I'm a painter.. I raise my glass for a few seconds to make out details and "feel" the urban landscape. My 7x42 UltraVid HDs are at Leica repair for a check, and I would like a smaller glass anyway, went to the local Swarovski rep, who sent me to a really nice retailer called Le Vieux Campeur who have a lot of stock.
I was thinking 8x25 or 8x32. I learnt it's hopeless.
The look through an 8x42 is ALWAYS more immediate than an 8x32. I compared some Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski. I compared Zeiss Conquest to Leica UV 8x32 and Swarovski El 8x32 and other 8x30. I compared a bunch of 8x42 alpha glasses, and even the Trinovid HD. The 8x42 always wins against a 32 on the quality of the "first look".
Sharpness and brightness depend on how good the glass is - immediacy of vision depends on the exit pupil size, not on the "transmission" factor or the actual brightness. At least for anything I could find and test. All the 42s fell in place with immersive immediacy, the 32s and smaller were often super-sharp but fiddly with regards to eye placement. I wear glasses and collapse the eyecups.
Lesson learnt. I may get an even better glass than my UVHD, but I won't bother with the small glasses. Some of the smaller glasses actually gave me a headache.
The tests were in the late afternoon, with still decent light.
I don't know if this is conventional wisdom, but when it comes to view, I trust *my* eyes.
Edmund
I was thinking 8x25 or 8x32. I learnt it's hopeless.
The look through an 8x42 is ALWAYS more immediate than an 8x32. I compared some Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski. I compared Zeiss Conquest to Leica UV 8x32 and Swarovski El 8x32 and other 8x30. I compared a bunch of 8x42 alpha glasses, and even the Trinovid HD. The 8x42 always wins against a 32 on the quality of the "first look".
Sharpness and brightness depend on how good the glass is - immediacy of vision depends on the exit pupil size, not on the "transmission" factor or the actual brightness. At least for anything I could find and test. All the 42s fell in place with immersive immediacy, the 32s and smaller were often super-sharp but fiddly with regards to eye placement. I wear glasses and collapse the eyecups.
Lesson learnt. I may get an even better glass than my UVHD, but I won't bother with the small glasses. Some of the smaller glasses actually gave me a headache.
The tests were in the late afternoon, with still decent light.
I don't know if this is conventional wisdom, but when it comes to view, I trust *my* eyes.
Edmund
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