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

New Zeiss Victory FL binoculars (1 Viewer)

Leif

Well-known member
Zeiss have introduced a new line of top grade binoculars called Victory FL. There are 7x42, 8x42 and 10x42 models. Spec. wise they look good. Highlights seem to be low dispersion glass in the objectives, and a more conventional styling than the Victory II line. The 7x42 has an incredible FOV of 150m at 1km matching that of the older 7x42 Classic.

See here:

Zeiss Victory FL

Here is a machine translation of the advertising spiel from that site (the meaning is clear, though the machine translation is somewhat amusing - note the special 'priest Konig' prisms):

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Beginning of delivery without obligation in May, 2004
Delivery of advance orders in the order of the order entrance.

The next development step in the far optics: Victory FL, the innovative binoculars which open new dimensions of the picture quality. Special objectives with Fluoridgläsern provide for the lowest color hemlines and high edge sharpness of the pictures which are also unmatched in resolution, contrast and color loyalty.

Besides, the new Victory FL are extremely light and compact - thanks to her completely anew calculated optics. The new construction method is noteworthy also: fiberglass-reinforced polyamide is combined here with magnesium elements. The result: a light, very robust case. The new mechanics provides for special ergonomics with a lot of thought-out detailed solutions. Who is content only with optical and engineering best performances, exactly his binoculars hold with a ZEISS Victory FL in the hands.

Victory 8 x 42 T*FL
The universal binoculars at unusual level. Concerning image quality and use use it persuades everybody which wants to lead efficient, handy and robust binoculars with itself.

Which luxurious technology is hidden inside of binoculars ZEISS, is not to be known outwardly. In the highest passport exactness the single components are joined and is adjusted precisely. Besides, the ZEISS Victory FL are extremely able of opposition in spite of her exact inner life. This push and impact resistant cases is natural wasser-and dust-thick as well as with nitrogen fullly. A permanent quality control protects the high standard and the long lifespan of your binoculars ZEISS.

High tech - hard in taking
With all optical Höchstleistung - binoculars are above all use goods which are used in free nature mostly under extremely adverse Bedinqunqen. Not only the excellent picture brilliance counts ornithologists, hunters and physical observers - for them all, they must can do also on the robustness of her binoculars vertassen. On account of in difficult area, with rain, snow or cold: on Victory FL of binoculars of Carl Zeiss is in every situation - optically like technically - 100% of reliance.

The innovative technology of the Victory FL in the overview:

New objective type Superachromat with Fluoridglas: optimum edge sharpness and lower color hemlines.

Anew calculated optics with consistent use of the advantages of the system ZEISS Advanced Optics: light and handy binoculars with excellent picture goodness.

The highest dusk achievement: phase-corrected priest König prisms and ZEISS T* Mehrschichtvergütung on all glass air surfaces inside for a phänomenale light transmission of more than 90%.

New lightweight construction: fiberglass-reinforced polyamide case with magnesium elements for maximum robustness and stability with extremely low weight (under 800 g).

New mechanics with a lot of thought-out detailed solutions: optimum ergonomics and pavement grip.

New glasses bearer wide corner eyepieces: incredible field of vision of 135 ms on 1,000 ms.

Ocular distance of 16 mms for 100% of clarity of the big field of vision.

Waterproof and dust-thick, full with nitrogen against covering the lenses inside with temperature variations.
 
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scampo said:
Interesting, Leif - the pricing will be someting to look for. Easy to guess, though!

About 1260 EURO compared with 1687 EURO for the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL. So maybe ~£650 in the UK?
 
Now that seems interesting - and if it proves to be so, about time. The markets ready for a less expensive quality bino I reckon.
 
Leif said:
About 1260 EURO compared with 1687 EURO for the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL. So maybe ~£650 in the UK?


Surely they're not going to be cheaper than than the Victory IIs, unless they're going to replace them and Zeiss is going for a whole new pricing policy - ie, cheap. I'd assumed they would compete with the ELs and the Ultravids in the top price bracket.

Unless of course the rest of the world is going to get them cheaper than the UK, which would not be a first....
 
flipping hell is £650 cheap? If they produce a top quality bin for this price the likes of Leica, Nikon and Swaro will be in for serious competition.

