EL 10X42 SV Flat Field (1 Viewer)

[SuperDuty]

Does anyone else find the total lack of any perceivable curvature in the view of the SV series to be as spectacular as I do, assuming you’re not bothered by globe effect when panning, I’m fortunate to not see it. I was always aware of the curvature in the SF and NL, but it wasn’t glaring, in the HT I found it unacceptable.

 

[Paultricounty]

Does anyone else find the total lack of any perceivable curvature in the view of the SV series to be as spectacular as I do, assuming you’re not bothered by globe effect when panning, I’m fortunate to not see it. I was always aware of the curvature in the SF and NL, but it wasn’t glaring, in the HT I found it unacceptable.

I think it’s pretty spectacular as well, it’s like the whole image circle is perfect from edge to edge. As you I’m not bothered by any panning anomalies. Some people are more sensitive to specific optical traits than others, like rolling ball and edge curvature. I find the curved field binos to be equally enjoyable, it brings a very immersive viewing experience that I like.

 

[norway]

I think it’s pretty spectacular as well, it’s like the whole image circle is perfect from edge to edge. As you I’m not bothered by any panning anomalies. Some people are more sensitive to specific optical traits than others, like rolling ball and edge curvature. I find the curved field binos to be equally enjoyable, it brings a very immersive viewing experience that I like.

For sure.

I'm one of those people who immediately notices the rolling-ball effect of ELs, but I've gotten used to it and it's not particularly bothersome. The optical quality really is superb and makes the brief adjustment period well worth it.

That said, I'll always prefer the lovely characteristics of a classic curved-field/pincushion-distortion-having design when it comes to panning.

 

[safaridreaming]

Ive just spent close to a month travelling through gameparks in Kenya and found the flat and incredibly sharp field to be awesome, particularly in the southern reserves where I’m observing rolling savannahs to the horizon. I can set my focus at midpoint and get a sharp view of foreground, mid ground and background in the single FOV to scan for wildlife and points of interest.

that being said I’ve been using EL’s for better part of 2 decades and keep coming back to them despite having owned other binos like the Zeiss FL’s, SF’s and Leica UV’s.

 

[norway]

Nice photos! Aside from being lighter and smaller, the 32 mm ELs really are outstanding for having more width and depth of field compared to the 42s without losing much in low-light performance; it's unfortunate that they're no longer produced.

 

[tehri]

it's unfortunate that they're no longer produced.

But 32 NL's are !!!! 😉

 

[norway]

And at a mere double the price!

OK, maybe not quite double... but you know what I mean.

 

[safaridreaming]

I looked long and hard at NL’s but found the ergonomics of the EL’s much more to my liking. Ironically Zeiss moved in this direction with the SF’s and Swaro moved away from the open bridge concept. Perhaps as a differentiator?

One of the things i like about the EL’s is that i can rest my first finger on the hinge directly under the focus knob and only touch the focus knob when it’s needed. I’m not a fan of current designs where the first finger rests on the focus knob itself. In particular on the SF’s where the focuser so was so smooth and easy to turn, i found i would constantly be tweaking focus as my finger would shift the knob occasionally. On the EL’s my habit is to rest my first finger on the bridge / hinge and only touch the focus knob as needed (And then as long as needed ie more frequently if im following a fast moving bird that requires continuous refocusing).

below as in-vehicle looking over the Mara river in the Masai Mara game reserve.