Most of the time, we compare only two products that are very competitive in nature. But this guide is going to be a bit different for us as we will talk about three binocular brands i-e Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica. Keep in mind that we have already written about these brands in different articles, but we have never talked about them collectively. In this guide, we will cover everything between Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars and let you know which one is suitable for you.
Before reviewing these binoculars, we would like to mention that our aim is to provide you with unbiased and useful information that helps you choose the perfect pair of binoculars for your next adventure. We’re not sponsored by any of those brands. Let’s move down to find out about them.
In-depth Comparision of Leica Victory SF, Leica Noctivid, and Swarovski NL Pure binoculars
As always, we will guide you through the criteria through which we will review these amazing binoculars. The factors that we will add in this guide are very important and work as deal-making, and breaking points. However, here are those key points that we will revolve around to give you the best knowledge.
Size and Weight
Field of view
Eye Relief
Focus System
Dioptre
Image quality
Edge-to-Edge Clarity
Low light performance
Tripod adaptability
Body strength / Durability
These are the factors that will be on your mind while reviewing these three binoculars. We know this is going to be lengthy gossip, so have a cup of tea with it. Let’s explore further to see how these binoculars differ from others.
The size and weight of binoculars are important when you aim to use your binoculars for a longer period of time. Walking through thick bushes, or climbing on the small, beautiful hills, it can get a bit tough to carry heavyweight and bigger-sized binoculars. No matter where you use your optics, we always recommend choosing lightweight and compact-sized binoculars as you won’t feel any burden at all.
Here is a comparison table including the weights of these three binoculars.
Zeiss Victory SF: 27.8 ounces
Swarovski NL Pure: 30 ounces
Leica Noctivid: 30.5 ounces
There is no weight difference in Swarovski NL Pure vs. Leica Noctivid binoculars. They have almost the same weight, but the weight of Zeis Victory SF binoculars is a bit lower. As said earlier, lower-weight binoculars are more beneficial than heavy ones. So in the Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars competition, Zeiss Victory SF binoculars won the race, being the lightweight binoculars.
2-Field of View: Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars
In previous binoculars, we have explained everything about the field of view. In short, it is the area that a person can see through binoculars. It is very important for those who want to see more areas. However, all the binoculars we’re talking about provide a decent wider FOV.
The comparison of fields of view is as follows in the table;
Zeiss Victory SF
360 feet
Swarovski NL Pure
399 feet
Leica Noctivid
345 feet
“We have our clear winner.” It is obvious that if you use Swarovski NL Pure binoculars, then you will be able to get the best wide field of view. If you aim to use your binoculars for hunting, then we recommend you go with Swarovski NL Pure binoculars as you will be in a better position to locate your targeted animal.
Winner: Swarovski NL Pure binoculars
3- Eye Relief: Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars
Eye relief has also been explained in our previous guide. It is important for the comfortable use of binoculars. In simple words, it is the distance between the eyes and the eyepiece.
Below is the table again, which displays the eye relief difference among all these three binoculars.
Zeiss Victory SF
18 mm
Swarovski NL Pure
18 mm
Leica Noctivid
19 mm
In the Zeiss Victory SF vs Swarovski NL Pure binoculars, there is literally no difference as you get 18 mm of eye relief in both of these binoculars. But there is a slight difference in the Leica Noctivid binoculars as these optics provide you with 19 mm of eye relief.
One thing that we would like to inform you about is that the eye relief of 15 mm is considered optimal. Anything above that range is considered ideal. So, it would be very much fair to say that all their binoculars have ideal eye relief. You will be pretty comfortable while using them in the field. However, Leica Noctivid binoculars win the race on paper. Practically, all of these binoculars are the same.
Winner:Leica Noctivid Binoculars
4- Focus System
In Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars: all the optics have a central focus system. The central knob is up there for controlling and adjusting the focus. But we will be talking about the feel and practicality while focusing on a specific target.
We made a group and gave them three binoculars without letting them know the names of the binoculars they were using for testing purposes. Here are the outcomes of the tests, we conducted:
The Leica Noctivid binoculars give a very smooth focusing experience. But you feel a small jerk while using them. Their focus is excellent at the start but starts getting jerky and unsmooth. with time. The kind of resistance you feel is total discomfort. But a newbie won’t feel any jerk as it is so small and unnoticeable. Their focusing capabilities are not too bad.
