Swarovski Habicht 7x42 dissection (2 Viewers)

[John A Roberts]

Alternatively, some less excited observations . . .

The Good
The 'Leather'
It’s clearly a synthetic material, and (lightly) smells like a lot of other synthetics. Any intoxication is presumedly in the mind of the holder.


The Bad
The FOV
It is narrow, but most importantly in terms of user comfort, eye movement is not at all restricted. Compare it to the 8x20 Ultravid:
• FOV 114 m/ 1000 m (113 m/ 1000 m)
• AFOV 45 deg (52 deg)
• EP 6 mm (2.5 mm)
The Habicht’s EP having 5.75x the area of the Ultravid makes all the difference: a narrow view but not really 'tunnel like'.
It's not at all restricting of eye movement - with the eyes locked ahead like 'looking down a straw' - as with the 8x20.

The Focuser
Due to the way that the mechanism is made airtight (by having each eyepiece slide back and forth through a synthetic seal),
the focuser does require notably more effort than with other binoculars - but neither augmented nor non-human strength is needed.
A push-pull motion using a finger from each hand largely deals with the problem.

Eyecup Diameter
There’s a number of ways to increase the eyecup diameter, either by adding material or replacing the eyecups.
But with the Habicht and other binoculars with small diameter eyepieces, I inevitably come back to using an index finger curved above each eyecup
to provide superior contact, comfort and stability.

Eye Relief
The real bad is of course the short eye relief. It’s only 12.5 mm from the eyecup rim. So too little for many eyeglass wearers.
(And the 10x40W’s is even less at only 11 mm; see these and a lot of other ER measurements by Canip at: The PINACOLLECTION – Binoculars Today )


The Ugly
There are some inherent limitations (especially the ER), but most can be easily minimised.
For more details on some easy fixes, see posts #6 and 7 at: Habicht 8x30W and Italian supercars (my take on the Habicht)
And for more on eyecups, see: Eye cups Swarovski Habicht 10x40 GA


None of the Habichts would be a first choice for birding, but neither are they a last resort.
So a specialised but interesting addition for some.


John

 

[[email protected]]

Alternatively, some less excited observations . . .

The Good
The 'Leather'
It’s clearly a synthetic material, and (lightly) smells like a lot of other synthetics. Any intoxication is presumedly in the mind of the holder.


The Bad
The FOV
It is narrow, but most importantly in terms of user comfort, eye movement is not at all restricted. Compare it to the 8x20 Ultravid:
• FOV 114 m/ 1000 m (113 m/ 1000 m)
• AFOV 45 deg (52 deg)
• EP 6 mm (2.5 mm)
The Habicht’s EP having 5.75x the area of the Ultravid makes all the difference: a narrow view but not really 'tunnel like'.
It's not at all restricting of eye movement - with the eyes locked ahead like 'looking down a straw' - as with the 8x20.

The Focuser
Due to the way that the mechanism is made airtight (by having each eyepiece slide back and forth through a synthetic seal),
the focuser does require notably more effort than with other binoculars - but neither augmented nor non-human strength is needed.
A push-pull motion using a finger from each hand largely deals with the problem.

Eyecup Diameter
There’s a number of ways to increase the eyecup diameter, either by adding material or replacing the eyecups.
But with the Habicht and other binoculars with small diameter eyepieces, I inevitably come back to using an index finger curved above each eyecup
to provide superior contact, comfort and stability.

Eye Relief
The real bad is of course the short eye relief. It’s only 12.5 mm from the eyecup rim. So too little for many eyeglass wearers.
(And the 10x40W’s is even less at only 11 mm; see these and a lot of other ER measurements by Canip at: The PINACOLLECTION – Binoculars Today )


The Ugly
There are some inherent limitations (especially the ER), but most can be easily minimised.
For more details on some easy fixes, see posts #6 and 7 at: Habicht 8x30W and Italian supercars (my take on the Habicht)
And for more on eyecups, see: Eye cups Swarovski Habicht 10x40 GA


None of the Habichts would be a first choice for birding, but neither are they a last resort.
So a specialised but interesting addition for some.


John

Now you have gone and ruined my leather fantasy! It sure smells like leather. Maybe they put something into the leatherette, so it smells like leather. It is true that the bigger exit pupil helps with eye placement and movement on the Habicht, but it still has the smallest AFOV of any full size binocular I have ever used. I guarantee you when I would switch from my NL to the Habicht it felt like tunnel vision. I have had a lot of binoculars, and the Habicht is by far the tightest focuser I have ever experienced. Having to use two fingers to move a focuser on a binocular is a real inconvenience to me. I used the finger cup method to deal with the tiny eye cups also, but you know what? I don't have to do that on the NL. The eye cups fit my eye sockets perfectly, like they should. Your correct the ER is a deal killer for a lot of people that wear glasses, and hopefully they are aware of the Habicht's short ER. You don't have to defend the Habicht. I still love it for that things that it excels at. It is a unique and unusual binocular. There is really nothing else like it on the market. If I collected binoculars like I use to, I probably would still have one, but anymore I just keep a couple binoculars that I use for birding and that right now is an NL 8x32 and Curio 7x21. I prefer the big FOV of the NL with sharp edges and relatively big FOV for a pocket of the Curio with sharp edges. I am more into what works the best for me for birding. For now, but as we all know that could change.

