Brief comparisons between Skyrover Banner Cloud 12x50 VS Swarovski NL Pure 12x42 (3 Viewers)

[jackjack]

(former related post)

SRBC 8x42&10x42 review (in comparison of NL 8x42 & 10x42)

Thread 'Brief comparisons between Skyrover Banner Cloud VS Swarovski NL Pure' Brief comparisons between Skyrover Banner Cloud VS Swarovski NL Pure


Hope I won't get kicked out of the forum because of this post 😅

There are two SRBC that sold officially through Korean distributor

10x42 and 12x50

12x50 which is nice apature for astronomy, have been great hit between korean star gazers.
and also for just optics manias because 12x50 show more detail eventually. (If you can hold it steady...)

so,

I have compared 8x42 and 10x42 directly to Swaro NL 8x42 and 10x42 which is the comparison result most people wants to know.

nows the time for 12x50 to go against NL....

But unfortunately, there are NO NL 12x50 so I have no choice to compare it with NL 12x42


they both lies comfortably on the tripods

again... huge oculars same size as 42mm




nows the comparison starts


1. Magnification

SRBC 12x50

NL 12x42


SRBC / NL


SRBC has significantly bigger magnification then NL maybe 0.2 power more in approx

2. FOV

I reduced them 0.8 power to get a full edge view

top : SRBC
bottom : NL



NL has wider real fov.
but, as SRBC have bigger magnification, AFOV seems bigger in SRBC

+ comparison of Zeiss HT 10x42 (6.3 degrees stated)

top HT 10x42
bottom SRBC 12x50 with magnification reduced to 0.8

SRBC seems to fit the 6.4 FOV they declares

3. Color



As similar as 42mm comparison,
SRBC shows more yellow and orange cimoared to more blue of NL.

NL's view is more transparent overall

Central sharpness


SRBC / NL



Still, NL is one step more sharper then SRBC (also same with EL 12x50 which is even more sharper then NL 12x42)

BUT, as BC have 8mm objectives and bigger magnification, resolution in far distance (such as 10cm letter in approx 150m distance, 50cm letter in approx 800m distance)

Edge sharpness

SRBC / NL




Also like comparison between 42mm, BC is more sharper to the edge. 99+% while NL provides 96 ~ 97%

Distortion

SRBC / NL

reduced to 0.8 management in order to compare the end of edges

Pincusion distortion is more strongly corrected in SRBC which give bit more rolling ball effect.


Chromatic Abberation

SRBC / NL



NL has less CA both on the center end edge


Glare suppression


SRBC 12x50


NL 12x42


yes, same as the difference from 42mm comparison,

NL shows significantly more glare


+ more results


Brightness

SRBC feels tad brighter at daylight maybe because of objective lens size difference.


Ghosting

SRBC wons against NL

Ease of view

SRBC 12x50 and NL 12x42 quotes both 18mm ER but reall usuable ER is tad longer in NL as same as comparison between 42mm
and, It is also same in naked eyes because of massive ER of SRBC. I have to slide the eyecup at least 1 click down to get a full view.

my friend, whos the owner of NL 12x42 have to see BC with 3 clickstop down from fully up.

 

[jackjack]

Conclusion

the difference between NL 12 and SRBC 12 is almost same as comparison between 42mm SRBC and NL.

BC leads on

AFOV

Edge sharpness

Distortion

Glare suppression

Ghosting

NL leads on

Brightness (except for 12. because SRBC have 8mm more lens)

Central sharpness

Color fidelity

Color contrast

3D renedition (especially for 42mm)

Build quality

Ease of view

Ease of focus

Comfortness of View

Accessories (though SRBC still give nice accesories for it's price)



BUT

optical gap is much smaller than 42mm comparison.

maybe because of additional magnification and lens size, SRBC seems to lead NL in long range resolution both in hand held, tripod mounted, even in each tubes separately.

and unlike one of the 42mm SRBC's disadvantages in ergonomic is uneade grip because of thick barrel.

but 12x50 SRBC is shaped like 42mm BC with only thicker at objectives

see the comparison between 42mm and 50mm SRBC


and 50mm EL / SRBC

SRBC 42mm may have thick barral for 42mm but in 50mm, it is just an original thickness of 50mm

erasing the disadvantage of grip among similar sized binos

plus

another main disadvantage of SRBC 42mm is too flat view that have more hard time distinguishing perspective of lined objects.

as magnification and apature grews in 12x50, this flattness is naturally improved enough to bot feel that unease for it (but it is still more flatter then EL 12x50)

SO.....

