Help me choose something in between my Zeiss pocket 8x25 and my SF 8x42. (1 Viewer)

[ibramr]

MO (correct this time),

In reference to the eye relief, I have found this solution to marginally improve a possible perceived limitation in the Noctivid (the other 1000 pound gorilla mentioned above). I am sure that there is a size more appropriate to the UVHD+ 8x32. Please see here.

 

[mulligatawny owl]

Thanks Ibramr, I'll definitely look into that.

 

[Bentley03]

Unexpected update. I found an ex demo Nikon Monarch HG 8x42 online for £500. Seemed too good a deal to resist. Won't be quite as good as the Zeiss's I have I know, but that doesn't worry me too much as long as they are sub alpha good. Never tried them but in theory they are almost as light and compact as an 8x32.
Fingers crossed..

I suspect this is the same ex-display pair I tested at a shop in Sussex on 13th January. Rejected initially, then ordered the next day, as they were such a bargain, only to cancel the order on 16th January, after further contemplation. The ones I tested were £510.

I thought they might fill the void left when I returned my 7x42 Ultravid HD Plus...which I'm on the verge of repurchasing, I think. They were really surplus to requirements, but are my favourite of all the binoculars I have tested or owned and the only pair of binoculars I have ever regretted parting with.

I just need to settle on a justification for the repurchase...😉

 

[mulligatawny owl]

I suspect this is the same ex-display pair I tested at a shop in Sussex on 13th January. Rejected initially, then ordered the next day, as they were such a bargain, only to cancel the order on 16th January, after further contemplation. The ones I tested were £510.

I thought they might fill the void left when I returned my 7x42 Ultravid HD Plus...which I'm on the verge of repurchasing, I think. They were really surplus to requirements, but are my favourite of all the binoculars I have tested or owned and the only pair of binoculars I have ever regretted parting with.

I just need to settle on a justification for the repurchase...😉

Yep, that's the ones, small world! Oddly enough I'm now being rather seduced by the idea of some 7x42 Ultravid hd+, I know they are not much lighter than the SF's but they are much more compact. I did really like the Monarch HGs but they didn't quite compare optically to the SF's in a number of small but ultimately niggling ways and they didn't actually feel that much lighter in use so there didn't seem much point in keeping them.

 

[Rg548]

Anything after SF8x42 will leave you wanting. Simple as that!! It will always be a case of.... 'Theyre not as good as the SF's'.

You have the perfect pairing with what you have.

8x32 will give you no 'real' benefit of portability, only slightly lighter, and slightly smaller.
Your victory 8x25's are so good, a Leica 8x32UVHD is not significantly better.

If you want another pair of bins, then go for it.
But your current line up is exceptional, and fit for any purpose.

 

[mulligatawny owl]

Anything after SF8x42 will leave you wanting. Simple as that!! It will always be a case of.... 'Theyre not as good as the SF's'.

You have the perfect pairing with what you have.

8x32 will give you no 'real' benefit of portability, only slightly lighter, and slightly smaller.
Your victory 8x25's are so good, a Leica 8x32UVHD is not significantly better.

If you want another pair of bins, then go for it.
But your current line up is exceptional, and fit for any purpose.

Wise words! I really don't need another pair but as I don't have a car, I'm either on foot or bicycle or motorcycle so there are often times when the SFs are just a little big for a full day out and the Zeiss pockets, amazing as they are, are a bit lacking for a proper days hiking and birding.
Ok, I admit it, I just want another pair cos I'm a binoholic!

 

[Rg548]

It's just the way we are.... Binoholics!!

I have Zeiss FL8x56 t* and Swaro CL8x25.
I have thought about selling the Zeiss due to size and weight, but I bought them due to the 'wow' factor when I initially looked through them. And they are awesome!!! I've never experienced quality like it, but my wife doesn't touch them, nor my lad due to the size/ weight.
So I looked at some 42's.
I absolutely love the Leica 8x42UVHD, but they are no better optically, and of course worse in low light/ dull days, and in reality, not so much lighter that it will change my day. So for now I will carry the 8x56's and put up with it.

But the 8x32's I tested recently, were a step down from the FL's with their 56mm Objs and Abbe Koenigs.... as you would expect. So I always knew I would save a few grams, about 400 ish, but be putting up with an inferior experience.
So for now!!!!! the FL's stay.

The Swaro's are unbelievable optically, like the Zeiss 8x25's, but the difference between my 56's and my 25's is so vast that it is actually worth it.
I love them for what they are, their portability, for paddleboarding, cycling etc, where even 8x32's would be too big...... but they also completely justify the 56's, making the changeover worth while.

