CA On The Noctivid (2 Viewers)

[lmans66]

I am a little sensitive to CA, but not overly so like some. I don’t see CA in the Noctivids in the center in 90% of my observing. Although I can see some on the edges , I can still see CA in SF’s, EL’s, HT’s and just about every binocular on the market except the Kowa Genesis. The image is so rich in the Leica that I wouldn’t give up that image for the tiny bit better CA correction in some of the other alpha. If I sold all my other glass I wouldn’t miss the FOV or neutral color of the others , but if I sold the Leica I’d definitely miss that Leica image richness.

Paul

Paul....correct. The colors...contrast etc...are simply exceptional on the Leica. Wouldn't trade it for another bin at the moment.... In regards to Opitca Exotica, this guy is the real deal. He is out there testing these bins in real world situations...hunting, birding...low light, in the sun...elements, ...dropping them by accident etc. And he is comparing apples to apples as well. He does this all the way thru the $ line-up from fairly cheap to Alpha and knows his stuff. I would take that guy over any 'numbers' guy or lab guy any time of the day....He just calls it as he sees it. Jim

 

[Paultricounty]

Paul....correct. The colors...contrast etc...are simply exceptional on the Leica. Wouldn't trade it for another bin at the moment.... In regards to Opitca Exotica, this guy is the real deal. He is out there testing these bins in real world situations...hunting, birding...low light, in the sun...elements, ...dropping them by accident etc. And he is comparing apples to apples as well. He does this all the way thru the $ line-up from fairly cheap to Alpha and knows his stuff. I would take that guy over any 'numbers' guy or lab guy any time of the day....He just calls it as he sees it. Jim

Lol, and all through a divorce, falling down, getting lime disease and braving the bugs and mosquitoes. He does contradict himself in a few of the reviews , but I forgive him for that because of how entertaining his reviews are 🤪.

 

[hopster]

So now it has been 5 years since the first post on this issue. I wonder if over that time and with the opportunities people have had to get used to their NVs and learn about them; is there a consensus forming? I have seen all of the following put forward here and elsewhere:

• sample variation
• earlier ones are worse
• ones made in Portugal are worse
• only people who are sensitive to it will be troubled
• only on the edge of the image
• only on very bright days
• only if eyes are not positioned well (laterally? distance from eyepiece?)
• they are just worse than other alphas on this characteristic/it's an inevitable result of their extreme centre sharpness
• 10x is significantly worse than 8x
• other?

I'm more interested in the 8x really, as I am being offered one second hand and would like to know if it's worth the effort of buying it only to return it. I have looked through both for about 10 minutes each and enjoyed the view greatly in terms of colour, contrast and 'texture', but also seen clear CA (fine magenta and lime green edges) right in the centre of the image on a high contrast edge - but moving my eye a tiny amount made it almost disappear so I'm not sure if it was my inexperience using it, or is it just very sensitive to eye position (I have never had this experience before with any other quality optics).

 

[Conndomat]

So now it has been 5 years since the first post on this issue. I wonder if over that time and with the opportunities people have had to get used to their NVs and learn about them; is there a consensus forming? I have seen all of the following put forward here and elsewhere:

• sample variation
• earlier ones are worse
• ones made in Portugal are worse
• only people who are sensitive to it will be troubled
• only on the edge of the image
• only on very bright days
• only if eyes are not positioned well (laterally? distance from eyepiece?)
• they are just worse than other alphas on this characteristic/it's an inevitable result of their extreme centre sharpness
• 10x is significantly worse than 8x
• other?

I'm more interested in the 8x really, as I am being offered one second hand and would like to know if it's worth the effort of buying it only to return it. I have looked through both for about 10 minutes each and enjoyed the view greatly in terms of colour, contrast and 'texture', but also seen clear CA (fine magenta and lime green edges) right in the centre of the image on a high contrast edge - but moving my eye a tiny amount made it almost disappear so I'm not sure if it was my inexperience using it, or is it just very sensitive to eye position (I have never had this experience before with any other quality optics).

Hi,

The Noctivids simply have a little more CA than comparable premium binoculars, but that has nothing to do with the center sharpness!

The 10x is IMO noticeably more susceptible, in fact I find it a bit too high with this glass and the price range, and then there is the distortion that sets in very early, overall the 8x IMO is the better glass.

With the 8x I can already see slight CA in the middle with hard contrasts, but it's not disturbing for me yet.
Of course, the perception of CA is always a subjective thing, but I know few people who would really say that the Noctivids are among the best in this discipline.

Something is always, no binoculars are perfect.

