NL Pure 'problems'. (1 Viewer)

[[email protected]]

I sent my faulty NL's back to my dealer and received a full refund. My days of purchasing modern roof prism binos (or latest & greatest 'anything') are over. I don't have the patience for sending items backwards and forwards for repair & servicing.

I've ordered a Habicht 10x40 GA, and it'll be the last binocular I'll ever need. Tried and tested over 70 odd years.

If you find out from Swarovski what was wrong with your NL's let us know. You have made a good choice in the Habicht 10x40 GA. I think it is the best all-rounder of the Habicht's because it shows less glare than the 8x30 W and it has a wider AFOV than the 7x42 W. The GA model is built like a tank and it has bigger more comfortable eye cups than any of the black eye cups on the W models. The focuser is a little tight but you do get used to it. It is very precise with no slop in it. The big advantage of any porro and especially the Habicht's is their 3D view and their high light transmission. They are great for hunting or animal spotting in the woods because you can pick out animals better from the surrounding trees. The Habichts are probably one of the highest transmitting binoculars you can buy and will be brighter than practically any other binocular of comparable aperture. The Habicht GA is very tough and like you said it will easily give you a lifetime of trouble free use. I am confident you will not have any problems with a Habicht.

 

[Mask of Porro]

NZBinodude- your going to love the habicht.

i'd love to hear your thoughts of it vs the NL.

 

[Mask of Porro]

You have made a good choice in the Habicht 10x40 GA. I think it is the best all-rounder of the Habicht's because it shows less glare than the 8x30 W and it has a wider FOV than the 7x42 W. .

no it doesn't.

7x42 FOV [email protected]
10x40 FOV [email protected]

everyone raves on about the small FOV that the 7x42 has yet the 10x40 is smaller still.

do you refer to FOV to magnification ratio or something?

 

[NDhunter]

no it doesn't.

7x42 FOV [email protected]
10x40 FOV [email protected]

everyone raves on about the small FOV that the 7x42 has yet the 10x40 is smaller still.

do you refer to FOV to magnification ratio or something?

Yes, you need to consider the magnification, the 7x42 has a very nice FOV but it is narrow compared to others including 8X.

If you change the ratio of 7 vs. 10x, you will see the difference.

I have or have experience with all 3 sizes of the Habicht.

Jerry

 

[[email protected]]

no it doesn't.

7x42 FOV [email protected]
10x40 FOV [email protected]

everyone raves on about the small FOV that the 7x42 has yet the 10x40 is smaller still.

do you refer to FOV to magnification ratio or something?

I meant the Habicht 10x40 GA has a bigger AFOV at 60 degrees versus the Habicht 7x42 GA AFOV of 46 degrees from the Swarovski website. The AFOV is what really determines if the binocular feels tunnel like or not. The simple calculation is just the magnification times the FOV in degrees but the manufacturers use a more accurate method to determine it. The bigger the AFOV the more immersive the binocular feels and the less tunnel like. The Habicht 7x42 does have a smaller AFOV but it has AMAZING apparent brightness. So even though the Habicht 7x42 is tunnel like it is a BRIGHT tunnel! It is almost like there is a light inside the binocular because of the extremely high transmission and bigger 6 mm exit pupil. It is an unusual binocular! The only binoculars I have tried that might be a little brighter are the Zeiss FL 8x56 and Swarovski SLC 8x56 just because of the huge aperture and larger 7 mm exit pupil.

 

[denc[email protected]]

NZBinodude- your going to love the habicht.

i'd love to hear your thoughts of it vs the NL.

The Habicht 10x40 GA will have better a 3D image and it will probably be a little brighter than the NL 10x42. The transmission of the Habicht is about 95% versus 91% in the NL but the NL has a 2 mm aperture advantage. For hunting the Habicht will probably be superior to the NL because the 3D will help you spot game easier. The 3D image pops a deer or elk from the back round trees or forest better than a flat field like the NL. The Habicht 7x42 and 10x40 are excellent mountain hunting binoculars because they are light and very bright and of course they have the advantage of the 3D image. The tighter focuser doesn't bother you as much hunting because most game is more distant than birds hence you are focusing less often than birding. For birding the NL is probably superior with its easier focuser and bigger FOV for finding fast moving birds. For toughness and durability no doubt the Habicht. I have had all three Habichts and I have the NL 8x42 now.

 

[nzwild]

I sent my faulty NL's back to my dealer and received a full refund. My days of purchasing modern roof prism binos (or latest & greatest 'anything') are over. I don't have the patience for sending items backwards and forwards for repair & servicing.

I've ordered a Habicht 10x40 GA, and it'll be the last binocular I'll ever need. Tried and tested over 70 odd years.

Likewise, looking forward to a review from an ex NL user

 

[Loud Green Man]

Waiting on delivery of a new pair of 7X42GA’s as I write so it will be good to hear what NZbinodude thinks of his 10 power.

LGM

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

I have used the 8x42 NL pure now for a couple of weeks and it is working perfectly and I have observed none of the optical problems mentioned by some on the forum. And the focusser works also smooth in both directions.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[[email protected]]

Waiting on delivery of a new pair of 7X42GA’s as I write so it will be good to hear what NZbinodude thinks of his 10 power.

