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Is the Zeiss SFL 8x40 worth the difference in price over the Nikon MHG 8x42? (2 Viewers)
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Here are a few other opinions on the Zeiss SFL. I am not alone!
Zeiss SFL 8×40 binoculars review
These binoculars from Zeiss somehow squeeze just about all the excellence of...
Yet another review of the 8x40 SFL
Hi all, I honestly have found some of the negativity and ramble by others on Lee's thread to be tiresome and counterproductive, so I'm posting a separate review here. Y'all may do what you will with it. I pre-ordered a pair as soon as they were available. I received them about a week ago...
www.birdforum.net
Zeiss SFL 10x40: A Field Review
My review of Zeiss SFL 8x40 proved so popular ( Zeiss SFL 8x40, A Field Review ) that the thread it generated has reached over 44k hits at the time of writing this, demonstrating how much interest there is in this new series of models from Zeiss. However, there have been several protests that...
www.birdforum.net
My video review of Zeiss SFL 8x40
Hello everybody. On my website "Binomania.it" you can find the review of the Zeiss SFL 8x40, including video on the YouTube channel. In my site there is the translation option in various languages, I hope it will help you. English subtitles by dowsub.com have also been included in the video...
www.birdforum.net
My video review of the new ZEISS SFL 8x40 - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights
My video review of the new ZEISS SFL 8x40 - posted in Binoculars: Hello everybody. On my website Binomania.it you can find the review of the Zeiss SFL 8x40, including video on the YouTube channel. In my site there is the translation option in various languages, I hope it will help you. English...
Field Test: Zeiss SFL 8x40 Binocular | Grand View Outdoors
The author tests the new Zeiss SFL 8x40 binocular during South Dakota’s 2022 spring turkey season.
Zeiss SFL Review | 10x30 & 10x40 | Insanely Good | Best In Class Ultralight Binoculars - Backwoods Pursuit
When we first considered putting together this Zeiss SFL review, we didn't really know what to expect. Zeiss Optics has made top notch binoculars, spotting
backwoodspursuit.com
Zeiss SFL 10x40 vs. SF 10x32 Binocular Review
Zeiss has recently released two models of compact binoculars, the Zeiss SFL and SF. Both raise the performance to weight ratio, but which one is best for you?
www.rokslide.com
Zeiss 10x40 SFL Review
Zeiss SFL Binoculars
The optics experts review the top optics and best accessories available, at various price points, from all major manufacturers. The reviews cover all aspects of the items including their accessories. From the most expensive to the most moderate priced items. What you get and what you should expect.
ZEISS Victory SFL 8x40 binocular - BirdGuides
The launch of two new ZEISS binoculars sets modern optics in a traditional format. Mike Alibone sheds light on the new models.
www.birdguides.com
An Official Journal Of The NRA | First Look: Zeiss SFL 40 Compact Binocular
The Zeiss SFL (SmartFocus and Lightweight) provides traditional Zeiss optical performance combined with a compact and lightweight design.
All-new ZEISS SFL review by Nikhil Devasar Photography ZEISS SFL 8*40, The lightweight model among high-performance binoculars... | By ZEISS Nature IndiaFacebook
All-new ZEISS SFL review by Nikhil Devasar Photography ZEISS SFL 8*40, The lightweight model among high-performance binoculars...
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The Best Binoculars of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
We tested the best binoculars for birdwatching, hunting, traveling, and more for their optical resolution and low light capability.
www.outdoorlife.com
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The Best Binoculars: Reviews and Recommendations
Best for Birdwatching: Zeiss SFL 8×40
Scott Einsmann
SEE IT
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Very Good
- Mechanical Performance: Excellent
- Design: Excellent
- Price/Value: Very Good
- Double-hinge, open-barrel design
- Right-barrel diopter control
- Oversized focus wheel
- 4.9-foot close focus
- Weight: 22.6 ounces
- SmartFocus wheel zooms from close focus to infinity in 1.4 turns
- Also available in 10×40, 8×30, and 10×30 models
- DoubleLink Bridge enables good barrel grip
- Premium glass and coatings
- Extremely light weight
- At $1,500, it’s a pricey binocular
- Straps and case are fairly pedestrian
Zeiss saves some money on its SFL model by importing this model from Japan; most of the brand’s super-premium optics are made in either Germany or Portugal. And it has found some additional savings in glass by using thinner lenses than it uses in its SF line. Those thinner lenses also allow the SFL to shave nearly half a pound from the SF in the same configuration.
