Thanks for your overview of these bins. I've compared these in the 10x42 range in a store and the adjacent park. While both were excellent, I feel the colour rendition was superior in the NL Pures and I couldn't create any light artefacts in them - fringing etc. - no matter how hard I tried. As a pro birder, this is really important to me as I work in so many light conditions and must be able to identify and observe the birds with plenty of accuracy. However the long hours of handling bins in the field is also important. On picking up the NL Pures I felt like they were made for me and was instantly in love. The ergonomics are fantastic. I always prefocus - i.e. I keep my bins focused at a distance where I'm seeing most birds in a given habitat which keeps me ready when a bird appears. If I see a bird fly into a distant tree, I quickly focus on the surrounding foliage, spot it with my naked eyes and then get the bins on the bird and it's focused, so rapidity of focus with the wheel is not so important. These are basic binocular skills for birders. When it comes down to choosing bins we have to take into account the total experience and for me the NL Pures had the edge.
Thank you so much for your input! It is so nice to get feedback from someone who is using binoculars in the field for hours at a time and in low light conditions; this is where the top end optics make the biggest difference. What kind of habitat are you working in? We agree that the speed of the focus wheel is not super important at longer distances, but many of our customers that work in close quarters (e.g. jungles in Ecuador, forests in the Eastern US, etc.) depend on a fast focus wheel to acquire birds at various distances within ~20 yds. Not to say that the NL Pure doesn't work well for this, but the Victory SF is slightly faster and some of our customers choose it for that reason. Thank you for sharing your valuable experience with us!
@@Optics4birding thank you. I’ve use these in a mixture of habitat types here in Australia, tall wet forests, open woodlands, heath and rainforests. I don’t find the focus a problem because I always prefocus as described in my comment above. If I do this I never miss the bird.
I own both. The Victory SF is a masterpiece of ergonomics that are let down by their eyecup design. The eyecups feel cheap and it’s a crime to an otherwise amazing product. At this price point, you’re splitting hairs to be clear, but if you’re glassing all day, the NL Pure is on another level optically in my opinion. The field of view is absurd. One thing that really bothered me was that the forehead rest isn’t included with the NL. for $3500 this just felt insulting for them to ask for another $200 for what’s arguably the product’s signature feature.
Interesting feature in the forehead rest... As an eyeglass wearer I've recently found myself pressing my thumb tips against my face, below my eyes, to achieve a steadier hold. Sort of happend on accident the first time but now I'm actively using the technique.
Great advice! We also like the "brim of the hat" trick where you latch onto the front of your hat with your middle fingers, allowing your index fingers to stay on the focus wheel. But your version definitely wins if you leave your hat at home!
A nice overview which finally says it is your personal taste. Ok. But you are mum on the one hand holding capacity in the Zeiss, + the bridge, i mean), which is staring at you from the beginning. Any views on that. I cidentally Noctivid also has this feature. Thanks.
They can both be very comfortable to hold with one hand. Which one is better for one-handed use depends on whose hand is holding it. Some prefer the open bridge design on the ZEISS Victory SF and Leica Noctivid (as well as the Swarovski EL and others) while some like the trimmed down shape of the NL Pure. Other than personal preference, we've seen that, in general, smaller hands have an easier time with the NL Pure because there is less to grab while some with larger hands prefer the Victory SF because their hands don't feel as cluttered. But this is not universal law--we've seen it the opposite way as well. Always best to handle them yourself if you can!
Hello, thank you for this video. I would like to see you do a video comparison between the image stabilizing Canon vs the Leupold BX-5 Santiam HD vs the best of Steiner Military or Commander series.
I own Nl..I adore those binoculars..every time it enchants me..whenever I put it on my eyes I am amazed..colors, sharpness, contrast, everything is as it suits my eyes perfectly. It is expensive but as they say "you buy once, you cry once". How much money do we spend on cell phones and all those modern things that last for a few years? This is a quality thing to buy and have for a lifetime.
