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

ZEISS TERRA ED 8x25 pocket (1 Viewer)

I've had two Swarovski 8x25s, but found them slightly heavier than advertised & far too heavy to keep in a shirt pocket. The Terra ED 8x25 at the Bird Fair 2015 snapped nicely into focus, but was far too loose on the bending bar, it kept drooping down when held by just one barrel. Both binos had too narrow a field & the twin hinge, which more readily moves to change the eye-width, without permission, when changing the focus or dioptre. The Nikon Sportstar Ex 8x25 is better than either because of its 143mil field, but it's still twin-hinge - I've reverted to 8x30 & larger!



It really isn't hard to hold these double hinged compacts with one hand if the proper technique is used.

If you are right handed extend the right barrel of the binocular out as far as it will go, it will stop at 180º. Then hold it up to your right eye with the barrel in the crease of your your right thumb and forefinger. Keep your thumb under it on the bridge.

Then move the left barrel inside with your left hand until you get your IPD right. It should then be in a more or less vertical position and it should not move even if you take your left hand off it. Focus it with the forefinger of your right hand and even your thumb. The left hinge should be tight enough to keep the left barrel from moving. If it isn't it needs adjusting.

Bob
 
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The Swaro 8x25 is exactly as heavy as advertised. I weighed it.

For me, no 8x25 goes in a shirt pocket. Heck, I don't even want my 8x20 UV in a shirt pocket. Jacket pocket, yes. Around the neck, even better.

For me, 8x25 is just about the best choice for a compact, although I wish the big dogs would do an 8x25 reverse porro. I once left my 8x20 UV behind and took a cheapo Olympus 8x25 reverse porro for a backpacking trip.

Mark
 
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I just got my replacement Carson 7x18 rev porro.

It cost practically nothing and it's actually so good I doubt if the big makers could do a whole lot better. Ok of course they could make it a bit better at least mechanically and maybe a bit flatter cleaner edge view or more eye relief but it would then cost about 15-20x this Carson and could well be worth it.

The Carson only has one lug for a wrist strap and it would easily fit a shirt pocket. 9.3 fov and the dof is superb. 120g I think. It's also a bright, colourful, great contrast, super sharp high resolving view and this one has perfect focus near and far.

I'm amazed and a bit baffled but certainly delighted. How did they do this for such a small price? It's just brilliant and they do an 8x22 which I'm very tempted by now and a 10x25.
 
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Clive,

I don't think I have chimed in here yet. I own two 7x18 reverse porros that are physically identical to the Carson based on the pictures I have seen online. I would agree with several of your comments. My biggest issue is that my big nose gets in the way of the focusing knob considering the relatively short eye relief. Other than that I have no complaints. In some ways it is better than the 7x21 Olympus Classics. In other areas, not quite as good.

The one unit is not quite as good as the other in terms of quality control. I wonder if this is similar to Leupold Yosemite and similar models in that they are all based on the same design but with varying grades of quality control and quality of coatings, materials, etc...
 
Hi Frank

Yes you need to get pretty close to the Carson to get the view. I actually find resting the part of my forehead, at the top of the nose between the eyebrows, on the focus knob, helps steady things a lot and of course gets me close in but I don't need to fold the eyecups down.

I was wondering about the La-Scala version but it's hard even to get the correct specs on them unless you can see it actually printed on there in the photo. My Carson has blue lens coating but in all the photos online they are shown as green?

I have yet to get out with the Carson for a proper try but just this evening trying my new Hawke Endurance 10x25 and the Carson at the back door I was well impressed with them both.

The first Carson I got, the focus wheel seized solid so I'm hoping this one lasts and it seems ok so far and it's prisms seem better mounted than the first but the exit pupils are still basically square so there is some luck with what you receive. If the big brands were to make these then they would probably go for eye relief at the expense of fov and larger prisms so a larger bin and then might as well just got all the way to an 8x20.

I think Pentax could do a brilliant version based on the Papilio but it would probably be larger than the Carson etc.

I did a quick compare against my excellent 6.5x Papilio II and the Papilio is even brighter and clearer but the view is not as large as the 7x18 and the Papilio can resolve a bit more but it is about 3 times the size of the Carson.

When I say the Carson is brilliant what I mean is that you almost don't expect to be able to see anything through a bin so small but this is certainly very much to my surprise and at this cheap point, very definitely not the case.

It's great but my big Viking Vistron 8x25 is a lot more restful on the eyes in comparison but I wanted to try the 7x18 to see if it would be small and useful enough to carry more often instead of my Optima (Specwell) 6x16 monoc and although it gives a much better view I still think the monoc is the one that is much more easily secreted about the personage and I've come to like the monoc some, why I'm not entirely sure apart from it's size, which is just as well as I bought two the same:eek!::-O
 
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I purchased the Zeiss Terra 8x25 ED and received it today. Was excited but sad to say that I was left a bit disappointed. For context, I am using a Nikon 10x25 HGL Compact and cheapo Olympus 8x25 WP II. My wife has a Pentax 8x32 DCF ED, so I was able to compared them all back to back.

I think the Nikon has me spoiled as the image is sharp edge to edge and the CA is very well controlled. The build quality of the HGL are top notch and the focuser is buttery smooth.

