NL's are simply the best! (9 Viewers)

[[email protected]]

I think I have to admit that Swarovski NL's are the best binoculars out there IMO, especially optically. I have tried over 100 binoculars and nothing wows me the way an NL does when I look through them. No other binocular has the huge FOV that is tack sharp right to the edge and comes as close to optical perfection as the NL. You might like the ergonomics or light weight of a Zeiss SFL better or the saturated colors of a Leica Noctivid, but no binocular is as close to being perfect as an NL. The NL's are also very bright and very transparent and no matter what binocular you try when you come back to them, they will wow you. Zeiss SF's are very good and are a little better with glare and CA on the edges, but they have some glare also, and they don't have the sharp edges and perfectly corrected FOV that the NL does.

FOV is very important because it makes it easier to find birds, and you can scan larger areas faster and if a bird suddenly flies to another tree you can follow them easier. The sharp edges of the NL make that huge FOV even more effective because you can see birds at the very edge of the FOV clearly. The Noctivid has great saturated colors, but it doesn't impress with it's relatively small FOV compared to the NL or SF. I think the NL has a combination of great fluorite glass and some of the best coatings in the industry that sets it apart from even other alpha level binoculars. When you look at the objectives on an NL, you see almost no reflections. It almost looks like there is no glass there. That is a testament to how good their coatings are. Not everybody agrees with Allbinos but every time they test an NL it ends up in first place even besting the Nikon WX a binocular that costs $6000 in the 10x50 class. NL's are about the most expensive binoculars out there, and they are the best. I guess it means you get what you pay for.

Binoculars rankings - 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

 

[limonabe]

Nah, flat field sucks.

 

[ReinierB]

I don't bother about flat field too.
But I do like the NL's for the huge afov, the nice colours, the ergonomics, the eyecups and the very smooth focuser!

 

[CharleyBird]

I think I have to admit that Swarovski NL's are the best binoculars out there, especially optically. I have tried over 100 binoculars and nothing wows me the way an NL does when I look through them. No other binocular has the huge FOV that is tack sharp right to the edge and comes as close to optical perfection as the NL. You might like the ergonomics or light weight of a Zeiss SFL better or the saturated colors of a Leica Noctivid, but no binocular is as close to being perfect as an NL. The NL's are also very bright and very transparent and no matter what binocular you try when you come back to them, they will wow you. Zeiss SF's are very good and are a little better with glare and CA on the edges, but they have some glare also, and they don't have the sharp edges and perfectly corrected FOV that the NL does.

FOV is very important because it makes it easier to find birds, and you can scan larger areas faster and if a bird suddenly flies to another tree you can follow them easier. The sharp edges of the NL make that huge FOV even more effective because you can see birds at the very edge of the FOV clearly. The Noctivid has great saturated colors, but it doesn't impress with it's relatively small FOV compared to the NL or SF. I think the NL has a combination of great fluorite glass and some of the best coatings in the industry that sets it apart from even other alpha level binoculars. When you look at the objectives on an NL, you see almost no reflections. It almost looks like there is no glass there. That is a testament to how good their coatings are. Not everybody agrees with Allbinos but every time they test an NL it ends up in first place even besting the Nikon WX a binocular that costs $6000 in the 10x50 class. NL's are about the most expensive binoculars out there, and they are the best. I guess it means you get what you pay for.

Binoculars rankings - 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

What have you bought?
One of each😁?

 

[[email protected]]

What have you bought?
One of each😁?

No, I like the 32mm for smaller size and less weight, and I bird mostly in the daytime. I have an NL 8x32 and a NL 10x32. I have a friend that has the NL 10x52 and it is awesome. You know how good the NL 10x42 is? It is probably the best 10x42 around, well the NL 10x52 is even better. That is why Allbinos ranked it ahead of the Nikon WX 10x50, a $6000 binocular! Likewise, I wouldn't mind having one just for the optics.

 

[[email protected]]

Nah, flat field sucks.

The NL's aren't quite as flat field as the EL's, and they have less RB also, if that bothers you. They work good for birding because you can see a lot of stuff at once, and you pick up birds on the edge of the FOV because it is so sharp. When a bird flies to another tree, it is easier to follow him and find him. The El's are still very good optically because they were the best binocular Swarovski made, so if you can get a good deal on the EL 8.5x42 like Paul has in the Bird Forum classifieds, I would jump on it. Paul's EL is the closer focus model also before Swarovski changed the close focus so they wouldn't cannibalize sales from the NL. The EL 8.5x42 is better optically than the SFL 8x40 with better glass, although some might prefer the ergonomics, faster focus and lighter weight of the SFL.

 

[CharleyBird]

I have an NL 8x32 and a NL 10x32...You know how good the NL 10x42 is?

Yes denco, it's very good.

It could be the perfect partner for your 7x42FL?

 

[[email protected]]

Yes denco, it's very good.

It could be the perfect partner for your 7x42FL?

