Zeiss SF 8X32 after 8 weeks of use... (1 Viewer)

[Gijs van Ginkel]

Edmund, post 40,
Thank you for your encouraging words, I am facing a much greater challenge right now: write whitty Sint Nicolaas poems for the children, while my friend is proofreading my five binocular investigation reports, I have composed the past weeks while locked up due to a tiny virus.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[chill6x6]

Chuck;

Could you post a comparison of the EL-SV exit pupil and the SF exit pupil? (Hope I didn't miss it somewhere)

Thank you.
Richard

Here you go! SF left, SV right

 

[Maljunulo]

Here you go! SF left, SV right

Thanks a bunch.
Richard

 

[b_reynolds_ak]

CampSaver is having a 20% off sale and shows 2 of the 8x32s in stock with shipping 1-4 days after order. Some here have badmouthed CampSaver but I’ve never had a problem with them. Wish I could take advantage. If someone here orders some please let us know what happens. Promo code is FALL2020.

https://www.campsaver.com/zeiss-victory-sf-8x32-binoculars.html

Yeah I ordered a pair of the 10x32 SF's from them earlier this fall and was able to use a 20% off Coupon. The actual binoculars shipped from Optics Planet. Its rare to find 20% off of newly released Alpha bins. However when I decided to go with the 8x instead, EuroOptic price matched Campsaver so that I could get them there instead, as they had them in stock at the time.

 

[eronald]

Edmund, post 40,
Thank you for your encouraging words, I am facing a much greater challenge right now: write whitty Sint Nicolaas poems for the children, while my friend is proofreading my five binocular investigation reports, I have composed the past weeks while locked up due to a tiny virus.
Gijs van Ginkel

I am sorry to hear you have had an issue, but if you had it a few weeks ago you've survived. I too have had my day with a virus a few months ago. The experience wasn't too bad, but it can take two months for the brain to recover, maybe some of the impact is permanent. On the other hand this situation means you get to enjoy the company of your family and children more than is usual for a working man

Edmund

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah I ordered a pair of the 10x32 SF's from them earlier this fall and was able to use a 20% off Coupon. The actual binoculars shipped from Optics Planet. Its rare to find 20% off of newly released Alpha bins. However when I decided to go with the 8x instead, EuroOptic price matched Campsaver so that I could get them there instead, as they had them in stock at the time.

EuroOptics is an excellent dealer and with 20% off that is an excellent price. That is about $1850.00. Did you have to pay tax and shipping?

 

[Troubador]

Great review Chuck!!!!

Lee

 

[NoSpringChicken]

An excellent review Chuck and they do sound like very fine binoculars. However, I think it should be borne in mind that here in the UK they cost nearly 50% more than the Swarovski EL, so I would expect them to be better to justify the additional expense. Whether they are worth the extra money or not is up to the purchaser to decide.

Ron

 

[[email protected]]

An excellent review Chuck and they do sound like very fine binoculars. However, I think it should be borne in mind that here in the UK they cost nearly 50% more than the Swarovski EL, so I would expect them to be better to justify the additional expense. Whether they are worth the extra money or not is up to the purchaser to decide.

Ron

Really! Why are the Zeiss SF so expensive in the UK?

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Really! Why are the Zeiss SF so expensive in the UK?

I don't know but Swarovski reduced the price of the Els when they introduced the NLs, whereas the Zeiss SF is brand new so retails for full price at the moment. Taking the current prices from CleySpy, one of our premier optics retailers in the UK, the 8x32 EL is £1395 and the 8x32 SF is £2065 – a price difference of £670. 50% of the EL price is £695, so the SF is not too far off half as much again.

Ron

 

[eronald]

Hehe. The SF sounds like a few years worth of optical improvement, and a lot of luxury level price inflation.

Edmund

 

[[email protected]]

I don't know but Swarovski reduced the price of the Els when they introduced the NLs, whereas the Zeiss SF is brand new so retails for full price at the moment. Taking the current prices from CleySpy, one of our premier optics retailers in the UK, the 8x32 EL is £1395 and the 8x32 SF is £2065 – a price difference of £670. 50% of the EL price is £695, so the SF is not too far off half as much again.

Ron

WOW! Almost $2800 USD is expensive for the SF 8x32 in the UK when you can buy them over here in the USA for $1800. I would be inclined to buy the EL 8x32 if I lived in the UK.

 

[SeldomPerched]

Thank you for a very readable and informative review, Chuck.

All best wishes,

Tom

 

[PennineBirder]

WOW! Almost $2800 USD is expensive for the SF 8x32 in the UK when you can buy them over here in the USA for $1800. I would be inclined to buy the EL 8x32 if I lived in the UK.

Is anyone here able to explain this massive price difference between the same item in the UK and USA? 1000$ cheaper in the states...why? What are the economics of this difference......?

Even allowing for UK tax of 20% (VAT) doesn’t explain a 40% price difference. Who benefits? Is it Zeiss charging higher prices to a market that will accept high costs (UK) or is it UK dealers making a higher margin of profit than US counterparts? I would be interested.

 

[pm42]

Is anyone here able to explain this massive price difference between the same item in the UK and USA? 1000$ cheaper in the states...why? What are the economics of this difference......?

The price in the UK is around £2000, so 2200€ or 2600$.
Official price in the US, for instance B&H listed price is 2200$.

So I found more of a 30% difference if we compare non-discount prices.
The VAT explains a big part of it and it is possible that indeed the dealers need a bigger margin in Europe for many reasons: smaller market, higher cost of doing business...

This is not new and I find the same difference when it comes to cameras, for instance.

 

[Vollmeise]

Nice details and comparisons, indeed.

Compared to 42 sized bins at post #1, You should compare the new Swaros also:

Field of View(feet@1000yds)
Swarovski NL pure 8x42 - 477
Zeiss SF 8X32..............- 465
Nikon Monarch HG 8X42- 435
Nikon Monarch HG 8X30- 435
Swarovski SV 8X32.......- 423
Nikon EDG II 8X32........- 409(same as the EDG 8X42 BTW)
Leica UVHD+ 8X42........- 389

Cheers

 

[bkdc]

The Swarovski NL is in a different class. The view from the 8x32 SF is immersive although there is less forgiveness to dialing in the right eyecup depth. I’m sure the NL has the same issue. A mm too far out and the FOV is cut off. A mm too close and black kidney beans form. At this point the extra FOV is diminishing returns as the image falls farther away from the retina’s fovea. Maybe a hunter might be able to detect slight motion. But in practical use, the periphery will probably be truncated anyway. The zeiss 8x32 SF eyecups would be better off with 5 positions instead of 4. I sold my 8x32 EL SV after two weeks of handling the SF.

 

[Maljunulo]

After thinking about it for a month, I have ordered a pair.

 

[jcnguyen09]

Regarding the Green color emphasis on the SF compared to NL or EL, it's just like "the grass on the neighbor's house is always greener ". To my eyes, SF reflects more true color either green, white or black while NL or EL reflects a tiny bit less green while emphasizes more white or black color and make it shinier and looks more popping.

 

[starforgedape]

Just got the SF 8x32. I’m loving the ergonomics, the balance especially. It seems that it has ‘cooler’ view compared to the El 8x32 I have. Also, the EL is a tad brighter. It’s noticeable.

Question: there’s this little thing I find a bit annoying, the eyecups don’t have the same click/resistance. In my sample, the left eyecup has a more audible click, whilst the right is more subdued. Is this a normal thing for binoculars in general or should I exchange it. I’m fairly new and fairly OC 😅