elkcub
Silicon Valley, California
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SF in real life (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Troubador
- Start date
eddy the eagle
Well-known member
Well got home from the birdfair at 11pm last night and this is the first opportunity to read the reports from there on the SF.I made the Zeiss stand my first port of call on Friday morning and after sorting out a few problems with my scope by Garry and the crew,I moved on to the SF.
My first impression were that it felt a light and was very well balanced.My concern was on the ergoés as I have large hands and fat fingers,where to put them is always a problem for me.That´s is one reason I don´t own an EL SV as I find it difficult to get hold of them and whilst I thought that the SF might be different it was not.I was left with my right little finger dangling in front of the objects as it did not have any where to rest and as a result a good firm grip and lock up was unobtainable.The ergoés are not for me but I will now move onto the focus wheel and focus itself.
I tried both the 8x and 10x and found the large tactile focus wheel to be in the right place for me and the smootheness was a delight.I am not an insect watcher and for those that are I say go get yourself a Pappillion,I am a birdwatcher and I have never been able to watch a bird in the wild at 3 feet let alone 1 1/2 so the close focus was not a feature I was looking for.As for speed I found it just right and a little faster than my HT but not that you would notice in the field and at all distances I did not overshoot and found it to have good control and presicion.Now onto the view.
The field of view was amazing with the edge to edge flatness and try as I did to induce rolling ball I coudn´t even though I was looking like a drunken sailor on board a sailboat.The brightness was less than my HT´s but if you don´t have HT´s you would not notice this and on the cloudy days of the Birdfair this may be an issue for the HT owners who were thinking of changing to the SF.I did not notice any aberrations of any kind and the view was very sharp edge to edge.
It was a pity that you were not able to view the SF and the HT side by side with them being on separate rows but this may have been a marketing ploy and one had to rely on memory for a few seconds whilst you moved from one to the other and at my age my memory is not brilliant.
Overall impression,the SF is a well constructed,well balanced bin with an excellent focuser and a great view.Would I swap my HT´s for one the answer is no,purely on the ergoés which are not for me,but a fine bin all the same and a worthy brother to the HT.I never did ask about the price but as they say if you have to ask the price you cannot afford it.Regards to all....Eddy
My first impression were that it felt a light and was very well balanced.My concern was on the ergoés as I have large hands and fat fingers,where to put them is always a problem for me.That´s is one reason I don´t own an EL SV as I find it difficult to get hold of them and whilst I thought that the SF might be different it was not.I was left with my right little finger dangling in front of the objects as it did not have any where to rest and as a result a good firm grip and lock up was unobtainable.The ergoés are not for me but I will now move onto the focus wheel and focus itself.
I tried both the 8x and 10x and found the large tactile focus wheel to be in the right place for me and the smootheness was a delight.I am not an insect watcher and for those that are I say go get yourself a Pappillion,I am a birdwatcher and I have never been able to watch a bird in the wild at 3 feet let alone 1 1/2 so the close focus was not a feature I was looking for.As for speed I found it just right and a little faster than my HT but not that you would notice in the field and at all distances I did not overshoot and found it to have good control and presicion.Now onto the view.
The field of view was amazing with the edge to edge flatness and try as I did to induce rolling ball I coudn´t even though I was looking like a drunken sailor on board a sailboat.The brightness was less than my HT´s but if you don´t have HT´s you would not notice this and on the cloudy days of the Birdfair this may be an issue for the HT owners who were thinking of changing to the SF.I did not notice any aberrations of any kind and the view was very sharp edge to edge.
It was a pity that you were not able to view the SF and the HT side by side with them being on separate rows but this may have been a marketing ploy and one had to rely on memory for a few seconds whilst you moved from one to the other and at my age my memory is not brilliant.
Overall impression,the SF is a well constructed,well balanced bin with an excellent focuser and a great view.Would I swap my HT´s for one the answer is no,purely on the ergoés which are not for me,but a fine bin all the same and a worthy brother to the HT.I never did ask about the price but as they say if you have to ask the price you cannot afford it.Regards to all....Eddy
Thank you for your comments.
No marketing ploy whatsoever. We had two display presenters for the SF on the viewing side as in our opinion, this area would create the most interest and we can only display so many units. On our close focus area we did have 2 x 42 HD's, 2 x 42 HT's & 2 x 42 SF's, which could allow for direct comparisons. I appreciate that for observing over longer distances the view outside of the marquee on our close focus area, did not offer a suitable distance (50m?).
Next time we can change this to allow side by side tests.
Kev
I was being facetious and I apologise if my silly remark came across as somehow critical. I am no optical expert and prefer to compare bins using normal viewing methods and you don't need to be an 'expert' to know what works for you.
