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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Testing the Zeiss Terra 8x25 (1 Viewer)

I've generally sworn off messing with cheap binoculars, but since I have been on the lookout for a bin for a child--with good close focus (i.e. better than Leupold Yosemite and equivalents) and very narrow minimum IPD--I decided to give the Zeiss 8x25 Terra a try from REI on sale for $209. Haven't had time to test them thoroughly but I note one big problem immediately out of the (broken plastic display) box--both hinges are floppy, very floppy. Combined with the stiff focus, it makes the bin unstable in the hands and in my opinion entirely unacceptable. Ugh! I always have such bad luck with binocular purchases, it seems there is always something to sort out, it's never simple, there's always more time and money involved to sort things out and get what I want.

For those who own 8x25 Terra, how's the tension of the hinges of your unit?

--AP


Both my hinges are reasonably tight, but will move without too much provocation, a bit annoying although with a dual hinge I just adjust when I bring them up to my eyes. Personally, I wish they went with a single central hinge but that would likely reduce the ''compactness'' of the compact.

The focus started stiff but is very fluid now, usable with gloves and one finger in cold temps. Anyone with a stiff focuser should give them a few hours of use to lighten up.

My wife just used the Terra's exclusively on a trip and never missed her larger binocular, and she can be fussy about the view so the fit-for-purpose is pretty good for an 8x25.
 
Got a pair of the Terra ED 8x25 this week partly based on reviews here on BF.
They are great IMHO.
I'm new to the forum and don't have the experience of any high end binoculars so I don't have the same references and knowledge as many others here.
What I have to compare against is my old Pentax SP 8x43 (that I think is good) and a Nikon Acculon A30 8x25 (that I don't like).

On my Terra ED the hinges are firm and the focus is smooth.
I noticed that the demo I looked at in the store had JAPAN molded in the plastic of one of the tubes as I have seen on photo in some thread but on my pair it is instead printed in white on the downside of the bridge.
The demo also had pretty sloppy hinges, don't remember how the focus was.
Maybe they have done some minor changes.

It is much better than my Nikon.
Clear, bright, sharp and easy to look through.
Almost no glare at all, the Nikon is useless in some conditions because of glare.
 
I don't know about the Zeiss but if you can get at the hinge screws then it's just a matter of tightening them up with a screwdriver which is worth learning to do as then you can do it again if ever needed without having to send them off etc.

Ask Zeiss how it's done. I don't see why they shouldn't tell you as it saves them the bother of doing it although if you somehow manage to wreck the bin in trying to tighten a screw I don't imagine they will cover that but you'd really need to be bad in that scenario.

Sometimes the front plastic cover just clips off or there may be little stickers over the top of the hinge screw access. I did it with my Pentax 8x20 ED and it's not much bother.
 
I've generally sworn off messing with cheap binoculars, but since I have been on the lookout for a bin for a child--with good close focus (i.e. better than Leupold Yosemite and equivalents) and very narrow minimum IPD--I decided to give the Zeiss 8x25 Terra a try from REI on sale for $209. Haven't had time to test them thoroughly but I note one big problem immediately out of the (broken plastic display) box--both hinges are floppy, very floppy. Combined with the stiff focus, it makes the bin unstable in the hands and in my opinion entirely unacceptable. Ugh! I always have such bad luck with binocular purchases, it seems there is always something to sort out, it's never simple, there's always more time and money involved to sort things out and get what I want.



For those who own 8x25 Terra, how's the tension of the hinges of your unit?



--AP



That's interesting. A friend of mine bought the 10x25 and noticed that the right hinge was floppy. Both hinges on mine are tight. I'm wondering if there is a way to fix this without having to send it back?
 
I don't know about the Zeiss but if you can get at the hinge screws then it's just a matter of tightening them up with a screwdriver which is worth learning to do as then you can do it again if ever needed without having to send them off etc.

