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

Super-bins Shoot-out: Zeiss SF8x42 meets Swarovski 8.5x42 (1 Viewer)

To Lee aka Troubador - You are doing an amazing job promoting Zeiss. I am not being cynical, but if they are not paying you, they should at least take you on a sponsored birding trip or two. I don't think you'd dispute the fact that you are an out-and-out Zeiss fan boy and I am fine with that :)
 
Subzero888 said:
To Lee aka Troubador - You are doing an amazing job promoting Zeiss. I am not being cynical, but if they are not paying you, they should at least take you on a sponsored birding trip or two. I don't think you'd dispute the fact that you are an out-and-out Zeiss fan boy and I am fine with that :)
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Hi SubZ

I have owned Swift, Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss over many years and Zeiss works best for me.

But Zeiss bins aren't perfect and could certainly be improved, as indeed can those of all manufacturers. I think Zeiss instruments are well worth considering by all bins enthusiasts but I perfectly understand that choosing bins is a very personal matter. :smoke:

We are blessed with excellent instruments from Leica and Swarovski and many others as well as Zeiss. :king:

So yes I am a Zeiss fan-boy, but unlike some fan-boys I am aware that they are not the only bins on the planet :-O

Lee
 
Troubador said:
There you go Brock, living proof. :smoke:

Thanks for your comments Holzphoto.

Lee
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Yes, living proof of the exception to the rule, which I allowed for in my wording (...most SV EL owners will not....). :smoke:

There's always going to be a defector in every army. Holz is on the Defenders of Absam's watch list. ;)

Now, if we were to see maybe 20 deserters, Swaro should start worrying and put its redesign team into motion to make a four-bridge SV EL II with an 8.8* FOV, extra length, A LOT more pincushion than any SV EL (equal to the SLC-HD, which beats the SF), and the most difficult part - design a focuser that turns smoothly in both directions on every sample.

Unfortunately, therein lies the rub. Unless Swaro pilfers the design from Zeiss or Nikon, it's going to take several years to produce a smooth focuser, and by then, the SFs will be flying off the shelves (the new SF RC model), and with declining sales, Swaro will have closed its optics division to concentrate on making crystals. Nadja Swarovskii will be named Queen of Absam (btw, this was all predicted by Nostradamus).

Then there are the Captain Kangeroo deep-pocketed buyers who will keep their SV EL and also buy an SF.

For "these people" (now that we have defined them), I would suggest instead of buying a variation on a theme because you have a two-car garage, consider a tax deductible contribution to the Buy Brock an 8x32 Terra ED Fund (501c). PM me for the address and tax deduction forms.

<B>
 
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brocknroller said:
Y
For "these people" (now that we have defined them), I would suggest instead of buying a variation on a theme because you have a two-car garage, consider a tax deductible contribution to the Buy Brock an 8x32 Terra ED Fund (501c). PM me for the address and tax deduction forms.

<B>
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Brock, I thought you didn't want to be seen dead with a mid-priced roof in your hands! :-O
 
But Brother-Brock all monsoons start with a single drop of rain and I'll bet that when the original EL came out the boys at Leica looked outside and said 'Nah, its not going to rain'.

Swaro better watch out because I hear a gently pitter patter outside.....

One thing we haven't discussed though is why, given the rolling ball issue and the focuser issue, the Swaro crowd are so committed to their brand. Probably that question is drifting of this thread's subject.

Good luck with the Terra fund, the 8x32 should be called Terrier after the Jack Russell Terrier dog that punches above its weight and is great fun.

Lee
 
HighNorth said:
Brock, I thought you didn't want to be seen dead with a mid-priced roof in your hands! :-O
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Better dead than red. :eek!:

I think you got me mixed up with our frenemy from Colorado. I was for the Terra ED before I had even seen one. Just the idea of ZEISS making a bin for the huddled masses was good enough for me, but now that I've actually tried the 8x32 model, I can confirm that Zeiss made a very competitive product in this price segment.

The 8x42 model needs to go back for some tweaks, a bit more resolution and a slower focuser. After those modifications, it could outperform the 8x42 M7.

The truth is, I'd rather own a Nikon 8x30 EII, but it would also be nice to have a roof for those rainy day record setting Junes and for the winter when my porro focusers become as hard to turn as Leica UV BR's.

<B>
 
Troubador said:
brocknroller said:
Yes, living proof of the exception to the rule, which I allowed for in my wording (...most SV EL owners will not....). :smoke:


But Brother-Brock all monsoons start with a single drop of rain and I'll bet that when the original EL came out the boys at Leica looked outside and said 'Nah, its not going to rain'.

Swaro better watch out because I hear a gently pitter patter outside.....

One thing we haven't discussed though is why, given the rolling ball issue and the focuser issue, the Swaro crowd are so committed to their brand. Probably that question is drifting of this thread's subject.

Good luck with the Terra fund, the 8x32 should be called Terrier after the Jack Russell Terrier dog that punches above its weight and is great fun.

Lee
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Because the focus issue is trumped up by a professional complainer (also a non-owner) and rolling ballers are few and far between. My wife's 8X32 SV exhibits different resistances and she never complains about it even when asked. I believe if a 115 pound senior citizen can turn the focus hour after hour then it's working. A 70-year old grandma sporting a 10X50 SV was enough motivation for me to try one. Best bin I've had the pleasure to use. Then again these are merely the opinions and experiences of people who actually own and use the products in question. Half-baked, baseless diatribes do, however, garner more hits than posts from satisfied owners.
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Dang, all you guys talking about the weight issues with the 10x50 SV's.....ever heard of a binocular harness? Geeeesh! :) I'm thinking this 10x50 will kick some serious assss mounted on a tripod.......
 
jgraider said:
Dang, all you guys talking about the weight issues with the 10x50 SV's.....ever heard of a binocular harness? Geeeesh! :) I'm thinking this 10x50 will kick some serious assss mounted on a tripod.......
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We don't all have necks like a Texas steer ya know? ;) Some of us have cricket bat necks! :-O
 
Pileatus said:
Troubador said:
Because the focus issue is trumped up by a professional complainer (also a non-owner) and rolling ballers are few and far between. My wife's 8X32 SV exhibits different resistances and she never complains about it even when asked. I believe if a 115 pound senior citizen can turn the focus hour after hour then it's working. A 70-year old grandma sporting a 10X50 SV was enough motivation for me to try one. Best bin I've had the pleasure to use. Then again these are merely the opinions and experiences of people who actually own and use the products in question. Half-baked, baseless diatribes do, however, garner more hits than posts from satisfied owners.
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Satisfied owner here.|:D|
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