But the image delivered by those halfling lenses is every bit as sharp and vibrant as those of Zeiss’s other premium binoculars. The SFL easily posted the top resolution score at this year’s optics test, and testers raved about the vibrant image with rich contrast and stunning colors. It lost points on disappointing low-light performance, which was partly due to its diminutive 8×40 configuration.
The SFL was designed to appeal to birdwatchers, who are willing to pay for lightweight, bright, and crisp binoculars. But the reason the SFL is here in the top spot is its wider field-worthiness. Its oversized focus wheel riffs from an extremely tight close focus of 4.9 feet out to infinity in just 1.4 rotations of the wheel. That’s a huge asset for tight-cover deer and hog hunters, but also for Western hunters who might pan from middle-distance cover out to far vistas in the same field of view. The smooth and fluid focus wheel moves as though it rides on ball-bearing tracks.
The Zeiss’s name stands for “Smart Focus Lightweight,” and the 1.5-pound heft makes this the lightest premium bino on the market, and a wonderful companion for long hikes over difficult terrain. The balance and grip provided by the open-bridge design makes the SFL feel even lighter, and testers gave high praise for the binocular’s tapered eyecups that were extremely comfortable to use for extended periods.
That’s the real question to ask of a binocular—how long do you want to spend behind it? The more and longer you use a binocular, the more objects—whether warblers or caribou—you’ll spot. There are few other pieces of hunting gear that have that outsized effect on your outcome. If the 8×40 isn’t for you, look to the SFL in 10×40, 8×30, and 10×30.
Since our binocular test, we have kept reaching for the Zeiss any time we required a binocular, one of the surest signs that it’s an optic worth a long look. And longer possession.
dries1
Member
Dennis you must have been in sales as an occupation. Why is Zeiss lowering the price on the SFL.
Either they are not moving that many or they have come to realize that the asking price is too high, or both.
Sorry just because a few articles give it praise, it does not mean that someone should go out and buy one, or if "Dennis" says so.
Vegas needs some odds as to when they are in a box with bubble wrap. You will not keep them.
Either they are not moving that many or they have come to realize that the asking price is too high, or both.
Sorry just because a few articles give it praise, it does not mean that someone should go out and buy one, or if "Dennis" says so.
Vegas needs some odds as to when they are in a box with bubble wrap. You will not keep them.
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Best Premium: Swarovski NL Pure 12×42
Adam DeMarchi
SEE IT
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Excellent
- Mechanical Performance: Very Good
- Design: Excellent
- Price/Value: Good
- Fluorite glass
- Magnesium-alloy chassis
- Short closed-bridge design
- Field-flattener lens system
- Field of View: 339 feet at 1000 yards
- Weight: 29.5 ounces
- Curved barrels hug hands, minimizing shake
- Positive focus wheel
- Tapered three-position eyecups
- Long eye relief
- Wide field of view
- At about $3,500, wildly expensive
As might be expected, Swarovski brings its best class of glass—a fluorite recipe that tames aberrant light and intensifies colors and depth—to the NL Pure, which is also available in 8×32, 8×42, 10×32, and 10×42 versions. But if the stunning image gets your attention, the mannerly controls keep you glassing. The oversized focus wheel is located within easy reach of index fingers and turns with cool precision, and the elegantly tapered eyecups fit most brows comfortably. The open-barrel design is a cinch to use with a single hand.
In short, the NL Pure is a joy to use for extended periods, which is one of the best attributes of a premium hunting binocular. Swarovski offers a very useful forehead rest that mates with the NL Pure, and when the binocular is mounted to a tripod, it creates rock-solid contact with the optic, allowing the binocular to act as a spotting scope with a wide field of view.
All this performance comes at a price, and in the case of the NL Pure, that price is well north of $3,000. That stratospheric cost puts it out of reach of most mortals, and it also serves to make it a little too precious to use in hard-core field situations, where optics are in danger of getting scratched, dented, stolen, and abused.
If you have the funds, then the Swarovski NL Pure is an investment-grade product, worth buying now in order to use while you can, but then to hand down to future viewers who will appreciate European optics inside a field-worthy chassis.
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What? No mention of glare!
Paultricounty
Well-known member
That’s great info Tom.Best Premium: Swarovski NL Pure 12×42
Adam DeMarchi
SEE IT
Score Card
Key Features
- Optical Performance: Excellent
- Mechanical Performance: Very Good
- Design: Excellent
- Price/Value: Good
Pros
- Fluorite glass
- Magnesium-alloy chassis
- Short closed-bridge design
- Field-flattener lens system
- Field of View: 339 feet at 1000 yards
- Weight: 29.5 ounces
Cons
- Curved barrels hug hands, minimizing shake
- Positive focus wheel
- Tapered three-position eyecups
- Long eye relief
- Wide field of view
Swarovski’s NL Pure might well be the perfect binocular. The hourglass curves of its shapely barrels grip your hands, creating a rock-solid support for glassing, even with the 12-power model. The field-flattener lenses create a picture-window view of the world. And the immense field of view—among the widest in the business—gives you a lot to look at.
