I just had to subscribe to your channel because your reviews on binocs are so helpful. Swaro NL Pure look like a dream optic! At this price level/class it must be really tight competition as the limits of physics are approached in the optical design, lenses, coatings etc. At this level of quality, there's always a trade-off between resolution, contrast, brightness, color rendition, edge clarity, and field of view etc. etc. but it looks like Swaro NL Pure may have honed in on the best combination. I have binocular-envy, LOL! Sorry if I missed it on your other videos, but how many binocular reviewers did you have in total on your review team for these videos? Props to you and the team for all your efforts on a great series of videos in the various price categories. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the sub! Really appreciate it and glad this series was helpful! We had 10 volunteers on this testing, 2 different days and then I did a ton of testing myself in addition to that. Definitely a fun project! If you haven't yet, check out the more in-depth article with a lot more details! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/
Just curious....were EL's not included just to avoid having two Swaros in the class? I certainly think they would hang just fine with this group. In any case, great reviews and loved this series. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Casey! Didn't particularly exclude them, but wanted to compare these three given that each respective company tours them as their "alpha" glass. I'm sure the ELs would do just fine in this class as well though! Thanks for watching.
@@BackwoodsPursuit I was thinking same thing. If he added the EL, which I would’ve liked as well then he’d have to ad the Leica Ultravid plus to the mix. Zeiss is the only one of the three that doesn’t have two full premium alphas in there line up, unless we include the FL but there out of production.
@@Paultricounty yeah, there were certainly a number of others we could have added..and that class just below this Alpha like the EL and Ultavid... would have been awesome, but had to draw the line somewhere lol. Thanks for watching though!
Here is my suggestion for unconventional test.. a blind test. Mix these alpha binos with some mid range binos. To eliminate the brand and price bias, wrap the binos with some tapes so that testers can't recognize the brands. Then rank them. It would be very interesting results I am sure.
Da stimme ich Dir einfach nur lächelnd zu, denn hier bestimmt der hohe Preis eindeutig das Endergebnis und nicht die Qualität des Fernglases. Viel gute Hersteller von hervorragenden Ferngläsern, Zielfernrohren und anderen optischen Geräten, werden abgestraft, weil sie ihr Produkt zu einem realistischen Preis anbieten. Hier mal ein paar richtig gute Hersteller: Fujinon (z.B.: Grossfernglas Fujinon LB 25x150 MT-SX), Minolta, Canon, Meopta, Steiner, GPO, Alpen Optics um nur mal ein paar davon auf zu zählen. Und wenn ich von denen jeweils das Spitzen Fernglas in seiner Klasse wähle, dann heißt der Sieger schon ganz anders, bei einem "Blindtest" Best regards, Rainer
Just recently acquired a Leica Noctivid in 10x42, mainly down to the deal I got, £600 less than the Zeiss and £800 less than the Swarovski. I upgraded from Zeiss Terra ED, which were very good for their price range, but the Leica are in a different class. Only negative is the occasional blackouts in bright conditions, cured by adjusting my eyes to the eye pieces but was never an issue with the Zeiss. Other than that very happy with them, especially the money saved over the Zeiss and Swarovski
Another great video man! Hard to find the sorts of comparisons you're doing of optics anywhere else. Always a hard question this one but in your experience if you had to put it into a percentage how much of a step up would you say it is from the top of the class before (Vortex UHD, Swaro SLC) to the Alpha's? This is a fun one and a subjective question but of all the pairs you looked through, which would you say had the best optical quality/price ratio i.e. bang for your buck? Could go many ways with that Q but curious what your answer will be. Always a question of when you've reach diminishing returns.
Thanks for the feedback Mert! Really appreciated it. Man, that's a great question. Like you said, that's gonna have a different answer depending on a lot of factors and it's different for everyone(budget restraints, uses, how much you hunt etc). Are these 3 top of the line better than any in the $1500(or less expensive options)? Without question. That said, most folks practically won't realize the extra performance you get from these alpha glass binos when out in the field. Low light performance and eye strain are two of the biggest differences. For instance....I had the NLs and a pair of $500 binos side by side in the field this Sept and early morning (well before shooting light) I could not only spot, but picked out a bull with the NLs, while BARLEY able to make out that there were even elk on the hill with the $500 pair. But...that only lasted for 15-20 min. That said...the elk were gone in 5 min, so likely would have missed them entirely without the NLs. It's a lot of extra cash to drop for this alpha glass, but sure is nice. Of all the ones we tested, I'd have to say the Athlon Cronus offered the best bang for the buck. They run just under $500, but out-performed some of the 1k binos. They were very impressive, especially for the price point. The performance difference does get smaller between, say the $1500 pairs and these three, but it's there. Edge to edge is significantly better on these three, low light etc. Again not enough to where most folks would regret buying a $1500 pair, but then again, if you save a bit extra, you'll always have confidence in the back of your mind that you've got the best out there. Hope that helps! Don't hesitate to drop any other questions!
Purchased two pairs NL pure for this season. Our other glass is between 1k-1500. Night and day upgrade and plan to outfit everyone in the family with NL pure for next season. FOV is huge, clarity incredible and depth of field blows everything else we own out of the water, also own two other pairs of Swarovski. Where we hunt I would just look at a mountain and the elk jumped out, no focus in and out required. The elk were so easy to find. Six days into the season, we glassed hundreds of elk and filled our tag on the second day of rifle. Would have filled first day but some hunters scared out a monster we had just set up shooting sticks on at 280 yards, painful to watch him run out of the bowl with his herd. We stalked him 3 of the 4 days we hunted archery, got within 20 yards of his bed before he busted, no shot, beds in thick stuff facing wind. Worth every penny
@@tyb3938 thanks for the story! Agreed..they are amazing and really make a huge difference! Bummer you didn't get that bull though....I feel your pain! Hopefully next year😁. Thanks for watching!
Hello, can you help me choose a pair of binoculars suitable for hot and semi-arid mountainous areas, because I am from the Sultanate of Oman and live in mountainous areas tracking bee hives and looking for the best binoculars to help me do that?
Hey there! Anybody these would work amazing for that....just depends on how much you want to spend. Many other less expensive pairs would also work well. Thanks for watching!
Probably a Vortex Razor UHD or even the cheaper Chinese made Razor HD for your situation since Vortex has the best no fault warranty in the business with no equal and no matter what happens accidental or not they always repair or replace them with brand new ones and they even offer free cleaning whenever needed. Can't state this fact about any other brand of binoculars.
I’m looking to get a new set of binoculars I Currently have Nikon monarchs 12x56 had them for over 12 and they were use when I got them I’m looking at getting an alpha pair of glass since I keep everything forever what would u suggest I like the swaro el but been told if I buy new I should go with the swaro nl pure what do u suggest for a life time of glassing I hunt southern as thank u
Hey there! Thanks for watching. I'd say go with the NL Pure, but take a look at our detailed review comparing these three as we go through more details in this article. There are pros and cons to each of them. backwoodspursuit.com/swarovski-nl-pure-vs-zeiss-victory-sf/ Thanks and let me know what you end up getting!
That's a great question. I'd say the Noctivd overall feel more robust in their build, but I'd expect that given the design intent with the SFL (to be ultralight). That said, I've had zero issues with the build quality of the SFL and found them to have an excellent build quality. I much prefer the focus mechanism of the SFL over the Noctivid, but the Noctivid will out perform the SFL a but in low light. Thanks for watching!
@BluesMan90 you bet! The larger field of view is noticeable, but it's not a massive difference. Personally I love a bigger field of view, but the Noctivid is certainly in line with typical 10x42s, just less than these other two "Alpha Glass" options.
