Should I sell the Noctivid 8x42, replace with the new Swarovski 8x42 NL Pure? (1 Viewer)

[spiralcoil]

Greetings!

Wonder if anyone have chance to compare side by side the Leica Noctivid vs Swarovski NL Pure? Is it worth to replace the Noctivid 8x42 with the NL Pure 8x42? In sight of so many useful better benefits with the new NL Pure, eg. the so much wider FOV than the Leica...

Appreciated of your inputs.

 

[Ratal]

If you are a FOV monster, yes. If you don't like the CA in the Noctavid, absolutely.

 

[Ratal]

Used both, LOVE the Leica colours but the Swaro wins hands down for following faster critters through the trees and that blistering centre sharpness.

 

[Conndomat]

Wonder if anyone have chance to compare side by side the Leica Noctivid vs Swarovski NL Pure? Is it worth to replace the Noctivid 8x42 with the NL Pure 8x42? In sight of so many useful better benefits with the new NL Pure, eg. the so much wider FOV than the Leica...

Hi,

a large field of vision is only one aspect among many others!

The Noctivid has a great contrast and the stray light suppression is also excellent.
It has very nice "colors" and on the axis it is extremely sharp.

A "gut decision" would be the wrong way here, you should test both glasses together for a few days, that Noctivid is not worse, it is just good differently.

Andreas

 

[spiralcoil]

If you are a FOV monster, yes. If you don't like the CA in the Noctavid, absolutely.

Any objective prove that the Noctivid has worse CA than the NL Pure?

 

[jcnguyen09]

I don't have the NV 8x42 but I have NV 10x42 and NL 8x42. I found that the color rendition of NV is more beautiful as well better 3-D effect than the NL. Also the NV is much better in control of glares and better for glasses wearers with 19 mm ER. The FOV of NV is somewhat limited but I also feel the FOV of NL 8x42 is too much and unnecessary too wide that causes distractions. Although the NV is not sharp all the way to the edges like the NL but not by much and the NV has a huge sweetspot and excellent contrast in the centers.

 

[SUPPRESSOR]

Greetings!

Wonder if anyone have chance to compare side by side the Leica Noctivid vs Swarovski NL Pure? Is it worth to replace the Noctivid 8x42 with the NL Pure 8x42? In sight of so many useful better benefits with the new NL Pure, eg. the so much wider FOV than the Leica...

Appreciated of your inputs.

If you are sensible, no, but,if your like me, yes.
pete.

 

[Renze de Vries]

I don't have the NV 8x42 but I have NV 10x42 and NL 8x42. I found that the color rendition of NV is more beautiful as well better 3-D effect than the NL. Also the NV is much better in control of glares and better for glasses wearers with 19 mm ER. The FOV of NV is somewhat limited but I also feel the FOV of NL 8x42 is too much and unnecessary too wide that causes distractions. Although the NV is not sharp all the way to the edges like the NL but not by much and the NV has a huge sweetspot and excellent contrast in the centers.

Go for the Noctivid. It will make you unique among birders roll-calls.

Renze

 

[jan van daalen]

Spiral,

The NV, SF and NL are top notch and you can't -in no way- rely on others experiences.
You have to compare them by yourself.
What counts for others doesn't have to count for you.

Just my 2c.

Jan

 

[_Prism_]

Greetings!

Wonder if anyone have chance to compare side by side the Leica Noctivid vs Swarovski NL Pure? Is it worth to replace the Noctivid 8x42 with the NL Pure 8x42? In sight of so many useful better benefits with the new NL Pure, eg. the so much wider FOV than the Leica...

Appreciated of your inputs.

I've compared the two and found the NL to be superior for the following reasons:
1. Substantially better control of CA (Leica's seem prone to it, possibly due to their shorter focal lengths)
2. The forehead rest, which I think every other brand will end up adopting in their next iteration. Subjectivity I felt it reduced the shakes on the 10x42's by around 20-30%.
3. The odd looking barrels of the NL's actually made them easier to grip.
4. Very noticeable increase in fov.

Overall I found the noctivids to be the weakest optically of the three alphas (SF, NL & NV). However, as is usually the case in these comparisons, they undeniably felt the best in hand (and as trivial as it may seem, I also found them the best looking).

The most critical thing to mention here is that all of the improvements I have listed might not matter in the slightest to you, as you might decide you simply prefer the look and feel of the NV. Objective performance metrics and measurements aside, there is a great deal of subjectivity when it comes to choosing a pair binoculars. No amount of opinions or glowing reviews on the internet can ever substitute for physically testing them and comparing them against eachother.

 

[_Prism_]

Spiral,

The NV, SF and NL are top notch and you can't -in no way- rely on others experiences.
You have to compare them by yourself.
What counts for others doesn't have to count for you.

Just my 2c.

Jan

Ah I wish I read your response first before posting mine, above!
You are 100% correct.

 

[jan van daalen]

Heaving read your response on 10 I agree fully with your comparison.

