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Question - FL 8X32 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bencw
- Start date
henry link
Well-known member
Lotutec versions of the FLs can be identified by a curved line over the magnification/aperture designation (8x32 ,7x42, etc.) located on the underside of the binocular near the hinge.
james holdsworth
Consulting Biologist
Didn't they change the eye-cup design when they introduced Lotutec?
The older eye-cups had a more square edge than the newest version.
The older eye-cups had a more square edge than the newest version.
Hi Jerry
Copied from 2006 Zeiss Brochure:
2006 The ZEISS optics of the
Victory series, premium products for
hunting, bird watching and observation
of nature are equipped with the innovative
LotuTecTM coating.
Victory series, premium products for
hunting, bird watching and observation
of nature are equipped with the innovative
LotuTecTM coating.
I didn't know about the curve mark over the model designation though: thanks for the pic.
Lee
I think that you are right, but be careful because the eyecups are interchangeable. I had a non Lotutec 8x32 FL and changed the square edged eyecups to round edged ones which I found more comfortable.
Stan
jan van daalen
Well-known member
The reason they changed the form of the eye cup was, the rainguard fitted much better on the new eye cups.
Jan
henry link
Well-known member
There were three FL eyecup designs.
The very first one from 2004 was thin, with rounded shoulders. I still have a pair of those in a drawer.
The second appeared in 2005 with the 32mm models. That one was fatter, with squared shoulders.
The third and current iteration, fat and rounded, appeared around 2006/7. As I recall it was in response to complaints about the comfort of the second version.
I also remember complaints resulting from incorrectly matched eyecups and rain guards supplied with some binoculars during the transitions between designs.
The very first one from 2004 was thin, with rounded shoulders. I still have a pair of those in a drawer.
The second appeared in 2005 with the 32mm models. That one was fatter, with squared shoulders.
The third and current iteration, fat and rounded, appeared around 2006/7. As I recall it was in response to complaints about the comfort of the second version.
I also remember complaints resulting from incorrectly matched eyecups and rain guards supplied with some binoculars during the transitions between designs.
temmie
Well-known member
I have a approx. 2004 non-lotutec 7x42.
I have had an approx. 2008 lotutec 8x32.
As far as I can see, there is no optical difference regarding the lotutec vs non.
As far as I could experience, rain droplets were as easy to remove from the lotutec vs non.
I had the square, hard eyecups on the 7x42 initially, but they were changed to the soft ones, which were much more comfortable to put against my glasses.
The 8x32 already had the comfortable soft cups, but the smaller rainguard made it harder to put it on or off, compared to the 7x42, for which the rainguard was just loosely fitted by gravity (more convenient in my eyes when you want to be quick on a bird)
I have had an approx. 2008 lotutec 8x32.
As far as I can see, there is no optical difference regarding the lotutec vs non.
As far as I could experience, rain droplets were as easy to remove from the lotutec vs non.
I had the square, hard eyecups on the 7x42 initially, but they were changed to the soft ones, which were much more comfortable to put against my glasses.
The 8x32 already had the comfortable soft cups, but the smaller rainguard made it harder to put it on or off, compared to the 7x42, for which the rainguard was just loosely fitted by gravity (more convenient in my eyes when you want to be quick on a bird)
Greetings. The curvature above the Zeiss emblem is very useful information that I did not know before, so thank you for it. I have acquired a new FL 8x32 two years ago with Lotutec that had serial number of 346xxxxxx--and have used this number as an indicator of Lotutec coating when acquiring a used FL 7x42 a year later. Not accurate of course, but luckily, proved helpful.
Once more, thank you Jerry and Henry.
Once more, thank you Jerry and Henry.