Did you find the new zeiss slf to compete well with the noctivid? I generally don't like field flattened and prefer a deeper focus like the zeiss fl or ht. Wondering if the field flattenre or the noctivid or zeiss sfl are initiating at all? Cheers
Hey there! That's a great question. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to put the new SFL next to the Noctivid, but I did put them next to the NL Pure. The SFL were pretty impressive even next to the NL Pure. Not quite as good of edge to edge clarity (similar to the Noctivid though), but not as good in low light for sure. Every pair in this video will put perform the SFL in low light. That said, for the amount of price difference, the performance difference is negotiable. Thanks for watching!
I have the Leica Noctovid 10x42. I sent them back to Leica Portugal from South Africa as the focus goes stiff at one point in the focus range. they came back with no improvement. I am going to request a new pair and see what they come up with. At this price point, they should be perfect. Last year I bought a pair of Nikon Prostaff 3's whilst travelling and the focus feel was way better than the Leica with consistent feel through its range.
In my opinion you missed a big point about these binoculars that is clearly hinted by their construction. They are all missing a bipod mount simply because they have not been conceived with that primary application in mind. They are meant to be used mostly in hand in a more or less dynamic situation. This is important because maximizing the edge-to-edge clarity is not necessarily an advantage. When panning, a slight fading of edge clarity helps. The impression I get with Leica is of better depth of field or better sharpness around the centre. Zeiss is very close second. Colour rendition is also better with Zeiss and Leica. The Swaro are a little bit too yellow. It's really down to the actual use and preference. The Swaro are striking at the beginning but on the longer term I found them more artificial and fatiguing in more or less dynamic use. Don't take me wrong, as you say, they are the best in class but my favourite scoring is the other way around.
Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, based on my conversations with them, the folks in Europe where they are made don't use binoculars mounted on a tripod, so having that apart of the design isn't important to them. That said, it's extremely important to those of us who hunt out west in the US and glass long distances. But, like you said, each person's use will be different. Thanks for watching!
I have NL Pure 8x42. So wide FOV and still it works fully satisfactory with eyeglasses! I added the forehead rest, and I can confirm that it's an excellent idea! It really stabilizes the image. It's like I use 6x magnification. Because of this I wonder if I could have chosen the 10x version instead. I don't know how well that works with eyeglasses, though.
Has anyone had an issue with the zip on the Noctivid carry case. When purchased I realised the zip was flimsy looking and have tried to be extra careful with it. The plastic zip now has a broken tooth and the metal part has come off on one side of the bag. Looking online the Billingham Galbin looks to be the best replacement but it costs £150. Surely there must be a cheaper alternative. Asking if anyone has had similar issues and has found a cheaper option than £150
I’m curious, how do different groupings of binoculars compare as a whole? Cheapest group through the most expensive group. Do more expensive optics hold their own compared to lower priced optics? Best regardless of price, editors pick, best bang for the buck.
Hey there and thanks for watching! Check out our written article for some of those details and top to bottom rankings! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/
Great Review. I have the Razor UHD 10x42, but I want to pick the new Swarovski NL Pure 10x42. I'm in doubt between the Swaros NL or Zeiss SF, but all the reviews I watched the NL is the best binoculars in the world. So what you tell me, the upgrade from the Razor UHD to Swarovski NL worth? Thanks.
Thanks Lucas! The UHDs are great binos for sure....they really surprised me in our testing. That said, they NLs are certainly better without question. In most real world hunting situations the Razor UHDs will do more than you need, but if you can swing the NLs (or any of these three) you won't be disappointed!
Greetings to all. 2 weeks ago I decided to buy NL PURE.. Absolutely amazing binoculars. Huge FOV, contrast, pastel colors, clarity of the image binoculars that will be in for decades. I also own a Meopta Meo pro Air which provides a very very good picture. But when after Meopta, I look through Swarovski, then I understand why it's Swaro, Swaro. In short, looking through NL is like watching a good 4k movie, some well-produced documentary about nature.
@@igorperekovic I had a Swarovski Swarovision EL 10x42, but I sold it because it lacked sharpness. From edge to edge the image is very clear, no other scope has such a clear image, just the sharpness is lacking and I think the NL is the same... I read reviews on EL and NL and they also mentioned that it is not sharp and has a lot of reflections.. Now I own the SF Victory and the EDG and they are sharper than the EL only towards the edge the EL held the sharpness better. By all accounts, the sharpest binoculars in the center of the field of view is the Leica Noctivid
Great reviews and excellent comparisons. This video reinforced my commitment for purchasing the Swarovs Pures. However, I will add that Leica has the best warranty by far - 10 yr warranty covers any and all damage. But as someone mentioned in the comments, there seems to be a compromise with their quality control. Thank you for sharing.
You are right, it is down to personal choice. I have a Leica Geovid and about to purchase a Zeiss Victory. Both are very good. I felt the Zeiss victory picture is more 3 dimensional and very please to look at. The Swarovski is slightly brighter but I felt the picture is pretty 2 dimensional. It is still very good. As you said, it is down to personal choice and they are all very good.
@s.d.r1062 hey there! I can't really say that any of us made the comment or observation that the NLs were more 2 dimensional that the Victory SF or Noctivid, but we all thought they had better edge to edge clarity and a little better low light performance. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
Good question! We tested the B1s, said there was a considerable difference between them and this class. Obviously a pretty big price jump as well though.
Maven's are below Vortex Razor UHD. In Mavens' price range you're better off buying Kowas with Fluorite glass they got it right or Zeiss Conquest. Maven's aren't perfect nor the best in their price classes especially their overpriced versions of binoculars and spotters. There's far better for a lot cheaper from other brands. Maven's mid to lower tier stuff are ok though.
@s.d.r1062 hey there! Great question. I was actually able to put the 10x30 SFL next to the 10x32 NL, and other than FOV and edge to edge clarity, I preferred the SFL. Both are fantastic though. I've heard Great things about the 12x42 as well if you want some extra light gathering in the 42mm objective. Thanks for watching!
@s.d.r1062 I guess that depends on what you are using them for. Out west here I typically like a 10x bino for general use, but I'm big country the 12x is very nice as well.
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks for answering. Big country? You mean mountain area? I live in the Netherlands. Flat land I use 8x42 as my main bino because i live in a forest area and love the spot deer and birds in evenings. But maybe i can use a 10 or 12 power when i am at coast or lake area. But 12 maybe too much.... I will check in in shop one day.
I prefer over all of these expensive Bino's the Tract Toric with Schott HT Glass .. I believe that Schott Glass is superior to ED glass .. The Schott HT glass plays well in low light situations which I believe is better than these 3 bino's ..
@all41n14lla What are you talking about? Zeiss owns Schott Glass and uses it in their HT and SF binoculars plus sells HT glass to both Leica and Swarovski and the best scope manufacturers. Tract Toric is a good scope but falls far short of ZCO and Tangent Theta.
In fact I own a Tract Toric 4.5-30x56 with Schott glass but my Sightron SVIII 5-40x56 with Japanese ED glass is noticeably clearer. I had two of the lower magnification Toric 4-20x50 with Schott glass and replaced them with Chinese Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 with Chinese HD glass and prefer them over the Tract Torics they replaced. Still have the 4.5-30x56 Toric though but will probably replace it with a Burris XTR PRO 5.5-30x56 which is superior to the Toric. I own a lot of different brands of scopes and always compare a lot at any given time and owned three Tract Toric scopes already and got rid of two. They're ok if you don't compare them to all others from different brands and price points.
The really only major question is how many thousands will the bank loan out on 1 teir one rifle scope, teir 1 spotting scope, their 1 bino, and teir 1 range finder! Although binos can be combined with a rangefinder! And then one teir 1 carbon fiber wrapped barreled action with .50 moa! Hmm, $20,000 just to be on the safe side!😊
My experience with the rangefinding models... Leica color is the best, eye cups are the best ive ever felt and they feel built like a tank Zeiss has more slop in the focus but are a little brighter and sharper image. Also, faster range finder goes to zeiss.
