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Best Binoculars of 2013: The Cornell Lab Review (2 Viewers)

Having a sharp, bright optic you can just lift to your eyes an use without fuss is a wonderful attribute, that summarises the Zeiss FL perfectly.

Its not really surprising people found this worthy and ranked it highly.
Exactly. The Zeiss 8x32 FL and 8x42 FL does that. The 8x56 FL does it even better if you can stand the weight like Henry.
 
Not being an optics brand executive, I can be less vague. Here comes the bins Zeiss said they wouldn't make and which Lee will buy the first one off the line - the 8x32 HT (and 10x32).

Also, since Zeiss is looking to appeal to multiple income brackets now, expect a lower priced line of spotting scopes, perhaps a Conquest HD line or a Terra ED line to compete with Nikon's new Monarch scopes. Made in China with Teutonic QC.

Brock

LOL Brock. Undoubtedly there will be a new alpha Zeiss 32mm at some point and it will be called Victory but it won't be Victory HT for reasons explained elsewhere by both myself and Holger, no less. What Zeiss call this 32 doesn't really matter. What does matter is what it brings to the table and if it just has the HT shape and handling, I would say that was enough but probably they will enhance other features too.

I am sure you are right about the hierarchy spreading to all product lines as time goes by as per riflescopes.

As for whats next I would say its probably big Conquests, but I have no definite evidence for that just the following reasoning. We have just had new Terras, Zeiss may be evaluating how the extra brightness of HT 42s is received to decided whether a 50 or 56 is needed and they seem so adamant that a 32 is not on the horizon yet. So I would go with big Conquests coming next as they are likely to make more money on these than 32mm Terras, although I am certain these will come at some point.

Lee
 
What I find tragic about this Cornell Labs report, just like the last one done five or six years ago, is the abysmal ignorance of survey design, measurement theory, and applied statistics. Yet, they have available to them an outstanding Statistics Department that prides itself on interdisciplinary applications.

It's truly mind boggling. The Stat Dept. even offers statistical services to researchers within the University.

If they could only get out of their insular nest and interact with the rest of the community, Cornell Labs could actually provide some of the best birding instrument surveys on the planet.

I agree. As it is, this "review" is essentially worthless. Any student in his first year at university could have designed a more meaningful survey.

They really should know better.

Hermann
 
Are there enough of us 7x lovers to be considered a market segment??? :t:

Would be great to be on the radar.

Given the sales figures over the years I think there's *no* chance of one of the big players coming up with a new 7x42 (or 7x35). There's a reason why Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski dropped the 7x42s.

Hermann
 
Given the sales figures over the years I think there's *no* chance of one of the big players coming up with a new 7x42 (or 7x35). There's a reason why Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski dropped the 7x42s.

Hermann

Have Leica dropped the 7x42 ?

I know Z & SW have, if thats right it leaves only EDG at the top.
 
Kikkertspesialisten is *so* vague about how they arrive at their results that I feel they're even worse than the folks at Cornell.

Hermann
I know but for some reason I agree with them better. Hence I like them better. Actually I agree with Cornell pretty well. I personally prefer the Swarovision for my own reasons some of them being ergonomic but the Zeiss are very close and I definitely could be very happy with a Zeiss. I am not going to sell my Swarovision to buy a Zeiss because it gets .1 of a point better than the Swarovski though. That is foolhardy. But overall I agree with their results. The Zeiss FL I know and I am sure the HT are superb binoculars especially on-axis and they are one of the brightest binoculars made. If you stick with a top alpha it is hard to go wrong. Zeiss FL or HT, Swarovski Swarovision, Leica Ultravid or Nikon EDG. I did buy a Zeiss Conquest 8x32 HD because it seems like such a value to have as a less expensive backup for my Swarovision. I haven't received it yet. Zeiss is coming out with some good glass and competitively priced. It makes you think twice about buying the Chinese stuff when they have the Terra and the Conquest HD priced so well and the quality is so high for the price. Especially the Terra for a $300.00 binocular. It gives you more confidence knowing you have Zeiss to back you up down the road. It is time for Leica to rethink their line up now.
 
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Like I said earlier in this thread, had Swaro come out number one we'd have gotten a lot of posts about how Cornell's reviewers got it right.

Exactly. As it is, they got it wrong. ;)

Just curious: has anyone had the 8x32 Conquest side by side with the 8x32 FL. The Conquest gets such glowing reviews I wonder if it's really close to the FL. The specs are identical, except for the weight.

