Zeiss SF 10x42 dissection (2 Viewers)

[corvid-8]

Expanding the rubber eye covers - I have just expanded some "rubber/silicone" sandals which were tight on my feet. I put them in the tumble dryer with some washing for 1/2 hour and it worked a treat.
BTW -I take no responsibility for screw-ups

 

[dorubird]

My SF 10x42 was a bit off collimation, so I sent them to Zeiss. The binoculars was back home in less than a month. Very happy with Zeiss service! I also received a certificate with the signature of the engineer who took care of my repair: Thanks to Mr. N. Kaparulin! Well done Zeiss!

The binoculars now impress me even more than initially. Extremely comfortable for the eyes and handling! The SF 10x42 had anyway the highest resolution I have encountered in any binoculars (I carefully tested at least 70 binoculars). Also, the color tones and the dynamics of the grays are rich, with delicates details and gradients even in the shaded areas due to the excellent 93% light transmission (in the middle of the visible spectrum). Best binoculars for me in this class!

Look at these wonderful huge eyepieces like two deep black lakes!!!!

 

[james holdsworth]

Hard to tell from the photo but the AR coatings look quite different from my 10x32 SF…which look like purple kool-aid with no magenta or reddish tones.

 

[dorubird]

James,
I don't have SF 10x32, but Conquest 10x42 seems to have a coating shade closer to what you say. Here is a comparative picture between SF 10x42 and Conquest 10x42:

 

[james holdsworth]

Thanks for taking the photo, I was referring to the ocular coating… In my 10 X 32‘s the objective coating is a psychedelic magenta, appears similar to the 42 mm SF.

 

[Troubador]

Nice review and pictures. I wish the Zeiss SF 8x42 and 10x42 had worked for me. I found them excellent in every area like you except for seeing crescent orange flares on the lower part of FOV in every sample I tried, and I tried 3 different samples. The phenomena are well documented in the threads and there are many photos of it. Allbino's even talks about it. I don't see it in the smaller SF 8x32 or 10x32. Just a good example of how we are all different in if we see glare or not in certain binoculars.

"The Zeiss Victory SF is the proof that it is possible to produce a pair of binoculars with a very wide field of view which is also perfectly corrected. If not for that strange slip-up with reflections beyond the eyepiece's diaphragm, most likely caused by a shiny ring inside tubes which aren’t baffled properly by apertures, you would get an instrument optically perfect, an ideal."

Carl Zeiss Victory SF 10x42 - binoculars review - AllBinos.com

The best binocular tests on the net. The comprehensive database of binoculars with their parameters and users opinions. Interesting articles and comparisons.

www.allbinos.com

Dennis
I don't have SF 42s any longer having gone lightweight and converted to 32s. But I can remember seeing the orange rim to which you refer. I am sure this wasn't 'flare' or 'glare' but it was there if I looked for it. But here is the thing: I never, ever, saw it during normal use of the SF 42 and indeed totally forgot about it during the time that I owned the SF42. If you are interested in using SF 10x42 to look at nature then this orange rim is a non-issue.

Lee

 

[dorubird]

Same for me,
I looked for this type of orange rim for a long time and I only saw it a few times with the sun near the field, but only if I was not in the normal optical axis and try to look very off-centered to see this. Only in that weird position you can see this orange rim and only with Sun proximity. In this weird position I can't even see the entire FOV, so much off-center I must be to see this orange ring!!! So, in the correct and natural position this orange rim is impossible to see. Zeiss SF is the binocular that does not suffer from any glare! For example I directly compared SF 10x42 with Swarovski EL Swarovision 10x42. The latter had a decrease in contrast at the bottom of the image (glare) when looking at the tops of some trees against the sky light. The Zeiss had the perfect contrast over the entire surface of the FOV when looking at same trees, regardless of the positions of the Sun in front of the binoculars. This SF 10x42 It's perfect from glare aspect!