The Habicht 8x30, and the Ultravid 8x32's are very very good. But if i bought either, my other two would lose their value a bit, and I might just 'make do' with the 32's, a bit too big sometimes, and then in other circumstances a bit too small really...... see what I mean.

Anyway..... that's what I tell myself to stop me buying the Habichts.... FOR NOW !!!!!

Next week I'll change my mind, delete this post and tell you why 8x32's are so much better than having really small or really big binos.😅😂🤣😇

 

[mulligatawny owl]

Not sure I could manage those FL 8x56, bet they are amazing though, I can see why anything else would be a step down, good job you didn't get some Nikon WX 7x50's!

 

[Rg548]

Yep, the FL's are incredible, and I've sort of shot myself in the foot with them. I can't seem to let them go. I quickly advertised them, but withdrew it.
Members on here also pulled me back into line
There is a sort of crystalline brightness and clarity that is, to me, amazing. I guess it's the Abbe's. But watching foxes and the occasional owl in the field at the back of my garden at dusk.... well there's nothing quite like it.
I also had a female peregrine take down a pidgeon close to my garden..... the view through those Zeiss was breathtaking.
Can't complain really for a bit of extra weight😏

 

[ibramr]

Greetings. I am hard pressed to raise this point when the FL 8x56 is referenced. As a user who is very quickly approaching his seventies, would I see any benefit from the increased exit pupil to 7mm? I am under the impression that the 6mm exit pupil offered by the the 7x42 is my maximum limit, therefore, any additional increase in the pupil size—that almost certainly comes with more weight—is not really usable. What are your thoughts I wonder? Thank you.

 

[Rg548]

Greetings. I am hard pressed to raise this point when the FL 8x56 is referenced. As a user who is very quickly approaching his seventies, would I see any benefit from the increased exit pupil to 7mm? I am under the impression that the 6mm exit pupil offered by the the 7x42 is my maximum limit, therefore, any additional increase in the pupil size—that almost certainly comes with more weight—is not really usable. What are your thoughts I wonder? Thank you.

I really don't know.
Someone more technical than me may be better to answer.
I guess there would be little difference, especially at your age.
But 7mm gives very easy eye placement, and I think the large objectives allow the incredible resolution, and I'm led to believe, easier control from glare.
Anyway, it's nice bright and easy...... and a tad heavy!!

 

[Bentley03]

Yep, that's the ones, small world! Oddly enough I'm now being rather seduced by the idea of some 7x42 Ultravid hd+, I know they are not much lighter than the SF's but they are much more compact. I did really like the Monarch HGs but they didn't quite compare optically to the SF's in a number of small but ultimately niggling ways and they didn't actually feel that much lighter in use so there didn't seem much point in keeping them.

Yes, a very small world!

Re the Ultravid, there is absolutely no doubt, as Rg548 says, that your SF is the more able birding binocular, it does just about everything better, and has the most wonderful immersive view. I've never tried the 8x42 NL Pure, but with that one possible exception, your SF is surely the most ruthlessly efficient birding binocular in existence...? It's a binocular I hugely admire, and if I could own just one pair of binoculars with a choice of either that or a 7x42 Ultravid, I'd choose the SF without a moment of hesitation.

But, whilst I admire the view through the SF, I simply adore the view through the Ultravid. I once described the 7x42 Ultravid on here as pure joy in the form of a binocular. And, if you approach it as being something a little different from everything else on the market, and enjoy it at face value, rather than comparing it to x, y and z binoculars, you might just fall deeply in love with it, as I did.

The moment I picked the instrument up out of the box, I felt a tingle down my spine, the weight, feel and form of them, a binocular of rare beauty and incredible quality. And if they are physically appealing, the view is something quite extraordinary.

There is a very well populated hedgerow I pass on my daily walk, and I always make a point of stopping and spending a few minutes with binoculars pointing along the top of the hedgerow, lengthways, checking who's at home. I have enjoyed this view through many pairs of different binoculars over the past 18 months, and without a doubt, the Ultravid was the most difficult to observe with, because I couldn't stop giggling at the view they presented (😉).

Hypnotic maybe describes the view as well as any other, I was certainly mesmerised. The combination of the incredibly relaxed view, the deep depth of focus, the extreme contrast, the beautiful saturated (Leica) colours, and the ease of view, all contributed to bringing that hedgerow alive in a way no other binoculars I've tried have been able to...oh my!

So, no, they are not the best binoculars you can buy, but for me, in certain settings, they brought more joy than any other. They're compact, and feel very dense in the hand, and although I'd certainly not call them lightweights, the wonderful ergonomics (as with the SF's) and ease of view, mean they do disappear when in use.