In a years time ......according to one birding magazine......
 
so they match the old Zeiss 7 x 42 for Field of View.....you couldn't want brighter bins than the old classics and the construction was first rate too

mmmm that's progress and well worth the outlay
 
A price of 1260 euros would suggest a price of £800 plus in the UK. I reckon they will withdraw the standard victories although I suppose both Leica and Swaro have retained the trins and SLCs within their range. If so, the standard victories would drop to a price in the £650 bracket. On the other hand, the Victory 11s don't appear to have taken off at all (whatever their merits) so their complete withdrawall must be a distinct possibility.
 
- Not to be taken too seriously -

I liked the look of previous Victories a lot more. This looks almost like a hybrid of Swaro EL & Leica Trinovid ;)
Well, it took some time to get used to the new Swarovskis...

Ilkka
 
I always wonder how some people get info quicker than others. If you enter "Zeiss" and "Victory FL" into Google's search-machine, it is only that Rösener web page that comes up. Zeiss themselves are notoriously slow to update their web page.

And then, how did you, Leif, find out about that Rösener info page?
 
Swissboy said:
I always wonder how some people get info quicker than others. If you enter "Zeiss" and "Victory FL" into Google's search-machine, it is only that Rösener web page that comes up. Zeiss themselves are notoriously slow to update their web page.
And then, how did you, Leif, find out about that Rösener info page?

I contacted Zeiss in the UK today after reading previous posts to ask about these new binoculars. It might explain why Zeiss have not updated their web site. I was told that they haven't even launched any new binoculars yet, and no prices are available.
 
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Zeiss were by far the most popular binoculars in the late 80s and early 90s,but the Night Owls were a total failure,The Victory series has'nt sold much better(although i think they are very under rated). So lets hope that this time Zeiss have got it right.Optically they are as good as anybody.
 
Looks a bit like a design synergy with the new "Conquest"-model. Much better ergonomics than the VII (difficult not to manage that..), will be very interesting to see what the FL:glass will do to the CA, that was quite disturbing in the "old" VII:s. This could be the binos that I have been waiting for...IF they are as good as the EL:s concering ergonomics/with eye glasses and optically better than the the Ultravids...and yet lighter...
 
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Ragna said:
Zeiss were by far the most popular binoculars in the late 80s and early 90s,but the Night Owls were a total failure,The Victory series has'nt sold much better(although i think they are very under rated). So lets hope that this time Zeiss have got it right.Optically they are as good as anybody.
I can't think why Zeiss lost favour - it has to be down to marketing, I should think - if not theirs, then Leica's and Swaro's. Bill Oddie obviously had a better effect than I realised. Zeiss should have got David Bellamy or someone similar to show Bill a thing ot two - as you say, their bins were the best rated up to quite recently.

Similarly with the new diascope and a zoom that does what no other zoom really achieves - gives a wide FOV - yet, it doesn't tickle the mag reviewers' fancies - so obviously wrong as Alula and other well-regarded sites put it in top place. What gives, eh? Ah well - it's certainly put me off from buying those mags, that's for certain.
 
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scampo said:
I can't think why Zeiss lost favour - it has to be dow to marketing, I should think - if not theirs, then Leica's and Swaro's. Bill Oddie obviously had a better effect than I realised. Zeiss should have got David Bellamy or someone similar to show Bill a thing ot two - as you say, their bins were the best rated up to quite recently.

Similarly with the new diascope and a zoom that does what no other zoom really achieves - gives a wide FOV - yet, it doesn't tickle the mag reviewers' fancies - so obviously wrong as Alula and other well-regarded sites put it in top place. What gives, eh? Ah well - it's certainly put me off from buying those mags, that's for certain.

Steve:

I can't speak for others, but in the past I was strongly influenced by Bill Oddie and his recommendation of Leica. He comes across as an educated likeable person, and hence when I used to read his "Simply the best" slogans, I used to believe it. In truth Oddie is presumable paid to promote Leica, so saying they are the best puts bread on his plate. In truth Leica optics are excellent, but not necessarily the best. The Ultravids are indeed innovative.

Swarovski have conquered the market - I think - by creating excellent products. The new Swaro 80 HD scope is optically excellent, the weight is low and the finish is quite superb. I don't think this is marketing. IMO the Swaro 80 HD scopes are considerably over-priced but most people seem to disagree.

Nikon are slowly gaining a following by dint of optical and mechanical quality. But I am sure that clever marketing would help.

Yes Zeiss seem to have suffered. I think they made some mistakes in the original Victory line. I tried them but did not put them on my short list due to the awful strap lugs though these have been changed. And yet they were very innovative: light, compact, decent optics, decent price. Odd. The Zeiss Diascopes have got some excellent reviews (despite the recent review from the Bird Watching muppets) and doubtless sell well in the many areas of the world.
 