As far as Swarovski NL Pure binoculars are concerned, their focus system is also top-notch. But you will feel that small issue in the beginning. It takes time to focus. But once the binoculars get focused, the image you will get will be amazing. It definitely has some grainy and uncomfortable feelings. But it is ignorable. It won’t disturb you for a long time. However, it is not the ideal one to have in the bag.
Here comes the beast. The Zeiss Victory SF binoculars offer you amazing smoothness with literally no play at the beginning. In fact, if you use these binoculars for a longer period of time, you will not get lost at all. Your focus with Zeiss Victory SF binoculars will get better and better. We have tested Zeiss binoculars over and over again, but their performance in terms of the focus mechanism has impressed us.
Winner: Zeiss Victory SF binoculars
Image Credit: Amazon
5- Diopter
The diopter is the most ignored thing in binoculars. But its functionality is very important in providing an optimal viewing experience. But you will feel disappointed to know that Swarovski binoculars don’t have a locking diopter feature. Most people do ignore the diopter while purchasing the binoculars and end up with regret.
In Zeiss Victory SF vs Leica Noctivid binoculars, both have locking diopters, which make them far better options as compared to NL Pure binoculars. However, there is a small difference in the diopters of Leica and Zeiss Victory SF binoculars.
In Noctivid binoculars, there are no signs or plus-minus indications to make adjustments according to personal preferences. But you will be happy to know that the Zeiss Victory SF binoculars have marked signs that help users to know where to move in order to increase and decrease the focus.
However, both the Leica Noctivid and Zeiss Victory SF binoculars have got almost the same diopter size. They are very smooth and it is very easy to make adjustments according to the needs of the person. The only difference lies in the signs, which are small but very significant.
Winner: Zeiss Victory SF binoculars
6- Image Quality – Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars
Image quality includes contrast, brightness, sharpness, and resolution. No doubt, all of these binoculars are high end and their optical performance is top-notch. No matter if you use them in low light conditions or in cloudy weather, you won’t see any bad impact on their image quality.
Initially, we thought not to write an image quality comparison as they are all the best in the business. However, there are slight differences that need attention. So, in terms of color contrast, Leica Noctivid binoculars are second to none. No matter how far your target is, their exact colors with amazing contrast will be shown to you.
Both Swarovski NL Pure and Zeiss Victory SF binoculars are far behind in terms of providing excellent color clarity. However, the resolution is something that adds smoothness and quality to the image.
In terms of resolution, the Zeiss Victory SF binoculars are at the top, giving high-definition resolution. No matter if you use them in low light conditions or in rain, their performance will be top-notch.
The Swarovski NL Pure binoculars fall somewhere in the middle of the Zeiss Victory and Leica Noctivid models in terms of image quality. We rate these as mid-level binoculars since they produce excellent results in terms of resolution and color contrast.
We usually get annoyed while using binoculars if the image we get is not edge-to-edge clear. You get easily distracted by the dimness showing up on the edges. However, there are no binoculars that provide 100% edge-to-edge clarity. But we should aim to choose those binoculars which give minimal edge-to-edge clarity.
In the Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars, the Leica Noctivid binoculars do not provide the image with maximum edge-to-edge clarity. According to our personal experience and the research that we conducted, we found out that 10% of the image corners are not clear when you use Noctivid binoculars. This is a really high percentage.
The Zeiss Victory SF binoculars are not too good: giving 5% of dim corners. Before using them, we heard lots of rumors that Zeiss Victory SF binoculars give 100% edge-to-edge clarity, which is totally wrong. Trust us, don’t trust those rumors, as we ourselves have found some dim couriers in the image.
However, we were very happy to see the performance of Swarovski NL Pure binoculars as they provided us with a dimness of just 2%, which is ignorable. Initially, we talked about how no binoculars give us 100% edge-to-edge clarity. We always look to choose those binoculars which offer minimal dimming at the edge of the image.
8- Low light performance
The low light performance of any binocular is directly linked to its objective lens size and the coating present on the lenses. An objective lens captures the light. The bigger objective lens size of binoculars will capture more light.