The NL 10x52 and 12x52 are very nice, and I have tried them both, but the weight at 36 oz. is getting up there for a birding binocular. I think you are getting into more of a tripod glass for hunting or astronomy and low light use. For me, a 32mm works as well during the day, and you actually don't lose much versus the bigger apertures. They are sure fun to look through though with their big easy bright views. I preferred the 32mm NL's even over the 7x42 FL because I don't do much low light birding and that is where the FL 7x42 shines.

I am down to just the two NL's right now, but I was going to get an IS binocular, so I tried a bunch of different Canon's, Sig Sauers and Kites but after having the NL's the optics just don't cut it. The FOV is too narrow, and they lack the brightness of an alpha roof like the NL. The SF's are very close to the NL's but since the edges are a little softer you are losing some of your FOV versus the tack sharp edges of the NL's. There is no other binocular that has a huge FOV that is sharp to the edge like the NL.

 

[[email protected]]

Nah, flat field sucks.

What don't you like about flat field binoculars? To me, they seem more perfect than a binocular with filed curvature, but I guess to some they don't seem as real to some people. It all comes down to personal preference.

 

[dorubird]

Expressions like "the best" or "the worst" must be accompanied by "for me". Otherwise, the phrase is without wisdom and looks like a court sentence. I understand perfectly why some choose NL. But I also understand why others choose Noctivid or SF or EDG or something else.
What I notice about you Denco is a continuous indecision about binoculars. Today you like SF, tomorrow Noctivid, the day after tomorrow NL, from one day to the next you choose another pair of binoculars, or even go back in circles. I understand this kind of approach, and is ok, it is like a research study. But in this situation you cannot give sentences like "X Bino is the best". You have to be aware that, to enjoy binoculars and understand it more, you have to make a firm choice and use it for a long time in the field, exactly what these instruments are made for. But with you I notice a constant struggle to choose and re-evaluate the binoculars like Sisyphus, which never end for you. You cumulate many good information about binoculars, but in the end no firm and stable choice (perhaps this is also the psychological explanation why you keep deleting your answers, which comes from your eternal reevaluation and reconsider with binoculars/ which is not a bad thing itself). But in order to enjoy something, we must have the power to stop on that thing, in order to value it with good and bad. But if we constantly re-choose and re-evaluate quickly, we cannot be truly happy and also we cannot truly know that thing. It's like in a marriage. If we constantly choose another wife that we think is better than the previous one, we will never be happy because we will not get to truly enjoy of family. Like "Kreutzer sonata" by Lev Tolstoy
I say it with compassion and respect, because you have long experience with binoculars! Enjoy your binoculars!

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Yes, I had the EL and I tried the NL Pure. Probably it's the sharpest of them all, edge to edge, and the FOV is great.

However, I have to find a bird in lots of branches. It's the flat field that bothers me and that's the main reason why I changed to the Ultravid HD. And the colors of course, although there is no 'best' in that, I like the contrast in dark forests.

And yes, I had the Swarovski ATS 65HD for 20 years and now I have the STC 17- 40, the Swaro scopes are almost perfect.

 

[Viraj]

@[email protected] It is good to hear you came back to prefer NL. Which one of the NLs do you like the most between the two 32mm NLs you own? Do you see a big difference in brightness between them?

However, I have to find a bird in lots of branches. It's the flat field that bothers me and that's the main reason why I changed to the Ultravid HD.

I had the same problem with NL x8 in the beginning. The FOV was so huge and flat so focusing on one bird was difficult. That time I preferred my Utravid 10x32 HD more. However, after a few years, I really started to prefer NL 8x42 and bought an NL 10x32 as well. Now my wife grabs UV 10x32 all the time when we go birding.

 

[KeesJ]

Post in thread 'Leica, Zeiss & Swarovski binoculars compared: A personal report' Leica, Zeiss & Swarovski binoculars compared: A personal report

 

[CharleyBird]

... ...
I am down to just the two NL's right now ... ...

Denco, the Zeiss 7x42FL, you sold it?

 

[paddyluke]

I think I have to admit that Swarovski NL's are the best binoculars out there, especially optically. I have tried over 100 binoculars and nothing wows me the way an NL does when I look through them. No other binocular has the huge FOV that is tack sharp right to the edge and comes as close to optical perfection as the NL. You might like the ergonomics or light weight of a Zeiss SFL better or the saturated colors of a Leica Noctivid, but no binocular is as close to being perfect as an NL. The NL's are also very bright and very transparent and no matter what binocular you try when you come back to them, they will wow you. Zeiss SF's are very good and are a little better with glare and CA on the edges, but they have some glare also, and they don't have the sharp edges and perfectly corrected FOV that the NL does.