SRBC 12x50 is even better then I thought.
It's hard to maintain opticall quality in bigger magnification, but SRBC 12x50 Succed to make it follow up the lower magnification. or maybe better.

I'm afriad to say it, but in terms of maintaining optically consistency between diffrent magnification, it seems SRBC is leveled right below the Swaro EL and NL which is the best on the marker or can be considered even regarding the price.


SRBC 12x50 is not a birders bino for sure even worse then 42mm

but in terms of long distance viewing, it is the third best 12 power I have seen following NL and EL closer then I expected.

'Optical gap of Nikon SE 12 vs SRBC 12 is smaller than SRBC 12 VS EL&NL 12'

and for astronomy, due to it's massive FOV compared to EL, and bigger apature compared to NL, it can be best choice...

new tyrant in astronomic handheld device have arrived.
with the hands down best view I've seen under 1500$

 

[jackjack]

Digiscoped photo of SRBC 12x50

(I used SRBC 12x50 in birding because I love using various bino in birding and see how rhey work welk as finding device which it intends in birding. have used nikon 20x56, slc 15x56, ior 7x40 and more in birding. and didn't recommend it)

1. Eurasian tree sparrow

x3 zoom using my phone magnification

same as others


2. Japanese tit

x3


3. Common Kingfisher

x3


4. Varied tit


5. Magpie


6. Ringedneck pheasent



7. Great cormorant

x3

8. Cat



9. Small metal birds




10. Big metal bird

 

[jackjack]

Digiscoped photo of NL 12x42

1. Brown eared bulbul


x3


2. Marsh tit



3. Chinese black bird



4. Japanese tit

x3


5. Chinese Sparrowhawk

x3


6. Dollor bird


7. Eastern spotbill duck

x3


8. Soft shell turtle

x3


9. Squirrel

 

[Patudo]

I didn't know dollarbirds got so far north! They're often seen in Singapore - handsome and fearless birds that have adapted pretty well to the human-modified habitat, with great character. It's fascinating to see birds like that in the same area as Japanese tits and waxwings!

Those squirrels look very much like European red squirrels but the ones in your post don't have ear tufts.

 

[jackjack]

I didn't know dollarbirds got so far north! They're often seen in Singapore - handsome and fearless birds that have adapted pretty well to the human-modified habitat, with great character. It's fascinating to see birds like that in the same area as Japanese tits and waxwings!

Those squirrels look very much like European red squirrels but the ones in your post don't have ear tufts.

Dollar birds are seen through mid june to mid September with black naped oriole.

also usually seen in top of the pole

 

[Scott98]

I love seeing the pictures of Korea - is that Seoul in the city pictures??

The CA test is somewhat unfair comparing 12x42 to 12x50 - it's harder to correct CA with the larger lens. Although I"m sure the 52mm NL do a good job at color correction too.

One thing no one has commented on so far is the actual appearance of the NL Pure binoculars. For me, from a design aesthetic, the NL design seems very "cluttered". What is all that..."stuff" around the focuser? It's very busy with all sorts of little black parts exposed. I like a smoother, more sleek aesthetic.....FWIW. Swaro's binos always seem very "busy" with all the grooves and sculpts, the FP nodules, etc. Apart from the optics, the overall design aesthetic is very different in these two lines of instruments.

 

[jackjack]

I love seeing the pictures of Korea - is that Seoul in the city pictures??

The CA test is somewhat unfair comparing 12x42 to 12x50 - it's harder to correct CA with the larger lens. Although I"m sure the 52mm NL do a good job at color correction too.

One thing no one has commented on so far is the actual appearance of the NL Pure binoculars. For me, from a design aesthetic, the NL design seems very "cluttered". What is all that..."stuff" around the focuser? It's very busy with all sorts of little black parts exposed. I like a smoother, more sleek aesthetic.....FWIW. Swaro's binos always seem very "busy" with all the grooves and sculpts, the FP nodules, etc. Apart from the optics, the overall design aesthetic is very different in these two lines of instruments.

yes. It is Seoul

also yeah. 12x42 is more easy to correct and also, SRBC's magnification is bit bigger. but all of the SRBC's CA (842, 1042,1250 I looked through) is bit inferior then NL ,(but bit less)

 

[Conndomat]

The CA test is somewhat unfair comparing 12x42 to 12x50 - it's harder to correct CA with the larger lens.

I think that's a myth!

Accordingly, 8x32 would generally have less CA than 8x42, which in turn have less CA than 8x56, etc.

Look at the Zeiss FL 10x56, it blows most competitors out of the water in this discipline, even most with less magnification.

Andreas

 

[jackjack]

I think that's a myth!

