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Habicht 8x30 vs new CL companon 8x30 B (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter cfranchi
- Start date
I like the Habicht a lot, but like the (new) CL even better.
Maybe you also have a look at this:
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/old_vs_new/habicht_cl_8x30.html
Canip
Maybe you also have a look at this:
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/old_vs_new/habicht_cl_8x30.html
Canip
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Samolot
Well-known member
I tried the CL briefly. I was very impressed with their new eyecups and overall design. Good color rendition. Easy eye placement. Beautiful look. I would like to try them again one day.
I have the Habicht currently and I unfortunately can't compare them side by side with CL, but I am very happy with them. Extremely bright for 30 mm glass, sharp as a whip in the center, and they look very appealing to me. Also something the CL doesn't have: a 3D porro view.
The habicht needs some work though to make it truly wonderful. I unscrewed the original eyecups and pressed on these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Binoc...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649, followed by re-screwing the original eye cups. What you get is an extra 1-2 mm of eye relief without sacrificing field of view. The side shield then acts to block out light. These binoculars are now very easy to use in terms of eye placement. I bring them out everyday.
I have the Habicht currently and I unfortunately can't compare them side by side with CL, but I am very happy with them. Extremely bright for 30 mm glass, sharp as a whip in the center, and they look very appealing to me. Also something the CL doesn't have: a 3D porro view.
The habicht needs some work though to make it truly wonderful. I unscrewed the original eyecups and pressed on these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Binoc...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649, followed by re-screwing the original eye cups. What you get is an extra 1-2 mm of eye relief without sacrificing field of view. The side shield then acts to block out light. These binoculars are now very easy to use in terms of eye placement. I bring them out everyday.
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Also with the CL, do you miss the spectacular close up view of the Habicht ?
Give the Habicht some flowers or foliage illuminated by a a beautiful side lighting and the close up view is amazing (the subject is not 8 times bigger, this is the observer which is 8 times closer)
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Just "off the cough":
- off-axis sharpness. While both have roughly the same field of view, the CL shows much better edge sharpness (the Habicht beats the CL and many others on central sharpness)
- stray-light suppression. The CL is not perfect, but shows in my experience a clearly better performance in terms of reflections and glare.
Beside that, the Habicht with its narrower eyecup has been fogging up more quickly in cold or humid weather than the CL. This is actually kind of an issue I have with the Habicht when taking it out on my daily dogwalks.
Otherwise, the Habicht is just great.
Canip
henry link
Well-known member
Winged eyecups can only shield the eye from reflections coming from the back glass to air surface of the eyepiece. They don't address the two main sources of glare in the 8x30 Habicht. Those are a shiny unbaffled metal retaining ring at the edge of the objective lens and undersized prisms which intrude into the edge of the exit pupils at about 4:00 in the right side and 8:00 in the left side.
Samolot
Well-known member
Truer words have never been spoken. The fogging up part is kind of annoying. However, the central sharpness of the habicht is what continues to amaze me. I don't really prioritize edge sharpness since I don't look at the edge of my field when I observe. The center is what is most interesting to me, and for that I prefer the habicht. Having said that, I haven't used the CL in a while so I can't directly compare.
What I really want to know, and perhaps those with both CL and Habicht can chime in here: Do the objective covers on the CL work with the habicht? I emailed Swarovski and here is the response: " Unfortunately, those lens covers would not work with the traditional 8x30 binoculars. That model is not designed to receive an objective lens covers."
I am not convinced by the "model is not designed to receive an objective lens cover"
The 8x30 Habicht is a Porro prism and there isn't very much room on its short objective tubes to hang the lens covers on it while covering the objectives like there is on the 7x42 and 10x40 Habichts.
Nikon has simple, untethered, round lens covers for their 8x30 E2 Porro prism (which has very short objective tubes similar to the 8x30 Habicht) without tethers on them to secure them to the binocular. I only put them on my 8x30 E2 when I put it back in its case.
Bob
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Samolot & Ceasar, regarding the lens cover. Both the Habicht 8x30 and the Nikon EII have a relatively short tube, but enough to use tethered lens covers. See picture attached of my EII, the tethered lens covers come from an Opticron Discovery 8x32, they measure around 41-42 mm in diameter. And find also attached a picture by Tobias Mennle (from the very interesting comparison he did on his website greatestbinoculars.com between the Habicht and the EII). In the picture by Tobias Mennle (I hope he doesn't mind me using it for the purpose of illustrating this point) you can see that the tubes of the Habicht and EII are pretty similar in length, which leads me to believe that you could use a similar setup on the Swarovski.
As I said the picture of my EII 8x30 uses the lens covers of an Opticron Discovery 8x32, but I'm sure many other will fit. For reference, there are a number of experiences in the forum of members using Quake Bushwacker lids on EII 8x30.
As I said the picture of my EII 8x30 uses the lens covers of an Opticron Discovery 8x32, but I'm sure many other will fit. For reference, there are a number of experiences in the forum of members using Quake Bushwacker lids on EII 8x30.
