Swarovski Habicht 8x30 W (built in 2009) (1 Viewer)

I've recently become very interested in using porro binoculars along with the common roof prism binoculars. I recently acquired a Nikon EII 8x30 porro which to be honest was noticeably sharper than my newly acquired Kowa Genesis 8x33 roof which I thought was an exceptional binocular for it's cost.

I like just about everything about the EII from the way it handles to the ease of use, the huge 466 ft fov and as one reviewer called it, it's brutal sharpness. It's all I'm using these days.

Along with the EII there is the Swarovski Habicht. Supposedly the Habicht is even sharper but what just about every reviewer mentions is it's aboslute brightness. Some say it makes the EII look "dark", which it is not IMO at all.
So now I'm interested. Supposedly it does have some issues however. A big one supposedly is internal reflections, flare and ghosting. A stiff focuser and some say inadequate eyecups. Still it's regarded as one of the very best porros in the world and better than the EII. It's not sold by Swarovski in the US anymore but can be had as an import on Amazon for about a grand and is still available in Europe I believe.

I'm pretty sure some of you here have used or own one or at least I hope so. A couple of folk here have already chimed in with opinions in another thread. I'd like to hear a few more opinions.

I would like to hear your opinion of the contrast/brightness as compared to other somewhat comparable optics you own and it's supposed stunning clarity and resolving power and also the cons and how troublesome they actually are for you. If you have the Nikon EII also I'd like to hear how they compare. I'm trying to decide whether to buy one in spite of the fact that I have two 8x binoculars that I'm fully inspired by. I'm totally intrigued by some of the reviews I've read. Especially this one.

http://www.greatestbinoculars.com/a...vski/swarohabicht8x30w/swarohabicht8x30w.html

Maybe you can help me decide whether to take the plunge. :t: I've always wanted to start a thread in this sub forum. lol

Black Crow. Best thing to do is just buy one on Amazon.com and try them yourself and if you don't like them return them. You are going to get all kinds of opinions on them. I saw quite a bit of glare but glare seems to be a very personal thing and not everybody sees it. I thought the focuser was quite tight but others say they like it. You might not see any glare and you might like the focuser. I will say one thing about them they are very good optically and no doubt brighter than the Nikon 8x30 EII and more color neutral. They are very sharp on-axis and have a very transparent image. They are very high quality and are a beautiful binocular to look at and smell. There is really nothing else on the market quite like them on the market. Try them yourself you may love them.

https://www.amazon.com/Swarovski-Op...qid=1523334833&sr=8-1&keywords=habicht+8x30+w

Don't own the eii but have looked through them in direct comparison to habichts (8 and 10x), all the other Nikon porros that come up in conversation, Leica uvhd+ 8x32, Bushnell legend m's, opticron travelers, Zeiss 7x42 dialyt, and a few others I'm forgetting.

Between the 8x eii and habicht, if you don't need the waterproofing, save yourself the agony and forget about it. The view is so nice and easy on the eii. Yes the habichts are brighter, are more color accurate, and sharper in the center, but it comes at a price. Personally, i find the 8x habicht glare to be overstated and blown slightly out of proportion. Same with the focus. The view is fantastic but is not what I would call "easy" and big like it is on the legends or Leica or dialyt or eii. They do require one to use good technique to use ones fingers/knuckles to shade the eyepieces and the ocular lenses from stay light and to help hold and set proper eye relief on the short eye cups. Though I may have a nice solution to that here on Thursday when a small package arrives. Can update if you like.

Having said all this, if you're still curious and don't absolutely need the small size of the 8x habicht and can live with 10x, get a set of the 10x40 wga habicht. Most of the shortcomings of the 8x30 are gone without much if any compromise. I might even argue I like the 10x view better. Certainly I feel the strength of the habicht sharpness can really be seen here. And the 3d view I find even more accentuated on closer objects.

For me personally, id have gotten the eii if it wasn't for a lack of any sort of weather sealing. I've gone out in walks here in the sun only to have gotten rained on an hour later. Or gotten sprayed by the ocean when it's super windy. I've often considered getting a pair for fair weather but I'm happy enough with what I have.

Edit
Also I see your title says built in 2009. If you can, you want ones made after 2011 I believe for the most recent coatings

[email protected] said:

Black Crow. Best thing to do is just buy one on Amazon.com and try them yourself and if you don't like them return them. You are going to get all kinds of opinions on them. I saw quite a bit of glare but glare seems to be a very personal thing and not everybody sees it. I thought the focuser was quite tight but others say they like it. You might not see any glare and you might like the focuser. I will say one thing about them they are very good optically and no doubt brighter than the Nikon 8x30 EII and more color neutral. They are very sharp on-axis and have a very transparent image. They are very high quality and are a beautiful binocular to look at and smell. There is really nothing else on the market quite like them on the market. Try them yourself you may love them.

https://www.amazon.com/Swarovski-Op...qid=1523334833&sr=8-1&keywords=habicht+8x30+w

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Thanks Dennis. I still like hearing others opinions and I do let them have influence. If 7 out of 10 strongly didn't like it I might not try but in the end I will likely follow your advice because you are right.

pechelman said:

Don't own the eii but have looked through them in direct comparison to habichts (8 and 10x), all the other Nikon porros that come up in conversation, Leica uvhd+ 8x32, Bushnell legend m's, opticron travelers, Zeiss 7x42 dialyt, and a few others I'm forgetting.

