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Habicht for birdwatching? (2 Viewers)

I have a bit squinting eyes and the left is my main eye.
This means I don't experience stereoscopic view. Still binoculars are to prefer because of the ease of view with both eyes open. I just adjust the barrels wider apart so the right eye does not get outside the field.
When it comes to the 3D effect I understand this is only noticeable at pretty short distance.
How far away can you experience it with roof vs porro?
 
ReinierB said:
Not yet... I think...
Which one do you love the most? 7x42 or 8x30? Or is it the same with children, you just love them both the way they are?
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Imo these two are completely different binoculars, more so than jut the differences of the magnification and objective size. It’s quite different than say comparing the Leica Ultravid 7x42 , to the 8x32. We could say the image sharpness and brightness (in daytime use) is similar in both, but the characteristics of field of view, an edge performance quite different in the two Habicht’s.

To me , for my use, and having availability to many other 7x and 8x porros, the 7x is a dedicated low light bino, so I love them for that. The other child , the 8x30 has a more standard or conventional image characteristic with the larger FOV. I find myself going through cycles of use between the two. But when the lights get low or it’s nighttime it’s the 7x42 I grab.

Paul
 
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Gijs van Ginkel said:
ReinierB, different posts,
If you are looking for something special: look for the Swarovski Habicht of the Swedish marines covered with a very strong navy blue material. excellent optical quality, undestructable, difficult to find and excellent optics.
Gijs van Ginkel
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Surely one isn't allowed to make comments such as these without providing pictures as well!? :)
 
limonabe said:
I have all three Habichts (7, 8, and 10,) and I think the 10x is the best of them, generally speaking.
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Why do you exactly think so? Why is the 10x40 the best of the three? 1mm extra eye relief. 4mm vs 3.75mm exit pupil. The only advantages I can think of comparing it with the 8x30. The AFOV is the same. DOF id smaller. The 7x42 would have been sublime, when the (a)fov was bigger. Now it is sort of a no go for me.
 
No, just the 8x30 and I liked it, except the focuser but I dont think there is much difference between the models. Maybe 7 or 8 power would be more convenient with a slow focuser.
 
William Lewis said:
As a proud owner of an 8x30 I like mine too but would caveat that by saying I think it's probably (arguably!) the worst binocular Swarovski make.
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What a great answer..... sums it up.... but they are so nice.
The last couple of purchases from a shop, and I've walked out with something else other than the Habicht.
A couple of months go by.... and I'm like.... I'd LOVE a Habicht.... whats wrong with me!!!
 
William Lewis said:
As a proud owner of an 8x30 I like mine too but would caveat that by saying I think it's probably (arguably!) the worst binocular Swarovski make.
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But why? Worst than the 10x40 and 7x42 Habicht?
Of course, all the other Swarovksi's are more modern, with smoother focusers and more comfortable eyecups.
 
After a few months of selling Habicht 10x40 GA due to compatibility issues, I am thinking of trying another Habicht, 7x42. I want a binocular for low-light uses. Even though SLC 8x56 could be the better option, the weight of it makes me hesitate to go towards it. However, having NL in 8x42, I am wondering if a few millimeters of extra exit pupil in Habicht 7x42 would make such a difference for low-light use. Is anyone compared both of them in low-light conditions?

Edit: Of course ‘a few millimeters’ of exit pupil increase would have a big difference in low light capabilities. I made a mistake. The exit pupil difference between NL 8x42 and Habicht 7x42 is 0.75 mm. Still wondering it would make a big difference in low light use.
 
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Swarovski twilight glass

I'm silly enough to have both of swarovski's highest transmission and largest exit pupil binoculars at the moment. A habicht 7x42 GA 96% transmission 6mm exit pupil and a 8x56 SLC hd with 93% transmission and a 7mm exit pupil. I thought I'd just pop up a few things I've found having used both...
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Viraj said:
After a few months of selling Habicht 10x40 GA due to compatibility issues, I am thinking of trying another Habicht, 7x42. I want a binocular for low-light uses. Even though SLC 8x56 could be the better option, the weight of it makes me hesitate to go towards it. However, having NL in 8x42, I am wondering if a few millimeters of extra exit pupil in Habicht 7x42 would make such a difference for low-light use. Is anyone compared both of them in low-light conditions?
Click to expand...
 
Rg548 said:
What a great answer..... sums it up.... but they are so nice.
The last couple of purchases from a shop, and I've walked out with something else other than the Habicht.
A couple of months go by.... and I'm like.... I'd LOVE a Habicht.... whats wrong with me!!!
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with you at all (at least not for wanting a Swaro Habicht 😂). The Habicht is Swarovski’s most unique binocular, as well as one of the most unique porros being made today. If you’re a binocular guy/gal/fluid , it’s a gotta have binocular. Its retro, and it’s simplistic styling is nostalgic , its light transmission and sharpness is as good as it gets, and if feels really cool in the hands. 😎 There is an elegance that is mostly lost with modern roofs today.
 
