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Would this be a backward move? (1 Viewer)

planetx

Active member
I’ve recently purchased a Swarovski 8x25CL and tbh I’m really blown away with what these little things achieve optically however I’ve secured a Leica 8x32BN and currently have them on hold on an exchange for the Swaro’s
More because of their cult status and a ‘I want rather than I need’

If there is one area my Swaro’s let me down is dusk and poor weather with regards that last little bit of brightness.
It’s important I have a small package rather than a 42mm as I often backpack and bike.

I’m guessing what I need to know is will there be a marked improvement in the BN over an up to date 25mm CL?

I don’t wear glasses and luckily have very good vision and less finicky about eye relief.
 
The BNs will give a bit of extra brightness at dawn and dusk (assuming your pupils dilate enough) but they will also be less demanding with regard to eyeplacement as the bigger exit pupil is more accommodating. You don't wear glasses now so this advantage might not be as obvious to you, but glasses tend to be needed sooner or later and the bigger exit pupil will help then.

The BN's are compact which suits you in one way but if memory serves, they are not lightweight compared with other 32s and I bet they weigh a good bit more than the 25s. You might want to ponder on this.

Personally I would go for the Leicas in a heartbeat. If you are interested in butterflies and dragonflies and similar stuff, I would choose Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32s for their speed of focus, but they aren't as compact as the Leica.

Good luck.

Lee
 
I’ve recently purchased a Swarovski 8x25CL and tbh I’m really blown away with what these little things achieve optically however I’ve secured a Leica 8x32BN and currently have them on hold on an exchange for the Swaro’s
More because of their cult status and a ‘I want rather than I need’

If there is one area my Swaro’s let me down is dusk and poor weather with regards that last little bit of brightness.
It’s important I have a small package rather than a 42mm as I often backpack and bike.

I’m guessing what I need to know is will there be a marked improvement in the BN over an up to date 25mm CL?

I don’t wear glasses and luckily have very good vision and less finicky about eye relief.
It wouldn't be a backward move at all. The Leica BN's would be a better all around binocular than the smaller Swarovski but the BN's are getting a little long in the tooth compared to the newer stuff out there now at comparable prices. Like Lee said you could get a Zeiss Conquest 8x32 HD for about the same money and have better optics than the Leica. If you need small and light you might even look at the Nikon 8x42 MHG.
 
The 8x32 BNs are not that bright. I once compared a 8x32 BN (silver coated prisms) to a upper mid level 10x42 with dielectric coatings and the 10x42 was clearly brighter although both bins have roughly the same exit pupil.

Recently I have been using a Leica Ultravid 8x32 HD and on cloudy days the image is a bit dark, maybe something to do with the coatings (the colour balance) or the optical design. Light transmission seems to be OK though. Tobas Mennie noticed the same thing:
http://www.greatestbinoculars.com/allpages/reviews/leica/ultravid8x32hdplus/ultravid8x32hdplus.html

The BN is more of a 'real' binocular; the CL are compacts. The BN have good flare/glare control, I don't know the CL in this regard.

But if you like the CL, no need to change...


George
 
"But if you like the CL, no need to change..."

It really depends on where you are using them. The Leica 8x32mm BN is a much better binocular in dim light. I once tried a 8x25mm CL-P in Costa Rica in the Monteverde Rain Forest and it was useless under the canopy of the jungle but my guide had a Leica 8x32 BN and it performed great. The 8x32 is a good all around binocular the 8x25 is not. But there are better 8x32's now for about the same money as the Leica BN such as the Zeiss Conquest 8x32 HD. If you want one binocular as an all-arounder get an 8x32 or 8x42. Zeiss Conquest HD, Tract Toric, Maven or Nikon MHG are all under $1000.00.
 
Because you want small AND bright, you're just going to have to compromise. Can I humbly suggest the Conquest 32 as mentioned. They remain the best binoculars I never bought.
 
You could wait for 2 new bins to come out which will be noticeably brighter than your CL 25mm and still lightweight:

New CL 8x30 which was just announced recently by Swaro.

New retro Trinovid 7x35

Both will be bright, very light and still portable.
 
You could wait for 2 new bins to come out which will be noticeably brighter than your CL 25mm and still lightweight:

New CL 8x30 which was just announced recently by Swaro.

New retro Trinovid 7x35

Both will be bright, very light and still portable.
Is the Swaro's optics any different or just cosmetic? The original CL 8x30 was quite a bit brighter than the 8x25 CL-P. The little Trinnie looks neat but at $1500.00 I don't know.
 
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Is the Swaro's optics any different or just cosmetic? The original CL 8x30 was quite a bit brighter than the 8x25 CL-P. The little Trinnie looks neat but at $1500.00 I don't know.