 

[dorubird]

Sharp, no glare, wide field of view very well optically corrected up to the edges but not flat, having a very pronounced 3d effect for a roof binocular. The FOV can be comfortably observed on the entire surface. Extremely convenient to use thanks to the exemplary focus system and good balance ergonomics in the hands! No CA.
This is my favorite binocular!!!! SF 10x42

 

[NDhunter]

Doru:
Thanks for your review, the photos are very well done, and so is all the rest.
Jerry

 

[dorubird]

Thank you Jerry for your appreciations! Even two years have passed since I purchased SF 10x42, I like these binoculars as much as the first day. I am extremely satisfied with this Zeiss pair of binoculars!

 

[dorubird]

Right now I have it in front of me and I was almost blinding because so close to the shining Sun, and 0 (zero) orange crescent, 0 (zero) glare, to notify me of the presence of the Sun!!!! And I struggled but I couldn't see any glare with the Sun outside the frame, at 5 degrees, 30 degrees or 45 degrees. I am very sensitive to glare and have no problems with my Zeiss SF Victory 10x42! Absolutely one of the most resistant binoculars when positioned against the light source! Only at allbinos and you I have heard of these glare problems because otherwise most users are extremely satisfied when it comes to glare (here on the forum there are many users satisfied with the glare resistance of the SF 10x42). Allbinos here must have had a copy with big problems (maybe some of the previous gray version has such problems) but my new black version is perfectly glare-free in any position to the Sun. Also Tobias Mennle, on his blog, even with his gray version but 8x42, is very pleased with the resistance to Flare suppression ("top notch")
I say again, I'm looking right now through it and I don't see any glare, not even on the very edges of the FOV. With many other binoculars in such conditions I often notice a decrease in contrast in the FOV on the opposite side of the light source because of glare! When I bought this SF 10x42, this fact, that it is extremely resistant to glare, it was precisely the main aspect that made me choose it. If I had seen the slightest unwanted reflection/glare reported by allbinos, I would not have bought it and I would not use it with such pleasure even now! So, bravo to glare resistance of Zeiss SF 10x42!

 

[Elpha8888]

I have the SF and how it performs in strong sunlight is exceptional, my NLs were never this good.
Cannot see any glare or flaring, the colours are wonderful.

 

[Scott98]

The edge of field light artifacts in the SF are caused by improper eye placement. You get the eyecups at the right height, they go away. I've seen the "blue ring of death" in Swaro and Nikon binoculars as well, from the same problem.

 

[[email protected]]

Right now I have it in front of me and I was almost blinding because so close to the shining Sun, and 0 (zero) orange crescent, 0 (zero) glare, to notify me of the presence of the Sun!!!! And I struggled but I couldn't see any glare with the Sun outside the frame, at 5 degrees, 30 degrees or 45 degrees. I am very sensitive to glare and have no problems with my Zeiss SF Victory 10x42! Absolutely one of the most resistant binoculars when positioned against the light source! Only at allbinos and you I have heard of these glare problems because otherwise most users are extremely satisfied when it comes to glare (here on the forum there are many users satisfied with the glare resistance of the SF 10x42). Allbinos here must have had a copy with big problems (maybe some of the previous gray version has such problems) but my new black version is perfectly glare-free in any position to the Sun. Also Tobias Mennle, on his blog, even with his gray version but 8x42, is very pleased with the resistance to Flare suppression ("top notch")
I say again, I'm looking right now through it and I don't see any glare, not even on the very edges of the FOV. With many other binoculars in such conditions I often notice a decrease in contrast in the FOV on the opposite side of the light source because of glare! When I bought this SF 10x42, this fact, that it is extremely resistant to glare, it was precisely the main aspect that made me choose it. If I had seen the slightest unwanted reflection/glare reported by allbinos, I would not have bought it and I would not use it with such pleasure even now! So, bravo to glare resistance of Zeiss SF 10x42!

The SF 10x42 is very good for controlling glare, but the orange crescent is different from glare. It is caused by reflections beyond the eyepiece's diaphragm, most likely caused by a shiny ring inside tubes which aren’t baffled properly by apertures, as Allbinos states. Eye placement and eye cup adjustment did not get rid of it for me. Many well regarded members on Bird Forum have talked about it and there were photos of the phenomena.

jcnguyen09​

"Although the SF 8x42 is a tad better in controlling glare/haze, its value is gravely tarnished by the stray lights intrusion and the weird orange crescent torches appeared internally at ~4 and 8 o'clock that Zeiss never cares to admit and fix them!"

