Zeiss SFL 8x40, A Field Review (1 Viewer)

[Canip]

we could pick up the same details with the Pure NL supported, but not unsupported.

I seriously doubt that the SFL unsupported showed the same level of detail as the NL supported.

 

[henry link]

HenRun,

I'm willing to believe that the two of you are reliable observers and saw what you reported. The question is why did you see that? Any competent 8x32 binocular should be capable of generating finer detail (of every sort) than ANY human eye can see, even with tripod mounting, so why did you find your friend's NL Pure so much worse than that?

It is possible to find an explanation for why that particular binocular performs so poorly, but then you would need to do the kind of basic optical testing you don't even want to read about, much less learn how to do yourself.

 

[Paultricounty]

What green rendition?

Just like CA, it depends, the light conditions can affect how and if you perceive a "color cast". As well as personal taste and reference point...

The point with a camera/photos is that it/they might be more "objective" than the eye, discerning the subtle differences, of what someone actually might see.

And a 4 mm eye pupil (using the full aperture of the bins) does not seem that unlikely in some light conditions.

Agreed, it does depend a lot on light conditions and a persons perception, especially with CA.

The green cast on the SF was discernible for almost everybody in our groups that have one or have tried the ones we had on hand. Although very few could pick it out without direct comparison to a few reference bins, Habicht’s, and EL’s.

Thx

Paul

 

[Maljunulo]

So what, is there no point in letting people write their subjective opinion on handling and characteristics? Should we just put specs sheet from the manufacturer in the threads?

Those are your thoughts, and your words, not mine.

If you can find where I said anything evenly remotely approaching that, please feel free to post a direct quote.

 

[henry link]

It is always difficult to give a correct interpretation also because the SF is visibly warmer...

Last night, just for fun, I made two tiny crops of the same white area in the photos, SF on the left and SFL on the right. I had to lighten the SFL crop to bring it closer to matching the SF crop, either due to underexposure from its smaller aperture or lower light transmission or both.

Even with all the variables at play here the crops still manage to capture the "visibly warmer" color transmission that Piergiovanni observed.

 

[Vespobuteo]

Last night, just for fun I made two tiny crops of the same white area in the photos, SF on the left and SFL on the right. I had to lighten the SFL crop to bring it closer to matching the SF crop, either due to underexposure from its smaller aperture or lower light transmission or both.

Even with all the variables at play here I think the crops clearly show the SF's visibly "warmer" color transmission that Piergiovanni observed.

SFL photo looks (and is) "cooler" (using WB-tool in PS) but I see no famous "green" cast in the SF...

Not even sure I would see the difference if handed one of the photos whitout having the other as a reference...

 

[henry link]

I don't see any pure green either, maybe a little tilt toward olive and a tilt toward blue in the SFL color. To know which one transmitted the "white" more accurately we'd need a reference photo of the same spot made directly with the camera at the same moment.

 

[Paultricounty]

I don't see any pure green either, maybe a little tilt toward olive and a tilt toward blue in the SFL color. To know which one transmitted the "white" more accurately we'd need a reference photo of the same spot made directly with the camera at the same moment.

Or we could look through all of them with multiple observers with a very neutral reference optic , as well as with one with a yellow, red yellow and green/blue leanings 🤪. Or not , and continue to look at photos that can be skewed in multiple differing ways by the time it reaches our eyeballs. 😏

 

[dries1]

Personally I will read observations from multiple users on the SFL over time, which will be cover the next 8 months or so, then I will likely have an idea if they are worth the try.

 

[Loud Green Man]

Just use your chosen bins and if the view looks good it probably is!

Best

LGM

 

[Richard D]

The consensus reviews of the 8x40s generally seem positive - suggests close to EL performance.

Not many particularly positive reviews of the 10x40s that I've seen though, which were more of interest.

 

[Conndomat]

The green cast on the SF was discernible for almost everybody in our groups that have one or have tried the ones we had on hand. Although very few could pick it out without direct comparison to a few reference bins, Habicht’s, and EL’s.

Paul it will probably remain an eternal mystery?! I've said it many times before, since the FL series, Zeiss binoculars have had a more or less visible green tint to me, and I particularly notice this in the SF.

I recently let my son see through it, he doesn't really know anything about binoculars and isn't particularly interested. Had him try the Noctivid, NL and SF and he should describe if he sees any differences and what they are.
When I asked about different colors in the binoculars, his answer was: "I can't really tell any differences between the NL and Noctivid, the NL looks a bit brighter, the Zeiss is somehow greener..."

So far I haven't received a satisfactory answer as to why I see green a little more clearly with Zeiss binoculars?

If it's a subjective phenomenon, the question remains why I can't see this noticeable green tint with the other manufacturers?
Ultimately, I rule out a psychological condition, the first time I looked through a FL I noticed this green, at the time I had neither heard nor read about this thing.
So the question remains open...

