Advice Needed: Victory HT or SF? (1 Viewer)

I just got my 10x42 HT's this morning, and my initial impressions are

- Great Optics
- Excellent close focus
- Well balanced, easy to hold steady
- Feels light
- Smooth focuser with just the right amount of tension

It's definitely a keeper. But if there were to be a bridge in the front I don't know how I could possible rest my fingers comfortably. Is a second bridge really necessary, or is it just engineering overkill?

I am still planning a visit to Lost Creek Shoe Shop tomorrow! Per the recommendations above, I will likely be most interested in trying:

Zeiss Victory 8x42 HT
Leica Ultravid HD 8x42
Leica Ultravid HD 7x42
Swarovski SLC-HD 8x42
Nikon EDG II 8x42
Nikon EDG II 7x42
Plus whatever else they have that might be worth considering...

The reason I want to evaluate 7x42's as well as 8x42's is to see whether a slight decrease in magnification coupled with an expanded FOV is worth the tradeoff (also may be even easier to hold steady than a 8x42?)

I will post my impressions after the visit - should be a sunny day tomorrow, so I doubt I will need a flashlight (grin).

Some of the coolest things about the 10x Victory SFs as I tested them last month were that they were so easy to hold steady, even with one hand, thanks to the shift in weight, and they had such a wide FOV--390 feet at 1000 yards, which is darned impressive for 10x. And crystal clear from edge to edge.

Chickadee Whisperer said:

Some of the coolest things about the 10x Victory SFs as I tested them last month were that they were so easy to hold steady, even with one hand, thanks to the shift in weight

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Thanks for that observation, Laura. That would be a real benefit to practical users, myself included, who may like to but generally don't use tens ; it being all but impossible to do so with one hand !

Steve260 ... Just out of curiousity, I noticed the Swarovski EL SV 8.5X42 is not on your list to review. Was that intentional or an oversight?

It would be an interesting comparison to the Nikons since it also uses lens flatteners (as does the upcoming Zeiss SF that you are interested in). All the other binoculars on your list are what I think of as traditional models.

I'm looking forward to reading your trip report since I have been considering the purchase of a higher end 8X42.

BruceH,
I have already tried the Swarovski EL SV 8.5x42s, and they were very good indeed! I did not notice the "rolling ball" effect (or, if it was there, it didn't bother me for the short time I used them....). If Lost Creek has them in stock, I will certainly include them in my evaluation process. Sure would be nice if the Zeiss SF was available for comparison!

Since I already have 10x42 Zeiss Victory HT, Leica Ultravid 8x32 HD, and Nikon 8x32 HG DCF (gathering dust since I got the Leica UV 8x32 HD), those brands just occurred to me first... I included the Swarovski SLC HD 8x42 since it is probably a better "direct comparison" to the other traditional designs currently available from Zeiss, Leica and Nikon...

Should be a fun day, but I also have a feeling it is going to be VERY difficult to decide!

Steve

Update:
I spent several very enjoyable hours at Lost Creek Shoe Shop last Friday morning. Anyone in PA, if you haven't been there already, I highly recommend you make a visit!

The store is very low-key and relaxed. Most of the merchandise is high quality outdoor footwear (as expected), but there is a separate room at the back of the shop dedicated to optics, with a covered viewing porch attached. There were probably close to 100 pairs of binoculars in the display cases, as well as a nice selection of spotting scopes, rifle scopes, tripods and accessories. I was assisted by "David" - he was very patient, knowledgeable and helpful. I never felt like he was rushing me in any way, and he brought every binocular on my list out to the porch for me to try. All at the same time, so A-B comparison was very easy. (Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, Nikon). He answered all my questions, and provided input from his experience as a birdwatcher to help me understand the differences between the various brands and models.