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MandoBear
Well-known member
Going off at a slight tangent... I came up with a different solution for my EII - I drilled a small hole in each Nikon objective cover and installed a short run of black, braided nylon cord, which I looped through the strap to secure it. When in use I just pop off the covers and loop their cord over the strap a couple of times to stop the covers dangling. It works for me, but the Opticron covers could be a neater solution - I may have to investigate. The Nikon covers are available as spares from Nikon UK at very modest cost - I ordered a spare set in case I didn't get on with my "solution". I'll try and post pictures when I have my EII and a camera in the same place...
Samolot
Well-known member
I have to say this won't be the first time I am buying Opticron accessories for my binoculars. Their stuff just... fits.
Overall, I think the Habicht and the CL Companion are two very different binoculars, each fantastic in their own ways. Its a shame the Habicht is not available more widely stateside.
Imagine if swaro gave the Habicht a facelift and offered multiple colors just like the CL. I think they would do very well in the $1,000-class of binoculars.
Overall, I think the Habicht and the CL Companion are two very different binoculars, each fantastic in their own ways. Its a shame the Habicht is not available more widely stateside.
Imagine if swaro gave the Habicht a facelift and offered multiple colors just like the CL. I think they would do very well in the $1,000-class of binoculars.
My dealer has finally received the bins this week (it took a long time!) but I’m not available, I’ll test next week and compare with my Zeiss victory pocket 8x25
David in NC
Well-known member
Looking forward to it
Bako
Member
:t:
My dealer has finally received the Habicht 8x30 and the new CL companion 8x30, so I was able to make some comparisons...
*** Ease of view ***
CL 8x30 has maybe a slightly easier and immersive view than the Pocket, however I have added Field Optics winged eyecups to my pocket and in term of immersive view they are now equal, Habicht 8x30 has the less ease of view
*** Handling ***
CL 8x30 has a nice handling, definitely larger than the pocket, for my way of use I prefer the Pocket because of its compact form factor, Habicht is quite big in the hands by comparison
*** Focus ***
well the CL was disapointing, the focus was not smooth at all compared to the Pocket, you focus more quickly and easily with the Pocket (also way nicer focusing feeling), the Habicht in direct comparison has really a stiff focus
*** CA ***
Pocket is better than CL, I feel Habicht and Pocket has the same amount of CA, really impressive
*** Flare / glare ***
Pocket again is better than CL, with direct sun light Pocket keeps it contrast easily, Habicht is the worse
*** Contrast / sharpness ***
Habicht is the brighter, also more contrast, maybe a bit sharper
*** Lifelike experience ***
At this step, I have lost the idea to buy the CL 8x30, definitely not a keeper compared to the Pocket (and 400 EUR more expensive!).
It was a strange experience, image in the Pocket was bigger than the Habicht and so switching directly from the Habicht to the Pocket the view was more easy with the Pocket, certainly a difference due to porro vs roof, Habicht was more 3D compared to the Pocket but I expected bigger differences (I was testing close up view), in the end because of the ease of view, larger image, I prefered the view thru the Pocket... even if the Habicht had a more lifelike experience
*** Summary ***
Pocket is a keeper, definitely, and the least expensive... Really a true Victory in miniature, add some winged eyecups and it becomes almost perfect, well done Zeiss !
*** Ease of view ***
CL 8x30 has maybe a slightly easier and immersive view than the Pocket, however I have added Field Optics winged eyecups to my pocket and in term of immersive view they are now equal, Habicht 8x30 has the less ease of view
*** Handling ***
CL 8x30 has a nice handling, definitely larger than the pocket, for my way of use I prefer the Pocket because of its compact form factor, Habicht is quite big in the hands by comparison
*** Focus ***
well the CL was disapointing, the focus was not smooth at all compared to the Pocket, you focus more quickly and easily with the Pocket (also way nicer focusing feeling), the Habicht in direct comparison has really a stiff focus
*** CA ***
Pocket is better than CL, I feel Habicht and Pocket has the same amount of CA, really impressive
*** Flare / glare ***
Pocket again is better than CL, with direct sun light Pocket keeps it contrast easily, Habicht is the worse
*** Contrast / sharpness ***
Habicht is the brighter, also more contrast, maybe a bit sharper
*** Lifelike experience ***
At this step, I have lost the idea to buy the CL 8x30, definitely not a keeper compared to the Pocket (and 400 EUR more expensive!).
It was a strange experience, image in the Pocket was bigger than the Habicht and so switching directly from the Habicht to the Pocket the view was more easy with the Pocket, certainly a difference due to porro vs roof, Habicht was more 3D compared to the Pocket but I expected bigger differences (I was testing close up view), in the end because of the ease of view, larger image, I prefered the view thru the Pocket... even if the Habicht had a more lifelike experience
*** Summary ***
Pocket is a keeper, definitely, and the least expensive... Really a true Victory in miniature, add some winged eyecups and it becomes almost perfect, well done Zeiss !