Accordingly, 8x32 would generally have less CA than 8x42, which in turn have less CA than 8x56, etc.

Look at the Zeiss FL 10x56, it blows most competitors out of the water in this discipline, even most with less magnification.

Andreas

I think it depands too. EL&NL have least CA in small ones...
and 10x32 EL significantly better on Edge CA then 10x50 EL.

I can't say about 10x56 FL though I have seen one. because I haven't seen 10x42 and 10x32 use different prisms

 

[Conndomat]

I think it depands too. EL&NL have least CA in small ones...

IMO this is not the case with EL 8x32 vs 8.5x42 and the SLC 8x56 does not have more CA than the two ELs.

By the way, it's pretty similar in the FL series, the 8x56 doesn't have any more CA than the 8x42, both have AK prisms.

The next point is the focal length in relation to the magnification, larger lenses usually have a longer focal length which should even minimize the CA at the same magnification.

Andreas

 

[yarrellii]

One thing no one has commented on so far is the actual appearance of the NL Pure binoculars. For me, from a design aesthetic, the NL design seems very "cluttered". What is all that..."stuff" around the focuser? It's very busy with all sorts of little black parts exposed. I like a smoother, more sleek aesthetic.....FWIW. Swaro's binos always seem very "busy" with all the grooves and sculpts, the FP nodules, etc. Apart from the optics, the overall design aesthetic is very different in these two lines of instruments.

I completely agree with these, and it's something I've been thinking about (sparked by the -IMHO- utterly unnecessary FP system). It feels like if Swarovski needed to add more and more stuff so their customers can "see" a lot going on to justify both the price and their perception of higher status (which somehow clashes with Leica's moderate and tasteful design that seems timeless: check the Trinovid BA/BN or even the more recent Ultravid... which is in fact kind of a contemporary classic). It somehow reminds me of current car design.

As a matter of fact, despite the fact that the BC look a little "cheap" probably due to the choice of materials, I kind of like the simple lines, it somehow reminds me of the Hawke Frontier APO, which I think looks quite nice for a not-terribly-expensive contemporary bino.

 

[jackjack]

I didn't know dollarbirds got so far north! They're often seen in Singapore - handsome and fearless birds that have adapted pretty well to the human-modified habitat, with great character. It's fascinating to see birds like that in the same area as Japanese tits and waxwings!

Those squirrels look very much like European red squirrels but the ones in your post don't have ear tufts.

one more slight information regarding dollarbirds.

their korean name is '파랑새' which mean Bluebird

but it's more like dark nave then normal blue like Kingfisher and blue can white flycatcher.

but some young korean birders made is nickname and enjoy calling them Bighead bird'

plue dollar birds tends to use the nest that eurasian magpie made and leave after they breed.

 

[SuperDuty]

one more slight information regarding dollarbirds.

their korean name is '파랑새' which mean Bluebird

but it's more like dark nave then normal blue like Kingfisher and blue can white flycatcher.

but some young korean birders made is nickname and enjoy calling them Bighead bird'

plue dollar birds tends to use the nest that eurasian magpie made and leave after they breed.
View attachment 1606026

Was this image taken through a binocular ?

 

[jackjack]

Was this image taken through a binocular ?

yes zeiss SF 8x42 with 3 zoom of my phone

1 zoom ver

another x3

 

[Scott98]

I think that's a myth!

Accordingly, 8x32 would generally have less CA than 8x42, which in turn have less CA than 8x56, etc.

Look at the Zeiss FL 10x56, it blows most competitors out of the water in this discipline, even most with less magnification.

Andreas

It's not a myth, it's just the basics of refractive optics. CA control is more difficult with increasing aperture.

 

[Conndomat]

It's not a myth, it's just the basics of refractive optics. CA control is more difficult with increasing aperture.

But not if the focal length increases at the same time!

Andreas

 

[DRodrigues]

Conclusion
...

SRBC 12x50 is even better then I thought.
...

Hopefully the SRBC 12x56 will maintain the same level of image quality and benefit from the "extra light"...
Will be interesting to read your future review...

 

[jackjack]

Hopefully the SRBC 12x56 will maintain the same level of image quality and benefit from the "extra light"...
Will be interesting to read your future review...

yes I think it can maintain it as seeing it give even better view in 12x50 then 10x42.

but it is much bigger and heavier so, I'll stick with my 12x50 😉

I don't think Korean distributor will import 12x56. they are thinking about 15x56 because they already have 12x50... so if I have 15x56 on my hand, I can compare it with NL 14x52(which is much bigger magnification actually) and SLC 15x56