Viraj said:
After a few months of selling Habicht 10x40 GA due to compatibility issues, I am thinking of trying another Habicht, 7x42. I want a binocular for low-light uses. Even though SLC 8x56 could be the better option, the weight of it makes me hesitate to go towards it. However, having NL in 8x42, I am wondering if a few millimeters of extra exit pupil in Habicht 7x42 would make such a difference for low-light use. Is anyone compared both of them in low-light conditions?
Click to expand...
I haven't seen much useful difference in low-light between my 7x42 and 8x42, not enough to justify a second pair of binoculars. But there are other many other good reasons, the 7x42 would be a lot of fun to use. The lower power benefits, the fun of using a lightweight porro design with excellent optics. You won't regret adding the 7x42, it would be a nice complement to the 8x42 NL. I always choose my 7x42's over the 8x42 for woodland birding where the birds are close.

I've posted elsewhere about the amazing low-light performance of my 10x56 SLC, I love the 56mm SLC's, but as you note they are heavy. But that's what it takes to see anything 30+ minutes after sunset in my experience.
 
ReinierB said:
Why do you exactly think so?
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It's really nothing too specific that makes me call out the 10x40 as the best of the three Habicht models. I like the 40mm objectives, and the 4mm exit pupil. Any EP less than 4mm feels tight to me, so that's something I appreciate about the 10x over the 8x even though it's a very small gain. It is more glare resistant than the 8x30, no question.

The 10x also has just enough extra eye relief over the 8x to make it much more comfortable to me. It's the difference between smearing the eyelens with my lashes and never smearing it at all.

There are some little things too. My 10x has beautiful dark green coatings that look really snazzy. And I like the shape better than the 8x; it's just a classic binocular style and feels better in the hand.

And there are intangible qualities that to me are the most important of all. I have vivid memories of watching terns struggling against the wind above the stormy Atlantic just a few hours before a hurricane came ashore right where I had been standing. The waves were deep cerulean blue, receding to a black sky, and the terns bright specks of white. The image through the 10x was glare-free, 3D, and bright. It was the perfect tool for the job that day. Nothing technical, just a memory I associate with the 10x that puts it up toward the top of my list.

I try not to get too much into specifications because really it's the overall character of a binocular that makes it a classic, and the 10x has the best character. Glare is the flaw in the 8x model, albeit one I can live with, and the 7x really does have a narrow FOV, although it's my favorite.
 
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Scott98 said:
I haven't seen much useful difference in low-light between my 7x42 and 8x42, not enough to justify a second pair of binoculars. But there are other many other good reasons, the 7x42 would be a lot of fun to use. The lower power benefits, the fun of using a lightweight porro design with excellent optics. You won't regret adding the 7x42, it would be a nice complement to the 8x42 NL. I always choose my 7x42's over the 8x42 for woodland birding where the birds are close.

I've posted elsewhere about the amazing low-light performance of my 10x56 SLC, I love the 56mm SLC's, but as you note they are heavy. But that's what it takes to see anything 30+ minutes after sunset in my experience.
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I was seriously thinking of buying a Habicht 7x42 solely for low-light use. If its' low-light use is marginal compared to the NL 8x42, I wouldn't go for it and instead wait and spend a bit more money on a UV 7x42 or Retro 7x35 if I need the characteristics of a 7x. Thank you @Scott98 for the valuable information about the comparison between them.
 

Viraj,​

I'm sure that Habicht has the advantage of difference in exit pupil in low-light! But even so, let's say that there is not such a big difference on the night field between them... but when it comes to color reproduction, the Habicht 7x42 is the most accurate binocular. It has a very uniform 92%-94% light transmission between the 400nm and 700nm wavelengths. Instead, NL Pure 8x42 in the red zone (over 600nm) reduces its transmission to 80%. Habicht is one of the most accurate binoculars when it comes to color accuracy and this is due to the fantastic transmission on all visible wavelengths without exception! ( information of light transmission taken from https://www.houseofoutdoor.com)
 
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dorubird said:
,
I'm sure that Habicht has the advantage of difference in exit pupil in low-light! But even so, let's say that there is not such a big difference on the night field between them... but when it comes to color reproduction, the Habicht 7x42 is the most accurate binocular. It has a very uniform 92%-94% light transmission between the 400nm and 700nm wavelengths. Instead, NL Pure 8x42 in the red zone (over 600nm) reduces its transmission to 80%. Habicht is one of the most accurate binoculars when it comes to color accuracy and this is due to the fantastic transmission on all visible wavelengths without exception! ( information of light transmission taken from https://www.houseofoutdoor.com)
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agree! I have EDG 7x42 and I still covet the 7x42 Habicth, I'd love to try them. For the ultimate in high transmission and clarity.

Also the ergonomic advantages of porro - they are significantly lighter in weight than the EDG or UVHD 7x42, and the porro body is more comfortable to hold. That's something I like very much about porros, to the extent that I sold off my 10x42 EDG in favor of the 10x35 E2 from Nikon. And of course you'll save money with the Habicht over the UVHD - $1,000 is nothing to sneeze at :)
 

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