Thank you so much for this comment! It always amazes us when people come to our store and gasp at the price of these binoculars, but they don't think twice about buying a $1,500 phone every year. In the long run, the phones are MUCH more costly!
Thanks for asking; we know somebody would! The Noctivid is unquestionably one of the best binoculars we carry. It has an absolutely gorgeous view, but the ergonomics simply fall short for us and the majority of our customers. They are heavier and lack the ergonomic grip and smooth focus wheel that the SF and NL have, and when you're spending $3K+ it makes sense to have the best ergonomics AND the best image quality. We have all three in our store, and these two drastically outsell the Noctivid because of the ergonomics. That said, as we've tried to emphasize in all of our videos, binoculars are extremely personal, and there are plenty of folks who choose the Noctivid. We release these videos based on what our audience wants to see most, and these two binoculars are simply more popular and got their own video. We may do another one with the Noctivid someday!
Thanks for the video. I was in the luxury position to choose between the two (I prefer 8x above 10x though). It was difficult to choose as they are both top, but in the end I chose the Zeiss, because of closer focus (a must if you also watch dragonflies and buttefiles), less weight and the focus wheel of the Zeiss felt better. I did not see any significant differences in optics, though I made the choise during a gloomy, rainy December day, also the broader field of view in the Swaro did not made me choose for it. Finally a customer made me make my final decision towards Zeiss. He siad that his wife had a Swaro and when something was wrong with it, Swarovski had great service. Then I remembered that phrase from my fellow birders "Great service by Swarowski!"" more often than not. As my previous binocular was a Zeiss 8x42 FL from 2004 I cannot recall how the service is by Zeiss. Because I never ever needed service by Zeiss!
Hello, is it safe to clean the lenses on the NL pure with Zeiss wipes? I’ve read things about not using wipes with alcohol and the Zeiss smells like alcohol, but I’m not sure. Thanks.
Most lens cleaning solutions are made with alcohol and are safe to use on binoculars. The ZEISS wipes are safe to use on the NL Pure lenses. Just try not to get the solution on the housing or armor and keep it on the glass.
Great question! We have compared them on a resolution chart but could not see a discernable difference. The glass quality is so excellent in both that we don't have a strong opinion one way or the other.
why do you need an add on forehead rest it should be in the price of the binocular not an add on thats just being greedy my dad has the nl pure and im not that impressed by them the el gave me more wow factor looking through them , i have the zeiss victory sf for me the best binocular ive ever looked through maybe im wrong but for my eyes the zeiss takes it
You are right in what you say... optically, i always preferred the zeiss conquest to the flagship victorys. And at every event where there was a optics marquee, I could never convince myself that any of the top brands 'flagships' were worth upgrading to (and believe me I wanted to because the conquests felt really cheap, because of their super cheap eyecups, which always made me sad every time i used them).... then last year I came across the NL pure and everything just fell into place, ergonomics, field of view and image quality together with that 'flagship' feel to them, I resisted the impulse to buy them right there (proud of myself) but I knew sooner or later that the money for that hefty price tag was gonna burn a hole right through my pocket. So when you say you were not that impressed I totally get it... I've been there, but kind of the other way round.
No, the extra $500 is not a result of the optics being better. It has more to do with Swarovski's manufacturing costs and how they choose to price their binoculars.
Thanks for your overview of these bins. I've compared these in the 10x42 range in a store and the adjacent park. While both were excellent, I feel the colour rendition was superior in the NL Pures and I couldn't create any light artefacts in them - fringing etc. - no matter how hard I tried. As a pro birder, this is really important to me as I work in so many light conditions and must be able to identify and observe the birds with plenty of accuracy. However the long hours of handling bins in the field is also important. On picking up the NL Pures I felt like they were made for me and was instantly in love. The ergonomics are fantastic. I always prefocus - i.e. I keep my bins focused at a distance where I'm seeing most birds in a given habitat which keeps me ready when a bird appears. If I see a bird fly into a distant tree, I quickly focus on the surrounding foliage, spot it with my naked eyes and then get the bins on the bird and it's focused, so rapidity of focus with the wheel is not so important. These are basic binocular skills for birders. When it comes down to choosing bins we have to take into account the total experience and for me the NL Pures had the edge.