Hey there! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can't speak to thr Leica rangefinder bino model(haventested those yet), but it's interesting that we found the a Zeiss focus mechanism to be far superior to the Leica. This pair of Leica in this video had noticed play that was quite disappointing, whereas the Zeiss and Swaro did not. Agree though that the Leica had the best color rendition & contrast of this group. Thanks for watching!
Have you been able to handle the NL Pure in 8x32? I am curious how comfortable those are in the hand. I've heard some people saying that the larger NL Pure 8x42 feels better in the hand.
I've owened all 3 and it sounds like you have a heavy bias towards the SF lol I've never heard anyone life the SF eye cups for one and they're just way too big.
Thanks for watching! I thought they all had great eye cups, but I preferred the eye cups of the NL Pure over the other two here. I thought they were the most comfortable, but I thought the SF eye cups moved a little more smoothly. Overall, I felt like the NL Pure were best of the group...but as you probably know, they are all fantastic binos. Thanks for watching! Here's our detailed review of the three if interested. backwoodspursuit.com/swarovski-nl-pure-vs-zeiss-victory-sf/
For me, the extra field of view and slightly better edge to edge clarity, and slightly better low light performance of the NL Pure would make them my personal choice. Thanks for watching!
Hey there! It looks like Outdoorsmans has a stud for the Victory SF, but I don't see one for the Noctivid. Maybe give them a call to confirm though. Thanks for watching!
That was a very good review. Your description of the color characteristics of the different binoculars was very helpful. I’ve been wanting a new bino to replace my 10x42 EL that I sold years ago( Like a fool) and the newest Swaro sounds great. Now all I have to do is start saving my pennies. Lol Subscribed!
It seems like the hunting channels don't mention leicas beautiful colour contrast, maybe because their field of view isn't very wide they aren't interested in the leica as a hunting binocular. Also leica solid build quality.
Hey there! Thanks for pointing that out. I thought I mentioned that in the video, and agree that the Leica offers the best color contrast of the group. There is more detail as well in the review article over on the website where color contrast is one of the aspects reviewed: backwoodspursuit.com/swarovski-nl-pure-vs-zeiss-victory-sf/ Thanks for watching!
Hey Ryan! Man... personally I preferred the NL. They are all great, but the NL just had better edge to edge and slightly better low light performance. The weight and focus mechanism of the Victory SF are amazing though! Thanks for watching!
Hey there! Man...those are all incredible binos! Based on our testing, I think you'd find the best overall low light and edge to edge clarity with the NL Pure. But, the Victory SF are lighter and the focus mechanism is the smoothest of the bunch. Personally, I prefer the NL, but can't go wrong with any of them. Thanks for watching!
Hey there Ed! None of them suffered from any noticeable CA that we could tell, and they all presented a very flat field of view with no roller ball effect. From what I could tell, they were all very close to equal in those departments. Thanks for watching!
For me, the Leica image is the nicest of these because of the colour, contrast, central sharpness and the ability to 'look into shadows' which actually beats both of the others when zoned in, the Zeiss in particular is a little dull in terms of contrast and colour despite its great handling and the Swaro is a bit colder, flatter (not a fan of flat field) and with more glare. Of course in absolute terms they are all great and the FOV of the SF and NL are an amazing technical achievement. The only downside with the Leica is that if you don't get your eye position just right you can get a surprising amount of CA, even in the centre. The others don't do this. Older alphas like Zeiss FL and (particularly my favourite) HT 10x42 are basically CA free under all circumstances and still have a sharpness and contrast that matches the best of this group along with superior transparency and brightness from their Abbe-Koenig prisms, albeit with a slightly smaller FOV and softer edges. This doesn't bother me but the current marketing drive is 'wide & flat field'.
Lol, you guys are all over your comments.. it wasn’t meant to be negative, good review positive comment. Was out yesterday doing glass reviewing of my 832’s. SF, EL, Ultravids, Nikon SE and Habicht’s (830). Each one has a different personality optically and haptically.
Haha..yeah, try to stay up on the comments 😆. Yes, it's interesting how each pair has a different feel optically. Some of it just comes down to personal preference at some point.
@@BackwoodsPursuit it’s good you’re staying on top of it that’s what makes a successful channel. Keep it up I wish you all the luck. It’s a shame what happened to optica Exotica. Looks like you guys have a much better budget. I agree 100%, all these binoculars are just phenomenal and it’s very difficult to pick one over the other, that’s why I have them all. It’s like one day you’re in the mood for chicken and another day you’re in the mood for steak. Keep up the good reviews and thank you.
@@BackwoodsPursuit this was just one guy kind of doing these cool videos. They weren’t very technical stat heavy reviews. He was kind of a funny guy and he took the binoculars out in different environments and used his iPhone to discuss the optics and the quality. He was buying the equipment with his own money according to him and then selling them at a loss. So I guess the financial part of it caught up to him.
you do realise none of the big three actually manufactures their own glass don't you ? they all but in glass from Schott , none manufacture their own magnesium bodies or eyecups or rubber either, they all use what they refer to as "globally sourced parts" ( china and phillip ines) build quality is terrible on new optical equipment , but we live in the i phone era where consumers are expected to change their kit every few years as and when fashions trends change
Hey Jason! Thanks for that info. Yeah, most optics companies don't manufacture their own glass or components. Thanks for watching and taking the time to share.
Build quality is terrible? I guess you don’t own any of these three. The Noctivids are probably the most luxuriously quality built binoculars ever made. The fit and finish is phenomenal. I’ve owned the top four best made binoculars over the last 30 years, Noctivids build quality is the best.
@@BackwoodsPursuit you must be joking iv just sent my Nocti 10-42 back to Leica after five weeks, two stray items internally, all Leica binoculars are now made in Portugal, oh and yes iv owned two pairs of Swaros and four leics and three nikons and zeiss since 1984 Pual, the Swaros i owned for past four years have had to go back to ausrjtia for re building twice , absolute garbage as you Americans say
Hey there! Man, they are so incredibly close, it's difficult to pull out much difference. That said, all of us who tested them side by side felt that the NLs had the slight advantage. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Anyway tell me which one to buy I don't care about handling, appearance, eye cups, etc The only thing that matters to me is the quality of the image I see
Leica The best ! The colours pop out . Zeiss & Swarovski are excellent 👌 all three models here are perfect for your use. I went with Leica only because the colours popped..
I just discovered your channel while looking for binocular reviews just like this one and your approach and attitude are great so I subscribed. The time and effort you spend answering questions in the comments section is nice of you and appreciated. Thank you, now I have some catching up to do with your other videos!
Hey there! That's a great question....and one that is absolutely splitting hairs to answer, but I thought the NL Pure had the slight edge in resolution in the center of the image. All of them are phenomenal though. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks for the answer. According to Optica Exotica, the sharpest binoculars he has seen so far is the Leica Noctivid. He said that they are unearthly sharp
@@vikinona the Noctivid is phenomenal no doubt! They have the best color rendition and contrast absolutely. That said, the 14 of us that tested these 3 side by side preferred the NLs for our eyes and given that our primary purpose using them is for hunting, where the NLs have a massively bigger field of view, superior edge to edge clarity, and are better in low light, those factors swayed is towards the NLs.. There are things I don't like about the NLs as well.... the unforgiving eye box and don't love the focus mechanism either. The Noctivids we tested (a new pair) had some play in the focus wheel, which was disappointing for binoculars at this price point. Not a huge amount, but it was there. Again, they are all phenomenal and I'm being nit picky for sure....certainly can't go wrong with any of them! All of them are amazing. Let me know which way you decide to go and how you like them!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thank you very much for your answer. I'm thinking about these binoculars. Leica Noctivid 10x42, Swarovski EL 10x42, Nikon EDG 10x42 When I buy some of these, I'll let you know what it is..
Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski also offer Tripod Adapters. I'd go with the Leica Tripod Adapter! I'd also go with the Leica Noctivid 8x42 "green" because of the colors and their center sharpness (as Optica Exotica pointed out best of those three)! 😍 I'd also consider the Zeiss Victory HT 8x54. Swarovski isn't for me because of its glare! 😛
Fantastic review comparison with the top 3 alpha's from the 3 brands. Your presentation has me leaning towards the Zeiss. Great feel in hand, great focus wheel and nice smooth eye cups! Those are my 3 top priorities and it seems the Zeiss has it!
Thanks and you won't be disappointed with the Victory SF! They are awesome! Let me know how you like them if you end up going that way. Thanks for watching!
The NL Pure has the best optics in bussiness, period, but looking at how a friends pair has behaved over the time, the materials like the rubber armor, eyecups and objetive covers are not very durable. Swaros are the master of optics but not of build. There is a room of improvement, In the meantime that is a good reason to choose Leicas, or panzer Zeiss.
Thanks for sharing! I'll be curious how the NLs hold up to time for me as well. I've been using these since they were released and not had any build issues, but we'll see. Thanks for watching!
Just wondering why the higher end Meostar's B1 edge to edge clarity was lower than the cheaper Meopro ? Doesnt make sense . Think you just got a bad pair or have you seen or heard this from other sources ? Thanks for the reviews !!!
Thanks for watching! This was a super fun project! I was really stumped by the Meopro having better edge to edge clarity as well. I don't think I got a bad pair of the Meostars (both were brand new direct from Meopta), but I suppose it's possible.
Question and help. I’ve been considering the NL’s for some time now. My only hold back is that at closer ranges, say inside 50 feet, the image is very flat, 2 dimensional. Is this typical with binoculars?
Hey there! I've honestly used all these for mid to longer range viewing, so I can't say that I've compared them at that close of a distance.. Sorry I'm not more help there! Thanks for watching!
Agree about the more 2-dimensional look through the Swaro NL Pures. I have used all three of these binoculars, and the Zeiss have a little bit of that “flat” look as well (about middle of these three). All binoculars that have the flat field and edge-to-edge focus have that 2-dimensional look. The flat , edge-to-edge sharpness also results in some distortion at the edges, particularly when panning across the field of view. I’m a hunter, but also a birder, and the Leica Noctivids are easily my preferred binocular of the three. Reason for me is the color and contrast, much better to me than the other two. Suppression of glare, the Leica easily beats the other two. The Swarovski in particular have glare issues compared to the other two. All three have a GREAT image quality when looking through them, so you really can’t go wrong with any of them. It’s just a matter of which optical characteristics are most important to you.
@@Rob-pv4zc thanks rob. That helps a lot. It’s quite a trade off swaro have made. The swaro 2d look seems the worst of all of them, at longer ranges probably not an issue. I’m surprised more people don’t speak up about it, especially birders at medium to close ranges and swaro touting NL’s as a birders BIN? Solid recommendation with Noctavid. I’ve also read comments with lacking construction on the NL’s and some others. One would think this would not be an issue at this price point. Also, Globally sourced parts, ‘assembled’ in Austria or Portugal, this high end should be as authentic as possible and detached from the ‘throw away’ mentality of manufacturing. Maybe I’m being too OCD / picky.
Hey there! Kowa binos are really nice, but in a different class than these 3 Alpha glass binos. We had the Kowas side by side with these three, and they don't have as good of resolution, edge to edge clarity, or low light performance.... But also 1/3 the cost. Kowa makes great binos though for their class! Thanks for watching!
I just had to subscribe to your channel because your reviews on binocs are so helpful. Swaro NL Pure look like a dream optic! At this price level/class it must be really tight competition as the limits of physics are approached in the optical design, lenses, coatings etc. At this level of quality, there's always a trade-off between resolution, contrast, brightness, color rendition, edge clarity, and field of view etc. etc. but it looks like Swaro NL Pure may have honed in on the best combination. I have binocular-envy, LOL! Sorry if I missed it on your other videos, but how many binocular reviewers did you have in total on your review team for these videos? Props to you and the team for all your efforts on a great series of videos in the various price categories. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the sub! Really appreciate it and glad this series was helpful!
We had 10 volunteers on this testing, 2 different days and then I did a ton of testing myself in addition to that. Definitely a fun project! If you haven't yet, check out the more in-depth article with a lot more details! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/
Just a side note....we are working on a rangefinding bino review here right now as well....look for that this summer!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Excellent! I'll check that link out and I hope that you gain many subscribers in the future!
@@roberta6360 thank you sir! Really appreciate that!
Just curious....were EL's not included just to avoid having two Swaros in the class? I certainly think they would hang just fine with this group. In any case, great reviews and loved this series. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Casey! Didn't particularly exclude them, but wanted to compare these three given that each respective company tours them as their "alpha" glass. I'm sure the ELs would do just fine in this class as well though! Thanks for watching.
@@BackwoodsPursuit I was thinking same thing. If he added the EL, which I would’ve liked as well then he’d have to ad the Leica Ultravid plus to the mix. Zeiss is the only one of the three that doesn’t have two full premium alphas in there line up, unless we include the FL but there out of production.
@@Paultricounty yeah, there were certainly a number of others we could have added..and that class just below this Alpha like the EL and Ultavid... would have been awesome, but had to draw the line somewhere lol. Thanks for watching though!
Would love to see a review comparison between the 3 top end rangefinder/ binos
Thanks Patrick.... We'll see what we can do! That would be a great comparison.
If they do I would like like to see the delta optical 9x45 hd. Only a few us dealers but they are great.
@@me200342 thanks! We'll have to check them out!
Here is my suggestion for unconventional test.. a blind test. Mix these alpha binos with some mid range binos. To eliminate the brand and price bias, wrap the binos with some tapes so that testers can't recognize the brands. Then rank them. It would be very interesting results I am sure.
Thanks for the suggestion! That would be very interesting I'm sure!
This is a fantastic idea.
Da stimme ich Dir einfach nur lächelnd zu, denn hier bestimmt der hohe Preis eindeutig das Endergebnis und nicht die Qualität des Fernglases. Viel gute Hersteller von hervorragenden Ferngläsern, Zielfernrohren und anderen optischen Geräten, werden abgestraft, weil sie ihr Produkt zu einem realistischen Preis anbieten.
Hier mal ein paar richtig gute Hersteller: Fujinon (z.B.: Grossfernglas Fujinon LB 25x150 MT-SX), Minolta, Canon, Meopta, Steiner, GPO, Alpen Optics um nur mal ein paar davon auf zu zählen. Und wenn ich von denen jeweils das Spitzen Fernglas in seiner Klasse wähle, dann heißt der Sieger schon ganz anders, bei einem "Blindtest"
Best regards, Rainer
Just recently acquired a Leica Noctivid in 10x42, mainly down to the deal I got, £600 less than the Zeiss and £800 less than the Swarovski.
I upgraded from Zeiss Terra ED, which were very good for their price range, but the Leica are in a different class. Only negative is the occasional blackouts in bright conditions, cured by adjusting my eyes to the eye pieces but was never an issue with the Zeiss. Other than that very happy with them, especially the money saved over the Zeiss and Swarovski
Awesome Gary! Sounds like you got a great deal. Enjoy and thanks for watching!
Outstanding review.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Another great video man! Hard to find the sorts of comparisons you're doing of optics anywhere else. Always a hard question this one but in your experience if you had to put it into a percentage how much of a step up would you say it is from the top of the class before (Vortex UHD, Swaro SLC) to the Alpha's?
This is a fun one and a subjective question but of all the pairs you looked through, which would you say had the best optical quality/price ratio i.e. bang for your buck? Could go many ways with that Q but curious what your answer will be. Always a question of when you've reach diminishing returns.