Here are the binoculars I compared:
Zeiss Victory HT 8x42
Zeiss Victory T* FL 8x42
Swarovski EL SV 8.5x42
Swarovski EL SV 8x32
Swarovski SLC 8x42 WB
Leica Ultravid HD 8x42
Leica Ultravid HD 7x42
Nikon EG 8x42


The outdoor viewing area is well set up, with a variety of targets and viewing conditions. There are actually two formal "targets" set up at about 100 yards and about 175 yards (if my memory is correct - the distances may have been a little different?). These targets had various text in different sizes, in combinations of red, white and blue. Very useful in evaluating how steady I could hold the binoculars to read the text! In addition, the viewing area is fenced in, with two small white metal roof structures out approximately 75 yards or so. The fence posts were very useful in comparing FOV, and the vertical and horizontal fence wire provided a good variety of targets for evaluating sharpness and potential CA. It was a bright sunny morning, and the edges of the white metal roof structures were also very helpful in looking for any CA issues and comparing depth of field. Inside the fenced in areas were several goats and turkeys, which cooperated nicely in helping me to evaluate colors and detail resolution. Finally, the farthest "target" was positioned in a shaded wooded area, which allowed me to compare how well each binocular could see "into the shadows".

After several hours of evaluation and comparison, I ended up actually purchasing two pairs of binoculars! One for general everyday use, trips, sporting events, concerts, etc., and another for more dedicated nature & birdwatching use. I am a novice birdwatcher, but I enjoy going out early in the morning, so brightness in low-light conditions was definitely a factor in my evaluation.

Everything I tried was "alpha" class optics, so the differences between the various brands and models were small - they were all extremely good, in my opinion. I can certainly provide detailed opinions of the differences I perceived between the various models, most of which were subjective, so your-mileage-may-vary! (grin)

In the end, here is what I went home with:

For everyday use: Leica Ultravid HD 7x42. Clearly the easiest for me to hold steady, with a fairly large FOV. The view through the Leicas was a little "warmer" than the other binoculars - the view was plenty bright, and the colors just seemed a little more saturated. Very attractive view, with no CA that I could observe. Things just "snapped" into focus with these. Fit in my hand very comfortably, and I could use them both with and without my glasses. I could easily imagine watching an entire baseball or football game through these (from the nosebleed seats), without fatiguing my eyes or my arms. A bit pricey, but pretty much the only game in town right now in a 7x42 alpha roof prism design. The tradeoff in magnification for a little steadier and wider view worked for me.

For nature and birding use: Zeiss Victory HT 8x42. While these were not quite as comfortable in my hands as the Leica Ultravids (they are a bit longer), the view was very natural and neutral, and they enabled me to discern details in the wooded/shaded areas a bit more clearly than the others. Not a big difference, but there was a difference to my eyes. (Maybe because I am already used to the view and handling of my Victory HT 10x42s?) No trace of CA, no matter how hard I tried to induce some. Everything about the construction of these screamed quality - very well finished and smooth in operation in every detail. I could hold them steady - not as steady as the 7x42s, but steadier than my 10x42s. Extremely sharp and natural view, and very easy to bring into focus, both with and without my eyeglasses.

For now, I am very happy with my choices, and will likely plan another trip to Lost Creek when the Zeiss SFs are released and available. I'm sure the new Zeiss SFs will be outstanding - I would like to compare them separately against the Swarovski EL SVs when the SFs are released, readily available, and any potential initial "issues" are taken care of (not expecting any, but can't know for sure until they are released to the market.)

Thanks again to everyone for your advice and input! I would be happy to provide additional impressions or answer any questions based on my recent experiences...

Steve

Great report Steve,:t:

On the binoculars and the shop!

Good luck with everything! And feel free to continue commenting about your binoculars on this thread any time. I, for one, look forward to reading them.

Bob

Steve .... Thanks for the excellent report on your field trip! Here I thought you would just be looking but instead you ended up with two excellent binoculars. I figured you would like the Zeiss HT.

I do have a couple of questions.

- How did the Zeiss HT compare to the Swarovski SLC?

- Did they stock the Nikon 7X42 EDG-II? I am assuming they did not since it was not listed in your post.

I hope you enjoy your new purchases and come back with an update after you have spent some time with them.

Bruce,

The Swarovski SLC and the Zeiss HT were extremely close in my evaluation.

There were two differences for me: first, the HT just seemed more "solid" in my hands. Perhaps because the HT is a bit larger than the SLC, and the HT's large focus knob is captive in the split bridge? This was purely a personal preference - I could easily understand someone else preferring the "feel" of the SLC over the HT.

The second difference was more objective: I had an easier time reading the smallest line of text on the far target (175 yds. or so?) with the HT's. I don't know why - both the SLC and the HT are 8x42, both are extremely sharp, and I stood in exactly the same spot with each. I just had a harder time figuring out the smallest line of text with the SLC. Perhaps a slight difference in color balance made it easier for my eyes to read the text with the HT's?