 

[Canip]

The movie title is „The Good, the Bad and the Ugly“, so there was no place in your post for „the Beautiful“, the latter having been emphasized so strongly in allbinos‘ review of the 10x40 some years ago 😁, see Swarovski Habicht 10x40 W - binoculars review - AllBinos.com
(towards the end of the review)

 

[Will K]

There’s also a fun Korean movie called “The Good, the Bad, and the Weird” (2008). Maybe that’s more appropriate? 😉

 

[[email protected]]

The movie title is „The Good, the Bad and the Ugly“, so there was no place in your post for „the Beautiful“, the latter having been emphasized so strongly in allbinos‘ review of the 10x40 some years ago 😁, see Swarovski Habicht 10x40 W - binoculars review - AllBinos.com
(towards the end of the review)

I didn't say the Habicht was ugly. I think they are one of the most beautiful binoculars around. The build quality is superb, and I love the smell of them, even though it is fake leather. 😁

 

[dorubird]

Swarovski Habicht 7x42 is clearly a binocular with one of the strongest "personalities"!

 

[Will K]

Your pictures certainly accentuate that personality very well. Very nice!

 

[ReinierB]

I think they are beautiful. One day I hope to own the 10x40... however, I have never looked through one. Maybe that would temper my desire a bit. Short eye relief, narrow eyecups...

 

[Paultricounty]

I think they are beautiful. One day I hope to own the 10x40... however, I have never looked through one. Maybe that would temper my desire a bit. Short eye relief, narrow eyecups...

It’s the nature of the beast. There are better tools, but there are not many as unique and beautiful.

 

[Hermann]

Short eye relief, narrow eyecups...

Short eyerelief - yes. However, you can always use the green eyecups of the GA version. They're much more comfortable if you don't wear glasses. If you do, I personally prefer the narrow eyecups.

BTW, I find I can use the 7x42 with my glasses quite easily without losing any field of view. The 10x40 is more difficult.

Hermann

 

[dorubird]

Same, with my glasses and my physiognomy (nose, forehead, cheekbones, etc.) I use Habicht 7x42 without losing any field of view.

 

[PW42]

I fold down the eyecups when wearing glasses and this gives a full FOV. When not using glasses, I have some cheap (~£2) eyecups which slip over and are much more comfortable and also help stop stray light from the side. (This is for an 8x30 rather than 7x42 but I imagine the issues are the same).

 

[dorubird]

"old" but new !

 

[Paultricounty]

"old" but new !View attachment 1491102

Old but new. Again nice photos! Can that be done with my wife 😲🤪

 

[John A Roberts]

Further to post #21 . . .

In comparing the 7x42 Habicht to the 8x20 Ultravid - in terms of size and weight, and therefore portability -
the Ultravid is the big winner (e.g. the notion that the 'best binocular' is the one that you have with you).

The 8.5 oz/ 240 g Ultravid in leather, compared to the 24 oz/ 680 g Habicht in leatherette:

 

[dorubird]

#35
Leica Ultravid 8x20 and Swarovski Habicht 7x42 are two extremely different beasts!
Yes, the reduced volume and weight of Ultravid have obvious advantages! The size difference is obvious which give us more portability! "The Ultravid is the big winner" ... And of game!

But, when we compare two such different binoculars, the advantages of the Habicht also stand out:
an infinitely better ergonomics in the hands (with or without gloves) which give us more stability confort
a much larger exit pupil that makes it not only much brighther but much easier to look trought eyepieces during the day and especially the night.

These binoculars are so different that they are complementary and I wouldn't put them in opposition like you did! it's like saying that a chair is better than a table😀 However, I really like your picture of the two. They make a nice team with that leather on them

 

[Siggy]

The Swaro Habicht 7x42 Rubber armored must be from around 1995? Any opinions on these? they seem abit heavy, but you don't see this model very often?

 

[tehri]

The Swaro Habicht 7x42 Rubber armored must be from around 1995? Any opinions on these? they seem abit heavy, but you don't see this model very often?

Habitch SL... Have still these ones (10x40)... Wonderful binoculars which gived me full pleasure.
I'm not at home and can't verify at the moment, but i think they are from earlier.
(John A Roberts provided all docs and pdf related here... Swarovski SL porro models).

I looked at the coating of these Habitch a few days ago, which is very glossy and in perfect condition, and wondered if that of the NL Pure would be in the same perfect condition After 25 or 30 years !!!!! Lol !
Now that I have the joy of having the NL'S 10x32, i smile sometimes wondering how I managed for more than 10 years, to travel Himalayas with almost 1kg around my neck every day!!! It's because these binoculars also really gave me a lot of pleasure... They are filled with wonderful visions !!

 

[henry link]

I had a 7x42 SL for a few years back in the mid 1980s. Optically it was just like today's Swaro 7x42 Porro, except that the Porro prisms were cemented rather than air-spaced. Some very low light transmission measurements of old SLs by Gijs has led to some speculation here that something may be causing the light transmission of the old SLs to deteriorate over time.

 

[tenex]

The Swaro Habicht 7x42 Rubber armored must be from around 1995?

A 1980s SL. Clunky focusing, yellow cast and further deterioration are the usual issues mentioned. Too bad, it was an interesting and distinctive design, but an SLC would do so much better. What is this one like in FOV, sharpness etc?