Thanks for the feedback Mert! Really appreciated it.
Man, that's a great question. Like you said, that's gonna have a different answer depending on a lot of factors and it's different for everyone(budget restraints, uses, how much you hunt etc). Are these 3 top of the line better than any in the $1500(or less expensive options)? Without question. That said, most folks practically won't realize the extra performance you get from these alpha glass binos when out in the field. Low light performance and eye strain are two of the biggest differences. For instance....I had the NLs and a pair of $500 binos side by side in the field this Sept and early morning (well before shooting light) I could not only spot, but picked out a bull with the NLs, while BARLEY able to make out that there were even elk on the hill with the $500 pair. But...that only lasted for 15-20 min. That said...the elk were gone in 5 min, so likely would have missed them entirely without the NLs. It's a lot of extra cash to drop for this alpha glass, but sure is nice.
Of all the ones we tested, I'd have to say the Athlon Cronus offered the best bang for the buck. They run just under $500, but out-performed some of the 1k binos. They were very impressive, especially for the price point.
The performance difference does get smaller between, say the $1500 pairs and these three, but it's there. Edge to edge is significantly better on these three, low light etc. Again not enough to where most folks would regret buying a $1500 pair, but then again, if you save a bit extra, you'll always have confidence in the back of your mind that you've got the best out there.
Hope that helps! Don't hesitate to drop any other questions!
@@BackwoodsPursuit excellent answer! Thank you!!
@@MrTurkan26 absolutely! Thanks again for following the channel!
Purchased two pairs NL pure for this season. Our other glass is between 1k-1500. Night and day upgrade and plan to outfit everyone in the family with NL pure for next season. FOV is huge, clarity incredible and depth of field blows everything else we own out of the water, also own two other pairs of Swarovski. Where we hunt I would just look at a mountain and the elk jumped out, no focus in and out required. The elk were so easy to find. Six days into the season, we glassed hundreds of elk and filled our tag on the second day of rifle. Would have filled first day but some hunters scared out a monster we had just set up shooting sticks on at 280 yards, painful to watch him run out of the bowl with his herd. We stalked him 3 of the 4 days we hunted archery, got within 20 yards of his bed before he busted, no shot, beds in thick stuff facing wind. Worth every penny
@@tyb3938 thanks for the story! Agreed..they are amazing and really make a huge difference! Bummer you didn't get that bull though....I feel your pain! Hopefully next year😁. Thanks for watching!
Hello, can you help me choose a pair of binoculars suitable for hot and semi-arid mountainous areas, because I am from the Sultanate of Oman and live in mountainous areas tracking bee hives and looking for the best binoculars to help me do that?
Hey there! Anybody these would work amazing for that....just depends on how much you want to spend. Many other less expensive pairs would also work well. Thanks for watching!
Probably a Vortex Razor UHD or even the cheaper Chinese made Razor HD for your situation since Vortex has the best no fault warranty in the business with no equal and no matter what happens accidental or not they always repair or replace them with brand new ones and they even offer free cleaning whenever needed. Can't state this fact about any other brand of binoculars.
Another Great Video .
Thanks Billy! Appreciate it!
@@BackwoodsPursuit places were i hunt in Oklahoma are 20 yards or less with trees and thick brush .
@@billycarter1911 well... Not a lot of reason to spend this kind of cash on optics on that case lol!
Hi, great reviews. Thank you for your work. I think i am going to buy the Victory SF 8x42. Some people say the see a ´green light´. Did you see it?
Good deal! We didn't note a green light during our testing(at least none of our testers said anything about that). Hope you love them!
@@BackwoodsPursuit i bought the NL pure. Awsome!
@s.d.r1062 excellent! Enjoy!
The Swarovski should be the best for stargazing?
I never tested them for that purpose, but I would imagine so. Thanks for watching!
Research astronomical telescopes for your specific needs.
High magnification with universal replaceable eye pieces.
because of the flat and very wide wide field, almost certainly
The swarovski EL could be included with these??
Hey there! Yeah, the EL could certainly be in this group as well. Thanks for watching!
I’m looking to get a new set of binoculars I Currently have Nikon monarchs 12x56 had them for over 12 and they were use when I got them I’m looking at getting an alpha pair of glass since I keep everything forever what would u suggest I like the swaro el but been told if I buy new I should go with the swaro nl pure what do u suggest for a life time of glassing I hunt southern as thank u
Hey there! Thanks for watching. I'd say go with the NL Pure, but take a look at our detailed review comparing these three as we go through more details in this article. There are pros and cons to each of them. backwoodspursuit.com/swarovski-nl-pure-vs-zeiss-victory-sf/
Thanks and let me know what you end up getting!
@@BackwoodsPursuit what’s yr opinion on the el 12x50 to the nl pure 12x42
@@alanmehringer8982 you know I haven't directly compared those two, but I've heard that the NL Pures are definitely better than the ELs.
@@BackwoodsPursuit thank u love yr reviews
@@alanmehringer8982 thank you! Really appreciate that!
Hi, how would you compare the build quality of the Zeiss SF to the Leica Noctivid?
That's a great question. I'd say the Noctivd overall feel more robust in their build, but I'd expect that given the design intent with the SFL (to be ultralight). That said, I've had zero issues with the build quality of the SFL and found them to have an excellent build quality. I much prefer the focus mechanism of the SFL over the Noctivid, but the Noctivid will out perform the SFL a but in low light. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks for the prompt response! one last question, is the larger field of view on the sf very evident?
@BluesMan90 you bet! The larger field of view is noticeable, but it's not a massive difference. Personally I love a bigger field of view, but the Noctivid is certainly in line with typical 10x42s, just less than these other two "Alpha Glass" options.
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks again for your availability! Your answers have really helped me!
@BluesMan90 absolutely and glad to help!
Did you find the new zeiss slf to compete well with the noctivid? I generally don't like field flattened and prefer a deeper focus like the zeiss fl or ht. Wondering if the field flattenre or the noctivid or zeiss sfl are initiating at all? Cheers
Hey there! That's a great question. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to put the new SFL next to the Noctivid, but I did put them next to the NL Pure. The SFL were pretty impressive even next to the NL Pure. Not quite as good of edge to edge clarity (similar to the Noctivid though), but not as good in low light for sure. Every pair in this video will put perform the SFL in low light. That said, for the amount of price difference, the performance difference is negotiable. Thanks for watching!
No steiner?
Unfortunately not in this one, but we've got some Steiner in a rangefinder bino review we are working on! Thanks for watching!
I have the Leica Noctovid 10x42. I sent them back to Leica Portugal from South Africa as the focus goes stiff at one point in the focus range. they came back with no improvement. I am going to request a new pair and see what they come up with. At this price point, they should be perfect.
Last year I bought a pair of Nikon Prostaff 3's whilst travelling and the focus feel was way better than the Leica with consistent feel through its range.
Oh man that's a bummer. Hope they are able to send a new pair! Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
I agree they should all be perfect at this price. How was the CA performance?
In my opinion you missed a big point about these binoculars that is clearly hinted by their construction. They are all missing a bipod mount simply because they have not been conceived with that primary application in mind. They are meant to be used mostly in hand in a more or less dynamic situation. This is important because maximizing the edge-to-edge clarity is not necessarily an advantage. When panning, a slight fading of edge clarity helps. The impression I get with Leica is of better depth of field or better sharpness around the centre. Zeiss is very close second. Colour rendition is also better with Zeiss and Leica. The Swaro are a little bit too yellow. It's really down to the actual use and preference. The Swaro are striking at the beginning but on the longer term I found them more artificial and fatiguing in more or less dynamic use. Don't take me wrong, as you say, they are the best in class but my favourite scoring is the other way around.
Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, based on my conversations with them, the folks in Europe where they are made don't use binoculars mounted on a tripod, so having that apart of the design isn't important to them. That said, it's extremely important to those of us who hunt out west in the US and glass long distances. But, like you said, each person's use will be different. Thanks for watching!
I doubt the build quality of swarovski compared to leica and zeiss.
Hey there! Each certainly had their pros and cons. Thanks for watching!
I've handled the NL Pures only once, and they were downright dangerous. The clarity on them was supernatural.
Hey there Daniel! Yes, the NLs are ridiculously clear and bright. Amazing glass. Thanks for watching!
Agree!
Leica and Zeiss is beaten far!
What?
I have NL Pure 8x42. So wide FOV and still it works fully satisfactory with eyeglasses!
I added the forehead rest, and I can confirm that it's an excellent idea! It really stabilizes the image. It's like I use 6x magnification. Because of this I wonder if I could have chosen the 10x version instead.
I don't know how well that works with eyeglasses, though.
They really are amazing and the field of view is incredible. Thanks for watching!
I agree with your overall assessment. The Leica Noctivids are fantastic, but the EL Pure's are just a tiny bit better.
@@henryware9440 thanks for watching!
Has anyone had an issue with the zip on the Noctivid carry case. When purchased I realised the zip was flimsy looking and have tried to be extra careful with it. The plastic zip now has a broken tooth and the metal part has come off on one side of the bag.
Looking online the Billingham Galbin looks to be the best replacement but it costs £150. Surely there must be a cheaper alternative. Asking if anyone has had similar issues and has found a cheaper option than £150
Hey there Gary! I have not... sorry I can't be of more help there. Thanks for watching!
I’m curious, how do different groupings of binoculars compare as a whole? Cheapest group through the most expensive group. Do more expensive optics hold their own compared to lower priced optics? Best regardless of price, editors pick, best bang for the buck.
Hey there and thanks for watching! Check out our written article for some of those details and top to bottom rankings! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/
Great Review.
I have the Razor UHD 10x42, but I want to pick the new Swarovski NL Pure 10x42.
I'm in doubt between the Swaros NL or Zeiss SF, but all the reviews I watched the NL is the best binoculars in the world.
So what you tell me, the upgrade from the Razor UHD to Swarovski NL worth?
Thanks.
Thanks Lucas! The UHDs are great binos for sure....they really surprised me in our testing. That said, they NLs are certainly better without question. In most real world hunting situations the Razor UHDs will do more than you need, but if you can swing the NLs (or any of these three) you won't be disappointed!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks👍👍
@@lucasfrederico5806 any time!
You should do a review of the Swarovski,Zeiss and Leica spotting scope comparison. 😎
That would a great one! Might have to put that together :) Thanks for watching!
I second that but would add Kowa to the scope comparison.
Good comparison.. It's just a shame that Nikon 10x42 EDG isn't there. I'd be curious what you think about Nikon EDG
Thanks! Yeah, I agree that the Nikon EDG would be awesome to test against these! Hopefully we'll be able to. Thanks for watching!
Nikon seems to be going out of business regarding their scopes and binoculars. They no longer honor their lifetime warranties.
Greetings to all. 2 weeks ago I decided to buy NL PURE.. Absolutely amazing binoculars. Huge FOV, contrast, pastel colors, clarity of the image binoculars that will be in for decades. I also own a Meopta Meo pro Air which provides a very very good picture. But when after Meopta, I look through Swarovski, then I understand why it's Swaro, Swaro. In short, looking through NL is like watching a good 4k movie, some well-produced documentary about nature.
@@igorperekovic I had a Swarovski Swarovision EL 10x42, but I sold it because it lacked sharpness. From edge to edge the image is very clear, no other scope has such a clear image, just the sharpness is lacking and I think the NL is the same... I read reviews on EL and NL and they also mentioned that it is not sharp and has a lot of reflections.. Now I own the SF Victory and the EDG and they are sharper than the EL only towards the edge the EL held the sharpness better. By all accounts, the sharpest binoculars in the center of the field of view is the Leica Noctivid
Great video
@@illinoisvalleymusicians thanks!
Great reviews and excellent comparisons. This video reinforced my commitment for purchasing the Swarovs Pures. However, I will add that Leica has the best warranty by far - 10 yr warranty covers any and all damage. But as someone mentioned in the comments, there seems to be a compromise with their quality control. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for watching and appreciate your input! Glad it was helpful.
Would you pick a 10x42 or a 10x50?
Hey there! Personally I prefer the 10x42 for the size and weight savings. Thanks for watching!
You are right, it is down to personal choice. I have a Leica Geovid and about to purchase a Zeiss Victory. Both are very good. I felt the Zeiss victory picture is more 3 dimensional and very please to look at. The Swarovski is slightly brighter but I felt the picture is pretty 2 dimensional. It is still very good. As you said, it is down to personal choice and they are all very good.
Absolutely! They are are fantastic and comes down to what your eyes prefer. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit do you think NL pure is more 2 dimensional?
@s.d.r1062 hey there! I can't really say that any of us made the comment or observation that the NLs were more 2 dimensional that the Victory SF or Noctivid, but we all thought they had better edge to edge clarity and a little better low light performance. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
How far off are the mavens from top tier
Good question! We tested the B1s, said there was a considerable difference between them and this class. Obviously a pretty big price jump as well though.
Maven's are below Vortex Razor UHD. In Mavens' price range you're better off buying Kowas with Fluorite glass they got it right or Zeiss Conquest. Maven's aren't perfect nor the best in their price classes especially their overpriced versions of binoculars and spotters. There's far better for a lot cheaper from other brands. Maven's mid to lower tier stuff are ok though.
I have a 8x42 NL Pure and a Zeiss Victory Pocket 8x25.
I want a 10 or 12.
What do you think 10x30/32 (SFL or NL)
Or and 12x42 NL Pure?
@s.d.r1062 hey there! Great question. I was actually able to put the 10x30 SFL next to the 10x32 NL, and other than FOV and edge to edge clarity, I preferred the SFL. Both are fantastic though. I've heard Great things about the 12x42 as well if you want some extra light gathering in the 42mm objective. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit
Isnt the 10 x30 too close to a 8x25 and 8x42?
Or do you think its a good extra option?
@s.d.r1062 I guess that depends on what you are using them for. Out west here I typically like a 10x bino for general use, but I'm big country the 12x is very nice as well.
@@BackwoodsPursuit
Thanks for answering.
Big country? You mean mountain area?
I live in the Netherlands. Flat land
I use 8x42 as my main bino because i live in a forest area and love the spot deer and birds in evenings.
But maybe i can use a 10 or 12 power when i am at coast or lake area. But 12 maybe too much.... I will check in in shop one day.
@@BackwoodsPursuit wy do you prefer the 10x30 SFL over the 10x32 NL?
I prefer over all of these expensive Bino's the Tract Toric with Schott HT Glass .. I believe that Schott Glass is superior to ED glass .. The Schott HT glass plays well in low light situations which I believe is better than these 3 bino's ..
Thanks for your thoughts... yeah I've got a pair of the Tract Toric as well...they are nice binos! Thanks for watching!
@all41n14lla What are you talking about? Zeiss owns Schott Glass and uses it in their HT and SF binoculars plus sells HT glass to both Leica and Swarovski and the best scope manufacturers.
Tract Toric is a good scope but falls far short of ZCO and Tangent Theta.
@Sagittariustoo thanks for your input!
The Tract Toric with Schott glass gave this reviewer some eye strain/fatigue.
In fact I own a Tract Toric 4.5-30x56 with Schott glass but my Sightron SVIII 5-40x56 with Japanese ED glass is noticeably clearer. I had two of the lower magnification Toric 4-20x50 with Schott glass and replaced them with Chinese Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 with Chinese HD glass and prefer them over the Tract Torics they replaced. Still have the 4.5-30x56 Toric though but will probably replace it with a Burris XTR PRO 5.5-30x56 which is superior to the Toric. I own a lot of different brands of scopes and always compare a lot at any given time and owned three Tract Toric scopes already and got rid of two. They're ok if you don't compare them to all others from different brands and price points.
