My only four hand-held binoculars (2 Viewers)

[dorubird]

Zeiss SF 10x42 focuser is the best I've tried. I can characterize it as very butter smooth and quick response to the slightest movement. Also, the position of the focus wheel in the center of gravity of the binoculars, which is closer to the eyepieces, plays an important role in perfect ergonomics and stability. I took a very suggestive picture of how Zeiss SF can balance over the edge of "the abyss" by more than half of its length. Do not try this at home



Nikon MHG 8x30 focuser is a bit firm, exactly as I needed. It has a kind of "elastic" movement with very pleasant viscosity feeling. This pleasant elasticity, however, takes away a little from the accuracy of movement



Swarovski Habicht 7x42 came with a very stiff focuser. But this disadvantage is compensated by the fact that has accurate focuser without jerking, and has a smooth spin, like a knife in a hardened butter. After using it over time, it lost some of its stiffness, becoming easier to spin and more pleasant. However, it has the stiffest focuser of my binoculars. I think this feeling is also due to the fact that the focus wheel is metal and very thin compared to its diameter (for example Habicht focuser it is three times thinner than Leica Ultravid 8x20 focuser, and twice larger in diameter than Leica one. This makes it hard to spin)



Leica Ultarvid 8x20 focuser has firmness and accuracy throughout the movement but has a slightly grainy movement that makes it feel less smooth/ continuous. However, the focus wheel is very large for a pocket binoculars, making it more ergonomic, easy to handle and increases spin comfort.



Bonus
My Swarovski EL 8x32 specimen that I tested had a grainy and inconsistent movement. Swarovski focuser moves more easily in one direction than the other, with a slight hesitation when changing direction



Even if I have my personal preferences reflected in this table, personally I can get used to any of these focusers, and I can learn the habit curve of each binocular very easily!

 

[dorubird]

Having only 2 pairs of binoculars I will chose:
First one I clearly opt for the SF Victory 10x42. It is the most comfortable binoculars I have tested. It has a body with "consistency" when held in hands. It sticks to eyes by itself, thanks to the superb ergonomics, and I feel it is a 10x only in resolution, not for the imagine shaking. So the first pair of binoculars is undoubtedly this one! The biggest proof that it is the first choice and the best binocular for me is the test of passing of time. This SF10x42 is my oldest set of binoculars, which has remained "faithful" to me for so many years. I was had many different binoculars in my kit, but this one remained!



But for choice of the SECOND pairs, the choice would be more complicated because I have three options (suitors), each with his own advantages:

Mainly the fight is between Nikon MonarchHG 8x30 vs Swarovski Habicht 7x42.
Nikon MHG 8X30 has the advantage of versatility. It has a very large visual field of view (8.3°), with acceptable clarity even up to the edges. It is more comfortable for glasses, and it has a good quality image with pleasant colors. MHG has good short close focus (~1.7m)! Mechanical quality olso superb. But the most important thing of MHG 8x30 is that these qualities are sealed in an extremely small and light body (450g), which is not much bigger than an 8x25 bino.


Swarovski Habicht 7x42, on the other hand, is from another story. It's a pair of binoculars with personality. Habicht likes to torture you and then reward you with a unique experience. From the moment you hold it in your hand torture begin...It has a bony structure, spartan to the touch. The focus requires force to rotate (but mine softens over time). The AFOV is a spartan one of only 46°, similar to an astronomical orthoscopic eyepiece. But paradoxaly with this small 6.5° field of view, the magic of these binoculars begins. The beauty is that, being very small, you can easily spot it immediately to the edge of the fieldstop, with both eyes without effort. This magic is amplified by the exemplary stability and large depth field of 7x, fantastic clarity of the image. And, in the world of binoculars, Habicht has the best transmission of light at all wavelengths. To this recipe of magic, is added like a salt and pepper, the three-dimensionality specific of a porro binos . The body has the classic porro beauty and is sealed for water.

SO it's hard to choose between versatility and magic. Sometimes I need versatility, and sometimes I feel need for magic. It depends a lot on my mood and concrete situations. When I want relaxation and a unique experience, I choose Habicht 7x42.
But more often I see myself in situations like expeditions, animal photography, or other action situations, where I choose versatility of Nikon MHG 8x30 over the Habicht magic. Because MHG 8x30 it is so compact and does not burden my luggage much, and I do not feel its presence around my neck that much, and that without feeling that it lacks optical and mechanical qualities.