Thank you so much for your input! It is so nice to get feedback from someone who is using binoculars in the field for hours at a time and in low light conditions; this is where the top end optics make the biggest difference. What kind of habitat are you working in? We agree that the speed of the focus wheel is not super important at longer distances, but many of our customers that work in close quarters (e.g. jungles in Ecuador, forests in the Eastern US, etc.) depend on a fast focus wheel to acquire birds at various distances within ~20 yds. Not to say that the NL Pure doesn't work well for this, but the Victory SF is slightly faster and some of our customers choose it for that reason. Thank you for sharing your valuable experience with us!
@@Optics4birding thank you. I’ve use these in a mixture of habitat types here in Australia, tall wet forests, open woodlands, heath and rainforests. I don’t find the focus a problem because I always prefocus as described in my comment above. If I do this I never miss the bird.
I own both. The Victory SF is a masterpiece of ergonomics that are let down by their eyecup design. The eyecups feel cheap and it’s a crime to an otherwise amazing product.
At this price point, you’re splitting hairs to be clear, but if you’re glassing all day, the NL Pure is on another level optically in my opinion. The field of view is absurd.
One thing that really bothered me was that the forehead rest isn’t included with the NL. for $3500 this just felt insulting for them to ask for another $200 for what’s arguably the product’s signature feature.
the eye cups on the nl pure are no better the rubber comes off when used a lot due to the tight rain guard they supply
Interesting feature in the forehead rest...
As an eyeglass wearer I've recently found myself pressing my thumb tips against my face, below my eyes, to achieve a steadier hold. Sort of happend on accident the first time but now I'm actively using the technique.
Great advice! We also like the "brim of the hat" trick where you latch onto the front of your hat with your middle fingers, allowing your index fingers to stay on the focus wheel. But your version definitely wins if you leave your hat at home!
@@Optics4birding Thanks! This is the first video of yours that I've watched. Interesting channel. I guess Algo can't be all bad.😀
@@BSJ-VT Thank you for being here!
A nice overview which finally says it is your personal taste. Ok. But you are mum on the one hand holding capacity in the Zeiss, + the bridge, i mean), which is staring at you from the beginning. Any views on that. I cidentally Noctivid also has this feature. Thanks.
They can both be very comfortable to hold with one hand. Which one is better for one-handed use depends on whose hand is holding it. Some prefer the open bridge design on the ZEISS Victory SF and Leica Noctivid (as well as the Swarovski EL and others) while some like the trimmed down shape of the NL Pure. Other than personal preference, we've seen that, in general, smaller hands have an easier time with the NL Pure because there is less to grab while some with larger hands prefer the Victory SF because their hands don't feel as cluttered. But this is not universal law--we've seen it the opposite way as well. Always best to handle them yourself if you can!
Hello, thank you for this video. I would like to see you do a video comparison between the image stabilizing Canon vs the Leupold BX-5 Santiam HD vs the best of Steiner Military or Commander series.
I own Nl..I adore those binoculars..every time it enchants me..whenever I put it on my eyes I am amazed..colors, sharpness, contrast, everything is as it suits my eyes perfectly. It is expensive but as they say "you buy once, you cry once". How much money do we spend on cell phones and all those modern things that last for a few years? This is a quality thing to buy and have for a lifetime.
Thank you so much for this comment! It always amazes us when people come to our store and gasp at the price of these binoculars, but they don't think twice about buying a $1,500 phone every year. In the long run, the phones are MUCH more costly!
@@Optics4birding That's right, I completely agree..😃
Why did you exclude the Leica Noctovid from your review?