- At about $3,500, wildly expensive
As might be expected, Swarovski brings its best class of glass—a fluorite recipe that tames aberrant light and intensifies colors and depth—to the NL Pure, which is also available in 8×32, 8×42, 10×32, and 10×42 versions. But if the stunning image gets your attention, the mannerly controls keep you glassing. The oversized focus wheel is located within easy reach of index fingers and turns with cool precision, and the elegantly tapered eyecups fit most brows comfortably. The open-barrel design is a cinch to use with a single hand.
In short, the NL Pure is a joy to use for extended periods, which is one of the best attributes of a premium hunting binocular. Swarovski offers a very useful forehead rest that mates with the NL Pure, and when the binocular is mounted to a tripod, it creates rock-solid contact with the optic, allowing the binocular to act as a spotting scope with a wide field of view.
All this performance comes at a price, and in the case of the NL Pure, that price is well north of $3,000. That stratospheric cost puts it out of reach of most mortals, and it also serves to make it a little too precious to use in hard-core field situations, where optics are in danger of getting scratched, dented, stolen, and abused.
If you have the funds, then the Swarovski NL Pure is an investment-grade product, worth buying now in order to use while you can, but then to hand down to future viewers who will appreciate European optics inside a field-worthy chassis.
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What? No mention of glare!
I might ad that allbinos gave the NL’s their highest rating of all time. What a conundrum Dennis has now, It’s either he has to reevaluate his position on NL’s ,or admit allbinos is not right 100%. I’m giddy with giggles 🤭.
You know what I found interesting. Even though the Swarovski NL 12x42 is over 2x the price of the Zeiss SFL 8x40, the SFL beat the NL in the resolution tests, which is done very carefully with a resolution chart.
The Best Binoculars of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
We tested the best binoculars for birdwatching, hunting, traveling, and more for their optical resolution and low light capability.
redirect.viglink.com
"But the image delivered by those halfling lenses is every bit as sharp and vibrant as those of Zeiss’s other premium binoculars. The SFL easily posted the top resolution score at this year’s optics test, and testers raved about the vibrant image with rich contrast and stunning colors."
We put all submissions to our annual binocular test through the same criteria. First, we measure optical resolution, using the diminishing black-and-white lines of a 1951 Air Force Resolution Target to score the optical performance of each submission. We also measure the low-light performance of each binocular by mounting them to tripods and focusing them as a group at 200 yards at a black-and-white resolution target starting at twilight and then well into the gathering dark, all in order to measure the brightness of the glass. This is an important consideration for both hunters and wildlife watchers, since animals are more visible in the early morning and late evening than at any other time."
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Yes well you better go back and read again Dennis. And of course you're getting ready to sell, so selective reading and quoting is expected. Amazing?You know what I found AMAZING. Even though the Swarovski NL 12x42 is over 2x the price of the Zeiss SFL 8x40, the SFL beat the NL in the resolution tests, which is done very carefully with a resolution chart. That means an 8x binocular was sharper on-axis than a 12x binocular. That shows you that Zeiss are sharper on-axis than Swarovski's.
Outdoor Life
"We put all submissions to our annual binocular test through the same criteria. First, we measure optical resolution, using the diminishing black-and-white lines of a 1951 Air Force Resolution Target to score the optical performance of each submission. We also measure the low-light performance of each binocular by mounting them to tripods and focusing them as a group at 200 yards at a black-and-white resolution target starting at twilight and then well into the gathering dark, all in order to measure the brightness of the glass. This is an important consideration for both hunters and wildlife watchers, since animals are more visible in the early morning and late evening than at any other time. The binocular that can “see” the longest into the dark gets top marks. The model that loses its night vision earliest gets the lowest score. Binoculars in the middle receive weighted scores somewhere between those two poles. We averaged the results over at least three nights, with a different pair of eyeballs behind the binoculars each night, to arrive at our adjusted score."
"We break our 10-point scoring into four general categories: optical performance, mechanical performance, design, and value. The average of these categories is the basis of our grades, detailed below. Optical performance includes the resolution and low-light tests plus the more subjective assessments of image quality and brightness."
"SFL 840 =
- Optical Performance: Very Good
Me
SFL EP = 5
NL EP = 3.5
Who's diminutive now?