Andreas​

"yes, I see it too! The same in my binocular, orange Half moons between 4 and 8 o'clock."

dries1​

Although the SF 8x42 is a tad better in controlling glare/haze, it's value is gravely tarnished by the stray lights intrusion and the weird orange crescent torches appeared internally at ~4 and 8 o'clock that Zeiss never cares to admit and fix them!

"And here I thought I was the only person who observed this. Sometimes we have to admit that every glass these days is a compromise, esp. when optical properties are stretched to the max with complex eyepieces."

 

[Scott98]

Interesting - I've complained about the BROD (blue ring) many times and I'm very critical of flaws but I've honestly never seen the orange crescent in the 8x42 SF"s - purchased fall 2022. I've used them quite a bit.

 

[dorubird]

Sunset with SF 10x42

 

[Robert Moore]

View attachment 1427624
Binoculars are very personal tools! I noticed that it can generate endless discussions and conflicts even here on the forum! But here I just want to say my own opinion about this Zeiss Victory SF 10x42 (black version) binoculars.


I start with the mechanical presentation.

View attachment 1427596View attachment 1427597
The covers of the objective lenses and eyepieces are of very good quality, remaining in position. The only change I made to my taste was that I slightly loosened the rubber of the eyepiece covers to come off and settle on the eyepieces faster without difficult extraction, what could moving the position of the eyepiece cups. GOOD


View attachment 1427598
The eyepiece cups do not hold their position firmly. Here I am missing the perfect cups of the Conquest HD. Most consider the Conquest cups to be harder to move, but after a few twists the resistance becomes perfect for me (yes perfect!). So SF has this mechanical disadvantage but I solved the problem with wife black and discreet hair elastics as a spacer for my optimal distance. POOR


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The focus system is perfect. By focus system I mean: the focus wheel and its position relative to the anatomy of the hands. The black version of the SF is known to have improved the rotation of focus wheel to the degree of excellence. Perfect like knife cutting through butter. From infinity to 1.6m it is almost two complete rotations without 45 degrees. As much as it is silky, it is just as accurate, without the feeling of intermediate adjustments. The new Black edition deserves the name "SmartFocus". PERFECT


View attachment 1427603
The diopter adjustment is central with a locking system. It has a margin of -4 +4 diopters adjusment. On position "0" there is a small "click" which can be a small inconvenience for those who have to make only a very small adjustment from "zero". GOOD


View attachment 1427627
The finish is made of rubber very pleasant to the touch, the texture is elastic and gives a firm grip. The binoculars have a utilitarian design but the finishes are very carefully crafted: the connections between the metal and the armor are very carefully resolved; the armor has the same surface texture as the magnesium bridges. The structural elements are made of magnesium. This makes it very durable and light at the same time (790g). VERY GOOD


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Binocular resistance. The binoculars are resistant to immersion in water 400mbar. The instrument is filled with nitrogen and can be used between - 30 ° C and + 63 ° C. The outer lenses are treated LotuTec for quick cleaning and against fogging or water deposition. PERFECT


View attachment 1427609
The Ergonomics is impressive. It is a long binoculars but due to the weight distribution towards the eyepieces the binoculars stick to the eyes perfectly, creating the impression that it is much lighter and at the same time being much better stabilized. PERFECT


Optical aspects

View attachment 1427610 The optical system consists in 2 lenses for the objective lens, one for the focus, Schimtd-Pechan prisms, and 7 lenses for the eyepiece. It is used Schott Fluoride glass. The sketch in the picture is drawn by me inspired by the section through binoculars. The focal length is greater than average, making binocular much easier optically corrected. The dielectrical prisms are treated with over 70 layers, and the lenses with T * treatment.