Mark
 
Exactly. As it is, they got it wrong. ;)

Just curious: has anyone had the 8x32 Conquest side by side with the 8x32 FL. The Conquest gets such glowing reviews I wonder if it's really close to the FL. The specs are identical, except for the weight.

Mark
Some have said the FL controls CA better and is brighter than the Conquest HD but Kikkert likes the Conquest HD better than the FL giving them a higher ranking. Better contrast.

http://www.kikkertspesialisten.no/p...0_8x32_binoculars_review_kikkert_test8x30.pdf
 
All I can say is that after getting the 8x32 HD, I no longer lust for the FL (well, maybe lust a little). But the best price I could find for the FL was the EO demo at $1400 and I was able to get the HD on a one day sale for $720. I suspect the FL will have better color correction and you would think it has to be just a bit sharper and, maybe, brighter.

Zeiss goofed on the 8x32 HD; it's too good for the money. I find it nearly as good as my SE 8x32 but the ergos work on the HD better for me. It's a worthy successor/replacement. Not quite as bright, not quite as sharp edges, but waterproof and more rugged in the field.
 
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Exactly. As it is, they got it wrong. ;)

Just curious: has anyone had the 8x32 Conquest side by side with the 8x32 FL. The Conquest gets such glowing reviews I wonder if it's really close to the FL. The specs are identical, except for the weight.

Mark

Hi Mark

FL is a bit brighter I feel (though that might be a personal quirk) and sharper. Certainly FL is better at CA control and Conquest focuses closer.

Its a close call. If you had to choose only one and could afford FL I don't think you would go for Conquest. But if you did go for Conquest I don't think you would find yourself wishing you hadn't.

Certainly Conquest is up there fighting for second place with Swaro SV behind FL at No1 ;).

Seriously, no-one would be disappointed with an HD.

LEE
 
With each passing day, I'm more and more impressed with the 8x32 HD's. If I didn't have some 8x42 HT's the HD's could easily be my #1.
 
This blows me away. Your one and only comment, so far, on the Conquests was ''the edges are crap!''

And, yet, you go ahead and buy one!
I checked the Zeiss Conquest 8x42 HD at Cabella's and my initial impression was soft edges but all Zeiss are like that but the center is really sharp. I want to try the Conquest 8x32 HD because I have been hearing so much good stuff about it. I like the ergos on them better than the FL's. I looked at the Terra's again also and I am impressed with the quality of them for a CHINESE binocular. They look GERMAN! Whoa way better QC than Zen Rays. I guess the Chinese can make a quality binocular if the Germans are looking over their shoulder. So I ordered a pair of Conquest's 8x32 HD's from Cameraland for $675.00 for a demo. I will let you know how that goes. I am selling my EII's. They are the best binocular I have found for $500.00 optically but I just don't use them when I have the Swarovision's 8x32. I just plain prefer to use the Swaro's. I like the view because I feel it is a little sharper and I like the ergo's on them. The EII's don't hang flat which irritates me. I still say the Swarovision's are hard to beat for birding. I will compare them to the Zeiss Conquest HD's when I get them. I am a little worried about the blackout issues but we will see how they work. 16mm ER usually works for me IF the eyecups are long enough. I am not loyal to Swarovski though if Zeiss get's that 8x32 HT to market and it is HOT I guarantee I will be first in line and the Swaro's will be on E-bay. HaHa!
 
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I am selling my EII's. They are the best binocular I have found for $500.00 optically but I just don't use them when I have the Swarovision's 8x32. I just plain prefer to use the Swaro's. I like the view because I feel it is a little sharper and I like the ergo's on them. The EII's don't hang flat which irritates me.

I'm thinking people choose a binocular based on ergos more than they realize. If not, most of us would likely be using $500 poro's. I thought the view from my $550 Nikon 8x32 SE was far superior to the view of my 8x32 EL wb (which eventually reached a retail price of $1900). The SE was so good I consider it my "best image ever" bino. I didn't have blackout issues, just never adapted to the ergos of the poro and hence I let it go.

CG
 
I'm thinking people choose a binocular based on ergos more than they realize. If not, most of us would likely be using $500 poro's. I thought the view from my $550 Nikon 8x32 SE was far superior to the view of my 8x32 EL wb (which eventually reached a retail price of $1900). The SE was so good I consider it my "best image ever" bino. I didn't have blackout issues, just never adapted to the ergos of the poro and hence I let it go.

CG
I agree. The ergo's of an EL roof are just better than an SE porro. I just enjoyed using my Swarovision more than the EII. I think for most people a roof has better ergos.
 
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