LGM

The 7x42 GA's are very unusual binoculars. They have a narrow FOV but are amazingly bright. They have been very popular hunting binocular for 70 years because of their toughness and light weight.

 

[Canip]

I have used the 8x42 NL pure now for a couple of weeks and it is working perfectly and I have observed none of the optical problems mentioned by some on the forum. And the focusser works also smooth in both directions.
Gijs van Ginkel

Same here, in all respects.
Canip

 

[Loud Green Man]

The 7x42 GA's are very unusual binoculars. They have a narrow FOV but are amazingly bright. They have been very popular hunting binocular for 70 years because of their toughness and light weight.

I must be very strange as I do not mind the tunnel-like view or the stiff but zero slop focusing wheel!

LGM

 

[Brummie]

The Habicht 10x40 GA will have better a 3D image and it will probably be a little brighter than the NL 10x42. The transmission of the Habicht is about 95% versus 91% in the NL but the NL has a 2 mm aperture advantage.

I recently bought the Habicht 10x40W and also have Zeiss 10x42 SF and 12x42 NLs. Honestly, I don't see any aspect in which the Habichts are optically superior to the 10x42 SF. I don't see any noticeable increase in brightness or in the 3-dimensionality of the image. I do really like the Habichts for their style, light weight and the fact that they cost a third of what the top-tier roofs do, though. The stiffer focus is not an issue for me for anything more 15m away. For fast moving birds in the undergrowth, I'd opt for something else, though.

 

[Loud Green Man]

I recently bought the Habicht 10x40W and also have Zeiss 10x42 SF and 12x42 NLs. Honestly, I don't see any aspect in which the Habichts are optically superior to the 10x42 SF. I don't see any noticeable increase in brightness or in the 3-dimensionality of the image. I do really like the Habichts for their style, light weight and the fact that they cost a third of what the top-tier roofs do, though. The stiffer focus is not an issue for me for anything more 15m away. For fast moving birds in the undergrowth, I'd opt for something else, though.

I think you've nailed it but would add its nice to be a little different and perhaps even reactionary in one's choice of kit if not actually sacrificing anything in terms of image and build quality. Or at least very little.

LGM

 

[Brummie]

I think you've nailed it but would add its nice to be a little different and perhaps even reactionary in one's choice of kit if not actually sacrificing anything in terms of image and build quality. Or at least very little.

LGM

I should also say that I don't feel I have the best eyes in the world, so others may get more out of their instruments, particularly when it comes to larger exit pupils (although that shouldn't be an issue comparing the 10x40 to the 10x42.
One thing I did notice, directly comparing the Habicht and 10x42 SF, is that the image just looked bigger in the latter. I don't mean the FOV, but the actual thing I was looking at. I'm not suggesting that there is any difference in the magnification, just that it's something about the way my visual cortex works. Comparing side-by-side, it gave me a more satisfying feeling looking through the SF, but again, I'm very happy with the Habicht in actual use.
I guess part of the romance of the Habichts for me is that they remind me of using my Dad's old binoculars when I was a kid. I think he had a pair of Zeiss Jena 10x50, but I could be wrong. I remember them as being huge, which the Habicht certainly is not.

 

[[email protected]]

I recently bought the Habicht 10x40W and also have Zeiss 10x42 SF and 12x42 NLs. Honestly, I don't see any aspect in which the Habichts are optically superior to the 10x42 SF. I don't see any noticeable increase in brightness or in the 3-dimensionality of the image. I do really like the Habichts for their style, light weight and the fact that they cost a third of what the top-tier roofs do, though. The stiffer focus is not an issue for me for anything more 15m away. For fast moving birds in the undergrowth, I'd opt for something else, though.

You will see the difference in the 3-dimensionality of the image when you are looking for game or birds against a backdrop of trees or a forest. The Habicht's porro image will seem to pop out the bird from the back round foliage, whereas, the roof's image will be flatter and more pie plate in appearance.

 

[Brummie]

You will see the difference in the 3-dimensionality of the image when you are looking for game or birds against a backdrop of trees or a forest. The Habicht's porro image will seem to pop out the bird from the back round foliage, whereas, the roof's image will be flatter and more pie plate in appearance.

In truth, I haven't used them in those kinds of field conditions yet. Mostly in the streets and parks of DC, where I live.

 

[PeterPS]

One thing I did notice, directly comparing the Habicht and 10x42 SF, is that the image just looked bigger in the latter. I don't mean the FOV, but the actual thing I was looking at. I'm not suggesting that there is any difference in the magnification, just that it's something about the way my visual cortex works.

It sure does, doesn't it: this is the well known scaling effect of porros, the objects viewed thru them look smaller than when viewed thru roof binos having the same magnification. Interesting that you have noticed this illusion/effect w/o knowing anything about it, and indeed it is caused by the visual cortex.

 

[dries1]

An object viewed through a porro will appear smaller than through a roof of the same magnification. Here is previous thread.

Andy W.

Porro and roof object size

This is an effort to pick up an interesting thread which was lost when the site went down recently. Someone posted the observation that porro and roof binoculars of the same magnification deliver the rather puzzling effect of presenting the image (object really) different, i.e. in roof...

www.birdforum.net

 

[dries1]

Peter like the Avatar, never saw so many birders looking for/at one bird.

Andy W.