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Message: <blockquote data-quote="denco@comcast.n" data-source="post: 3640409" data-attributes="member: 25300">I liked the Habicht for awhile until I started observing the glare and flare it exhibits. The Habicht is totally useless when trying to observe at sharp angles like in a canyon or a high tree. I found the flare totally covers the FOV and you can't see anything. Once I saw this flare I sold mine the next day and I will never have another. It is also has the hardest focuser of any binocular I have ever used and I have tried a lot of different binoculars. The focuser is totally useless for fast focusing on different objects. Your correct in that your low light test is unscientific. I can't see how it proves anything. Try using a resolution chart and you will find the EII is just as sharp if not sharper than the Habicht. Henry Link did a very detailed test of the Habicht and found it exhibited veiling glare and here is the link where he describes the reason's behind it. The EII is a much better birding binocular than the Habicht. Here was the highly respected Henry Link's comments on the Habicht compared to the Nikon EII and SE."The only things I really like about the current 8x30 Habicht are the state of the art light transmission and color accuracy.No 8x30/32 is my cup of tea. The axial image quality and ease of view of every one I've seen is obviously inferior to the 8x56 I normally use, but if the comparison is limited to just the ones you listed I would say the Swarovski is superior to my copies of the three Nikons only for light transmission and color accuracy. I haven't seen a current production 8x30 EII with the latest Nikon coatings, so I don't know how that would compare to the Habicht.All three of my Nikons have a bit sharper axial images than the Habicht because their axial aberrations, both spherical and chromatic, are lower. Off-axis the E is similar to the Habicht, the EII is better and the SE is much better. All three Nikons also have better glare resistance.In spite of all that I wouldn't want to part with the Habicht because I like having a reference standard for light transmission and color accuracy around and it's a kind of sentimental favorite. A Habicht 8x30 W GA was one of the first binoculars I bought way back in 1986."Henry<a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3201487&postcount=23" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3201487&postcount=23</a></blockquote>

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