Thanks for asking; we know somebody would! The Noctivid is unquestionably one of the best binoculars we carry. It has an absolutely gorgeous view, but the ergonomics simply fall short for us and the majority of our customers. They are heavier and lack the ergonomic grip and smooth focus wheel that the SF and NL have, and when you're spending $3K+ it makes sense to have the best ergonomics AND the best image quality. We have all three in our store, and these two drastically outsell the Noctivid because of the ergonomics. That said, as we've tried to emphasize in all of our videos, binoculars are extremely personal, and there are plenty of folks who choose the Noctivid. We release these videos based on what our audience wants to see most, and these two binoculars are simply more popular and got their own video. We may do another one with the Noctivid someday!
Love your video. Would be very interested how the new zeiss victory HT compare to these two.
Thanks for your feedback! We will definitely include the Victory HT in a future video :D
Thanks for the video. I was in the luxury position to choose between the two (I prefer 8x above 10x though). It was difficult to choose as they are both top, but in the end I chose the Zeiss, because of closer focus (a must if you also watch dragonflies and buttefiles), less weight and the focus wheel of the Zeiss felt better. I did not see any significant differences in optics, though I made the choise during a gloomy, rainy December day, also the broader field of view in the Swaro did not made me choose for it. Finally a customer made me make my final decision towards Zeiss. He siad that his wife had a Swaro and when something was wrong with it, Swarovski had great service. Then I remembered that phrase from my fellow birders "Great service by Swarowski!"" more often than not. As my previous binocular was a Zeiss 8x42 FL from 2004 I cannot recall how the service is by Zeiss. Because I never ever needed service by Zeiss!
I have a 8x42 NL Pure
A am considering a 10x32 NL pure.
Or do you think its too close to an 8? Maybe not worth it?
@@s.d.r1062
8 and 10 are both fine for handholding.
8x would suit a 32mm object better,though 10 would be ok too especially in good light.
@@redpillnibbler4423
Thanks. But is it worth to have both?
Hello, I can't find the link to the eye relief video you mentioned when you covered the eye relief.
Oops! Here you go: instagram.com/reel/C6wnsYmtcM4/
Hello, is it safe to clean the lenses on the NL pure with Zeiss wipes? I’ve read things about not using wipes with alcohol and the Zeiss smells like alcohol, but I’m not sure. Thanks.
Most lens cleaning solutions are made with alcohol and are safe to use on binoculars. The ZEISS wipes are safe to use on the NL Pure lenses. Just try not to get the solution on the housing or armor and keep it on the glass.
Very nice.
Now maybe do some reviews of mid priced binoculars?
Not everyone are millionaires you know.
Thank you for your feedback! We are planning to release more videos including some with more entry-level and mid-priced optics. Stay tuned!
@@Optics4birding Thank you :)
Your videos are very much appreciated.
@@mrmaxaxl Thank you for being here and supporting our channel!
People do reviews on swarovski because they know they will get lots of views.
So really, did you compare image resolution? Are the zeiss not able to resolve more details?
Great question! We have compared them on a resolution chart but could not see a discernable difference. The glass quality is so excellent in both that we don't have a strong opinion one way or the other.
why do you need an add on forehead rest it should be in the price of the binocular not an add on thats just being greedy my dad has the nl pure and im not that impressed by them the el gave me more wow factor looking through them , i have the zeiss victory sf for me the best binocular ive ever looked through maybe im wrong but for my eyes the zeiss takes it
You are right in what you say... optically, i always preferred the zeiss conquest to the flagship victorys. And at every event where there was a optics marquee, I could never convince myself that any of the top brands 'flagships' were worth upgrading to (and believe me I wanted to because the conquests felt really cheap, because of their super cheap eyecups, which always made me sad every time i used them).... then last year I came across the NL pure and everything just fell into place, ergonomics, field of view and image quality together with that 'flagship' feel to them, I resisted the impulse to buy them right there (proud of myself) but I knew sooner or later that the money for that hefty price tag was gonna burn a hole right through my pocket.
So when you say you were not that impressed I totally get it... I've been there, but kind of the other way round.
Still $500 more for the Pure. Other than feel, is the Pure $500 optically better..
No, the extra $500 is not a result of the optics being better. It has more to do with Swarovski's manufacturing costs and how they choose to price their binoculars.