Yes, of course everyone's eyes and brains combine to create different results, this is what fuels debates on this forum.
Best wishes for your birding.
Lee
temmie
Well-known member
The price: http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/zeiss/zeiss-victory-sf-8x42-binocular
That is a little short of 2000 euro.
dalat
...
Hi, thanks to Lee and all the others from the reports from birdfair. Sounds like an overall confirmation of the Zeiss promises so far. What remains to be seen is if the real production units maintain that quality.
I've seen no comment about 32s or other smaller SF versions. Did anyone ask and get some info?
I've seen no comment about 32s or other smaller SF versions. Did anyone ask and get some info?
Sagittarius
Well-known member
Lee,
Now that you've had a chance to study the SF, would you choose it over your HT if starting from scratch ?
Which features to you prefer from one to the next ?
Also, do you plan on adding an SF to your collection ?
Now that you've had a chance to study the SF, would you choose it over your HT if starting from scratch ?
Which features to you prefer from one to the next ?
Also, do you plan on adding an SF to your collection ?
Dalat
When asked about SF 32s the Zeiss folks smiled and looked happy. I think we can expect 32s but not until well into next year.
Lee
Sagittarius
Thats a tough question because I haven't 'lived' with an SF like I have with my HTs. For nature observation the SF's field of view and its extra close focus mean it is a dream binocular for me. So, yes I want one in my stable very much and I think that, yes, if starting from the very beginning, and SF would be better for me than HT. Does that mean I am angry at Zeiss for bringing out SF when I have only recently got my HT?
Absolutely not, I really love my HTs and I am glad that I have them, and it is great for folks to have a choice of top Zeiss 42s.
I will have to postpone answering more questions until I can get my hands on a pair (and a Swaro EL) and do a shoot out during which I will be able to develop my views on SF vs HT.
Lee
brocknroller
porromaniac
Fair enough, but there are cheaper and more effective ways to raise your self-esteem than buying the "latest and greatest," since that "fix" will only last until the next "latest and greatest" comes along.
http://psychcentral-how-to-raise-your-self-esteem without spending $2,600
Frankly, I'd rather have a pair of 7x42 Dialyts, as long as they were phase coated and had mid to late 1990s AR coatings. Like the Fiat 1957 Edition 500 that's coming out next year, Zeiss and other optics companies should consider the nostalgia market. I think there's a big enough market to bring back binocular classics, and they better get to it before all the baby boomers are retired and are still in good enough shape to go birding!
Brock
Hi Robert
The HT 10x are a very nice view indeed. Try them side by side with the SFs to decide whether the bigger FOV is better for you. I think I could hold the SF 10x for longer due to the different balance, but they both handle well.
The SPs in the SFs (if you see what I mean) made room for the field flattener so in the end, as your point out, the lengths aren't that different.
I tried out a beautiful unused Dialyt 7x42 the night before the Fair and it was really lovely.
Lee
mooreorless
Well-known member
Sorry Brock but that Fiat is one ugly vehicle IMO!8-P I tried the 10x42 HT at LCSS and need to try it again some time, I really didn't find anything about it that wowed me. I had a lot of 10s to try.
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Kammerdiner
Well-known member
Steve, if you saw that 1957 Fiat 500 in person you might just change your mind about it. The blue color is fantastic and the retro wheels are so stinkin' cute! It's a 2014 model so they're out already. I saw one somewhere this summer, forget where, probably out west.
Mark
Steve
Get a hold of an SF 10x and check out that field of view :king:
Kazowie!!
Lee
Mark you a dead right that some cars look so-so, ifsy-butsy, in photos but rip your eyes out when seen in the flesh. Same with some ladies too :smoke:
Lee
Robert Wallace
Well-known member
Hello Troubador
I did try the HTs and SFs side by side at the Birdfair (just to the right of the Zeiss technicians). not much of a view and rather less light than the main viewing area, maybe this is why I noticed the brightness of the HT. Didn't really assess how I would manage with the extra weight, FOV didn't worry me because the HT meets the class norm and is the same as my old 10x40 Dialyts (1985).
Pleased you enjoyed the 7x42 Dialyts, mine are circa 1997 and phase corrected. When the Nikon HGLs came out I bought a pair of HG 8x32s for a decent discount. My wife found them too heavy so I used them as my default binocular.This was partly to preserve in good nick my 7x42s.
Robert
I made the mistake of bringing my 10x42 SE's when I tested the 10x HT. The image was almost exact between the two. Both had that great color saturation and perfect clarity. The only thing I noticed about diffrent about the HT was that it rendered metal objects shining in the sun with it's own kind of brilliance. Another thing was the Nikons 315 FOV felt just like the HT's. And my 330ft FL always felt bigger than others. There was nothing that could entice me from my from the Nikons at this price point.