Andreas

 

[Paultricounty]

Paul it will probably remain an eternal mystery?! I've said it many times before, since the FL series, Zeiss binoculars have had a more or less visible green tint to me, and I particularly notice this in the SF.

I recently let my son see through it, he doesn't really know anything about binoculars and isn't particularly interested. Had him try the Noctivid, NL and SF and he should describe if he sees any differences and what they are.
When I asked about different colors in the binoculars, his answer was: "I can't really tell any differences between the NL and Noctivid, the NL looks a bit brighter, the Zeiss is somehow greener..."

So far I haven't received a satisfactory answer as to why I see green a little more clearly with Zeiss binoculars?

If it's a subjective phenomenon, the question remains why I can't see this noticeable green tint with the other manufacturers?
Ultimately, I rule out a psychological condition, the first time I looked through a FL I noticed this green, at the time I had neither heard nor read about this thing.
So the question remains open...

Andreas

Lol Andreas, your son nailed it! NL's toned down the neutral image of the EL , and Leica Nocs moved a little more (not totally) to the neutral side of things from the UVHD's. Kids got a good eye.

I never noticed the green in the SF until reading about it here, then did a comparison side by side with multiple binos and it jumped right out at me. I don't necessarily see it when using them by themselves, you must be more sensitive to it to see it all the time. Some here have said that color skew helps with contrast on objects, no doubt these are very contrasty binos.

If someone hasn't seen it, they should look through the Swaro Habicht then immediately look through the SF, then they'll see it.

Paul

 

[Conndomat]

Lol Andreas, your son nailed it! NL's toned down the neutral image of the EL , and Leica Nocs moved a little more (not totally) to the neutral side of things from the UVHD's. Kids got a good eye.

Paul just a little bit more... My son is already 25 years old, so he's not a kid anymore, but he has even better eyesight than I do, but still has no idea about binoculars....🟢🤪

Andreas

 

[SUPPRESSOR]

However, that is frequently reported by good testers in this forum and elsewhere. As I understand, useful detail in the field is conveyed not only by bare spatial resolution, but by a combination also of "color tuning", contrast, glare control... and these factors can vary sufficiently among "great" instruments to actually produce such results. When handheld then stability (an interaction of instrument design and user physiology) may also be a factor. [Slightly edited for clarity.]

Clear as mud, thick mud at that!!

 

[SUPPRESSOR]

I’d like to draw your attention to a not too dissimilar concern for identifying engineering/manufacturing/design anomalies amongst competitive rifle shooters of the benchrest and match variety. Specifically the growing trend to bore scope their barrels.

The point being that often what they witness is a cratered & furrowed-like bore reminiscent of the slopes of a volcano rather than the compressed powder of an Italian ski resort, but to their unbelieving surprise, said rifle still puts 5-shots into a paper target with all touching to create a single hole!

The point being just use your chosen bins and if the view looks good it probably is!

Best

LGM

If ONLY!!

 

[SUPPRESSOR]

The consensus reviews of the 8x40s generally seem positive - suggests close to EL performance.

Not many particularly positive reviews of the 10x40s that I've seen though, which were more of interest.

Not so many 10x40's available as yet.

 

[james holdsworth]

Lol Andreas, your son nailed it! NL's toned down the neutral image of the EL , and Leica Nocs moved a little more (not totally) to the neutral side of things from the UVHD's. Kids got a good eye.

I never noticed the green in the SF until reading about it here, then did a comparison side by side with multiple binos and it jumped right out at me. I don't necessarily see it when using them by themselves, you must be more sensitive to it to see it all the time. Some here have said that color skew helps with contrast on objects, no doubt these are very contrasty binos.

If someone hasn't seen it, they should look through the Swaro Habicht then immediately look through the SF, then they'll see it.

Paul

Funny you call the EL neutral as I always see a pretty apparent blue tint, especially directly compared to my HTs…I know Tobias and some others see the same but thats another story lol.

 

[Maljunulo]

NL's toned down the neutral image of the EL ,

Paul

At the risk of being pedantic and picky about words, how does one “tone down” something which is neutral?

If you alter neutrality, it isn’t neutral any more. Something can’t be more or less neutral than another thing. Neutrality is an absolute attribute as is uniqueness.

Sorry,
Richard

 

[Paultricounty]

Paul just a little bit more... My son is already 25 years old, so he's not a kid anymore, but he has even better eyesight than I do, but still has no idea about binoculars....🟢🤪

Andreas

About the same here, my son is 21. Knows almost nothing about binoculars, I don’t know where the mother and I failed him 😜. Like your son he picks a lot of differences but has absolutely no interest at all.

Paul