The really only major question is how many thousands will the bank loan out on 1 teir one rifle scope, teir 1 spotting scope, their 1 bino, and teir 1 range finder! Although binos can be combined with a rangefinder! And then one teir 1 carbon fiber wrapped barreled action with .50 moa! Hmm, $20,000 just to be on the safe side!😊
Haha! Pretty much truth lol! Thanks for watching!
My experience with the rangefinding models...
Leica color is the best, eye cups are the best ive ever felt and they feel built like a tank
Zeiss has more slop in the focus but are a little brighter and sharper image. Also, faster range finder goes to zeiss.
Hey there! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can't speak to thr Leica rangefinder bino model(haventested those yet), but it's interesting that we found the a Zeiss focus mechanism to be far superior to the Leica. This pair of Leica in this video had noticed play that was quite disappointing, whereas the Zeiss and Swaro did not. Agree though that the Leica had the best color rendition & contrast of this group. Thanks for watching!
Have you been able to handle the NL Pure in 8x32? I am curious how comfortable those are in the hand. I've heard some people saying that the larger NL Pure 8x42 feels better in the hand.
I've been able to hold them for a minute, but that's about it so I can't really say on the size being uncomfortable. Thanks for watching!
I've owened all 3 and it sounds like you have a heavy bias towards the SF lol I've never heard anyone life the SF eye cups for one and they're just way too big.
Thanks for watching! I thought they all had great eye cups, but I preferred the eye cups of the NL Pure over the other two here. I thought they were the most comfortable, but I thought the SF eye cups moved a little more smoothly. Overall, I felt like the NL Pure were best of the group...but as you probably know, they are all fantastic binos. Thanks for watching! Here's our detailed review of the three if interested. backwoodspursuit.com/swarovski-nl-pure-vs-zeiss-victory-sf/
Does the Epic Outdoor stud on the Swaro allow the binos to rotate when put on the adapter or does it lock in?
Hey there! If memory serves correctly, they can rotate on the stud to allow for different interpupilary distances. Thanks for watching!
If you had to choose one to take at your home, which one ? Thanks! ....Still the Zeiss?
For me, the extra field of view and slightly better edge to edge clarity, and slightly better low light performance of the NL Pure would make them my personal choice. Thanks for watching!
😂talk & talk & never show people live demo into Exit pupil video view again. they r talking & sing happy song again🤗
@roxy_xcxc6869 thanks for the suggestion.
Can the Noctivids or SFs be fitted with the Outdoorsman stud?
Hey there! It looks like Outdoorsmans has a stud for the Victory SF, but I don't see one for the Noctivid. Maybe give them a call to confirm though. Thanks for watching!
I have these three types binoculars but swarovski is the best one
Thanks for sharing!
That was a very good review. Your description of the color characteristics of the different binoculars was very helpful. I’ve been wanting a new bino to replace my 10x42 EL that I sold years ago( Like a fool) and the newest Swaro sounds great. Now all I have to do is start saving my pennies. Lol
Subscribed!
Hey there and thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the sub as well!
The EL's are amazing!
It seems like the hunting channels don't mention leicas beautiful colour contrast, maybe because their field of view isn't very wide they aren't interested in the leica as a hunting binocular. Also leica solid build quality.
Hey there! Thanks for pointing that out. I thought I mentioned that in the video, and agree that the Leica offers the best color contrast of the group. There is more detail as well in the review article over on the website where color contrast is one of the aspects reviewed: backwoodspursuit.com/swarovski-nl-pure-vs-zeiss-victory-sf/
Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit hi, sorry I just meant generally hunting channels don't usually mention leica too much, great review man.
@@GM-bq6zo no problem at all! Thanks much!
The vast majority of professional hunters in Africa use Swarovski binoculars.
They are quite phenomenal! Thanks for watching!
@@sticksnstones5407 I've not had the chance to test them, so I can't really say. Sorry!
I know you didn’t compare 12x42 nl in the bunch but the 12x42 or zeiss 10x42 sf to go with the 15x56 Slc ?
Hey Ryan! Man... personally I preferred the NL. They are all great, but the NL just had better edge to edge and slightly better low light performance. The weight and focus mechanism of the Victory SF are amazing though! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks for getting back to me Highly appreciated keep up the great reviews
@@ryanmurphy8327 you bet! Thanks and will do!
Considering el 8.5x42 or nl pure 8x 42 or sf 8x42? please give me some advice. Thank you!
Hey there! Man...those are all incredible binos! Based on our testing, I think you'd find the best overall low light and edge to edge clarity with the NL Pure. But, the Victory SF are lighter and the focus mechanism is the smoothest of the bunch. Personally, I prefer the NL, but can't go wrong with any of them. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thank you for your suggestion ! I really appreciate!
@@loredragon7473 absolutely! Any time!
Can you talk about CA i in all three and also tell us which of the three suffered most with rolling ball effect ?
Hey there Ed! None of them suffered from any noticeable CA that we could tell, and they all presented a very flat field of view with no roller ball effect. From what I could tell, they were all very close to equal in those departments. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit awesome to hear and thanks for your great reviews
@@highanddryful absolutely! Glad they were helpful!
The Leica has way to much CA for this price level.The Zeiss has plastic eyecups wich gonna be destroyed in just a few weeks.
Sounds like you are a fan of the Swaros then? Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit No.Meopta
@@helthuismartin Awe...yes, those are extremely well built!
For me, the Leica image is the nicest of these because of the colour, contrast, central sharpness and the ability to 'look into shadows' which actually beats both of the others when zoned in, the Zeiss in particular is a little dull in terms of contrast and colour despite its great handling and the Swaro is a bit colder, flatter (not a fan of flat field) and with more glare. Of course in absolute terms they are all great and the FOV of the SF and NL are an amazing technical achievement. The only downside with the Leica is that if you don't get your eye position just right you can get a surprising amount of CA, even in the centre. The others don't do this. Older alphas like Zeiss FL and (particularly my favourite) HT 10x42 are basically CA free under all circumstances and still have a sharpness and contrast that matches the best of this group along with superior transparency and brightness from their Abbe-Koenig prisms, albeit with a slightly smaller FOV and softer edges. This doesn't bother me but the current marketing drive is 'wide & flat field'.
Lol, you guys are all over your comments.. it wasn’t meant to be negative, good review positive comment.
Was out yesterday doing glass reviewing of my 832’s. SF, EL, Ultravids, Nikon SE and Habicht’s (830). Each one has a different personality optically and haptically.
Haha..yeah, try to stay up on the comments 😆. Yes, it's interesting how each pair has a different feel optically. Some of it just comes down to personal preference at some point.
@@BackwoodsPursuit it’s good you’re staying on top of it that’s what makes a successful channel. Keep it up I wish you all the luck. It’s a shame what happened to optica Exotica. Looks like you guys have a much better budget.
I agree 100%, all these binoculars are just phenomenal and it’s very difficult to pick one over the other, that’s why I have them all. It’s like one day you’re in the mood for chicken and another day you’re in the mood for steak.
Keep up the good reviews and thank you.
@@Paultricounty thank you! I hadn't heard what happened to them?
@@BackwoodsPursuit this was just one guy kind of doing these cool videos. They weren’t very technical stat heavy reviews. He was kind of a funny guy and he took the binoculars out in different environments and used his iPhone to discuss the optics and the quality. He was buying the equipment with his own money according to him and then selling them at a loss. So I guess the financial part of it caught up to him.
@@Paultricounty awe... gotcha. That's too bad.
I bought the NL PURE, checks all the boxes!!!
Yes sir. Tough to beat the NL Pure! Thanks for watching!