But what about the third option, and more precisely what is it? I can put it in my backpack or pocket and forget about it there. It is the binocular carried everywhere, but used the least, due to the fact that it is the binocular for emergencies and unforeseen situations. It is a design object, just as it is good for a pair of binoculars carried everywhere, to make you happy when you look at it as an object itself. This does not mean that it does not have real optical and mechanical qualities such as image definition, contrast, superb colors and last but not least, the most comfortable focus system in the world of pocket binoculars, thanks to the oversized focus wheel comparared to binocular scale. So the third option for second pair of binoculars it is Leica Ultravid 8x20. But, being extremely small, I don't count it anymore... because with or without UV 8x20 in my backpack I don't feel the difference. So UV it is out of the race because it'll stay in my backpack anyway It's so small, and it's like a mechanical/optical jewel. It is a keeper in any situations! Maybe the fact that I no longer count the Ultravid 8x20 in the race, it has this special and privileged status, that means that these small binoculars are actually my seeking second choice?!


However, if someone forces me to choose only two: As I said, clearly and easily, instantly, the first choice will be Zeiss SF 10x42. But the second choice will be very difficult to make. Maybe Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 due to its usefulness and convenience in use. But then I will immediately miss the magic of Habicht 7x42, or the gem of Ultravid 8x20. I'd be happy with any of these three bino, to make the team with Zeiss SF, appreciating each one's unique qualities. So I'll flip a coin

 

[Canip]

So I'll flip a coin

How many timed will you flip (flipping once obviously will not do the job)?😉

 

[GrumpyBuzzard]

This is what I've got as you asked .... not bird stuff i'm afraid, but what I can get from a phone. Sorry to anyone not interested !!View attachment 1500800

View attachment 1500801View attachment 1500802View attachment 1500803View attachment 1500804View attachment 1500805View attachment 1500806View attachment 1500807View attachment 1500808

What phone were these shot on? Very nice collection by the way, really want the 7 x 42 Swarovski someday.

 

[Pinewood]

Hello,

I rely on an 8x32 Zeiss SF. Should I want to carry two binoculars, it would be my 7x42 Dialyt ClassiC and a 10x32 Zeiss FL, I cannot think of another binocular to use for bird watching, but I do have 6.5x32 Meopta Pro, a backup.
I once owned a 7x42 Habicht, but I found the FOV to be very disappointing.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur

 

[Rg548]

Thank you...

Sony Experia1 and Sony Experia 5.
These phones have an average 'standard' point and shoot capability, but their party piece is the manual modes, which is the same as the Sony Alpha DSLR interface.
So you can alter metering, focussing, including eye tracking focus, exposure comp, shutter speed etc.
This allows tripod mounting, low ISO, slow shutter speed, as seen in the London skyline shot, and the Bridge, or you can ramp up shutter speed to 4000/sec with enough light to capture action stuff.
Best phone camera on the market IF you can use it

What phone were these shot on? Very nice collection by the way, really want the 7 x 42 Swarovski someday

 

[Rg548]

Here is my current Zeiss trio. The SF 10x32, FL 7x42 and FL 8x32. Only $4000 for all three, or only $1000 more than the price of one NL. It pays to buy used.

They all are very glare resistant, very bright, very sharp on-axis, they have practically no CA, no FP and the armor won't fall off.

Each one has its strong points. The SF 10x32's strong points are FOV and CA control. At 7.5 degree the FOV is huge and the biggest FOV in all the Zeiss lineup and Allbinos says it has the best CA control of any binocular they have ever tested.

The FL 7x42's strong points are brightness especially in low light, DOF, easy eye placement, and the ease of holding it steady.

It is the most unusual binocular of the three, and the superb DOF gives the view an almost porro-like 3D feeling. I have never used a binocular like it.

The FL 8x32's strong points are versatility and compactness, along with the light weight. It is hard to beat a 8x32 for all around use in the daytime, and the FL 8x32 is among the smallest and lightest 8x32 made. Even with the objective covers and rain guard installed, it barely weighs over 20 oz.

I would take the Zeiss FL 8x32 any day over the Nikon MHG 8x30 because it has much better CA control than the MHG which has considerable CA on the edge, and it handles glare much better than the MHG. It is almost as small and compact also.

