spiralcoil
Well-known member
Seeing Eagle Optics has the Zeiss FL binoculars on sale, wondering if it is a hint of newer replacement coming soon? Wondering how long the current FL line has been there already?
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New FL replacement coming soon? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter spiralcoil
- Start date
NDhunter
Experienced observer
I suppose they are on sale to move inventory, when sales are slow.
A common practice, although some mfrs. hold the retailers to a stringent policy of sales prices.
spiralcoil
Well-known member
Still the FL seems to have been there for 8 or more yrs now?
Don't know, but if so let's hope the replacement lacks the FL's fuzzy edges.
brocknroller
porromaniac
You mean like when Zeiss FL boxes mysteriously disappeared and EO charged $600 less for boxless FLs?
I'm still wondering where all those boxes went?! You're probably right about FL sales being slow, after all, according to Dennis, the SV ELs "selling like hotcakes" so the FL inventory must be stacking up like jets over Denver International Airport.
Brock
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You mean like when Zeiss FL boxes mysteriously disappeared and EO charged $600 less for boxless FLs?
You're probably right about FL sales being slow, after all, according to Dennis, the SV ELs "selling like hotcakes" so the FL inventory must be stacking up like jets over Denver International Airport.
Brock
Didn't know those boxes are so expensive!! Can they "misplace" the neckstrap to make room for another $600?
You mean like when Zeiss FL boxes mysteriously disappeared and EO charged $600 less for boxless FLs?
You're probably right about FL sales being slow, after all, according to Dennis, the SV ELs "selling like hotcakes" so the FL inventory must be stacking up like jets over Denver International Airport.
Brock
I haven't heard anything from our Zeiss reps about new binoculars being developed, though I wouldn't expect to hear such news until we get closer to January and the SHOT show. Regarding those boxes Brock, we're just sitting on them until the market is right. I've got a whole bunch of empty Zeiss boxes here and who wouldn't drop $550 for a box that's easily worth $600, right? :smoke:
Ben Lizdas
Sales Manager
Eagle Optics
www.eagleoptics.com
edwincjones
Well-known member
I hope so,
am tiring of the SW threads,
need new bino excitement
edj
am tiring of the SW threads,
need new bino excitement
edj
Jonathan B.
Well-known member
The fact that a binocular has not yet been manufactured, or hasn't even been designed, has never prevented our bold contributors from speculating endlessly about it. I think we should assume that the top-secret Zeiss bin will have an open bridge, will be sharper at the edges than the Swarovision, will have a flawlessly smooth focus mechanism, will be able to withstand a drop from a ten-story building, will both play and record vocalizations, will identify birds, will take 50 megapixel photos, and will weigh 200 grams. Have I forgotten anything?
brocknroller
porromaniac
Yes, a few things. It will be equipped with Blue Tooth, GPS, and have a MSRP of $22,290.
Brock the (Former) Leaditte
"Speculating is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing." - Anonymous
James Bean
Well-known member
Yes, one more thing the new Zeiss must have is 'clockwise to infinity' focus...
John Russell
Well-known member
edwincjones
Well-known member
I gotta have one, one in each size
edj
edj
Jonathan B.
Well-known member
It's almost certain to have a box.
Nope. The box is considered an accessory and is $600 extra.
NDhunter
Experienced observer
I suppose this would be a good time for the Zeiss users here, to comment on
any changes they would like to see in a new model ?
The designers at both Zeiss and Leica are busy working on the next model, and
they do need suggestions from those that use these great optics.
Jerry
any changes they would like to see in a new model ?
The designers at both Zeiss and Leica are busy working on the next model, and
they do need suggestions from those that use these great optics.
Jerry
brocknroller
porromaniac
I suppose this would be a good time for the Zeiss users here, to comment on
any changes they would like to see in a new model ?
The designers at both Zeiss and Leica are busy working on the next model, and
they do need suggestions from those that use these great optics.
Jerry
Jerry,
Zeiss asked for suggestions in their poll last year so at this point, they probably have already settled on their design criteria.
I suggested an open bridge, of course, and to make the optics with good edges but without "rolling ball" (or "waving mustache") and to give the armoring a tactile rubber coating to obviate the "plasticy feel" of the polycarbonate body.
I also suggested they boost the spectrum in the red like Nikon and Leica. I've read several reviewers say they thought the FLs lacked the color saturation of a Leica or top o' the line Nikon. You have both the FL and EDG, you could probably comment on that.
Then I suggested the unthinkable, that they re-release the 7x42 B/GA and 10x40 B/GA with updated AR and prism coatings for the boomers. Retro styling and updating of popular but long discontinued automobiles seems to have been effective, so why not apply that strategy to binoculars?
My last suggestion was to have a sale where the FL 2 came with no box, no strap, and no case, and were offered at half price. Fat chance!
I suspect a design is already on the drawing board if not a prototype already built. However, I don't think the FL 2 will be released until at least next year.
First, they leak rumors about a new design being in the works (they won't make an official announcement yet, having learned the lesson from the Nikon EDG, which was coming...coming...still coming...). That will lower prices on the FLs a bit. Then they'll wait until a lot of old inventory is sold and make the announcement official.
I'm sure they also want to wait until Swavovisionmania has died down, which seems to be already happening. I see a lot of "hotcakes" sitting on the Internet griddle.
Now, it may be just a rumor, but from what I've heard, Dennis has pre-ordered a Victory FL 2.
Brock
The aging FL has been pretty hard to beat in anything but edge sharpness, hasn't it? Transmission, glare resistance, color correction, focusing action, weight, eye comfort, and ergonomics hardly cry out for improvement. Plasticky feel is an unavoidable by product of polycarbonate construction, this is not your father's binocular.
So, Zeiss:
Be cool, make a modest upgrade. Please, not another Swaro lookalike. Just slap some fancier eyepieces on that puppy, keep the price down, and call it good. You can't please everybody, so don't lose your fans.
Ron
So, Zeiss:
Be cool, make a modest upgrade. Please, not another Swaro lookalike. Just slap some fancier eyepieces on that puppy, keep the price down, and call it good. You can't please everybody, so don't lose your fans.
Ron
henry link
Well-known member
I agree with Ron. Off-axis corrections have been the weakest area of optical performance all along, but I can't see that anything else is inferior to the SV and light transmission is better. I suppose I would also like to see the highest transmission extend further into the red and blue if that can be done without compromising transmission from green to yellow. What I would not like to see is abandonment of the Abbe-Konig prism or the large exit pupil models. 8x50 and 10x50 would be a nice additions.
