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Zeiss Victory SF or NL Pure 10x42 (1 Viewer)

UTGrad

UTGrad

Well-known member
United States
Hello for the first time I am going to be moving into the alpha glass category. I am looking at the Zeiss Victory SF or the Swaro NL Pure.

From what I understand the gains of the NL Pure over the SF are slight and both are world class.

I’m partial to Zeiss optics. I like their color renditions. I’ve never owned a Swaro optic.

Low light performance and comfort holding free hand are very important.

Thank you in advance for any feedback you all can provide.
 
I liked the sf 8x32 for the fov and handling, disliked the yellowish cast.

So got the el 8x32 instead.

Didnt compare the 42’s so cant give you my thoughts

Edit: also had nl 8x32 to try at the same time but dont own. similar image to el, marginally wider but also heavier than both.
 
If your primary purpose is hunting, as noted in your other post, I really think you will get better advice from forums specific to your sport (ditto if you were using them for astronomy/stargazing). Every type of use has its own particular requirements and what works well for one application may not in another. What most birders look out for is different, the times of day they are out in the field, typical viewing distances and also the need for robustness in construction - all of these may well be different to your intended use. Even things like colour rendition - birders generally prefer as neutral as possible whereas I've heard that green or yellow can increase contrast and make (for instance) a brown deer ear stand our against greenery. Not too many birders (certainly in Europe) are serious hunters either, so will not have that experience/perspective to help advise you (NB. and a lot of commentators in this forum are pretty casual rather than truly dedicated wildlife observers). In short I think other forums almost certainly have better knowledge and experience to guide you than here.
 
Patudo said:
If your primary purpose is hunting, as noted in your other post, I really think you will get better advice from forums specific to your sport (ditto if you were using them for astronomy/stargazing). Every type of use has its own particular requirements and what works well for one application may not in another. What most birders look out for is different, the times of day they are out in the field, typical viewing distances and also the need for robustness in construction - all of these may well be different to your intended use. Even things like colour rendition - birders generally prefer as neutral as possible whereas I've heard that green or yellow can increase contrast and make (for instance) a brown deer ear stand our against greenery. Not too many birders (certainly in Europe) are serious hunters either, so will not have that experience/perspective to help advise you (NB. and a lot of commentators in this forum are pretty casual rather than truly dedicated wildlife observers). In short I think other forums almost certainly have better knowledge and experience to guide you than here.
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Thank you although I also use glass to observe birds on my feeders and other wildlife. I also like binoculars when I travel to the beach and visit the zoo. I have learned a lot on these forums in regards to the strengths and weaknesses of various optics. I was hoping to glean some experience on these 2 alpha glass binoculars.
 
I suspect that poking around this site, and using the search function, will reveal exhaustive discussion and comparison of these two instruments.
 
Whichever one You like best after comparing them side by side. Lots of Spirting foods stores (Scheels, Sportsmans, Cabelas) carry both.
 
Always the best advice is to try them both , especially now that you narrowed it down. If your in the staes there are few retailers that will allow a try and return. You will not be disappointed in either one because they are in the top three best premium binoculars made today. I personally wouldn’t choose one over the other for a slightly lager FOV. with these two it’s would come down to ergonomics, which are both great. Don’t dismiss the Swaro EL’s, optics are as good as the NL and SF.

Good luck , let us know what you decided.
 
Paultricounty said:
Always the best advice is to try them both , especially now that you narrowed it down. If your in the staes there are few retailers that will allow a try and return. You will not be disappointed in either one because they are in the top three best premium binoculars made today. I personally wouldn’t choose one over the other for a slightly lager FOV. with these two it’s would come down to ergonomics, which are both great. Don’t dismiss the Swaro EL’s, optics are as good as the NL and SF.

Good luck , let us know what you decided.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I am not sure how sensitive I would be to the field flattener and rolling ball effect. Thank you for the note on the ELs.
 
[email protected] said:
The best thing is to compare them side by side. You can compare the two here on Allbinos to give you an idea of each binoculars strengths and weaknesses.

Binoculars rankings - 10x42 - 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 www.allbinos.com
Click to expand...
Dennis, you know better than that, you don’t go by numbers on a chart when you’re deciding on one of the three best binoculars in the world.
 
Paultricounty said:
Dennis, you know better than that, you don’t go by numbers on a chart when you’re deciding on one of the three best binoculars in the world.
Click to expand...
The best thing is to compare them yourself, but Allbinos can help point you in the right direction. I would never choose between those two based on Allbinos ranking. You might get the blue ring of death on the SF!;)
 
I had a glance (so not definitive!) through both of the above, and pretty much all the binoculars mentioned here as alphas except meopta's. I liked the NL's more than the sf's so if I were choosing between them if go for the NL's. Personally I preferred the 8x56 slc's more then either. You won't find the answer on forums, just ideas for things to try.
 
There are so many individual factors that make a difference at this level, I’d suggest making a trip to an actual physical store that stocks both. Or holding off on purchase until your next trip to a major city like NY or London that has such. Hunters like binoculars too so you might not even have to go that far.
 
Don’t know if you’ve purchased yet. Own an SF and have a friend with an NL - both in 10x42. After time with both in varied field conditions we’ve concluded they are both spectacular, but in their own way. To me, the personality of the images and handling characteristics are quite unique, and need to be experienced to fully appreciate.

The great news is - it’s a choice between two stellar binoculars. I bought my SF prior to the rollout of the NLs. Is that what I would have done if the NLs were available at the time? Who knows. After considerable comparison find the NLs an impressive glass, but never felt the need to replace my SF. At this level it’s really all about personal preferences.
 
I went through this and made a decision a year or two ago. I went with the NLs. But the SFs are also extremely good.
After about a year of ownership I sold my NLs and now own 10x42 Ultravids. I just like Ultravids the best I think. They are objectively smaller, lighter, and cheaper than the NLs. And subjectively offer a more beautiful experience.
 
For what little it may be worth, from reading comments from here, I remain quite content with my 8x32 SF.

I’ve not even seen the corresponding NL.
 
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