Ask Zeiss how it's done. I don't see why they shouldn't tell you as it saves them the bother of doing it although if you somehow manage to wreck the bin in trying to tighten a screw I don't imagine they will cover that but you'd really need to be bad in that scenario.

Sometimes the front plastic cover just clips off or there may be little stickers over the top of the hinge screw access. I did it with my Pentax 8x20 ED and it's not much bother.

I had to return my first pair for exchange due to a floppy hinge.
The next one is due this week, so I am hoping for a better result.

My first impressions are very good on the 8x25 Terra.

I carefully looked to see if you can tighten these yourself, and that
is a no go, so for those watching.

This is the only downer I've found in this model.

Jerry
 
Jerry;
Did you order yours from REI........did yours come in an opened box...???
 
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Here is an update, I received the replacement for the one I sent back.

This one has hinges that are just right, and I am back to enjoying the nice
view and handling they offer.

If anyone is looking at a high quality 8x25 pocket binocular, make sure you try
this one before you buy.

Jerry
 
Here is an update, I received the replacement for the one I sent back.

This one has hinges that are just right, and I am back to enjoying the nice
view and handling they offer.

If anyone is looking at a high quality 8x25 pocket binocular, make sure you try
this one before you buy.

Jerry

Great news Jerry.

Lee
 
Here is an update, I received the replacement for the one I sent back.

This one has hinges that are just right, and I am back to enjoying the nice
view and handling they offer.

If anyone is looking at a high quality 8x25 pocket binocular, make sure you try
this one before you buy.

Jerry

Enjoy! I thought these would languish at my desk as a 'feeder bin' but I find myself using it more and more....the view is marvelous for a ''cheap'' compact.
 
I had a PM from a member on here asking about the Terra, and how it would be for
use as a primary birding binocular.

My opinion is that it is still a pocket size compact, and that means it does not offer the
viewing comfort of a little larger binocular, such as the many 8x30 choices out there.

Here is a picture, of how it compares in size to the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 and Swaro. CL
8x30.

For a day in the field the 8x30's would be much more comfortable.

Jerry
 

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Agree....

The 8x25 fits nicely into a jacket pocket and will give you a nice view if you happen to need it...best when out walking the dog, fly fishing, jogging, or just on a long walk...times you don't want a binocular hanging around your neck...but if you plan on doing some actual serious glassing the 8x30 or larger is the better option....
 
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I compared the Swarovski 10x30 CL Companion and the 10x25 CL Pocket before deciding on the pocket. James is right. The 10x30 has a much, much better view and feels like a larger bino. It is infinitely more comfortable to use. The size, when open, is just slightly bigger than the pocket. However, the pocket is significantly smaller when closed due to the double hinged design. This is what ultimately won me over, as I have full and mid sized bins already.

I wonder if swarovski will ever come out with a 10x30 double hinge?
 
I had a PM from a member on here asking about the Terra, and how it would be for
use as a primary birding binocular.

My opinion is that it is still a pocket size compact, and that means it does not offer the
viewing comfort of a little larger binocular, such as the many 8x30 choices out there.

Here is a picture, of how it compares in size to the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 and Swaro. CL
8x30.

For a day in the field the 8x30's would be much more comfortable.

Jerry


Agreed. The 8x25 proved very useful on a recent trip, when birding wasn't the priority. I wore it bandoleer-style, out of the way, and was able to snatch views of birds that happened along even though we were not really birding. So small and lightweight you just never really notice it. Great for my wife too, as she complains about bins around her neck after a few hours, leading to me carrying two pairs on occasion! With the 8x25, no complaints.
 
Thanks for your great review of the Terra pockets, James! Very interesting perspective and performance at a great price. I had similar findings with my CL-P 8x25's (but @ 2.5X the price...used) :eek!:. You stated the Terra eye cups fit your eyes well (w or w\o glasses?), something I had an issue with in the pocket swaros (no glasses). I needed another 2-3mm of eye relief to get a full FOV...achieved this by resting the fully extended eye cups on my index fingers on my brow. However, I ultimately moved them on to get my first EL SV!