8 or 10 zoom
NL !
They are amazing! Thanks for watching!
you do realise none of the big three actually manufactures their own glass don't you ? they all but in glass from Schott , none manufacture their own magnesium bodies or eyecups or rubber either, they all use what they refer to as "globally sourced parts" ( china and phillip ines) build quality is terrible on new optical equipment , but we live in the i phone era where consumers are expected to change their kit every few years as and when fashions trends change
Hey Jason! Thanks for that info. Yeah, most optics companies don't manufacture their own glass or components. Thanks for watching and taking the time to share.
Build quality is terrible? I guess you don’t own any of these three. The Noctivids are probably the most luxuriously quality built binoculars ever made. The fit and finish is phenomenal. I’ve owned the top four best made binoculars over the last 30 years, Noctivids build quality is the best.
@@Paultricounty yeah, the Noctivids are great binos!
@@BackwoodsPursuit you must be joking iv just sent my Nocti 10-42 back to Leica after five weeks, two stray items internally, all Leica binoculars are now made in Portugal, oh and yes iv owned two pairs of Swaros and four leics and three nikons and zeiss since 1984 Pual, the Swaros i owned for past four years have had to go back to ausrjtia for re building twice , absolute garbage as you Americans say
@@jasonhiggins6698 sorry to hear that....that's no good at all. Thanks for sharing your experience though!
Between sf and nl which one is better by detail and resolution?
Hey there! Man, they are so incredibly close, it's difficult to pull out much difference. That said, all of us who tested them side by side felt that the NLs had the slight advantage. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Anyway tell me which one to buy I don't care about handling, appearance, eye cups, etc The only thing that matters to me is the quality of the image I see
@@hamidaraghi45 haha....I hear ya. For me, I'd go with the NL Pure. They were my personal favorites of the group.
@@BackwoodsPursuit great
@@hamidaraghi45 any time!
Leica
The best ! The colours pop out .
Zeiss & Swarovski are excellent 👌 all three models here are perfect for your use.
I went with Leica only because the colours popped..
They are awesome for sure! Thanks for watching!
I just discovered your channel while looking for binocular reviews just like this one and your approach and attitude are great so I subscribed. The time and effort you spend answering questions in the comments section is nice of you and appreciated. Thank you, now I have some catching up to do with your other videos!
Hey there Matthew! Thanks for the sub and kind words! Happy to answer questions and help whenever I can!
Optica exotica ate the best binoculars trviews
Yeah they do great reviews! Thanks for watching though.
I want to ask which of the three is the sharpest in the middle of the field
Hey there! That's a great question....and one that is absolutely splitting hairs to answer, but I thought the NL Pure had the slight edge in resolution in the center of the image. All of them are phenomenal though. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks for the answer. According to Optica Exotica, the sharpest binoculars he has seen so far is the Leica Noctivid. He said that they are unearthly sharp
@@vikinona the Noctivid is phenomenal no doubt! They have the best color rendition and contrast absolutely. That said, the 14 of us that tested these 3 side by side preferred the NLs for our eyes and given that our primary purpose using them is for hunting, where the NLs have a massively bigger field of view, superior edge to edge clarity, and are better in low light, those factors swayed is towards the NLs.. There are things I don't like about the NLs as well.... the unforgiving eye box and don't love the focus mechanism either. The Noctivids we tested (a new pair) had some play in the focus wheel, which was disappointing for binoculars at this price point. Not a huge amount, but it was there. Again, they are all phenomenal and I'm being nit picky for sure....certainly can't go wrong with any of them! All of them are amazing. Let me know which way you decide to go and how you like them!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thank you very much for your answer. I'm thinking about these binoculars. Leica Noctivid 10x42, Swarovski EL 10x42, Nikon EDG 10x42 When I buy some of these, I'll let you know what it is..
@@vikinona sounds great and good luck deciding lol! It's a tough decision!
Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski also offer Tripod Adapters. I'd go with the Leica Tripod Adapter! I'd also go with the Leica Noctivid 8x42 "green" because of the colors and their center sharpness (as Optica Exotica pointed out best of those three)! 😍
I'd also consider the Zeiss Victory HT 8x54. Swarovski isn't for me because of its glare! 😛
Thanks for sharing! They all certainly have their strengths! All amazing glass as well. Thanks for watching!
Fantastic review comparison with the top 3 alpha's from the 3 brands. Your presentation has me leaning towards the Zeiss. Great feel in hand, great focus wheel and nice smooth eye cups! Those are my 3 top priorities and it seems the Zeiss has it!
Thanks and you won't be disappointed with the Victory SF! They are awesome! Let me know how you like them if you end up going that way. Thanks for watching!
The NL Pure has the best optics in bussiness, period, but looking at how a friends pair has behaved over the time, the materials like the rubber armor, eyecups and objetive covers are not very durable. Swaros are the master of optics but not of build. There is a room of improvement, In the meantime that is a good reason to choose Leicas, or panzer Zeiss.
Thanks for sharing! I'll be curious how the NLs hold up to time for me as well. I've been using these since they were released and not had any build issues, but we'll see. Thanks for watching!
Just wondering why the higher end Meostar's B1 edge to edge clarity was lower than the cheaper Meopro ? Doesnt make sense . Think you just got a bad pair or have you seen or heard this from other sources ? Thanks for the reviews !!!
Thanks for watching! This was a super fun project! I was really stumped by the Meopro having better edge to edge clarity as well. I don't think I got a bad pair of the Meostars (both were brand new direct from Meopta), but I suppose it's possible.
Meopro seems to be very close to the top 3 in reality. I was tempted to buy one to try out just recently on sale for just over $1000.
Question and help. I’ve been considering the NL’s for some time now. My only hold back is that at closer ranges, say inside 50 feet, the image is very flat, 2 dimensional. Is this typical with binoculars?
Hey there! I've honestly used all these for mid to longer range viewing, so I can't say that I've compared them at that close of a distance.. Sorry I'm not more help there! Thanks for watching!
Agree about the more 2-dimensional look through the Swaro NL Pures. I have used all three of these binoculars, and the Zeiss have a little bit of that “flat” look as well (about middle of these three). All binoculars that have the flat field and edge-to-edge focus have that 2-dimensional look. The flat , edge-to-edge sharpness also results in some distortion at the edges, particularly when panning across the field of view.
I’m a hunter, but also a birder, and the Leica Noctivids are easily my preferred binocular of the three. Reason for me is the color and contrast, much better to me than the other two. Suppression of glare, the Leica easily beats the other two. The Swarovski in particular have glare issues compared to the other two. All three have a GREAT image quality when looking through them, so you really can’t go wrong with any of them. It’s just a matter of which optical characteristics are most important to you.
@@Rob-pv4zc thanks rob. That helps a lot. It’s quite a trade off swaro have made. The swaro 2d look seems the worst of all of them, at longer ranges probably not an issue. I’m surprised more people don’t speak up about it, especially birders at medium to close ranges and swaro touting NL’s as a birders BIN? Solid recommendation with Noctavid. I’ve also read comments with lacking construction on the NL’s and some others. One would think this would not be an issue at this price point. Also, Globally sourced parts, ‘assembled’ in Austria or Portugal, this high end should be as authentic as possible and detached from the ‘throw away’ mentality of manufacturing. Maybe I’m being too OCD / picky.
What about Kowa binoculars?? They are not good as Swarovski, Zeiss and lieca??
Hey there! Kowa binos are really nice, but in a different class than these 3 Alpha glass binos. We had the Kowas side by side with these three, and they don't have as good of resolution, edge to edge clarity, or low light performance....
But also 1/3 the cost. Kowa makes great binos though for their class! Thanks for watching!
Kowa specialize in fantastic spotting scopes.
@commonsense5709 yeah, Kowa makes some amazing spotting scopes!
What about minox binoculars