Jan

 

[Lightbender]

Wonder if anyone have chance to compare side by side the Leica Noctivid vs Swarovski NL Pure? Is it worth to replace the Noctivid 8x42 with the NL Pure 8x42?

This is exactly what I did: I replaced my Noctivid 8x42 with an NL Pure 8x42.

I already regret my decision.

The NL Pure has its own merits. But the view through the Noctivid is simply more beautiful: slightly higher contrast, almost glowing colours, better 3D, no stray light, better panning behaviour.

 

[Mac308]

I've compared them both side-by-side. I genuinely dislike the Pure's view... the image has been tortured into flatness and wideness. Something in the"optical triangle" is going to give with Swarovski's gimicky approach, and for my eyes it does.

Yet another unsettling view from Swarovski.

 

[ZDHart]

I recently did an extended at home comparison between SF and NL, both in 10x32.

After six days of really wanting to love the NL, I could not get what felt like a natural and comfortable hold on the pinched-waist NV barrels. And, the armor on the NL felt just a little slippery compared to the better stiction of the SF armor. The handling of the 10x32 NL was a problem for me, personally.

The traditional barrel shape of the SF dropped into my hands with an immediately natural-feeling, comfortable hold. And the stiction of the SF armor felt much more secure in my hands.

The optics of the NL were very good, as they are with the SF; it was the feel in the hands/handling of the NL that I could not get comfortable with, after six days of trying to do so. I sent the NL back and was relieved to have made a decisive choice.

Though my comparison did not include the Noctivid, I'm sharing this with you to point out that the feel in the hands/handling is just as important as optics, view, etc.

So, don't be too hasty to switch to NL; make sure that you love how they feel in your hands before jumping ship. And, make sure you love the view even more than you do with the Noctivid.

Any other individual's preference may very well not apply to you. So, as others have advised you, above, you have to personally test them out for yourself before you can know what feels just right to you.

I haven't tried a Noctivid, but I am quite familiar with Leica UVHD+, and I will say that the Leica "view" (color quality, contrast) is definitely, absolutely quite delicious! My hunch is that the color quality and contrast with the Noctivid is likely fantastic.

 

[hop_sing]

I am a still enthusiastic owner and frequent user of the Noctivid 10x42 for four years. Here are some of my very humble conclusions:

1. I think some of us suffer a bit from not having enough - kind of FOMO and NGAS (New Gear Acquisition Syndrome)
Maybe we all have to learn again to be really content with what we have...

2. For me the ergonomics of the NV are still the best I can get. As said: for me, personally. And I compared three alphas for a longer period. These were Zeiss Victory FL, Swarovski EL and the above Noctivid, all in 10x42. Later when they got to the market, I took a Zeiss SF 10x42 because of its splendid soft focus, but I dislike the ergonomics of that centering the weight of the glasses in direction of the user's face as Zeiss does with the SF's ergonomic concept.
The Noctivid is more 'equilibrated' and - especially for a 10x42 or even bigger magnifications - it is better to stabilize your view with your hands more on the front of the barrel... wisdom of hunting: you also stabilize your gun or rifle with the front of the barrel, not with the back...

3. I really love the overall experience of viewing with my Noctivid! It is perhaps the best alpha bino for the second glance with a long time love effect

4. IMO Swarovski has kind of overdone it in the NL with the flattened and too wide FOV in combination with a slight globe effect when panning too fast... also for me, the design is too bulky and modern, I even dislike this "wasp tail", but I admit as a German I very much like the strong, clear and black, grown up industrial design by Leica (former Leitz) since ever...

5. CA is sometimes visible in the Noctivid in situations of very high contrast, but I can very well deal with that.

You really have to get YOUR OWN picture of what YOU REALLY want to SEE!

 

[ZDHart]

The most critical thing to mention here is that all of the improvements I have listed might not matter in the slightest to you, as you might decide you simply prefer the look and feel of the NV. Objective performance metrics and measurements aside, there is a great deal of subjectivity when it comes to choosing a pair binoculars. No amount of opinions or glowing reviews on the internet can ever substitute for physically testing them and comparing them against eachother.

^^^ Prism and Jan are spot on.

DON'T choose binoculars by comparing specifications listed on paper. DON'T choose binoculars by taking the advice of so called "reviewers" - or others offering personal opinions. Individuals are quite divided on what may or not be the best choice in a particular class or category of binoculars.

Put the considered binoculars to be compared in YOUR hands, use them for a couple of days, if possible. A binocular lauded for widest this, sharpest that, flattest the other thing may be all well and good, but with first hand experience, you may very well prefer some binoculars that DON'T have the widest this, OR the flattest that, OR the sharpest the other thing.

 

[GrampaTom]

Really?

 

[ZDHart]

Really?

Yup. Simple. Go with what works best for you!

 

[ZDHart]

The Leica view is just such a joy! Leica does have magic in their bins.