NL pure vs EL 10x42

[kipper09]

Thinking about upgrading my Binos and want to get some input from some that have some experience with both of these. I have no place close that carries them or has them both in stock

I have the SLC’s now and a set of meostars. and they have been pretty good. (Honestly I use the meostars more than the swaros). I guess the question I have is, is the nl worth 1200 more than the el’s for just a normal person that hunts like myself? After the nls came out the price drop on the el’s made them a really good value it appears. I’ve done a bit of reading and the el’s are pretty well thought of and the nls get tremendous press. Just thought I would see some others takes on the topic. Thanks


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[Mojave]

NL's don't have as much eye relief. But if that works for you they are immersive.

 

[wyosteve]

I had 10x42 EL's and now have 12x42 NL's. If it's a direct comparison, i.e. 10x42 EL's vs. 10x42 NL's, I don't think there's a significant difference for most uses. But, the 12x42 NL's are a definite improvement over the 10x42 EL's for me. That is likely due more to the extra magnification.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I just went back and forth between 8.5x and 10x EL's and 8x and 10x NL's. I had already owned both magnification EL's previously. I was able to go to Sportsmans Warehouse and compare all 4. I ended up going with EL's again. The NL's had a lot of rolling globe/fishbowl effect. One of the things I love about EL's is how flat the image is. I'm assuming it's how they got the increased FOV. FOV isn't worth it to me if it's like you're looking out from a fish bowl though. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the eye cups.

I'd try to find somewhere that has both and go try them for yourself.

 

[Steve O]

I had 10 Els and went to 12NLP. I was not expecting much difference. I was pleasantly surprised. The NLs are spectacular in every way from the view to the ergonomics.

 

[Crusader]

I had 10x42 EL's and now have 12x42 NL's. If it's a direct comparison, i.e. 10x42 EL's vs. 10x42 NL's, I don't think there's a significant difference for most uses. But, the 12x42 NL's are a definite improvement over the 10x42 EL's for me. That is likely due more to the extra magnification.

So the extra magnification of the 12 NLs trumps the larger exit pupil of the 10x ELs? Plus, I guess the NLs are a "higher quality" (my words) image than the ELs, given the cost increase. Not to hijack this thread but it somewhat relates to the subject of a thread I've started recently, relating to the 12x EL vs 15x SLC, where I'm trying to determine the best low-light performance and resolution.

 

[wyosteve]

Yes, for me the exit pupil size is a non-issue.

 

[MattB355]

Both are great. Try both out side by side in an area you can view at distance. Both will be great but you will need to see if the added cost is worth it to you as well as other features you may like dislike on either. I still have my EL's as I just didn't see enough difference to upgrade. Superb optics with either choice.

 

[Matt Cashell]

The NL's had a lot of rolling globe/fishbowl effect. One of the things I love about EL's is how flat the image is.

That’s interesting. “Rolling ball” or the “globe effect” are typically attributed to panning excessively low distortion (field flattened) binoculars. It was one of the few knocks against the EL SVs when they were first released. Many users (me included) report the effect going away with use as the brain gets accustomed to the flatter view.

The 12x NL I tested had a touch more pincushion distortion than the very flat 12x EL, and so should resist rolling ball a little better for most viewers.

Perhaps you noticed it more with the NL due to the extremely wide FOV?

It is interesting how perceptive differences vary from user to user.

 

[BBob]

No rolling ball effect noticed at all with my NL’s. If it’s there I don’t see it in normal use. I wouldn’t be surprised to find it if I went out and got picky. To me NL’s are noticeably better overall than my EL’s but that’ll be up to you to try to see if they are worth it. I still use EL’s for some things and they are still a very viable binocular.

 

[BigCountry49]

What the NLs have over the ELs is FOV and ergos. As always It depends on what terrain and distance you glass. I went with ELs and do not feel Im missing game I would have found with the NLs. If I went with NLs it would def be the 12x42 but then handholding them becomes more difficult during stalks.

 

[Kenn]

I notice a little rolling ball effect with my 15x56 SLC's and absolutely none with my 10x42 NL's, which I love. Apparently Swaro is using a slightly different coating on new bins, probably all models, that tend to fog up quicker. I notice it on my NL's and it's not a deal breaker, but can be annoying.

 

[Steve O]

So the extra magnification of the 12 NLs trumps the larger exit pupil of the 10x ELs? Plus, I guess the NLs are a "higher quality" (my words) image than the ELs, given the cost increase. Not to hijack this thread but it somewhat relates to the subject of a thread I've started recently, relating to the 12x EL vs 15x SLC, where I'm trying to determine the best low-light performance and resolution.

One sometimes needs to ask, how many hours after legal shooting hours is enough low light performance? Twilight factor is a factor.

