Leica Noctivid 10x42

Swarovski don’t make cameras yet this does not detract from their incredible sporting optics. Zeiss has made famous camera lenses and proudly own a great heritage in this field since the turn of the previous century. Leica too has now been making cameras for what will be 100 years by the time 2025 rolls around. When a company has almost a century of optics experience behind them, particularly with a rich and lustrous heritage in the photography world, you expect something special from their binoculars. When you think about how important it is for a camera sensor and set of lenses to capture as much fidelity of their subject target as possible, you may wonder, “Does Leica’s technological experience translate into their sporting optics?” The short answer is, yes.

Why do I like this model of binoculars? Primarily it’s because they have been designed and built with an exceptional integrity to superb colour rendition. Additionally, one of the chief calling cards of Leica which generally typifies their brand is their exceptional build quality. It is something you can experience first-hand from the moment you pick them up, to your first viewing through them. These are tough customers!

I first encountered the Noctivid 10x42 when it was being demonstrated at the UK Bird Fair and I got talking to one of the product representatives there. However, before I had started to talk to him, I had the opportunity to try out these binoculars panning across a view that I will always remember. Myself and the crowd around me were watching a hunting Marsh Harrier as it swooped and dived close to the reedbeds one sunny afternoon. Now the Marsh Harrier was a spectacle in his own right because of the striking contrast of greys within his plumage but what stood out to me even more so was the reedbed. I had never seen greens like it through any pair of binoculars before. I found myself lowering the binoculars, looking with my unaided eyes and then glassing again and repeating the process before I would permit myself to believe just how much these binoculars were enhancing what I was seeing.

I was fully aware that the human eye can perceive more shades of green than any other colour, but these binos just made all the subtle hues between this reedbed really stand out in a dance of vibrancy that was simply stunning. I had never taken as much pleasure in well rendered colours with binoculars before. But it wasn’t just the greens. The yellows were also rich and vibrant and the blue of the water was like cobalt. I kept checking and rechecking what I was seeing and then went on to look and compare every colour I could see through them. Why were these binoculars so colourful and yet so well balanced? They didn’t exhibit any tinting favouring a typical warmer slight ‘orangey’ hue that I was expectant of and more familiar with from the Ultravid HD Plus range. Rather, these had more clarity, richness and mesmerising colour contrast. What was going on? I had to ask the assistant.

He revealed to me that Leica prided themselves on this attribute because of their phenomenal light transmission which they had achieved, not just at one peak wavelength of light favouring the blue spectrum, but that it had a very high consistent average across the whole spectrum of light and this is why the overall image was so alive. He explained to me that some manufacturers may slightly exaggerate their light transmission data by not revealing in all honesty that their transmission was only peaking at perhaps one part of the spectrum, say for example the blue end of up to about 500nm after which the amount of light would drop off toward the opposite end of the light spectrum – the red end. I had to agree, I was very impressed and fell in love with this binocular there and then. I could tell it wasn’t just sales speak because I had already seen it with my own eyes. I wanted these!

My feeling was that they brought life to the natural world that hasn’t been challenged since then, apart from the Zeiss HT range and now the Swarovski NL Pure models. To my surprise these colours were also richer and more vibrant than the very natural rendering of the Zeiss SF models but I have to emphasise than this vibrancy was even and balanced maintaining a realistic image – just richer but still believable and representative. The whites were slightly warmer, ever so slightly faintly reddish, but in an entirely appealing and characteristically intended way to keep Leica fans happy. The colours produce something greater than the sum of their collected wavelengths and put a real smile on my face because they were a genuine joy to use.

They behave almost like a porro-prism for their 3-D layering effect and perceivable depth within the landscape’s contours. This attribute alone could be enough to make you want to own them.

Some of the less favourble characteristics of this item come from the fact that it is built like a tank which is possibly a great strength and yet a partial weakness. It weighs 860g which is 60g heavier than the Swarovski EL 10x42 at 800g and 80g more than the Zeiss SF 10x42 which is the lightest at 780g. Although that’s not much difference for short periods of time, if you are watching every gram for your flight bag, hike, expedition or even your day out around the reserve, then you may want to factor that in.

It could perhaps benefit from some (albeit subtle) tweaking with the ergonomics. The diopter is easy to set and forget and focusing is responsive and suitable quick enough for quickly changing through your depth of field. It’s just that the focus wheel protrudes from the body and is placed further back than would be ideal for forefinger placement, but this is a minor gripe. What is also mildly irritating is that the strap eyelets sit under your hand when you’re focusing with your index finger in line with the focuser.

It has to be acknowledged that the weight is significant too at 860g but it is laudable that this is no heavier than the 8x magnification. Also, there is some notable chromatic aberration which shouldn’t really be there to that degree at this price point, but perhaps it won’t matter to you given the context of the overall image presentation. If you think it will annoy you and is unforgivable, then look elsewhere in the Swarovski EL, NL and Zeiss SF ranges for even better correction.

Overall, these binoculars are super sharp at the centre, ‘kill off’ any stray light superbly well and perform well at close distances. Naturalist and Leica endorsee Iolo Williams claims good image quality as close as 1.5m and excellent light gathering into the evening dusk hence living up to its Noctivid name. Noctivids have a personality of giving you a bit more of most things: premium locking eye cups, colour, integrity to honest specification data, close focus and low light performance but not without the cost of more weight and chromatic aberration than its alpha competitors.

Don’t let this deter you though. Once you have looked through and used these, you may likely always desire them no matter whatever else you own. They are such a sharp, rich and on point viewing experience that the ‘niggles’ just may not matter to you.

Even though future models will now all be produced from their Portugal factory, you should find that your purchase will reliably last you for many pleasurable years of use.

I have been using different binoculars for years and when Noctivid came out I decided to invest this big amount of money and buy them. I presume these are the best binoculars money can buy now and I am loving them every time I go out with them. Buy once, cry once paid out for me.