Between the 8x eii and habicht, if you don't need the waterproofing, save yourself the agony and forget about it. The view is so nice and easy on the eii. Yes the habichts are brighter, are more color accurate, and sharper in the center, but it comes at a price. Personally, i find the 8x habicht glare to be overstated and blown slightly out of proportion. Same with the focus. The view is fantastic but is not what I would call "easy" and big like it is on the legends or Leica or dialyt or eii. They do require one to use good technique to use ones fingers/knuckles to shade the eyepieces and the ocular lenses from stay light and to help hold and set proper eye relief on the short eye cups. Though I may have a nice solution to that here on Thursday when a small package arrives. Can update if you like.

Having said all this, if you're still curious and don't absolutely need the small size of the 8x habicht and can live with 10x, get a set of the 10x40 wga habicht. Most of the shortcomings of the 8x30 are gone without much if any compromise. I might even argue I like the 10x view better. Certainly I feel the strength of the habicht sharpness can really be seen here. And the 3d view I find even more accentuated on closer objects.

For me personally, id have gotten the eii if it wasn't for a lack of any sort of weather sealing. I've gone out in walks here in the sun only to have gotten rained on an hour later. Or gotten sprayed by the ocean when it's super windy. I've often considered getting a pair for fair weather but I'm happy enough with what I have.

Edit
Also I see your title says built in 2009. If you can, you want ones made after 2011 I believe for the most recent coatings

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I never thought about the 10x40 but now I'll consider it. Thanks. It might be the right way to go as I have 2 8x I'm completely happy with (EII and Kowa Genesis 8x33 for wet and dry use) but I'm not very happy with the 10x I have. If the best effects are all there and missing some of the cons it would seem like the best choice. Thanks very much for chiming in.

EDIT: Unfortunately the very tight 324 ft fov on the 10x40 wouldn't likely work for me. Too bad. That's why I don't do 10x on hardly any outings. I like a very wide fov.

The FOV is definitely a bit narrow for 10x, but offers roughly the same 62° AFOV as the 8x30.
The 10X certainly are not ideal for observing in close quarters.

Compared to the EII though, both habichts feel a bit confined to me.

But the contrast and sharp on-axis of Habicht 8X30, it could be equated to the on-axis quality of the Zeiss Victory FL (for example, since this Zeiss in that aspect say it is very good ..)
Thanks
Paul

Someone was kind enough to send me a link on this discussion from several years back. I've heard that Henry Link knows porros very well.
https://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3446960&postcount=8

Just a heads-up, I don't think the vendor, "Bush Wear", on Amazon, is in the U.S. Very possible they are gray market, and/or could make for sticky warranty or return issues. That's the only pair I saw listed. Any U.S. dealer should have them listed for $1159.00.

black crow, post 4,
If you want to hear all opinions: I have used and investigated both the Nikon EII 8x30 and the Swarovski Habicht 8x30. The Nikon is not my favorite because I do not like its handling comfort whereas the Habicht has its merits and his negative sides but overall I go for the Habicht.
Gijs van Ginkel

proudpapa56 said:

Just a heads-up, I don't think the vendor, "Bush Wear", on Amazon, is in the U.S. Very possible they are gray market, and/or could make for sticky warranty or return issues. That's the only pair I saw listed. Any U.S. dealer should have them listed for $1159.00.

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Thanks very much for the heads up. He has very good ratings if that means much.

However I've decided against buying a pair at this time and have decided on the EII 10x35 for what I think are very practical reasons. I had to resist impulse long enough to arrive at the practicalities. Here's my reasoning.

I have 2 8x bins that I'm totally inspired by, one waterproof and one not so I'm covered. Not to mention a very nice Sightron Blue Sky 8x and several reverse porro compacts. I have one 10x that I'm not completely happy with but it's serviceable and waterproof. However serviceable isn't what I want so another 10x would be a good move. I know for certain I like the EII 8x more than any other binocular I've used. I know I'd stay very satisfied with the view/optical quality for a long time. It's very user friendly and and has no glare issues. The EII 10x has one of the biggest fovs I've seen in any 10x at 366 ft. A big fov is an important one for me. I live in a mostly dry climate, The EII would cost half the price of the Swaro.

OK that's it and thanks everyone for your input. This was one of my harder decisions. I really went back and forth about a million times.