I’m smitten with the 12s because I was able to positively identify the desert bighorn in my avatar with only those 12 NLs at a range of over 2 miles. The image is stunning. Don’t think I could have been sure he was the one ram I had been looking for with the 10ELs.

 

[svivian]

This advice is coming from someone who has owned all three and currently uses the NL pures

If you have other needs that you are saving up for I wouldn't even upgrade from the SLCs truthfully. The ELs are great and NL pures even better but unless I had extra money just laying around I don't think I would spend it there if I had other things I needed to purchase.

However, if you can pick up a pair of ELs for $1800 and can sell the SLCs for $1300 that's probably worth the upgrade.

The NL pures I wouldn't drop the coin on unless you have money just laying around. They are great binos and I love them but do I really think they are worth that much more than the ELs.....


Just my .02

 

[JakeSCH]

I had 8.5 and 10x EL's, both are outstanding. FOV of the 10x NL was nice, but for the extra $$ I decided to keep my EL's...until i got my hands on the 12x NL's.

For a while I loved running 8.5 EL's and 15x SLC's, now I use only 12x NL's and a spotter.

That said, you cannot go wrong with the EL's...ergonomics and FOV may not be worth the extra $ depending on how you hunt.

 

[atmat]

This advice is coming from someone who has owned all three and currently uses the NL pures

If you have other needs that you are saving up for I wouldn't even upgrade from the SLCs truthfully. The ELs are great and NL pures even better but unless I had extra money just laying around I don't think I would spend it there if I had other things I needed to purchase.

However, if you can pick up a pair of ELs for $1800 and can sell the SLCs for $1300 that's probably worth the upgrade.

The NL pures I wouldn't drop the coin on unless you have money just laying around. They are great binos and I love them but do I really think they are worth that much more than the ELs.....


Just my .02

This would be my advice as well. I have the ELs and wouldn’t pay significantly to upgrade from the SLCs unless you find a killer deal.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

This would be my advice as well. I have the ELs and wouldn’t pay significantly to upgrade from the SLCs unless you find a killer deal.

I’ll go against the grain here. I upgraded to 10x ELs from 10x SLCs about 3 years ago. I absolutely thought it was worth it. I still get a little irritated going from my 10x ELs to 15x SLCs on hunts (1st world problems, I know), but the difference is noticeable to me, especially if you are spending 10/12hrs behind glass a day.
I was planning on upgrading to the NLs when they came out but didn’t think there was enough difference to justify the price.

 

[eltaco]

Everyone’s results will vary, so I guess I just need to get that out of the way first and foremost.

I’ve personally owned the 10x50 and 12x50 EL, and now have the 10x42 NL. I originally went with the 10x50 for larger exit pupil and better low light performance over the 42, but really don’t think the 42 vs 50 amounted a notable difference.

I got drawn to 12x like many on here, and after spending quite a bit of time comparing the two, I concluded the 10x is actually better for me at resolving detail when handheld. The extra hand jitter was distracting and I could pick out fine details better with the 10x. That’s counter intuitive, to an extent, but higher magnification doesn’t necessarily mean better resolution unless you’re on a stabile tripod or window mount. I did actually notice the reduced FOV and overall the 10x was a much better performer for me.

I then got the itch to try the 10x42 NL and this bino was an absolute home run for me. Lighter weight than my 10x50 EL, basically identical in terms of low light performance, and notably wider FOV. I do see more distortion (than EL) if I’m panning with them, but nothing detracting from my experience. The NL have more immersive wow factor for me, personally. The ergonomics are also more meaningful to me than I initially anticipated.

You didn’t ask specifically, but I’ve also compared against Leica and Zeiss in the field multiple times and I’m absolutely convinced Swaro has the best optics for me amongst the group. Leica would be my 2nd and Zeiss is a distant 3rd primarily due to color/contrast deviations.

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

Everybody is saying the same thing I was going to say. If you are looking at NL 10's, you may just want to save some change and go with the EL's. I own the NL 12's and absolutely love them. I owned Zeiss Victory SF's and they were very similar to the EL 10's. You do get a giant field of view with the NL 10's though too. Either way, I don't think you will regret either.

 

[Roy_H]

Thinking about upgrading my Binos and want to get some input from some that have some experience with both of these. I have no place close that carries them or has them both in stock

I have the SLC’s now and a set of meostars. and they have been pretty good. (Honestly I use the meostars more than the swaros). I guess the question I have is, is the nl worth 1200 more than the el’s for just a normal person that hunts like myself? After the nls came out the price drop on the el’s made them a really good value it appears. I’ve done a bit of reading and the el’s are pretty well thought of and the nls get tremendous press. Just thought I would see some others takes on the topic. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For many of the reasons stated below, I am a fan of the ELs - but that is because of how they fit me and not a huge image quality improvement.