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Intriguing development, Lief. The Victory line is already supposed to be superachromatic (a Zeiss achievement), addressing chromatic aberration one step beyond apochromatic. PauI van Walree describes the levels of CA correction in http://www.vanwalree.com/optics/chromatic.html. The use of flourite lenses to correct CA would seem to be superfluous. Hmm.

Despite being a CZ fan and user of their photographic lenses, I remain entranced by the Leica Ultravid 8x42 BL, particularly the packaging, and I would have a pair by now, except they're quite unavailable. The Victory I/II debacle and mixed reviews were certainly a turn-off for me.
 
Rico said:
Intriguing development, Lief. The Victory line is already supposed to be superachromatic (a Zeiss achievement), addressing chromatic aberration one step beyond apochromatic. PauI van Walree describes the levels of CA correction in http://www.vanwalree.com/optics/chromatic.html. The use of flourite lenses to correct CA would seem to be superfluous. Hmm.

Maybe an answer to why using fluorite glass...personally I believe that most of the top-binos today could be better according to chromatic abberation...including the present Victories...super achromat or not...

info is from the optics for birding homepage:
http://www.optics4birding.com/

//What are fluorite and low-dispersion glass?
Optics manufacturers use fluorite (CaF2) and low-dispersion (known by various trade names, e.g., ED) glass in the fabrication of the objectives (front lenses) of telescopes to reduce longitudinal chromatic aberration, which causes a purplish blur around high-contrast objects (such as stars or planets) when observed at high power, even when they are in the exact center of the field-of-view. This problem is different from the one that causes colored fringes around telephone lines, etc., near the edges of the field-of-view. This second problem is called chromatic difference of magnification, or lateral color, and is more the result of eyepiece design than of glass composition.

Theoretically, and contrary to some manufacturers' marketing literature, at the relatively low magnifications that birders use, the added benefit of fluorite glass is likely unnoticeable during periods of good light. However, Fisher presents some empirical results that suggest for the higher-powered scopes (60-70x), such glass may help. Furthermore, if you are birding in marginal conditions (dawn, dusk, and in the woods), fluorite glass can make a noticeable improvement.
//
 
tonimaroni said:
Hi,

under http://www.ehlert-partner.de/Zeiss.htm#ZEISS you find more details, eg the 8x42: weight: 755 g, focusing distance down to 2 m, field of view 135 m, price 1.450 EUR...
Regards,
Toni

This would equate (GBP) to: 7x42 = £940, 8x42 = £973, 10x42 = £975. (currency convertor)
I see that the Euro price includes the German tax @ 16%.

A bit more than the £680 mentioned earlier. Perhaps the other site prices which Leif informed us of did not include tax.
 
gorank said:
personally I believe that most of the top-binos today could be better according to chromatic abberation...including the present Victories...super achromat or not...


I agree that CA-correction could indeed be better in any top-(roof-prism)-binos but I think you also gave the reason why it is not. The observed fringing in binos is usually "lateral color" (TCA), which is mainly caused by the *eyepiece*. When bino-makers try to maximise the field-of-view, eye-relief and minimise field curvature in the eyepiece - they end up using so much glass and such high angles of light rays (against lens surfaces) that they don't seem to be able to control transverse CA.

All solutions to reduce CA seem to concentrate on the objective, which does not offer the same advantage in low power (<10x) binoculars as in high-power spotting scopes. Therefore it would be nice to know whether using ED-glass in the eyepiece instead of objective would help (or is it used?). This could work economically even better with scopes, where the upgrade would not require the purchase of the whole setup and surely some of us would be willing to pay more for them.

The terms apochromat and superachromat are not very clearly defined. Some sources use a technical definition, which simply says that you use three lenses in APO and four lenses in superachromat - this definition, however, does not say anything about improved image quality. The other definition is how well CA-removal has succeeded - no matter how it is achieved; TeleVue is able to make fine APO-objectives with only two lenses.

As I have probably said earlier, Zeiss may call their 4-lens system technically a superachromat because in marketing it sounds even better than apochromat (like "one step further") - although in reality (correct me if I'm wrong) it may just be easier/cheaper to use four lenses vs. three (or even two) extremely good lenses. Anyway, it is really interesting to see if Zeiss have succeeded in reducing CA.

Ilkka
 
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