Has anyone compared 10x ELs & Noctovids?

[mi650]

I'm looking for new binos for deer hunting in the woods. Low light performance is my primary concern. Without getting into the minutae of why, it gets dark in my woods well before legal shooting time is up. When it's cloudy and/or rainy, it's worse. I've had deer 20 yards away that I couldn't see with the naked eye with 25 minutes left of legal time.

I've had several Swaro & Leica binos. The ELs I had were older, and I've never been able to look thru Noctovids. If anyone has been able to compare the 2, which would I be happier with before sunrise and after sunset? With a military discount at various sites, they're within $20 of each other.

A couple others I'm considering are 8 or 10x56 SLCs and 8x54 Zeiss Victory HTs. Any of these are going to cost more than ELs or Noctovids, though.


ETA: For my purposes, weight is not a concern.

 

[glassman]

Not much difference between the Noctivid and the EL SV regarding transmission. For Low light if 10X is your choice and weight is not a problem, then the SLC 10X56 or the HT 10X54 would fit the bill. JMO.

 

[mi650]

Not much difference between the Noctivid and the EL SV regarding transmission. For Low light if 10X is your choice and weight is not a problem, then the SLC 10X56 or the HT 10X54 would fit the bill. JMO.

I used to have an 8x Zeiss Conquest, and have been debating going back to 8x. 10 works, but 12 is just too much for my woods. Some parts are pretty thick.

 

[Steve O]

I compared those two extensively. They were identical to me other than ergonomics. Same light gathering and I could see the exact same detail on a euro mount set ~100 yards in the woods on multiple evenings in different weather and lighting conditions until well after dark with both of them stacked on a tripod mount. Can’t go wrong with either.

 

[mi650]

I compared those two extensively. They were identical to me other than ergonomics. Same light gathering and I could see the exact same detail on a euro mount set ~100 yards in the woods on multiple evenings in different weather and lighting conditions until well after dark with both of them stacked on a tripod mount. Can’t go wrong with either.

Thanks Steve, great info!

I'm having a hard time getting past Zeiss' claiim of 95% light transmission for the Victory HT. It's a very strong contender right now, even though I'm an avowed Swaro fanboy. In reality, I doubt I'd ever notice a difference over the 8x56 SLC and it's 93%.

 

[OspreyZB]

8x56 SLC is what you want, they're like having night vision. It's amazing what you can see with them in dark woods. I'm sure you couldn't go wrong with the victory HT or victory FL either. Any of them will be way better than any 8x42 or 10x42 for your intended use.

 

[mi650]

8x56 SLC is what you want, they're like having night vision. It's amazing what you can see with them in dark woods. I'm sure you couldn't go wrong with the victory HT or victory FL either. Any of them will be way better than any 8x42 or 10x42 for your intended use.

This is what I ended up ordering. After comparing the SLC & HT, the SLC was the clear winner. The only thing it's behind on it light transmission, 93% vs 95%.


Thanks everyone!

 

[Spiral Horn]

I have a 10x56 SLC and it is simply fantastic. The 56mm SLCs have an Abbe-Koenig Prism design and simply transmit more light than SP design. The 8x56 SLC has a stellar reputation and you’ll very likely enjoy them for many years to come.

 

[mi650]

Received these about a week ago, and I finally got a chance to look thru them just after dark this evening.

Looking at and around my 100 yard berm set back in my woods was like cheating.

 

[thewileyone]

I have owned 2 sets of Noctivids. They are clearer than any set of Swarovski ED’s I’ve owned or looked through. They are clearer than the Leica Ultravids as well.

If you’re glassing for long periods of time, the clearer your glass the less stress on your eyes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ahansel]

I've had the same experience as @thewileyone with Noctivids vs ELs. Mine were the 10x42 Noctivids and 12x50 ELs.

 

[Matt Cashell]

My thoughts on this question:

Leica Noctivid 10x42 Review

By Matt Cashell, Rokslide Prostaff In doing optics reviews over the years for Rokslide, I have had the luxury of looking through all types of glass, from the budget-friendly entry-level to the pricey top shelf offerings. For many years, hunters have discovered the very best optics are found on...

www.rokslide.com

 

[mi650]

My thoughts on this question:

Leica Noctivid 10x42 Review

By Matt Cashell, Rokslide Prostaff In doing optics reviews over the years for Rokslide, I have had the luxury of looking through all types of glass, from the budget-friendly entry-level to the pricey top shelf offerings. For many years, hunters have discovered the very best optics are found on...

www.rokslide.com

Great write-up!

I'm sure I'll end up with a set of Noctovids before long, but for this purpose, the 8x56 SLCs were the right choice.