I know, I know, I'm just another Birdforum binoholic fanboy taking the opportunity to big up my favourite binoculars...but in my opinion, they genuinely offer something a little different, and to my grotty old eyes, present the most wonderful of views.

I better go and have a cold shower now...😉

 

[mulligatawny owl]

Yes, a very small world!

Re the Ultravid, there is absolutely no doubt, as Rg548 says, that your SF is the more able birding binocular, it does just about everything better, and has the most wonderful immersive view. I've never tried the 8x42 NL Pure, but with that one possible exception, your SF is surely the most ruthlessly efficient birding binocular in existence...? It's a binocular I hugely admire, and if I could own just one pair of binoculars with a choice of either that or a 7x42 Ultravid, I'd choose the SF without a moment of hesitation.

But, whilst I admire the view through the SF, I simply adore the view through the Ultravid. I once described the 7x42 Ultravid on here as pure joy in the form of a binocular. And, if you approach it as being something a little different from everything else on the market, and enjoy it at face value, rather than comparing it to x, y and z binoculars, you might just fall deeply in love with it, as I did.

The moment I picked the instrument up out of the box, I felt a tingle down my spine, the weight, feel and form of them, a binocular of rare beauty and incredible quality. And if they are physically appealing, the view is something quite extraordinary.

There is a very well populated hedgerow I pass on my daily walk, and I always make a point of stopping and spending a few minutes with binoculars pointing along the top of the hedgerow, lengthways, checking who's at home. I have enjoyed this view through many pairs of different binoculars over the past 18 months, and without a doubt, the Ultravid was the most difficult to observe with, because I couldn't stop giggling at the view they presented (😉).

Hypnotic maybe describes the view as well as any other, I was certainly mesmerised. The combination of the incredibly relaxed view, the deep depth of focus, the extreme contrast, the beautiful saturated (Leica) colours, and the ease of view, all contributed to bringing that hedgerow alive in a way no other binoculars I've tried have been able to...oh my!

So, no, they are not the best binoculars you can buy, but for me, in certain settings, they brought more joy than any other. They're compact, and feel very dense in the hand, and although I'd certainly not call them lightweights, the wonderful ergonomics (as with the SF's) and ease of view, mean they do disappear when in use.

I know, I know, I'm just another Birdforum binoholic fanboy taking the opportunity to big up my favourite binoculars...but in my opinion, they genuinely offer something a little different, and to my grotty old eyes, present the most wonderful of views.

I better go and have a cold shower now...😉

You're making me want some even more now! I have briefly tried them before so I know the eye relief works for me and I remember them being very compact, the SF's are very long and take up a lot of room in my rucksack.
Really the sensible ( but slightly dull?) choice for me is an EL SV 8x32 but I can't help but feel the lure of Leica.
My Monarch HGs are still in parcel force limbo on their way to new owner ( storm delays) so I frustratingly can't buy anything yet until I know they are settled in their new home.

 

[sfphoto]

Yep, there's not many options! I've tried the SF x32 and the eye relief wasn't ideal, whereas the NL 8x32 was perfect , just a bit too expensive right now. I know the EL SV 8x32 has even more eye relief too.

I am very picky about eye relief and compared the SF8x32 and EL8x32 side by side. The SF8x32 was not an option for me, simply not enough eye relief. The EL8x32 is fantastic, enough eye relief and optically almost as good as my NL 10x42. Ergonomically, the EL8x32 is perfect for me, the double bridge design gives me a more secure grip than the NL design when carrying it without a strap. It nicely fills the "middle spot".

 

[mulligatawny owl]

I am very picky about eye relief and compared the SF8x32 and EL8x32 side by side. The SF8x32 was not an option for me, simply not enough eye relief. The EL8x32 is fantastic, enough eye relief and optically almost as good as my NL 10x42. Ergonomically, the EL8x32 is perfect for me, the double bridge design gives me a more secure grip than the NL design when carrying it without a strap. It nicely fills the "middle spot".

View attachment 1431409

Yep, the SF 32 didn't quite work for me either, big difference in eye relief comfort between that and the 32NL. A real shame the EL SV/ fieldpro are discontinued as the 32 NL are almost as large and heavy as 42's and of course much more expensive. The EL's are gonna be very in demand on the used market.

 

[Bentley03]

Yep, the SF 32 didn't quite work for me either, big difference in eye relief comfort between that and the 32NL. A real shame the EL SV/ fieldpro are discontinued as the 32 NL are almost as large and heavy as 42's and of course much more expensive. The EL's are gonna be very in demand on the used market.