In contrast, smaller-sized objective lenses capture less light. More light means your binoculars will give you a brighter image in those conditions where light is scarce. A coating on the lens also helps in increasing the transmission of light. Maximum usability of light is what you need from your binoculars to perform well in low-light conditions.
All these Swarovski NL PURE, Zeiss Victory SF, and Leica Noctivid binoculars have the same specifications. The size of the objective lens is versatile and the same in these binoculars. The same goes for the coating. All the lenses and glassy parts of these binoculars have some coating to increase the transmission of light.
However, during the test, we realized that Leica Noctivid left us alone when the light was good enough for binoculars to be used. But the Zeiss and Swarovski binoculars were the two that impressed with their low light performance.
Swarovski is one step ahead and you can use them in extremely low light conditions and their performance will be top class. You will be quite happy with the image you will get with Swarovski NL Pure binoculars.
Image Credit: Amazon
9-Tripodadaptibility
If you aim to buy binoculars to use for an extended period of time, then tripod adaptability should be your number one priority. With those binoculars, which come with a tripod adapter, you can see the scenes without holding them in your hands.
We, being human, get tired quite easily. So, tripod adaptability is very important in providing a comfortable viewing experience. You will be happy to know that all of these binoculars have tripod adaptability and can be used while hanging on a tripod stand.
There is a myth that high-end and premium pairs of binoculars come with tripod stands in the box. This is totally wrong. They don’t come with an additional tripod stand. You will have to buy a tripod stand for your use.
They have an adapter in their box that helps you connect binoculars with a tripod stand. If you want to buy them with a tripod stand, then make sure not to buy an adapter as you will get it with the binoculars as an additional product.
10- Body Strength / Durability
Durability is one of the most important criteria of selection, as no one spends on binoculars every now and then. In this guide, we are talking about premium binoculars, which cost more money. So, it is important to choose those binoculars that offer durability so that your money doesn’t get wasted.
Here is the table that shows the body material comparison:
Zeiss Victory SF
Aluminum.
Swarovski NL Pure
Magnesium
Leica Noctivid
Plastics
Aluminum and magnesium materials are considered very robust compared to plastics. Although the plastic used in Leica Noctivid binoculars is not very cheap and offers decent durability, you can never compare it with magnesium and aluminum material.
There is hot competition between Swarovski NL Pure and Zeiss Victory binoculars as both have very strong and durable materials. Both are very much capable of bearing all sorts of shocks and falls from height.
We like Zeiss, considering them more robust and durable. The reason for choosing Zeiss Victory SF binoculars is that we used many Zeiss products made of aluminum material and they were very durable and strong.
The material of Swarovski binoculars is also very strong, and people have praised their durability. However, Zeiss Victory SF binoculars are our favorite, and Swarovski’s magnesium material stands second.
The rubber coating is present on all the binoculars, which helps in increasing their grip on them. No matter if you use them in rain or humid conditions, your grip will be very strong and you won’t feel as if the binoculars are slipping from your hand.
Water and fog proofing are excellent in all these binoculars. The nitrogen gas purging along with strong sealing makes them very powerful to show good resistance to water, moisture, and fog. So, all these features make them very robust and durable.
Image Credit: Amazon
Conclusion
We don’t need you to be convinced that all these three binoculars are of top quality and you get amazing clarity in pictures. Their prices indeed reflect their quality. However, choosing anyone will give you excellent results.
No matter if you use them in rain or fog, their results will be good enough. But we have done their testing and reviewing to know the small differences among them. According to our research, Zeiss Victory SF binoculars are the winners of the race between Swarovski NL PURE VS Zeiss Victory SF VS Leica Noctivid Binoculars.
It’s up to your personal choices. No matter what binoculars you choose, you will be pretty happy with their performance. We end this in-depth guide with the hope that our efforts will make your decision-making process easier.
I am Richard from Michigan, and who has a craze for hunting. I have been around optics especially binoculars since 2001 and have gotten decent experience while using them to hunt. I have made this website to share my experience with those who are new in the field. My guides & reviews will help my readers to get in-depth information about binoculars. Let’s hunt for binoculars NOW!
