Swarovski NL Pure Binocular

[Siggy111]

I came across this thread and thought I’d give my experience with the 12’s. I had pair of EL 10x42 that I loved. I didn’t think they could be beat. I ordered the 12’s after talking with Neil and Doug at Cameraland - great people and I highly recommend them. I went with 12’s just because of the larger magnification. I can peer into the woods and obtain great detail. I have yet to experience any eye strain.

I was worried about the stability issues with the 12’s. As someone mentioned earlier, setting the eyecups really helps. You have to play with them. The headrest is a bonus. I find myself searching throughout the huge field of view. With the eyecups set properly, the blackouts are pretty much gone. The clarity is unbelievable with a 12x magnification.
I find myself no more shaky with 12’s as I did the 10’s.

The 12’s give a FOV to that of a 10x. Low light has not effected their use at dusk or dawn. Ergo’s place the silky smooth focus knob right at your finger. The headrest does not interfere with my hat...just keep the bill up a little.

I think Swaro hit a home run with the NL’s, and especially with the 12’s. I do believe them to be better than my EL’s in both clarity and ergo’s. Are they worth it if you have EL’s? That’s something you have to determine yourself, as the EL is damn good. Had I not sold my EL’s, I am not sure, but I do love the 12’s and the FOV they offer. Try them and compare them, and then decide. Whatever you decide, the EL’s and NL’s are great optics, but the Pure line is just a bit better all the way around if you can handle the price. Good luck everyone.

 

[Sawtoothsteve]

I came across this thread and thought I’d give my experience with the 12’s. I had pair of EL 10x42 that I loved. I didn’t think they could be beat. I ordered the 12’s after talking with Neil and Doug at Cameraland - great people and I highly recommend them. I went with 12’s just because of the larger magnification. I can peer into the woods and obtain great detail. I have yet to experience any eye strain.

I was worried about the stability issues with the 12’s. As someone mentioned earlier, setting the eyecups really helps. You have to play with them. The headrest is a bonus. I find myself searching throughout the huge field of view. With the eyecups set properly, the blackouts are pretty much gone. The clarity is unbelievable with a 12x magnification.
I find myself no more shaky with 12’s as I did the 10’s.

The 12’s give a FOV to that of a 10x. Low light has not effected their use at dusk or dawn. Ergo’s place the silky smooth focus knob right at your finger. The headrest does not interfere with my hat...just keep the bill up a little.

I think Swaro hit a home run with the NL’s, and especially with the 12’s. I do believe them to be better than my EL’s in both clarity and ergo’s. Are they worth it if you have EL’s? That’s something you have to determine yourself, as the EL is damn good. Had I not sold my EL’s, I am not sure, but I do love the 12’s and the FOV they offer. Try them and compare them, and then decide. Whatever you decide, the EL’s and NL’s are great optics, but the Pure line is just a bit better all the way around if you can handle the price. Good luck everyone.

Siggy, thanks for the review on the 12's. Helps to have some first hand review experience. I see you are using the headrest.....any issues getting into a chest harness with headrest on?

 

[Siggy111]

In the small Marsupial, definitely not working. In the medium, it’s a little tight. I’m going to stretch it out a touch and it should be ok. If purchasing a harness for 10x42 or the 12’s, I’d go medium with Marsupial. With other brands, anyone will have to cross reference. Hope it helps. Good luck.

 

[Sawtoothsteve]

Good deal, thanks for the reply!

 

[Warren]

Interested!
Wonder if I should go ahead and sell my EL Ranges for these. I bought a Sig Kilo 2400 this season to load rifle data so I don’t really need the range capability in my binos.

 

[Norm555]

In the small Marsupial, definitely not working. In the medium, it’s a little tight. I’m going to stretch it out a touch and it should be ok. If purchasing a harness for 10x42 or the 12’s, I’d go medium with Marsupial. With other brands, anyone will have to cross reference. Hope it helps. Good luck.

How do you like the medium marsupial when the headrest is not attached? Is there too much slop or do they still fit fairly snug enough? I’d like a little less friction than the small so my NL’s can slid in and out effortlessly so I’m thinking about getting the medium marsupial.

 

[Siggy111]

I think it‘s about right....much better than the small for sure. I’m stretching it out a little for the headrest. i have not tried the large with the headrest. I’m thinking it would be too big for the binocs alone. The headrest adds a whole new dimension.

 

[pjohnson8168]

Anybody get these side by side with the Zeiss SF..? Certainly the ergonomics are a big difference but can anyone comment on the view between the two?