If you're pushing the boat out and buying another alpha glass, I have to agree the most obvious, from everything you've said, is probably a pair of EL 8x32's. I too had issues with the SF x32's, although I loved the ergos. I carry NL 10x32's daily, and in truth, I don't perceive a great deal of difference size and weightwise over the EL's, just 3mm longer and 45g heavier, I believe. Including strap and optics guards they weigh 808g. But they're a chunk more expensive than the EL's, of course. There are several places you can still buy the 8x32's new for just under the £1,500 mark, and of course, they haven't been downgraded like the x42's.

 

[mulligatawny owl]

I did end up with a pair of EL Fieldpro 8x32's just in case anyone was curious.

Early days, but so far so good. No sign of troublesome glare yet even though I've already used them in conditions that I know can provoke glare in other bins. Also no sign of flare either. Purple flaring was a rather obtrusive annoyance with the Monarch HG 8x42 for some reason.

Love the weight and ergonomics of them, the focus is not as smooth as I'd ideally like and just a tiny bit notchy with fine adjustments but then I've been spoiled by the SF focus. The view is exceedingly bright, crisp, sharp and completely neutral to my eyes - the SF clearly emphasizes greens in comparison, though I don't mind that at all. The Monarch HG was very contrasty in the browns but sometimes seemed a bit flat somehow. Also the EL seems to snap into perfect sharp focus much easier than the HG.

So yeah, I ended up paying a lot more than the £500 I spent on the Monarch HG's for small improvements, some would even prefer the HG's I'm sure, but I'm happy, so job done.

Time to just get out and enjoy nature now rather than obsessing about binoculars.Mind you those Ultravid HD+ 7x42s are rather tempting....

 

[Bentley03]

I did end up with a pair of EL Fieldpro 8x32's just in case anyone was curious.

Early days, but so far so good. No sign of troublesome glare yet even though I've already used them in conditions that I know can provoke glare in other bins. Also no sign of flare either. Purple flaring was a rather obtrusive annoyance with the Monarch HG 8x42 for some reason.

Love the weight and ergonomics of them, the focus is not as smooth as I'd ideally like and just a tiny bit notchy with fine adjustments but then I've been spoiled by the SF focus. The view is exceedingly bright, crisp, sharp and completely neutral to my eyes - the SF clearly emphasizes greens in comparison, though I don't mind that at all. The Monarch HG was very contrasty in the browns but sometimes seemed a bit flat somehow. Also the EL seems to snap into perfect sharp focus much easier than the HG.

So yeah, I ended up paying a lot more than the £500 I spent on the Monarch HG's for small improvements, some would even prefer the HG's I'm sure, but I'm happy, so job done.

Time to just get out and enjoy nature now rather than obsessing about binoculars.Mind you those Ultravid HD+ 7x42s are rather tempting....

Noting your observations regarding the focus mechanism, I think that's the single biggest step forward Swarovski made with the NL Pure. In my opinion, the focus mechanism, in feel, is pretty much the equal of the SF, although I know it's not quick enough for some.

What really struck me though, when I tried a pair of EL 8x32's a couple of weeks or so ago, was how much smaller/lighter/nicer they felt in the hand than the NL Pure x32's. Much has been made of the ergonomic design of the NL Pure's, but I'm seriously wondering if, in reality, certainly in x32 form, it's actually a step back...?

Enjoy your new bins! 🙂

 

[mulligatawny owl]

Noting your observations regarding the focus mechanism, I think that's the single biggest step forward Swarovski made with the NL Pure. In my opinion, the focus mechanism, in feel, is pretty much the equal of the SF, although I know it's not quick enough for some.

What really struck me though, when I tried a pair of EL 8x32's a couple of weeks or so ago, was how much smaller/lighter/nicer they felt in the hand than the NL Pure x32's. Much has been made of the ergonomic design of the NL Pure's, but I'm seriously wondering if, in reality, certainly in x32 form, it's actually a step back...?

Enjoy your new bins! 🙂

Yep, pretty much my thoughts too. I was tempted to wait a little longer to get the 32 NL as I thought everything about it including the focus was about perfect in my short test, everything other than perhaps the size and weight. Probably if it was your main bin it would be ideal but as I wanted something smaller and lighter the EL 32 seemed a better choice.

 

[Bentley03]

Yep, pretty much my thoughts too. I was tempted to wait a little longer to get the 32 NL as I thought everything about it including the focus was about perfect in my short test, everything other than perhaps the size and weight. Probably if it was your main bin it would be ideal but as I wanted something smaller and lighter the EL 32 seemed a better choice.

Yes, a pair of 10x32 NL Pure's is, after a long process of elimination, my bin, but in truth, I admire them for their perfect fit and their outstanding ability, much more than I love them.