I have 30 day return with Amazon. If I really don't like them I'll return them.

I hike fairly long daily hikes that are up and down steep mountain trails, and don't want to carry a 42mm. And yeah I am hooked on that 3 D thang.

Good luck with the EII's. Let us know how you like them.

Of course. In few days I'll be looking at the Zeiss 10x42 and 8x42 SF also. I've been wanting to look at them for the longest time. The 10x42s I meant and then she went ahead and ordered both. I looked at the Tract Toric 10x42 again today and I think I must have been having an off day or days because today it looked fantastic. Go figure. I thought the EII was better on sharpness and detail however. On tree bark they looked about equal but on a male and female Mallard on the edge of the creek the EII really shined out. Not bad for an 8x30 vs a 10x42. Made me smile. Also I looked at the Monarch 8x30 over at her place and I find that a nice little optic. For me not so much because of blackouts but optically I think it's a very good binocular for the money. She wants to return it now however and try the Maven 8x30. She's never satisfied with anything. Nothing is perfect enough sometimes. If she doesn't like the Zeiss I give up. It is fun for me however to look at all the binoculars she brings in. I would never pay that kind of money so I'd never see most of them otherwise.

Let us know what you think of the Zeiss 10x42 and 8x42 SF. Also, how the Maven 8x30 compares with the Monarch 8x30. It is always interesting to me to hear different opinions on binoculars.

My opinion isn't worth much. I like everything. lol

pechelman said:

.....They do require one to use good technique to use one's fingers/knuckles to shade the eyepieces and the ocular lenses from stay light and to help hold and set proper eye relief on the short eye cups. Though I may have a nice solution to that here on Thursday when a small package arrives. Can update if you like.

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Please forgive my seemingly bad form of quoting myself, but the OP requested via PM that I do provide an update to this. Figured it would help more people if I shared publicly.

In reading this forum, there have been a few solutions to the problem, and it is somewhat of a problem, that the eyecups are really just inadequately short for proper eye relief. Granted, this can be mitigated by using the "good technique" I mentioned above, which also helps hold most any binocular more stable, but it isnt always convenient as it doesnt provide a quick or easy way to consistently "mount" the optics to your face.

The solutions noted on the forum that I've taken note of are the following

1. Use the GA eyecups
2. Use the winged swaro aftermarket eyecups
3. Use bicycle innertube bulked up around stock eyepiece

Each of these have their own benefits and annoyances.
GA eyecups require getting these or scavenging / swapping them from another pair of bins and also offer a less stylish option.

Winged eyecups from swaro are pretty pricey and require the use of their new rainguard (i think?) since they're likely too large for the stock one on the leather habicht. Also, I wasnt really wanting big wings like that as sometimes they've created a tendency to fog the ocular lens for me.

Lastly, the bike innertube is a great option on the cheap, but it looked sort of bulky and odd. Might also have trouble fitting the stock rain guard.

The road I ventured down was looking at microscope accessories since they too have binocular optics on some units. What I found was a nice set of soft rubber slip on eyecups for under 10$ shipped. As it turns out, they are very very slightly winged and are thin\flexible enough that it still allows use of the stock rain guard, though it isnt as free sitting as with the smaller stock eyecups.

Now it's simple enough to raise the bins directly to the eye sockets and they block pretty much all of the stray light and, for my face at least, fit perfectly in my eye sockets. Highly recommend these.

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-EG-S...005ORIVQY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Hopefully it's ok I linked to amazon, if not, please let me know and I can remove the link to these and replace with the product name/description so people can find them.

Pechelman,

What a Great solution!! :t:

They look great and appear that they would be very functional for a low cost. To me, the real benefit would be the added ER for non-eyeglass wearers...Nice!

Thanks for sharing this tip,

Ted

wachipilotes said:

But the contrast and sharp on-axis of Habicht 8X30, it could be equated to the on-axis quality of the Zeiss Victory FL (for example, since this Zeiss in that aspect say it is very good ..)
Thanks
Paul

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Agreed. Well almost. Only thing that comes close to Habicht on axis sharpness contrast are the Zeiss with AK prisms - mind you, good samples - Victory FLs or HTs... just came back from a long walk with the Victory 7x42

About the brightness of the Habicht. Gijs van Ginkel measured 96% transmission and that is why the Habicht eats the E2 for breakfast. Makes it look dull, despite the good edge contrast. Plus, with my 47 years old eyes the 8x30 Habicht with 4mm exit pupil is as bright as the Zeiss Victory FL 7x46. Always. Even in twilight (probably the Stiles-Crawford effect..?). And the Leica 7x42 HDPlus is much darker. Always. That hurts.

Really hurts if you realize that in the 800g class we are no longer getting the best possible bins, that is AK roofs or porros.

And makes a SF 8x42 suck pretty bad IMO