IMO you should also assess the overall performance of binoculars, including the housing, the mechanics, the viewing behavior and the optical properties and all in all the 8x Noctivids in particular are very good glasses.

Andreas

 

[hopster]

Hi,

The Noctivids simply have a little more CA than comparable premium binoculars, but that has nothing to do with the center sharpness!

The 10x is IMO noticeably more susceptible, in fact I find it a bit too high with this glass and the price range, and then there is the distortion that sets in very early, overall the 8x IMO is the better glass.

With the 8x I can already see slight CA in the middle with hard contrasts, but it's not disturbing for me yet.
Of course, the perception of CA is always a subjective thing, but I know few people who would really say that the Noctivids are among the best in this discipline.

Something is always, no binoculars are perfect.

IMO you should also assess the overall performance of binoculars, including the housing, the mechanics, the viewing behavior and the optical properties and all in all the 8x Noctivids in particular are very good glasses.

Andreas

Thanks Andreas.

 

[Paultricounty]

So now it has been 5 years since the first post on this issue. I wonder if over that time and with the opportunities people have had to get used to their NVs and learn about them; is there a consensus forming? I have seen all of the following put forward here and elsewhere:

• sample variation
• earlier ones are worse
• ones made in Portugal are worse
• only people who are sensitive to it will be troubled
• only on the edge of the image
• only on very bright days
• only if eyes are not positioned well (laterally? distance from eyepiece?)
• they are just worse than other alphas on this characteristic/it's an inevitable result of their extreme centre sharpness
• 10x is significantly worse than 8x
• other?

I'm more interested in the 8x really, as I am being offered one second hand and would like to know if it's worth the effort of buying it only to return it. I have looked through both for about 10 minutes each and enjoyed the view greatly in terms of colour, contrast and 'texture', but also seen clear CA (fine magenta and lime green edges) right in the centre of the image on a high contrast edge - but moving my eye a tiny amount made it almost disappear so I'm not sure if it was my inexperience using it, or is it just very sensitive to eye position (I have never had this experience before with any other quality optics).

Reading your ten bullet points could and does apply to almost every binocular in one way or another. When you tried the 10x Nocs, did you try any other so called alphas in direct comparison? Im trying to ascertain if the day you tried them, you were under very unfriendly lighting conditions, which may have brought out CA in other great bins as well. I tried the 10x and did notice slightly more CA than the 8x, but again not in the center in 90% of lighting conditions. If I liked the image quality in the SF’s, NL’s , EL’s and HT’s and they had less CA than the Nocs, I’d go with that and don’t look back, because they’re all so good.

Heres what I’m thinking, tell me if you concur. Being that the Nocs do have an image you like , and the only thing is not being sure if you can live with a small amount of CA, go through the exercise , get them and live with them a week. And if you have something else you have and like, compare them to the Nocs. It’s worth the try because you could fall in love with the Leica's, I know I did. I’m kind of a Leica fanboy , but no way a brand loyalist. I like all the good stuff regardless of brand, it’s just the Leica’s take my breath away every time I look through them. That’s not saying that some of the others don’t have an incredibly beautiful image quality to them, there’s just something about Leica that stands out to me.

Paul

 

[hopster]

Reading your ten bullet points could and does apply to almost every binocular in one way or another. When you tried the 10x Nocs, did you try any other so called alphas in direct comparison? Im trying to ascertain if the day you tried them, you were under very unfriendly lighting conditions, which may have brought out CA in other great bins as well. I tried the 10x and did notice slightly more CA than the 8x, but again not in the center in 90% of lighting conditions. If I liked the image quality in the SF’s, NL’s , EL’s and HT’s and they had less CA than the Nocs, I’d go with that and don’t look back, because they’re all so good.

Heres what I’m thinking, tell me if you concur. Being that the Nocs do have an image you like , and the only thing is not being sure if you can live with a small amount of CA, go through the exercise , get them and live with them a week. And if you have something else you have and like, compare them to the Nocs. It’s worth the try because you could fall in love with the Leica's, I know I did. I’m kind of a Leica fanboy , but no way a brand loyalist. I like all the good stuff regardless of brand, it’s just the Leica’s take my breath away every time I look through them. That’s not saying that some of the others don’t have an incredibly beautiful image quality to them, there’s just something about Leica that stands out to me.

Paul

Thanks Paul.

I did compare the NV 10x side-by-side with the HT 10x that I bought that day. A lovely view - slightly more saturated colours and apparently a bit more contrast (though the latter could be due to the HT being noticeably brighter) but much fussier on eye position. So the bullet point that particularly stands out as different for me is the dependence of CA on eye position. I have never used an optic (at least a quality one) before where the CA changed so much in the centre of the image with a very small change of eye position. Was it just the sample I used?