The Zeiss 8x25 Terra has more CA and from center to the edges, there are irregularities in both the CA and sharpness across the field that leave me wanting. The edges are not as sharp as the Nikon HGL also. The focuser is rough and requires two finger adjust.

Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts. I was swayed into buying these by a review on another forum that waxed poetic on the Terra ED 8x25 and representing them as equals to the Swarovski 8x25 Pocket CL. Unfortunately, no free lunch here.

Surprisingly, I preferred the Olympus 8x25 WP II Tracker to the more expensive Zeiss 8x25 Terra ED. I love Zeiss optics, but these are not where its at.
 
Sometimes it can take bins a little bit of working to bed in such as the focuser.

I think the theoretical design of any new bin is fine but a newly assembled production unit hasn't had any use to break it in and these Chinese types generally need a bit of that.

My recent Hawke Endurance was quite stiff focusing initially and now it is very good. Strange thing was I started off with the diopter about two clicks in one direction but it always seemed to be a bit out so I worked the diopter ring back and forth a bit and there was a stiff lump that didn't seem like it should be in there. anyhow now the diopter is set at about two clicks to the opposite side of zero but now it snaps into focus and is consistent and I can leave it at that the result now being a very good bin.

A new bin can need a few days at least to see where it's at.

Or it might just be a bad unit and you should ask for it to be checked out if you think that even a good one would/could be any good and you would still like one. Otherwise forget it and return.
 
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I purchased the Zeiss Terra 8x25 ED ....

Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts. I was swayed into buying these by a review on another forum that waxed poetic on the Terra ED 8x25 and representing them as equals to the Swarovski 8x25 Pocket CL. Unfortunately, no free lunch here.

You may want to return it and get another copy. I also have the Swaro and a Leica 8x20 and while the Swaro wins hands down my Zeiss is very sharp and no noticeable CA. Is the one you received still made in Japan?
 
You may want to return it and get another copy. I also have the Swaro and a Leica 8x20 and while the Swaro wins hands down my Zeiss is very sharp and no noticeable CA. Is the one you received still made in Japan?

Yes, it is still made in Japan.

It could've been the particular one I bought, but WTF, can't Zeiss do some Quality Control. Send some engineers over to the Japanese factory and do some approvals.

I know with Leica Camera lenses they include those card that are hand signed by the German QC agents before they leave the factory. Feeling a little burned by the experience so most likely won't revisit obtaining another copy. I'm sure (or I sure hope) the higher end Zeiss go through more of rigorous QC process.
 
You may want to return it and get another copy. I also have the Swaro and a Leica 8x20 and while the Swaro wins hands down my Zeiss is very sharp and no noticeable CA. Is the one you received still made in Japan?

I'd be interested to know if possible summed up in a few words why the Swaro is easily best, the leica next and the then the Zeiss i.e the basic attributes of each that place them in this order please.

I don't own any of those you mention but to sum up all my compacts in such a manner i.e RSPB HD 8x20 first with best contrast, sharpness detail, nice blues in the colour, best build but most touchy for eye position but not terrible or anything, tie between my 8x25 Vistron and 10x25 Hawke Endurance. Vistron great handling and Hawke better contrast and more compact so about equalish. Papilio II 6.5x21(that's a tough one maybe another tie for second just a brilliant little bin or not so little and therefore not first). Carsons very close third to the above. Super compact, light weight and great clarity/contrast/sharpness and wide fov and very cheap but colour a little down on the blue side of things and more distortion than the others and little eye relief but I still love them. None of all those have CA or glare problems btw
 
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I'd be interested to know if possible summed up in a few words why the Swaro is easily best, the leica next and the then the Zeiss i.e the basic attributes of each that place them in this order please.

I'm no optics guru, but the Swaro has longer eye relief and better overall image than the other, but compared to the Leica it's a close call. Eye relief if a key issue with me due to glasses. The Swaro is a little bigger making it a little easier to use. It's FOV is a little better than the Leica, but about the same as the Zeiss. I can't fault the build quality on any of them.
 
I'm no optics guru, but the Swaro has longer eye relief and better overall image than the other, but compared to the Leica it's a close call. Eye relief if a key issue with me due to glasses. The Swaro is a little bigger making it a little easier to use. It's FOV is a little better than the Leica, but about the same as the Zeiss. I can't fault the build quality on any of them.

Thanks. I think I would like the Leica for it's compactness but I was out today and my Carson 8x22 was just incredible for a £27 delivered bin although I don't wear glasses so can cope with the practically nill eye relief it has in fact it seems to have an effect of being more in the view with it's 7.5 deg fov. Only drawback it's not waterproof but it's definitely a bin I now know I can rely on to get great viewing (as with the 7x18 Carson Mini Scout) and it's super light and compact enough for and smallish pocket. I wish I would have discovered these Carsons sooner and I definitely wouldn't have bought so many bins.

I really like my Sunagor 7x18 micro roof for it's compactness but it has real bad glare and the view is just dirty brownish looking. I may have a bad batch one it's so crap yet all reviewers say it's brilliant??? Luckily the diopter adjust just broke so I hope to get a good replacement or refund.
 
Subjective!

Clearly views on binoculars are very subjective.

I love the Zeiss Terra 8x25 ED. All aspects good:

-weight
-sharpness
-width of field
-colour

Okay, they're not the cheapest, but I think they're worth the difference against cheaper models I've tried.
 
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