including the Leica 8x32 BA Ultra Trinovid and 8x42 Ultravid, and the Swarovski 8x32 EL (pre SV).

I can see CA when I want to, and (if it is moderate) can tune it out when I want to. I'm very happy to use some otherwise excellent bins that suffer from CA. Nevertheless, I don't pretend that CA isn't a detriment to optical quality, and to the extent it is possible to design bins with less CA, I'd like to see it done.

--AP
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:t::t::t:

Lee
 
Alexis Powell said:
Unlike many birders (it seems, based on experiences in group situations in the field), I am willing to take the trouble to observe very distant birds, at the limits of my vision, and I find that I am able to identify them accurately quite often. In those situations, I find a bin with low CA may deliver, when a bin with more CA cannot, even if CA isn't impinging on my awareness. That is one reason that my Zeiss 8x32 FL replaced my Leica 8x32 BA Ultra Trinovid as a travel bin.
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Thanks for that observation, it's very helpful. For what it's worth, my current UVHD+ 10x32 seems to have less CA than the BN Trinovid it replaced. I haven't tried the FL and probably should have. I was put off years ago by the typical Zeiss distortion at the field edges of the 10x42 Victory and assumed the 32 would have it also. (Would any 10x32 FL user care to comment?)
 
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Troubador said:
Indeed. And more generally how much CA in the centre field is necessary to degrade the image so much that the bird cannot be identified or the image enjoyed?
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In general though, you could apply this thought to any of the binoculars over ~$400. I don't think I've picked up any of the generic ED glass, Dielectric coating binoculars at that price range and thought I couldn't identify or enjoy the image.

It all comes down to the minute differences once you reach certain price brackets. While the NV may be very enjoyable for certain aspects, CA control is not one of its strong points.
 
I am constantly astonished at how far away I can identify birds I know with my EL SV 10X42. An uncommon gull that I had never seen before, probably not so much.

There is such an incredible amount of detail, even in a very tiny image, that it just blows my mind.
 
Having used the Noctivid 8x42 for about 8 months I would say that it has wonderful optics, but also a very significant issue with CA. This is evident in a surprisingly wide range of conditions, sometimes intrusively, even close to the centre of the image.

For those sensitive to CA (even moderately), I would advise to try out the Noctivid in a variety of situations prior to purchase. There is something unique and rather special about the way in which Noctivid renders images, and if CA does not really affect you it is one of the finest choices available. For me personally, I am currently looking for an alternative option with better control of CA.
 
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In my eyes, Noctivid 8X have a lot more CA than the Ultravid and Trinivid BA and BN. The 50 are free of CA. Could this CA technically come from the wide exit pupil of the Noctivid? Thanks.
 
Maljunulo said:
I am constantly astonished at how far away I can identify birds I know with my EL SV 10X42. An uncommon gull that I had never seen before, probably not so much.

There is such an incredible amount of detail, even in a very tiny image, that it just blows my mind.
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I mean absolutely no disrespect to your ELs but isn't it likely that you identify those distant but familiar birds in the same way you identify friends or family in a distant crowd? It isn't the individual details that clinch the identification but the whole shape and outline and the way it is flying, because you have seen it doing this from a multitude of angles and distances over the years so you are as familiar with its appearance with that of your old uncle Bob.

We can certainly identify a few species on the western isles of Scotland in this way even when they are barely more than fuzzy dot. Its not clever its just being very familiar with them.

Lee
 
Maljunulo said:
I am constantly astonished at how far away I can identify birds I know with my EL SV 10X42. An uncommon gull that I had never seen before, probably not so much.

There is such an incredible amount of detail, even in a very tiny image, that it just blows my mind.
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Your reaction is exactly what the designers planned for. It defines alpha level quality quite well.
 
Troubador said:
I mean absolutely no disrespect to your ELs but isn't it likely that you identify those distant but familiar birds in the same way you identify friends or family in a distant crowd? It isn't the individual details that clinch the identification but the whole shape and outline and the way it is flying, because you have seen it doing this from a multitude of angles and distances over the years so you are as familiar with its appearance with that of your old uncle Bob.

We can certainly identify a few species on the western isles of Scotland in this way even when they are barely more than fuzzy dot. Its not clever its just being very familiar with them.

Lee
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I'm sure what you say is absolutely correct, but it still amazes me.
 
pierrot_lunaire said:
Having used the Noctivid 8x42 for about 8 months I would say that it has wonderful optics, but also a very significant issue with CA. This is evident in a surprisingly wide range of conditions, sometimes intrusively, even close to the centre of the image.

For those sensitive to CA (even moderately), I would advise to try out the Noctivid in a variety of situations prior to purchase. There is something unique and rather special about the way in which Noctivid renders images, and if CA does not really affect you it is one of the finest choices available. For me personally, I am currently looking for an alternative option with better control of CA.
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It is strange to me that the Noctivid has issues with CA. You would think on a $3000 binocular Leica would have used some of the best glass available to control it.
 
My NV 10X42 don't have more CA on axis than the others top alpha like my SV FP 10X50 or HT 8X54.

Just a good eye placement is required, off axis has a little bit more pronounced CA than the SV and the HT but you get the best color, contrast and flare glare suppression of any top of the line binocular.

For me the NV is just the best and more fine binocular until now.
 
This thread is really interesting. I'm still very much on the fence about this binocular. I'll probably need to just find some time and some place to test these next to some other bins.
 
GLOBETROTTER said:
My NV 10X42 don't have more CA on axis than the others top alpha like my SV FP 10X50 or HT 8X54.

Just a good eye placement is required, off axis has a little bit more pronounced CA than the SV and the HT but you get the best color, contrast and flare glare suppression of any top of the line binocular.

For me the NV is just the best and more fine binocular until now.
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I agree 100 percent. The Noctivid is just superb when ipd is set right and nothing I have seen beats the color and contrast. I have the 10 and am dying to try the 8x.
 
Just compared the noctivid 10x42 with Zeiss sf 10x42 from the local birdwatchers while looking at passing raptors against a bright sky and I was astonished how much CA the NV still gives in the central axis
The Leica is also much warmer in colour
 
arran said:
Just compared the noctivid 10x42 with Zeiss sf 10x42 from the local birdwatchers while looking at passing raptors against a bright sky and I was astonished how much CA the NV still gives in the central axis
The Leica is also much warmer in colour
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Which one do you prefer overall?
 

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