The 8x25 Victory is a first rate walkaround, and delivers all of the sharpness and none of the pleasant feeling of a large glass.... ...I have a love-hate relationship with it...
Edmund,
I know what you mean. I feel the same way about 8x32 versus full-sized--they are just missing something. Consequently, I use Swarovski 8.5x42 EL SV or another full-sized bin whenever possible (= nearly all the time), but if I need something smaller, I switch with confidence (but not enthusiasm) to the Zeiss 8x25 Victory because I know it will deliver the view, just lacking soul. The Zeiss 8x25 Victory performs so well in a technical sense that I have retired my 8x32 bins. For me, 8x32 perform intermediately between Leica 8x20 Ultravid and full-sized but they do not perform significantly better than the Zeiss 8x25 Victory, so they are made obsolete by it.
I had the same need and started testing, only to end up with a conclusion. Everything that weighs over 250 grams (8.8 oz) is increasingly difficult to consider "easily portable or pocket-sized".
The best pocket binoculars are the Leica Ultravid 8x20 and 10x25, for better or for worse.
The Zeiss Vicrory Pocket is closer to 300g (10.5 oz) and the single-hinge closure makes it less pocket-sized than others. On the positive side it has a wider field of view than the competitors...
My little advice would be to try out an Ultravid 10x25 : T:
binomaniac,
I understand the point that Rico70 is making, but I can't concur for two primary reasons. First, the performance of the Zeiss 8x25 Victory is _so superior_ to that of any 8x20, including the class-leading Leica 8x20 Ultravid (of which I own two units, and I have Leica 10x25 as well), that the difference should not be ignored. The Zeiss is like having an 8x32 in a package only a bit larger than a typical 8x20. Second, when it comes to pack size and mass, it might make more sense to compare these bins when cased rather than when uncased.
My Leica 8x20 Ultravid BL (which is smaller and lighter than the BA version), when naked, is 230 g whereas my Zeiss 8x25 Victory is 287 g, and the Leica is also noticeably smaller in physical dimensions. However, with a minimalist strap and carried in its original leather clamshell case, the Leica becomes 320 g as compared to the Zeiss with a simple strap, ocular caps, and a simple nylon case, which becomes 326 g and is only trivially different from the cased Leica in spatial dimensions. In practice, I find these 1:1 substitutable when tossed in their cases in a pack or pocket, so I have retired my Leica for the much better performance of the Zeiss. When uncased and around the neck, I don't find the larger mass of the Zeiss objectionable and I appreciate its better handling and easier view.
If you want to see photos of the above comparisons, check out my post #41 in this thread:
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=359737&page=2
--AP