As a new forum member I’d like to contribute some thoughts on Zen Ray ED2 9x36. Like a lot of forum members I’m surprised by the lack of substantial reviews of what sounds like a winning specification. In the interests of stirring the pot a bit:
Solely on the basis of online opinion, I was interested to check out the quality of Zen Ray ED2, and wanted to try 9x binos for the first time. I bought direct from ZR, a demo model at a good price. My regular binos are Bausch & Lomb Elite 8x42, over 15 years old and discontinued; I also use Zeiss Victory 10x42 FL T*, so I do have ‘alpha’ glass for comparative purposes.
Looks, build quality, handling: decent quality and finish, strap good quality, but overlong. Objective caps (focus of complaints in several online reviews) seem OK to me but I never use them in the field; eyepiece rainguard OK, cheap plastic cap on outer hinge.
Size, weight, design: light weight, but virtually the same length as B&L Elite 8x42. I have no particular preference for bridge design over traditional single hinge; these binos handle well.
Focus: wheel seems oversize for the body but smooth and precise; focus is quick and easy at a distance but VERY slow as you focus closer than about 30 ft/10m, likely to be an issue tracking small fast moving birds in cover. Focus is in the opposite direction from both my regular binos.
Eyepiece design: Rubber eye cups sit about 2.5mm above the objective surface when fully retracted; for me this means the specified 16 mm ER is barely adequate to see the full field of view. The flush eye cup design of the ED3 looks like an improvement here. I removed the rubber sheathing on the eyepieces that I could get my glasses virtually flush with the objective, which works much better for me. I doubt I’d have been so ready to do this with alpha binos, but then with B&L Elite and Zeiss Victory 10x42 FL T* I’ve never needed to.
The image: VERY impressed with apparent brightness, resolution and contrast, colour rendition, size of sweet spot – to my eyes (see disclaimer!) all comparable to alpha bins. Ability to resolve detail sits between the x8 and x10. Focusses as close as specified (slowly) but I feel my eyes working harder at this distance. Limitations of the 4.0 mm exit pupil not apparent until light is very poor, performance not noticeably worse than the 10x42, slightly behind the 8x42 as expected. FOV specified as virtually the same as the B&L Elite 8x42, but to my eye seems a shade narrower. CA not apparent, ‘veiling glare’ in eyepiece happens very occasionally, not an issue for me. Overall the image quality compensates for the minor design and handling issues, this is a good binocular at any price, but not quite an alpha. I’ll be using it regularly for fieldwork, and very interested to see if Prime HD lives up to the pre-release excitement.
Looking forward to getting some feedback!
(Disclaimer!: I am not an optics professional, and am a full time wearer of eyeglasses (myopic, with astigmatism) which limits my ability to assess edge quality in viewing; I do have a practical interest in eye relief, apparent brightness, colour rendition, resolution and field of view. I’ve been birding for over 30 years. As a field guide illustrator I look at fine detail of structure and colour in birds, especially small passerines at present.)
Solely on the basis of online opinion, I was interested to check out the quality of Zen Ray ED2, and wanted to try 9x binos for the first time. I bought direct from ZR, a demo model at a good price. My regular binos are Bausch & Lomb Elite 8x42, over 15 years old and discontinued; I also use Zeiss Victory 10x42 FL T*, so I do have ‘alpha’ glass for comparative purposes.
Looks, build quality, handling: decent quality and finish, strap good quality, but overlong. Objective caps (focus of complaints in several online reviews) seem OK to me but I never use them in the field; eyepiece rainguard OK, cheap plastic cap on outer hinge.
Size, weight, design: light weight, but virtually the same length as B&L Elite 8x42. I have no particular preference for bridge design over traditional single hinge; these binos handle well.
Focus: wheel seems oversize for the body but smooth and precise; focus is quick and easy at a distance but VERY slow as you focus closer than about 30 ft/10m, likely to be an issue tracking small fast moving birds in cover. Focus is in the opposite direction from both my regular binos.
Eyepiece design: Rubber eye cups sit about 2.5mm above the objective surface when fully retracted; for me this means the specified 16 mm ER is barely adequate to see the full field of view. The flush eye cup design of the ED3 looks like an improvement here. I removed the rubber sheathing on the eyepieces that I could get my glasses virtually flush with the objective, which works much better for me. I doubt I’d have been so ready to do this with alpha binos, but then with B&L Elite and Zeiss Victory 10x42 FL T* I’ve never needed to.
The image: VERY impressed with apparent brightness, resolution and contrast, colour rendition, size of sweet spot – to my eyes (see disclaimer!) all comparable to alpha bins. Ability to resolve detail sits between the x8 and x10. Focusses as close as specified (slowly) but I feel my eyes working harder at this distance. Limitations of the 4.0 mm exit pupil not apparent until light is very poor, performance not noticeably worse than the 10x42, slightly behind the 8x42 as expected. FOV specified as virtually the same as the B&L Elite 8x42, but to my eye seems a shade narrower. CA not apparent, ‘veiling glare’ in eyepiece happens very occasionally, not an issue for me. Overall the image quality compensates for the minor design and handling issues, this is a good binocular at any price, but not quite an alpha. I’ll be using it regularly for fieldwork, and very interested to see if Prime HD lives up to the pre-release excitement.
Looking forward to getting some feedback!
(Disclaimer!: I am not an optics professional, and am a full time wearer of eyeglasses (myopic, with astigmatism) which limits my ability to assess edge quality in viewing; I do have a practical interest in eye relief, apparent brightness, colour rendition, resolution and field of view. I’ve been birding for over 30 years. As a field guide illustrator I look at fine detail of structure and colour in birds, especially small passerines at present.)
