A month ago I took possession of the following: SV 10x42, SV 10x50 and Zeiss 10x42SF with the desire to audition and then add a quality 10x to my existing bino inventory. My initial sense was that the SV's had preferable color rendition and resolution and the Zeiss better handling. At first, due to the inclement weather, I was only able to use them from my front porch but with the rain clearing, I spent more than three weeks after work down by the seashore evaluating these fine instruments.
I spent little time with the SV 10x50's after I determined that they were a bit too large for my purposes and, in addition, my sample was not as quite as sharp as its smaller brother. Still, a great view can be had if one is willing to carry the weight.
The selection between the Zeiss and Swaro 10x42's took all three weeks. It was a very difficult choice. And while the final result is indicated by the subject line of the post, I'd like to articulate my experience.
While my initial sense that this would come down to view vs ergonomics, proved correct, there is a bit more to the tale.
The shoreline that I frequent provides both open vistas of water and rocky cliff faces. Snowy plovers are on the beach, waders in the wetlands surrounding the tidal zones and pelicans plunge into the water and swim on the water's surface. In addition, elsewhere on the hike, there are rocky outcroppings and cliff faces inhabited by gulls and cormorants. Sea lions frequent rocky promontories. On occasion, cetaceans can be observed.
In sunny weather, I preferred the view through the SV time and again. The clarity and color rendition was for me, simply superior. The green cast of the Zeiss was very, very apparent. If I hadn't had the SV to A-B I would have been totally satisfied with the Zeiss, but when moving from one view to the other, in good light, I much preferred the color rendition of the Swaros.
I know that there has been some debate on the forum as to whether the green cast of the SF is prominent, or even still present on more recent iterations of the SF and to these suggestions I would note two data points:
a) My wife who is not a binocular user, when looking through the Zeiss for the first time, specifically asked about the cast. An engineer by training, she immediately noted the color infidelity.
b) The SF had only just been restocked by EO (after a 2 month wait period). Presumably it's fresh off the boat from Germany.
So, you might ask, if I much preferred the color rendition and superior resolution of the SV why did it take three weeks for me to decide which one to keep?
The answer is threefold. For one, I'd underestimated how much I'd value the ergonomics of the Zeiss. From the balance, to the comfortable armor to the buttery smooth focus they were absolutely a joy to use. And I would point out that the SV came with one of the best Swaro focus mechanisms I've ever used. But I smiled every time I reached for the Zeiss. They really are terrific in the hand. Secondly, the larger FOV provided by the Zeiss became more and more appealing; addicting really. It was a very, very immersive experience. Thirdly, while I didn't much care for Zeiss' idea of color in daylight with good sun, things became quite different when the shadows lengthened and dusk arrived. The verdant vegetation popped and sizzled; it took on a very appealing glow and objects stood out vividly against that backdrop. Now none of this is surprising given the eye's sensitivity to the green part of the spectrum that Zeiss is enhancing with its coating, but it was striking and appealing.
So there you have it.. the inculpatory evidence for keeping the Zeiss. And you know what? If I only birded (think green trees and shrubs) and better yet,only used them under gloomy skies in verdant lands (think Ireland, the UK, Germany), I would LOVE the view through these optics.
But I don't. On the Central Coast of California, sunshine and golden hills are more the norm and I want the full color experience. Even the wonderfully immersive FOV of the ZEISS was diluted by the green cast; almost like a thin green transparent veil had been placed over the scene reducing the realism.
Would I ever own the Zeiss SF? If it came with a more natural color rendering; in a heartbeat. Might I own it sometime in the future anyway? Could be. I miss the handling already. But I'd have missed the Swaro view more.
I spent little time with the SV 10x50's after I determined that they were a bit too large for my purposes and, in addition, my sample was not as quite as sharp as its smaller brother. Still, a great view can be had if one is willing to carry the weight.
The selection between the Zeiss and Swaro 10x42's took all three weeks. It was a very difficult choice. And while the final result is indicated by the subject line of the post, I'd like to articulate my experience.
While my initial sense that this would come down to view vs ergonomics, proved correct, there is a bit more to the tale.
The shoreline that I frequent provides both open vistas of water and rocky cliff faces. Snowy plovers are on the beach, waders in the wetlands surrounding the tidal zones and pelicans plunge into the water and swim on the water's surface. In addition, elsewhere on the hike, there are rocky outcroppings and cliff faces inhabited by gulls and cormorants. Sea lions frequent rocky promontories. On occasion, cetaceans can be observed.
In sunny weather, I preferred the view through the SV time and again. The clarity and color rendition was for me, simply superior. The green cast of the Zeiss was very, very apparent. If I hadn't had the SV to A-B I would have been totally satisfied with the Zeiss, but when moving from one view to the other, in good light, I much preferred the color rendition of the Swaros.
I know that there has been some debate on the forum as to whether the green cast of the SF is prominent, or even still present on more recent iterations of the SF and to these suggestions I would note two data points:
a) My wife who is not a binocular user, when looking through the Zeiss for the first time, specifically asked about the cast. An engineer by training, she immediately noted the color infidelity.
b) The SF had only just been restocked by EO (after a 2 month wait period). Presumably it's fresh off the boat from Germany.
So, you might ask, if I much preferred the color rendition and superior resolution of the SV why did it take three weeks for me to decide which one to keep?
The answer is threefold. For one, I'd underestimated how much I'd value the ergonomics of the Zeiss. From the balance, to the comfortable armor to the buttery smooth focus they were absolutely a joy to use. And I would point out that the SV came with one of the best Swaro focus mechanisms I've ever used. But I smiled every time I reached for the Zeiss. They really are terrific in the hand. Secondly, the larger FOV provided by the Zeiss became more and more appealing; addicting really. It was a very, very immersive experience. Thirdly, while I didn't much care for Zeiss' idea of color in daylight with good sun, things became quite different when the shadows lengthened and dusk arrived. The verdant vegetation popped and sizzled; it took on a very appealing glow and objects stood out vividly against that backdrop. Now none of this is surprising given the eye's sensitivity to the green part of the spectrum that Zeiss is enhancing with its coating, but it was striking and appealing.
So there you have it.. the inculpatory evidence for keeping the Zeiss. And you know what? If I only birded (think green trees and shrubs) and better yet,only used them under gloomy skies in verdant lands (think Ireland, the UK, Germany), I would LOVE the view through these optics.
But I don't. On the Central Coast of California, sunshine and golden hills are more the norm and I want the full color experience. Even the wonderfully immersive FOV of the ZEISS was diluted by the green cast; almost like a thin green transparent veil had been placed over the scene reducing the realism.
Would I ever own the Zeiss SF? If it came with a more natural color rendering; in a heartbeat. Might I own it sometime in the future anyway? Could be. I miss the handling already. But I'd have missed the Swaro view more.
