Tried the Habicht 8x30 (1 Viewer)

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I agree with James and I have binos with a slow stiff focus tension that I enjoy very much but I don't use them for intensive birding let alone dragonfly chasing. They are great for casual birding and landscape admiring and even watching otters and whales but for serious birding, no way Jose.

Lee

I agree with you. I would have tolerated the slow, stiff focus in my Habicht 8x30 W for landscapes if I hadn't discovered the veiling glare problem. I understand how that easy fast focuser in the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 is great for going between insects and back to birds. A Habicht would never work in that situation.

 

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I'd caveat my comments with - if you are just out to enjoy the view or not trying to focus near to far too often then the Habicht would be fine. The way I bird / glass even something like the SV is way too slow for my tastes - the Habicht would not be considered.

"The way I bird / glass even something like the SV is way too slow for my tastes - the Habicht would not be considered."

James. Try Lee's Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 for a fast easy focuser. It can't be beat.

 

[eric4]

Eric. Have you ever looked up at steep angles in the mountains on a sunny day? Just curious. That is where I encountered the veiling glare.

I've only been able to catch glare a few times when glassing uphill towards the sun.

My only complaint is finding a reliable tripod mount. I've used the bushnell buckle strap as well as the Outdoorsmans Bino Hand. I don't like the lack of security with the bushnell, and the outdoorsmans is heavy and can be loud with the buckle mechanism.

I may need to fabricate a mount that allows me to thread on a field optics research peg or something similar.

 

[Troubador]

"The way I bird / glass even something like the SV is way too slow for my tastes - the Habicht would not be considered."

James. Try Lee's Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 for a fast easy focuser. It can't be beat.

Dennis

James already has a Conquest HD 8x32.

Lee

 

[Patudo]

When I visited the UK Birdfair last year I was like a kid in a candy store. All those amazing binoculars that the manufacturers so kindly set up for everyone to look through! The 8x30 Habicht was one of those that - thanks to Birdforum - I most wanted to try and the staff at Swarovski kindly found one for me (it wasn't on display and they were under no obligation to hunt around for one for me, but they did - thanks!). I have to admit the amazing 8x56 SLC might have dazzled me as I didn't see the brightness so many BF users had mentioned, but a x30 is always going to lose something in that respect to a binocular with objectives nearly twice as large. It was, however, definitely brighter than the 8x30 EII and to my eyes at least, sharper too. It had enough diopter adjustment for me to use it without glasses, which the Nikon didn't, and the focus tension oft mentioned here didn't bother me - but I like a stiff focuser, a bit on the slow side, with which I can make tiny adjustments to follow birds at distance without overshooting. All in all a nice classic but sadly the short eye relief limits its practicality for me. If I didn't already have a classic 8x30 for sunny summer days I'd want one much more Ithink.