 

[ohoopee]

I just pulled the trigger on the NL PURE 10x42. In the end, it was the light gathering
aspect and depth of focus on the 10 vs 12's for my older eyes. I really wanted the 12's. The dealer was an older bird watcher and he suggested the 10's may be my best option. Most of
my usage will be inside of 600 yds and at first and last light.

 

[CorbLand]

Anyone compared the 8s to the 10s? Anything stand out to you one over the other?

I would like to order a pair but have only been able to look through 10s. My buddy got some 8s but got the RO so who knows when I will be able to link up with him.

 

[Racethesunset]

Just got the NL 12's.

High quality glass, no doubt.

However, I'm not convinced they are a big enough upgrade from the EL SV 12's. There are compromises that jump out at me. Time will tell.

 

[Spoonman]

Just got the NL 12's.

High quality glass, no doubt.

However, I'm not convinced they are a big enough upgrade from the EL SV 12's. There are compromises that jump out at me. Time will tell.

Ordered mine a couple months ago and still waiting. What are the compromises you noticed ?

 

[28bang]

I noticed a difference in the NLs and so did my friend when going from the ELs. No regrets.

 

[Racethesunset]

Ordered mine a couple months ago and still waiting. What are the compromises you noticed ?

A lot of folks have discussed their benefits, so to dig into the compromises vs the EL SV/FP 12's, based on my experience with them thus far:

1) Eye placement. Out of the box, NL 12's are more difficult than other Swarovski's to just "walk into the image" without the occassional blackout or misalignment. When you find the correct contact point and eye position to remove blackout, to get them 100% free of parallax, the NL 12's require additional monkeying until they are just right. Never had that problem with any EL or SLC.

2) Low light. As others mentioned, the NL 12's are dimmer during twilight. The increased resolution does not compensate for the difference that a 50mm objective provides. It's obvious to me, 5-10 minutes of prime time glassing both sides of the day. Those times when its a little too dim to look through the optics, so you don't. The EL SV/FP 12's and SLC HD 15's are better in this regard. I had my fingers crossed that the 42mm objective would be closer.

3) Glare. The NL 12's control glare well, but... in a small part of the part frame the glare is more pronounced, brighter, than it is with my EL SV's. Not a huge deal cause the quality of the rest of the image is second to none, but there are some bright spots that you just can't look through like you can with the EL SV's. The EL SV's spread the glare across a larger portion, at least to my eyes, which allows you to see through the glare, if that makes sense.

Basically, the difference between 50mm and 42mm objective lenses remains. I'm not sure if I'll keep them just yet. Need more time in the field.

 

[antlerz]

A lot of folks have discussed their benefits, so to dig into the compromises vs the EL SV/FP 12's, based on my experience with them thus far:

1) Eye placement. Out of the box, NL 12's are more difficult than other Swarovski's to just "walk into the image" without the occassional blackout or misalignment. When you find the correct contact point and eye position to remove blackout, to get them 100% free of parallax, the NL 12's require additional monkeying until they are just right. Never had that problem with any EL or SLC.

2) Low light. As others mentioned, the NL 12's are dimmer during twilight. The increased resolution does not compensate for the difference that a 50mm objective provides. It's obvious to me, 5-10 minutes of prime time glassing both sides of the day. Those times when its a little too dim to look through the optics, so you don't. The EL SV/FP 12's and SLC HD 15's are better in this regard. I had my fingers crossed that the 42mm objective would be closer.

3) Glare. The NL 12's control glare well, but... in a small part of the part frame the glare is more pronounced, brighter, than it is with my EL SV's. Not a huge deal cause the quality of the rest of the image is second to none, but there are some bright spots that you just can't look through like you can with the EL SV's. The EL SV's spread the glare across a larger portion, at least to my eyes, which allows you to see through the glare, if that makes sense.

Basically, the difference between 50mm and 42mm objective lenses remains. I'm not sure if I'll keep them just yet. Need more time in the field.

Im not sure hunters always recognise the common light conditions we glass in, i.e. animals come out in shaded aspects with sometimes severe backlight from setting sun. Most of our game spotting is otherwise done after the sun disappears and before dark, i.e. in the gloom.
Hard to beat decent exit pupil and bigger aperture in a glare free format.

 

[BLM4]

A lot of folks have discussed their benefits, so to dig into the compromises vs the EL SV/FP 12's, based on my experience with them thus far:

1) Eye placement. Out of the box, NL 12's are more difficult than other Swarovski's to just "walk into the image" without the occassional blackout or misalignment. When you find the correct contact point and eye position to remove blackout, to get them 100% free of parallax, the NL 12's require additional monkeying until they are just right. Never had that problem with any EL or SLC.