Outdoor Life
"NL 1242 =
- Optical Performance: Excellent"
So is Outdoor Life talking about SFLs vs SFs or the other birding binos... or NLs in that underlined above? Seems a fair question, especially without actual scores for all. If the SFL has a diminutive EP at 5, and the NLs are but only 3.5 then how did the NL get rated Excellent vs the SFL Very Good?
So Dennis, once again selective reading/quoting. You may be right, but we cant tell without data for each. The score is the score, though. NL did win in Optical Performance category, according to OL.
But, you didn't answer the question re product placement, (#67, 69).
Paultricounty
Well-known member
Tom, here is a post that has to do with a few conversations many have had about this problem, I’m sure you’ll understand.
www.birdforum.net
Paul
Zeiss SFL 8x40 This Year's Best New Birding Binocular!
I have had the Zeiss SFL 8x40 for a few months now, and I have used it extensively birding in bright daylight and in the evening at dusk, and I just can't find anything really wrong with it. It is kind of like a Triathlete. It is not the best at everything, but it seems to do everything a birder...
www.birdforum.net
Paul
"So is Outdoor Life talking about SFLs vs SFs or the other birding binos... or NLs in that underlined above? Seems a fair question, especially without actual scores for all. If the SFL has a diminutive EP at 5, and the NLs are but only 3.5 then how did the NL get rated Excellent vs the SFL Very Good?"
"Optical performance includes the resolution and low-light tests, plus the more subjective assessments of image quality and brightness."
The NL must have scored higher on the low light tests and image quality. I don't think it could have scored higher on brightness with only a 3.5 mm EP. It could have scored higher on the low-light tests though because it would have a higher Twilight Factor with the higher 12x magnification.
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ragin-cajun
Well-known member
I bought your SFL's in '22. believe we agreed they were good but not alpha glass.
SFL's were great in low light but for me lacked that wow factor. i'm spoiled by the SLC 56s.
SFL's were great in low light but for me lacked that wow factor. i'm spoiled by the SLC 56s.
How it is possible? 12x42 should definitely have a higher resolution than 8x40. Another funny thing is they declared the Nikon Prostaff P3 10×42 best for Stargazing. Really funny.
I doubt that SFL is sharper than NL Pure. And definitely not more than 50% sharper.
This would make NL Pure 12x42 superfluous if you see as much, or even more details with 8x as with 12x...
Several posts have been deleted by moderators. Another thread being sidetracked by a few that seem determined to take personal jabs against one member in particular. Stick to the topic please.
ragin-cajun
Well-known member
baloney. I looked thru the sfl and NL side by side. NL and SLC was clearly the superior glass to my eyes.
seawatcher
Well-known member
I have also noticed that posts have been deleted. And yes, there have been some personal jabs made of late in this thread and it is easy to see who is having a go at who.
I know we need to stick to the topic.But out of pure curiosity I would like to know whether the posts have been deleted by a moderator, or if they are deleted by the actual person who posted the post(s) now deleted. If the former is the case, then it would be useful if there was a comment such as "Post deleted by moderator at their discretion". I believe the moderators have removed posts in the past as they have been considered personal or insensitive. Users of these forums would surely feel safer knowing that the moderators are removing insensitive comments, as picking on anyone for any reason whatsoever is just not fair.
It gets a bit difficult to keep track when posts might be edited or deleted as it is like having missing parts of a conversation, so it would be useful for readers if posts deleted by moderators were recorded as such? Do you follow?
happy birding,
SW (edited spelling mistakes)
Undoubtedly to the displeasure of some, yes several posts have been removed by moderators. For reasons that are not very clear to me, the optics threads certainly generate a lot of discord, this unfortunately often descending into post after post attacking the poster not the topic.
We would politely remind all on these threads that we absolutely welcome all to give their opinions and to present their counterview if they disagree with another opinion. However, if you disagree, we ask you to give your opinion on the subject, not about the poster. Respect others as you would like to be respected by others.
It is without pleasure that we delete posts, but we will do this when threads become batting grounds for personal grudges or bogged down with post after post of personal attacks.
I am sure most of us would prefer optics threads to discuss optics, hopefully the moderating that we have to do is understandable in this context. Thank you.
I was planning to buy these today using the Cabela's Club Monday deal - but they have sold out. They were listed as "ships direct from manufacturer". So either Zeiss only gave Cabela's a certain allotment and they sold all of them; or the $250 Zeiss promo has moved all of the units that they had available out into the various channels. Other retailers still have stock from which to purchase. I wish that I had stayed up late or bought last week.
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