I don't know if they had the Nikon EDG 7x42s in stock - to be honest, I forgot to ask! The UV 7x42s just felt so "right", and I knew that the Zeiss FL 7x42 had been discontinued, so I didn't look any further!

The Nikon EDG 8x42s were very nice, but again, the Zeiss HT's just felt "right" to me. During our conversation, David told me that he thought the EDGs were excellent, but that most of his customers looking for high-end binoculars seemed to prefer the Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica models. Not sure why...

Steve

Steve ... Thanks for the response. Those are all good reasons for your ultimate choices.

Steve, touché.....job very well done. Both binoculars should give you many, many, years of wonderful service. Enjoy in good health.

Steve, simply an excellent all-around review. :t:

Mark

Hello Steve,

I like your revew! Well done! Good for you to find "yours" binoculars!
I agree about the HT. Mine is a 10x42. The more I use it the more I like it as a whole.
Thank you!

PHA

Dear all,
I received a Victory HT 8x42 HT on loan for a two week investigation in the field. The optical quality is very good as well as the handling comfort.
Points that were disturbing to me were:
-1- the quality of the eyecups. The turning resistance was low and one of them continuously dropped a little when in use because of the low turning resistance, which was annoying
-2- upon correction between the optical strength between both eyes the focus was identical at the chosen distance for both eyes. However, when I changed observation distance the focus for both eyes did not remain identical and I had to correct it all te time when I switched observation distance. I had the same in the past with the 8x32 Victory FL. I checked other brands like Leica, and Swsarovski and I did not observe that phenomen with the roofs of these brands.
-3- I found the raincover, which is supplied with the Ht not very convenient, but in the past (and may at present still?)Zeiss sold a very nice solid rubber cap and that worked convenient.
Despite these "shortcomings"I liked the HT.
Gijs

Hello Gijs,

Obviously this would not be acceptable! My HT 10x42 does not shows that. In fact my previous FL 10x42 needed some very small adjustment of the dioptries. I thought were my eyes. But with the HT I set de dioptries weel once and never needed to move again! Anyway at my 61 years old, it is possible the eyes varies at some degree during the day? I mean to an extend that makes neccesary to readjust the dioptries?

Best Regards

PHA

Hi PHA,
Today I had the opportunity to use a 8x54 HT and it had exactly the same problem and I am quite certain that it is not caused by my eyes, since other binoculars from other brands and also from Zeiss do not show it.
I think that Zeiss should ask the manufacturers of the HT to check it.
Gijs

Hi Gijs,

After I read your post #75 I checked my HT 10x42's and they don't have the focus shift problem. My eyecups never move also once set. What I don't like on the HT is the flimsy objective cover arrangement and the stiffness of the dioptre wheel. The eyecups also don't feel particularly comfortable. Apart from that they're very sharp and good at picking up deer just on dark; marginally, but noticeably better than my friend's Swarovision 10x42's.

Gijs van Ginkel said:

Dear all,
I received a Victory HT 8x42 HT on loan for a two week investigation in the field. The optical quality is very good as well as the handling comfort.
Points that were disturbing to me were:
-1- the quality of the eyecups. The turning resistance was low and one of them continuously dropped a little when in use because of the low turning resistance, which was annoying

Gijs

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Gijs...I found the same to be true "INITIALLY" on the 10 x 42 HT. But after time, it becomes stiffer and now I have no problem with the eye cup dropping. This is a no issues with my HT's now and in fact, I have no issues what-so-ever with the HT's and I have had mine for 13 months now, jim

Gijs van Ginkel said:

Hi PHA,
Today I had the opportunity to use a 8x54 HT and it had exactly the same problem and I am quite certain that it is not caused by my eyes, since other binoculars from other brands and also from Zeiss do not show it.
I think that Zeiss should ask the manufacturers of the HT to check it.
Gijs

Click to expand...

Hi Gijs

What a strange observation. I own an HT 8x42 and have used 3 others for extended periods of time, including much observing changing distances from very close to very far, and with all 4 of these I never had this problem.

I have also just returned from the Bird Fair where I tried the HT 54s 6 times, each for about 10 minutes and didn't find the problem.

Lee