2) Low light. As others mentioned, the NL 12's are dimmer during twilight. The increased resolution does not compensate for the difference that a 50mm objective provides. It's obvious to me, 5-10 minutes of prime time glassing both sides of the day. Those times when its a little too dim to look through the optics, so you don't. The EL SV/FP 12's and SLC HD 15's are better in this regard. I had my fingers crossed that the 42mm objective would be closer.

3) Glare. The NL 12's control glare well, but... in a small part of the part frame the glare is more pronounced, brighter, than it is with my EL SV's. Not a huge deal cause the quality of the rest of the image is second to none, but there are some bright spots that you just can't look through like you can with the EL SV's. The EL SV's spread the glare across a larger portion, at least to my eyes, which allows you to see through the glare, if that makes sense.

Basically, the difference between 50mm and 42mm objective lenses remains. I'm not sure if I'll keep them just yet. Need more time in the field.

This is great information. I’ve been struggling for months trying to make the decision between el12x50 and the new nl 12s. Most everyone that writes a review only focuses on what’s better but it’s hard to get real feedback on what isn’t quite as good. I’m leaning towards the EL route as of now, especially when considering you can snag a used pair and save yourself close to a grand. I’ve been using 10x50 slcs for some time now and love the low light performance, not sure if I’d be happy sacrificing those last 10 minutes.
Have you noticed a drastic difference with handheld stability between the two?

 

[from_up_north]

Maybe for hand holding, but I don’t see myself using it... guess I’ll withhold judgement until I try it.


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[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Guessing you were hunting for an update quoting that post...? Good call actually, and glad I did withhold judgement as I actually didn’t realize the FRP forehead rest makes glassing a lot more comfortable for eyeglass wearers (me). I don’t feel like there’s a big stability benefit for me, but I love that I’m not pushing the eyecups into my eyeglasses - which puts a lot of pressure on the nose pads (eventually causing a headache). Instead the forehead rest bears that load now. Without the FRP, I am constantly cleaning my eyeglasses because I push them into my eyes so far that the lenses get smudges from sweaty eyelids etc... Using the FRP made a huge improvement in glassing comfort that I never anticipated. They’re easy to adjust so they don’t make contact when they’re mounted on a tripod. Biggest drawback is they don’t fit as well in the bino harness, but it’s not a big deal. As a 4-eyed guy, I’d add them to all my binos if I could. Without glasses, Your mileage may vary...


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[from_up_north]

Guessing you were hunting for an update quoting that post...? Good call actually, and glad I did withhold judgement as I actually didn’t realize the FRP forehead rest makes glassing a lot more comfortable for eyeglass wearers (me). I don’t feel like there’s a big stability benefit for me, but I love that I’m not pushing the eyecups into my eyeglasses - which puts a lot of pressure on the nose pads (eventually causing a headache). Instead the forehead rest bears that load now. Without the FRP, I am constantly cleaning my eyeglasses because I push them into my eyes so far that the lenses get smudges from sweaty eyelids etc... Using the FRP made a huge improvement in glassing comfort that I never anticipated. They’re easy to adjust so they don’t make contact when they’re mounted on a tripod. Biggest drawback is they don’t fit as well in the bino harness, but it’s not a big deal. As a 4-eyed guy, I’d add them to all my binos if I could. Without glasses, Your mileage may vary...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for sharing - for some reason my phone ate what I wrote, but you read my mind

 

[Spiral Horn]

Anybody get these side by side with the Zeiss SF..? Certainly the ergonomics are a big difference but can anyone comment on the view between the two?

Good question. Of the few professional reviewers that have compared the two the verdict is they are both fantastic and the best two binoculars currently available. But at the same time they are very different in many ways and it is really a matter of personal preferences. A few points they brought up - while both have a stunning image, SFs are easier to dive right in an be immersed in the image, while the NLs are a bit more finicky on precise eye position and take a bit of getting used to; NLs wider and flatter field make them slightly superior for astronomy; both handle exceptionally well - the NLs fit the hand just a little better but the SFs feel lighter and balance better for less fatigue during long glassing sessions.

I‘d need a lot more time with both side-by-side to add much to that. The few minutes of comparison from bringing my SFs to the store and looking through the NLs just doesn’t do it justice (and not willing to shell out $3k+ to compare in depth). But I can echo the comments on finicky eye placement and exceptional ergonomics of the NLs. Will wait until one of my buddies buys one or I’m in camp with someone who has them.

What I’m really waiting to see are the 32mm NLs, as I’m in the market for that size glass.