The new CL has better specs - a bit wider FOV and better ER.
It also has center diopter like the SV.
Jan got to test one and said it's quite a bit better optically than the current CL.
Check out the recent thread in the Swaro forum. It won't be avail in US
until January supposedly. I might be interested in it myself. Looking forward
to more reviews.
 
The new CL has better specs - a bit wider FOV and better ER.
It also has center diopter like the SV.
Jan got to test one and said it's quite a bit better optically than the current CL.
Check out the recent thread in the Swaro forum. It won't be avail in US
until January supposedly. I might be interested in it myself. Looking forward
to more reviews.
That new little Trinnie seems expensive at $1500.00 when you can still get the originals on Ebay for about $500 to $600 and I don't think there is too much difference. Maybe Leica just saved the designs and tooling to make a quick profit. At $1500.00 you could get some top current alpha's. The original CL 8x30 was alright but an 8x32 is almost always better from anybody.
 
That new little Trinnie seems expensive at $1500.00 when you can still get the originals on Ebay for about $500 to $600 and I don't think there is too much difference. Maybe Leica just saved the designs and tooling to make a quick profit. At $1500.00 you could get some top current alpha's. The original CL 8x30 was alright but an 8x32 is almost always better from anybody.

I agree the new Trinovids are expensive, but optically they should be quite a bit better than the originals. Many of those weren't even phase coated. The new ones have modern glass and coatings. They should be as good as current bins optically costing around the 1k price range. I guess we'll find out soon when we finally get some reviews in.
 
The original CL 8x30 was alright but an 8x32 is almost always better from anybody.

I don't know if I agree with that , but either way Planetx is looking for a lightweight portable bin which is brighter than his 8x25 CL.
The new 8x30 CL will be brighter and still lightweight and portable. I think it's a better choice given his needs than the Leica 8x32 bn and also the new Trinovid. I gave two suggestions, but really I think the new CL would be best.
Can't blame the OP if he still wants the 8x32 bn though.
 
I agree with you there. I had both the 8x25 CL-P and the 8x30 CL and the 8x30 CL was a better, brighter binocular. If Planetx wasn't limited by budget I would recommend the SV 8x32. I didn't know the older Trinovid's weren't phase coated. Thanks for the information. That makes those new 7x35 Trinovids interesting especially with the 450 foot FOV.
 
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Some good suggestions above..... I own or have owned a few from this group.

The Swarovski CL 8X30 is a good suggestion. Very bright for a 30mm. I don't feel like it gives up a whole lot to some of the 32mms. It gives up a little FOV but is still pretty compact and lightweight.

The Zeiss Conquest HD 8X32 is another really good binocular. It's a little bigger and a little heavier than the CL above. Overall it's hard to beat. Hard to find fault with this one.

IMO the Swarovski EL 8X32 is the best 32mm out there. Really, it's all the binocular one will ever need. Also very pricey and is also one of the largest 32mms out there.

I feel like when you start with a 30mm or larger binocular, you are getting pretty close to most of the benefits of a full sized binocular without the bulk/weight.
 
Some good suggestions above..... I own or have owned a few from this group.

The Swarovski CL 8X30 is a good suggestion. Very bright for a 30mm. I don't feel like it gives up a whole lot to some of the 32mms. It gives up a little FOV but is still pretty compact and lightweight.

The Zeiss Conquest HD 8X32 is another really good binocular. It's a little bigger and a little heavier than the CL above. Overall it's hard to beat. Hard to find fault with this one.

IMO the Swarovski EL 8X32 is the best 32mm out there. Really, it's all the binocular one will ever need. Also very pricey and is also one of the largest 32mms out there.

I feel like when you start with a 30mm or larger binocular, you are getting pretty close to most of the benefits of a full sized binocular without the bulk/weight.
I agree with you mostly. But I would start with a 32mm. The 30mm's I have tried are just a little bit more finicky for eye placement than the 32mm's than I like. Brightness is not a factor. The 30mm's are plenty bright in most situations except maybe under jungle canopy. I have tried the Maven 8x30, Nikon M7 8x30, Nikon 8x30 EII and the Swarovski 8x30 CL. Of those three the Nikon's were the best optically. I really prefer an 8x42mm not so much for the brightness even though they are brighter under low light situations but the easier eye placement and the fact that they are less finicky. With a 42mm you put it up to your eyes and "Boom" the bird is there with no blackouts. There is just less messing around. When most of the big alpha manufacturers introduce a new binocular it is an 8x42/10x42 because it is the most popular size for use around the world. If you live in a bright sunny location an 8x32 will work good most of the time for day birding but if I was going to Costa Rican jungles with a lot of tree cover I would want an 8x42. That is why it is nice to have an 8x32 and a 8x42.
 
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