Ted

Been living with the little TERRA (no, not the grand kids) for the past week. ;)

IMO, these have at least 95% of the optical and ergonomic performance of the pocket CL's I owned and at 69% less (OP had a special short-term sale), their value and function will be appreciated for light travel excursions. I agree with James' original assessment in post #1 and was glad his focus tension "loosened" up (hopefully mine will also)! :t:

Ted
 
Follow-up to my post #19 in this thread

My floppy-hinge Zeiss 8x25 Terra ED problem is now resolved thanks to excellent customer service from both REI and Zeiss. In the end, the close-out old version unit that I bought from REI for $209 was replaced with a new version unit by Zeiss under warranty. The whole process took a while, but I wasn't in a hurry, so I was happy to get everything sorted out properly and save a bit more money along the way.

REI couldn't replace the unit they shipped because the model was out of stock. They offered a full refund if I returned it but I didn't opt to do that because (1) I liked the discounted price that I got from REI, and (2) I prefer not to return defective items to vendors because I don't want them to be passed along to another customer. REI customer service apologized and sent me a $25 gift card for my trouble. As an REI member and irregular customer, I know I'll use the gift card, so it is much appreciated. I then called Zeiss customer service. They issued a UPS label to ship the bin to them without cost to me. Once they received it, they sent me a new unit.

The new unit is the slightly different newer version that has "Japan" written under the center piece in clear print rather than cryptically molded into the rubber armor of one of the barrels. It seems maybe a little different cosmetically, but I can't remember the first unit clearly enough to say how--maybe the black armor is a bit more shiny? I seem to remember being able to unscrew the eyecups on the first unit, but it doesn't seem possible with the new unit, unless they are just really stuck. Happily, the new unit differs from the first one in having acceptably tight hinges. The hinge tension is within the bounds of "normal" for a budget bin, though I prefer super-tight hinges on double-hinged pocket bins so I wish the Terra was even tighter (like my Zeiss 8x20 Victory or Leica 8x20 Ultravid BL bins), but I'll live with it. The focus wheel on the second bin is easier and smoother than the first, which was fairly stiff. Build quality and design are fine but are certainly not as refined as in top-end bins.

Based on the two units I've handled, I'd say that the Terra is optically quite nice, with a large sweet spot and excellent sharpness and image quality across the modestly wide view. It has nice eye-relief for my glasses and is easy to look through. Brightness and color are excellent. Contrast is quite good. The view doesn't seem lacking in any way by itself, though in side-by-side comparison to my Leica 8x20 Ultravid, the finest details are not as easy to see in the Zeiss. Perhaps it is just a matter of relative familiarity with the bins. Perhaps, as with my Zeiss 8x32 FL, it is a matter of requiring perfect eye placement to prevent astigmatism and other aberrations, unlike my experiences with Leica, Swarovski, and Nikon bins, which seem more tolerant of eye placement.

Overall, I'm pleased with the Zeiss 8x25 Terra. I think it will be an excellent bin for my intended purpose--to provide a good bin to an 8 year-old with small IPD. She'll also appreciate the easy reach to the focus knob and the close (under 6 foot) close focus. I don't anticipate using such a bin much myself. I prefer full-sized bins, and when I want something compact I'll use my trusty Leica 8x20 Ultravids, which are considerably smaller and more solid in the hand. The overall design and build of the Terra (and the Swarovski 8x25 CL) are not up to the level I prefer, so I'd be considering the new Zeiss 8x25 Victory if I were looking for an 8x25 for myself.

--AP
 
Zeiss 8x25 Terra ED Compact Binocular -----

What do you think the story is on every "stateside retailer" being out of this binocular?

Everywhere I have looked they are on back order---- Do you think the next shipments out will be different?
Maybe made somewhere else ? Different quality? Just curious---
 
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