The light transmission is a very good 93% in the green spectrum. It is a binocular that has a well-balanced contrast / brightness ratio, but with a very SLIGHT inclination towards brightness. This delicate brightness boost at the expense of contrast. This it is very useful aspect when watching birds in the backlight, because you can see more shades of color in this extreme contrast situation. VERY GOOD


View attachment 1427611
The resolution on the center is the highest I have encountered with 10x binoculars. I tested on the target resolution from 10m a lot of very good 10x binoculars, even larger than 50mm : Swarovski Swarovision EL 10x42, Swarovski SLC WB 10x50, Fujinon FMTR SX 10x50, Nikon Astrolux 10x70 IF SP WP, Meopta Meostar B1.1 10x50. None of them reached the details of the Zeiss Victory SF 10x42 on the tripod. The only 10x binoculars that matched the same SF resolution is the "younger brother" Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42. PERFECT

The edge clarity it is very good, clarity it is extended by approximately 90%-95% in FOV VERY GOOD

The white balance is natural and even-tempered, but compared to other standard binoculars you can see a discret cool green shade. GOOD


View attachment 1427612
The glare resistance. The binoculars being tested in all kinds of extreme scenarios: against the sun at different angles outside the frame, against the street lamps, against the desk lamp, the moonlight inside and outside the frame, and did not create me any problems. For example I watched a couple of swans glide majestically on the water in the light of the setting Sun. With the Sun setting in FOV and reflected in the water too, there was no drop in contrast or any glare. Fabulous image!!!! The only weakness is in the night time when I have the light source behind me. Then I see some small reflections on the edge of the Fov but they are present due to the fact that I wear glasses and the parasitic light penetrates next to the my glasses and cannot be efficiently blocked by the eyepiece cups. VERY GOOD


View attachment 1427613
The eye relief is 18mm, enough for any spectacle wearer. The new black version has replaced the eyepiece cups with some that can be extended one step further than the old ones, an important aspect especially for those who do not wear glasses. It has no blackout but I must be care when adjusting the eyepiece cups. VERY GOOD

Chromatic aberrations are almost absent even in contrasting light conditions (only very difficult to detect on the edges of the FOV) VERY GOOD


View attachment 1427616
The field of view is a generous 6.8 degrees. The big AFOV gives the impression of "being there". Compared to Swarovision EL the difference in FOV is not big (6.4 vs 6.8) but differnce in AFOV is big and after looking through SF, Swarovski seemed like a "keyhole" (It can be noted only by comparison) VERY GOOD

3D. The image has an accentuated three-dimensionality for a binocular with Schimtd-Pechan prisms. This stereoscopy is due to the difference of 6mm that I measured in favor of the distance between the front lenses vs eyepieces distance. But this 3d impression is also due to the geometric corrections of the visual field that is not completely straight. VERY GOOD


Conclusions

View attachment 1427617
Every time I put in front of my eyes I have said that this is the binoculars I have been waiting for a long time! The focus is impeccable. The weight of the binoculars is well distributed in the hands. The apparent field of view is large and easy to look at! I was further impressed by the resolution of this binoculars. In addition to this clarity, the binoculars have a fairly strong 3d effect for a roof. With this binoculars, even ordinary things become spectacular to watch! Optically it is a jewel of binoculars being extremely well corrected in all optical chapters. Bravo Zeiss!

I agree with everything you say about these binoculars and I just got the 8x42 version and absolutely love it.

 

[pbjosh]

A few years on and I haven’t found an easier / more enjoyable view or a better birding bin than my 8x42 SF. It’s very subjective and some could argue that NLs or others are in some ways optically superior but the 42mm SF just does everything pretty much perfectly and has the most relaxed and natural view of any bin I have used.

 

[Ruff-Leg]

I have birded every day for five years with my 8x42 SF, and I have yet to see the blue ring of death or the orange crescent of consternation. I feel cheated, and may return them!

 

[Canip]

and I have yet to see the blue ring of death or the orange crescent of consternation.

If you don‘t see the flaws that others are seeing, you have to look harder, you can‘t just enjoy your binoculars until you have found those flaws 😂