In the 15x56, with its limited DOF, I suppose a (much!) slower focus could seem desirable (although per Canip the Meopta 15x56 has just 400°). In an 8/10x42 it's harder to understand, so I wonder whether it's just part of the overall simplification/cheapening of the internals of the 2013 model evident in the photos you've posted. Did the focus become slower on the EL 42 "Classic" also?
Actually it was the other way around. The original SLC HD 42 did have better focusing, both faster and closer (and did cost more). It's very nice indeed.
We do a lot of mental gymnastics to convince ourselves that we are right. Just like I did a few days ago. Having read all about the greatness of Swarovski I went to a hunting shop (where the salesmen had no idea about binoculars btw) and was able to look through ELSV 10x50 and NL 12x42. I expected to be amazed and was seriously considering selling what bins I have to buy one of the NL's - because they are apparently not only the best but also offer the widest field of view among premium bins in the market.
Probably try the 8x42 nl when you next have the opportunity. Comparing 12x vs 7x introduces a lot of variables both user and item.We do a lot of mental gymnastics to convince ourselves that we are right. Just like I did a few days ago. Having read all about the greatness of Swarovski I went to a hunting shop (where the salesmen had no idea about binoculars btw) and was able to look through ELSV 10x50 and NL 12x42. I expected to be amazed and was seriously considering selling what bins I have to buy one of the NL's - because they are apparently not only the best but also offer the widest field of view among premium bins in the market.
Long story short, I just wasn't impressed. I need to say that I only spent maybe 15 minutes with them, definitely not enough to form an educated opinion. They are no doubt very good binoculars but there was nothing they do better than what I have. It was interesting to compare my Retrovid 7x to NL 12x. Funny thing is, it was easier to read a car's licence plate at a medium distance with the former, not something I had expected to see. Swarovski focusers were also disappointing, gritty and uneven tension.
The Canon 10x42 I have is too big (I'm a casual observer) and I'm still not a fan of its eyecups, even though I have learned to live with them. The image has a slight yellow cast, compared to Retrovids almost perfectly neutral view. Tbh, I managed to compare two Canon's, one made in Japan a few years ago and the new one from Taiwan and the latter was slightly but visibly brighter, especially on stars. But there was also something slightly wrong with it as it gave me a bit of a headache compared to the first one, which is pretty much perfect. Taiwanese sample also had a focuser that was too light and had a minimal slack, its Japanese brother has an amazingly perfect focuser.
I felt the need to ramble a little and wasn't convinced that it's worth it to creat a new thread for these comparisons so I'm just putting this here
Oh, and btw. I also ordered Nikon EDG 7x42 to replace the Retrovid (I was convinced it would be much better) and after a few days of comparisons decided that I liked the Leica more. Same sharpness, same brightness, slightly different colour cast and contrast, better eyecups and stability on The Nikon but at the cost of size, Nikons focuser was faster and better in general but this sample was almost too delicate for my liking. The compact Nikon LXL 8x20 still has the best focuser I have ever experienced.
I am happy to see a trend--I hope it is a trend--in the BF/Binoculars forum of greater attention to why we need binoculars which is to look at birds.
I have to agree with Kimmik here, comparing a 7 to a 12 is not the best way to get a feel for the NL’s. The 8x42 would’ve definitely giving you a different overall opinion. I also think it takes a couple of days to let the focuser break in a bit. Maybe I’m one of the lucky ones, but all my EL’s and my NL focusers are very smooth. One 8x56 I tried had some stiction that I didn’t like.We do a lot of mental gymnastics to convince ourselves that we are right. Just like I did a few days ago. Having read all about the greatness of Swarovski I went to a hunting shop (where the salesmen had no idea about binoculars btw) and was able to look through ELSV 10x50 and NL 12x42. I expected to be amazed and was seriously considering selling what bins I have to buy one of the NL's - because they are apparently not only the best but also offer the widest field of view among premium bins in the market.
Long story short, I just wasn't impressed. I need to say that I only spent maybe 15 minutes with them, definitely not enough to form an educated opinion. They are no doubt very good binoculars but there was nothing they do better than what I have. It was interesting to compare my Retrovid 7x to NL 12x. Funny thing is, it was easier to read a car's licence plate at a medium distance with the former, not something I had expected to see. Swarovski focusers were also disappointing, gritty and uneven tension.
The Canon 10x42 I have is too big (I'm a casual observer) and I'm still not a fan of its eyecups, even though I have learned to live with them. The image has a slight yellow cast, compared to Retrovids almost perfectly neutral view. Tbh, I managed to compare two Canon's, one made in Japan a few years ago and the new one from Taiwan and the latter was slightly but visibly brighter, especially on stars. But there was also something slightly wrong with it as it gave me a bit of a headache compared to the first one, which is pretty much perfect. Taiwanese sample also had a focuser that was too light and had a minimal slack, its Japanese brother has an amazingly perfect focuser.
I felt the need to ramble a little and wasn't convinced that it's worth it to creat a new thread for these comparisons so I'm just putting this here
Oh, and btw. I also ordered Nikon EDG 7x42 to replace the Retrovid (I was convinced it would be much better) and after a few days of comparisons decided that I liked the Leica more. Same sharpness, same brightness, slightly different colour cast and contrast, better eyecups and stability on The Nikon but at the cost of size, Nikons focuser was faster and better in general but this sample was almost too delicate for my liking. The compact Nikon LXL 8x20 still has the best focuser I have ever experienced.
Some day I may do the same and try an EL or NL ........ but, my expectation is that I will be disappointed, compared to what I have already, at a fraction of the cost.
I could have only compared what I had with what was available. Comparisons were mostly between my Canon and both Swarovskis, outside on a very sunny day. We are only talking about premium bins here. Comparing cheaper and more expensive is another story. I commented on the difference between 7x vs 12x because I found it interesting (never looked through a 12x before). I didn't want to repeat the obvious - that stabilized Canon lets you see so much more. But even unstabilized it was a better experience, mostly because of the focus and the fact that I'm used to them.
If you can make the canon work for you I can appreciate that IS makes the biggest difference to image detail. Very apples and oranges.I could have only compared what I had with what was available. Comparisons were mostly between my Canon and both Swarovskis, outside on a very sunny day. We are only talking about premium bins here. Comparing cheaper and more expensive is another story. I commented on the difference between 7x vs 12x because I found it interesting (never looked through a 12x before). I didn't want to repeat the obvious - that stabilized Canon lets you see so much more. But even unstabilized it was a better experience, mostly because of the focus and the fact that I'm used to them.
I agree that to fully appreciate different features of bins you need to have them at home for at least a few days, as it takes a while for us to notice the differences and adjust to the new view. At the same time, all binoculars that I have now and appreciated in the past made a great first impression. You just put them to your eyes and feel the enjoyment. I didn't have this with the NL, ELSV 10x50 was nicer but didn't quite do it for me.
Retrovids colour perception must depend on our point of reference. I compare it with Canon and Nikon EDG and it looks so white and neutral. For you it has a warm tone when compared to Swarovski. There is no contradiction here, it actually all makes sense
That was actually one reason why I wanted to compare as the Canon 10x42 and Swarovski 10x50 have comparable size and weight. It's a binocular against a binocular for me
You’ve already made up your mind, no need to try them , you will be disappointed ✌🏼
7 pairs of bins bought in 2022 and only 3 are IS .......
Lol. Try to use both sides , they compliment each other.
You sound like me 10 years ago lol. Good luck with your collection of midrange hardware.
You read my mind. 😆