I may ask to use the 8x for a week and see how I get on with it. The vendor is happy with that. My credit card is getting nervous though!

 

[John M Robinson]

Thanks Paul.

I did compare the NV 10x side-by-side with the HT 10x that I bought that day. A lovely view - slightly more saturated colours and apparently a bit more contrast (though the latter could be due to the HT being noticeably brighter) but much fussier on eye position. So the bullet point that particularly stands out as different for me is the dependence of CA on eye position. I have never used an optic (at least a quality one) before where the CA changed so much in the centre of the image with a very small change of eye position. Was it just the sample I used?

I may ask to use the 8x for a week and see how I get on with it. The vendor is happy with that. My credit card is getting nervous though!

The fussier eye placement is a dealbreaker for me. These are all such good optics at the top, that I want the one with the easiest view. Everybody’s eyes-face shape are different. Where others get blackouts with Nikon SEs, I get a perfect fit. The 42 size Leica’s fit perfect while the 32 size are finicky. I don’t want to worry about eye placement, I just want to bring them, (whichever pair I own), up without thinking about it and enjoy the view.

 

[Patudo]

Sensitivity to CA is such a personal thing that you really need to try for yourself, ideally over a reasonable length of time in different light/sun conditions, and come to your own decision. I've used a friend's 10x42 Noctivid in very bright sun (Singapore) searching for birds in the sky, and never noticed any chromatic aberration myself - but if there's one thing I've learned is that folks see things differently - and sometimes very differently.

 

[chill6x6]

Sensitivity to CA is such a personal thing that you really need to try for yourself, ideally over a reasonable length of time in different light/sun conditions, and come to your own decision. I've used a friend's 10x42 Noctivid in very bright sun (Singapore) searching for birds in the sky, and never noticed any chromatic aberration myself - but if there's one thing I've learned is that folks see things differently - and sometimes very differently.

Singapore....sigh... I would love to go there! I do have Trinidad and Tobago planned for March 2024!

I've use a Noctivid a good bit...and CA is not one of those things that stands out for me.

 

[Hermann]

I did compare the NV 10x side-by-side with the HT 10x that I bought that day. A lovely view - slightly more saturated colours and apparently a bit more contrast (though the latter could be due to the HT being noticeably brighter) but much fussier on eye position. So the bullet point that particularly stands out as different for me is the dependence of CA on eye position. I have never used an optic (at least a quality one) before where the CA changed so much in the centre of the image with a very small change of eye position. Was it just the sample I used?

You can never judge a binocular after just "trying it out" in a shop. Never. You need more time to find just the right IPD and the right settings for the eyecups. With all binoculars, not just the Noctivids.

There are two main complaints people have if they don't spend enough time to get the settings right: Glare/veiling glare and CA. Another one that's pretty common is kidney beaning. The fact that you felt the Noctivid was "much fussier on eye position" indicates you never found the right eye position. Get the IPD and the settings for the eyecups sorted out first.

Hermann

 

[Paultricounty]

Thanks Paul.

I did compare the NV 10x side-by-side with the HT 10x that I bought that day. A lovely view - slightly more saturated colours and apparently a bit more contrast (though the latter could be due to the HT being noticeably brighter) but much fussier on eye position. So the bullet point that particularly stands out as different for me is the dependence of CA on eye position. I have never used an optic (at least a quality one) before where the CA changed so much in the centre of the image with a very small change of eye position. Was it just the sample I used?

Hmmm Idk, it could be but I would doubt it based on your description. I would think if you seen more CA when moving your eye around , then your eye was not centered in the eye box , where you should see the least amount. At this level of Leica (Uv’s, & Nocs) I really don’t see enough objectionable CA to be a deal breaker, and I’m of a stickler in that area, but there are some that are very sensitive to CA and you might be one of them. In that case unfortunately 😞 Leica may not be for you. Zeiss FL and HT are some of the best when it comes to CA control, but then have other issues that some don’t like, and yet others have no issue. Of course NL’s , EL’s are excellent on CA , and of course the Nikon EDG’s , (see in what did you use today topic) which also have some nice color saturation like the Leica’s , but not as bright.

I may ask to use the 8x for a week and see how I get on with it. The vendor is happy with that. My credit card is getting nervous though!

Yes by all means give the 8’s a try, see if thats an improvement. They're my favorite binoculars of all time, love those 8 Noctivids. I’ve had credit card drop dead from fright 😲😉.

Paul