Binoculars rankings - 8x32 - AllBinos.com

The best binocular tests on the net. The comprehensive database of binoculars with their parameters and users opinions. Interesting articles and comparisons.

www.allbinos.com

Very nice trio

 

[dorubird]

...Very nice collection by the way, really want the 7 x 42 Swarovski someday.

Thank you! I have a pair of binoculars from each 4 big company.
At first, Habicht 7x42 causes you a feeling of repulsion due to the very small aparent field of view. But, those who are not afraid of this small AFOV, as time goes by, they are rewarded with its unique qualities, and then becomes very pleasant. Habicht 7x42 it is not a binocular for everyone for sure. Only advanced users know exactly what they want from binoculars, and know how to accept certain compromises for certain optical benefits and/or certain image aesthetics.

 

[dorubird]

...The Zeiss FL 7x42 with the AK prism has a similar 3D stereoscopic view as the Habicht...

? ! ?

You claim in other topics that AK prisms have a more pronounced 3d effect than SP due to the SMALL offset difference between the objectives, and I am agre with that! But at the same time you claim that "AK prisms has a similar 3D stereoscopic view as Habicht" porro (despite the additional GREAT offset spacing difference between AK vs Porro objective). So, it is wrong! It is obvious that the difference in 3d effect between Porro vs AK is much GREATER than between AK vs SP.
So I deeply doubt that the AK roof Zeiss FL 7x42 has the same stereoscopic 3d effect as the porro Habicht 7x42

Stereoscopic 3d effect
Porro >>> AK> SP

 

[tenex]

? ! ?

Indeed. Nor is there any reason to suppose that AK prisms have 2% less transmission than Porros. All typical careless misinformation from Denco. (The explanation is probably more air/glass surfaces in FL than Habicht.)

As to stereoscopy, I really notice no added effect even in SLC 56, so I consider looking for it in FL 42 ridiculous. Some variation in individual vision is possible, but I get around without bumping into things, and find that most people who talk about "3D" can't actually distinguish stereoscopy from any other effect, and haven't even tried.

 

[dorubird]

ok!
Let's go back to "My only four hand-held binoculars"!
I put a picture of my four "chess pieces". Two "kings" and two "queens", all black

 

[ReinierB]

What is the weight of your Habicht 7x42? Is it true that it is lighter than stated bij Swarovski?

 

[dorubird]

ReinierB,
My Habicht weigh 640g measured by me without any accessories. Swarovski in the specifications has 680g without saying the conditions (together with eyepiece cover or not)

 

[ReinierB]

ReinierB,
My Habicht weigh 640g measured by me without any accessories. Swarovski in the specifications has 680g without saying the conditions (together with eyepiece cover or not)

Thanks Dorubird. Was that with the strap attached?

 

[ReinierB]

Houseofoutdoor has measured a magnification of 7,6x and I have read that somewhere else as well (I don't remember where). Is that something you can confirm as well? Maybe hard, since you don't have another 7 power bin, but compared with your Leica 8x20?

 

[dorubird]

Thanks Dorubird. Was that with the strap attached?

No strap attached, no lens covers

 

[dorubird]

Houseofoutdoor has measured a magnification of 7,6x and I have read that somewhere else as well (I don't remember where). Is that something you can confirm as well? Maybe hard, since you don't have another 7 power bin, but compared with your Leica 8x20?

View attachment 1598411

I will make a magnification comparation with other bino.

 

[dorubird]

Houseofoutdoor has measured a magnification of 7,6x and I have read that somewhere else as well (I don't remember where). Is that something you can confirm as well? Maybe hard, since you don't have another 7 power bin, but compared with your Leica 8x20?

View attachment 1598411

I have not yet compared Habicht 7x42 with another 7x. But compared to Leica Ultravid 8x20 and Nikon MHG 8x30, the difference in magnification between them is clearly visible. (I put a pair of binoculars to one eye and another to the other and aligned the images). Until compare with other 7x, I estimate Habicht as a real 7x

 

[ReinierB]

Ok thanks! Good to know.
Still debating with myself if I have to try the Habicht 7x42 or not. I would have prefered 8x42 or 8x50 (I will write a letter to Swarovski of they can make one for me ).

 

[dorubird]

I compared the magnification between Swaro Habicht 7x42 and Nikon E 7x35, testing them as I said above. Both have the same image magnification, having the same subject size!