FOV is very important because it makes it easier to find birds, and you can scan larger areas faster and if a bird suddenly flies to another tree you can follow them easier. The sharp edges of the NL make that huge FOV even more effective because you can see birds at the very edge of the FOV clearly. The Noctivid has great saturated colors, but it doesn't impress with it's relatively small FOV compared to the NL or SF. I think the NL has a combination of great fluorite glass and some of the best coatings in the industry that sets it apart from even other alpha level binoculars. When you look at the objectives on an NL, you see almost no reflections. It almost looks like there is no glass there. That is a testament to how good their coatings are. Not everybody agrees with Allbinos but every time they test an NL it ends up in first place even besting the Nikon WX a binocular that costs $6000 in the 10x50 class. NL's are about the most expensive binoculars out there, and they are the best. I guess it means you get what you pay for.

Binoculars rankings - 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

i think you forgot "in my opinion"

 

[jgraider]

It never ends.......

 

[[email protected]]

Expressions like "the best" or "the worst" must be accompanied by "for me". Otherwise, the phrase is without wisdom and looks like a court sentence. I understand perfectly why some choose NL. But I also understand why others choose Noctivid or SF or EDG or something else.
What I notice about you Denco is a continuous indecision about binoculars. Today you like SF, tomorrow Noctivid, the day after tomorrow NL, from one day to the next you choose another pair of binoculars, or even go back in circles. I understand this kind of approach, and is ok, it is like a research study. But in this situation you cannot give sentences like "X Bino is the best". You have to be aware that, to enjoy binoculars and understand it more, you have to make a firm choice and use it for a long time in the field, exactly what these instruments are made for. But with you I notice a constant struggle to choose and re-evaluate the binoculars like Sisyphus, which never end for you. You cumulate many good information about binoculars, but in the end no firm and stable choice (perhaps this is also the psychological explanation why you keep deleting your answers, which comes from your eternal reevaluation and reconsider with binoculars/ which is not a bad thing itself). But in order to enjoy something, we must have the power to stop on that thing, in order to value it with good and bad. But if we constantly re-choose and re-evaluate quickly, we cannot be truly happy and also we cannot truly know that thing. It's like in a marriage. If we constantly choose another wife that we think is better than the previous one, we will never be happy because we will not get to truly enjoy of family. Like "Kreutzer sonata" by Lev Tolstoy
I say it with compassion and respect, because you have long experience with binoculars! Enjoy your binoculars!

If you like a huge FOV that is tack sharp to the edge, the NL's are the best. There is not getting around it. They are the ONLY binoculars that really give you that, and it is a big advantage when birding and hunting because you can find birds easier and follow them much better when they move or fly to another tree. Zeiss SF's are close, but they have softer edges than the NL and there is always that green tint to deal with. That is why the NL always beats them in Allbinos ranking. There is no logic in saying a bigger FOV with sharp edges is not an advantage in the field when birding or hunting. Many times I have tried to find birds or wildlife, especially at close range, and without a big FOV I would have never spotted them. I understand the preferences for color saturation, contrast and brightness, but I think the most important characteristic of a binocular is the size of the FOV and does it blur at the edges.

 

[[email protected]]

@[email protected] It is good to hear you came back to prefer NL. Which one of the NLs do you like the most between the two 32mm NLs you own? Do you see a big difference in brightness between them?


I had the same problem with NL x8 in the beginning. The FOV was so huge and flat so focusing on one bird was difficult. That time I preferred my Utravid 10x32 HD more. However, after a few years, I really started to prefer NL 8x42 and bought an NL 10x32 as well. Now my wife grabs UV 10x32 all the time when we go birding.

Same here. The small FOV and soft edges of the UV never did it for me. I think it is easier to focus on a bird with the NL because the WHOLE FOV is in focus all the time. You don't need to center the bird because the bird can even be on the edge and still be sharp and in focus. In fact, you can have more birds in focus in the huge FOV at one time. Many times I have a bird in the center of the FOV observing them and I will catch the movement of another bird on the edge of the FOV because the FOV is so large and the edges are so sharp. You will FIND more birds with a larger FOV, just like hunters find more game because you are seeing a bigger area at one time. It is logical!

I like both the NL 8x32 and NL 10x32 for different birding scenarios. When I am birding in deeper woods and the birds are closer I like the NL 8x32 for it's bigger FOV and better DOF, but for more open areas and longer distances I like the NL 10x32 for the extra reach and additional detail of the 10x magnification. I don't see a lot of difference in brightness during the day between the NL 8x32 and NL 10x32. Even when the light gets lower at dusk, there is very little difference in brightness between the two.

 

[[email protected]]

Yes denco, it's very good.

It could be the perfect partner for your 7x42FL?

The Zeiss 7x42 FL is gone. I sold it for what I paid for it, about $1500. I don't need a low light binocular anymore and quite frankly the NL 32mm's are superior for daytime use, and they are lighter and smaller to carry. The NL's have a bigger AFOV, less distortion and sharper edges and no green tint.

 

[jgraider]

Swaro's are glare monsters, haven't you heard?