I got a pair of the *black* Victory 8x25.
One minute in the shop convinced me, and that was *after* trying out the 10x42 SF which I'd come to look at.
I THINK THESE MAY EAT A CONSIDERABLE PIECE OF THE 8x42 and 8x32 MARKET.
They seem *much* brighter than the old ones, and very contrasty.
They are sharp, although I would like them even sharper. I think the old ones I tried may have been slightly sharper, with some false color. I think several alpha binos I have tried are marginally sharper at the center.
The view is sharp up to pretty close to the edge
With glasses one has an decently easy view, my impression is this is *considerably* better than the earlier ones. This is the most amazing part. As far as I'm concerned this is the easiest to use small bino I have ever seen. The old one was not so good, as I remember.
Without glasses I can use them, but strangely enough they don't work well for me that way; it's almost as if they were a "B" model, designed for glasses. The diopter button has a center click, which luckily enough is my position.
Of course it is possible that all the above is my imagination, and that they're identical to the old ones, or not. The binocular specialist shop state that the optics seem to have evolved, including according to them the field of view. My impression (or imagination) is that the prisms are now made of better glass.
On balance, my UV 7x42 HD is more pleasant to use, but does not necessarily give a more defined view. However, after a while, the little Zeiss is tiring, the little Leica much less. This needs to be put in context, the Leica 7x42 UV HD I own, with its 6mm pupil, is not the sharpest but it is certainly the most pleasant and "restful" bino I ever tried, and I have compared the view to just about every current alpha.
I think this 8x25 is exceptionally easy to use in its class, and luminous, and can probably compete and win over *any* other 8x daytime binocular out there, especially for hiking.The huge cost and weight advantage over other alphas outweighs the pupil size difference in many use cases: this instrument really shows an image as soon as you pick it up.
However, people who spend hours behind a bino -including me when drawing- will still prefer their large-size but "restful" large-pupil alpha monsters. Also, there is the low light issue. I have an indoor camera SFR target, with decent lighting in my room the teeny bino actually beats my Leica, it seems to do very well at close range, but with the lights minimal the Leica shows the expected 2 stop advantage over the mini, and wipes the floor with the small contender - those who view at the low end of dusk shouldn't sell their full-sized heavyweight alphas quite yet.
Edmund
PS. The case is too large, and not really well thought out IMHO, especially for pocket bins. Better is needed. The strap is unusable on the bino itself as hard buckle rings could intersect the lenses inside the case. Objective and ocular covers are NOT provided and much missed. Let me clarify that - the accessories are useless, which is annoying as this instrument has been entered in the "Luxury Bijou and Gift" category in which elegance is a must.
PPS. Yesterday a wild gray heron suddenly appeared from behind bushes on the duck island in my local parc (Parc Monceau), put its feet in the water and found dinner. I had take my UV and used that to watch and then draw the bird. Next time I won't need to lug the UV, and I'll still get the show!
One minute in the shop convinced me, and that was *after* trying out the 10x42 SF which I'd come to look at.
I THINK THESE MAY EAT A CONSIDERABLE PIECE OF THE 8x42 and 8x32 MARKET.
They seem *much* brighter than the old ones, and very contrasty.
They are sharp, although I would like them even sharper. I think the old ones I tried may have been slightly sharper, with some false color. I think several alpha binos I have tried are marginally sharper at the center.
The view is sharp up to pretty close to the edge
With glasses one has an decently easy view, my impression is this is *considerably* better than the earlier ones. This is the most amazing part. As far as I'm concerned this is the easiest to use small bino I have ever seen. The old one was not so good, as I remember.
Without glasses I can use them, but strangely enough they don't work well for me that way; it's almost as if they were a "B" model, designed for glasses. The diopter button has a center click, which luckily enough is my position.
Of course it is possible that all the above is my imagination, and that they're identical to the old ones, or not. The binocular specialist shop state that the optics seem to have evolved, including according to them the field of view. My impression (or imagination) is that the prisms are now made of better glass.
On balance, my UV 7x42 HD is more pleasant to use, but does not necessarily give a more defined view. However, after a while, the little Zeiss is tiring, the little Leica much less. This needs to be put in context, the Leica 7x42 UV HD I own, with its 6mm pupil, is not the sharpest but it is certainly the most pleasant and "restful" bino I ever tried, and I have compared the view to just about every current alpha.
I think this 8x25 is exceptionally easy to use in its class, and luminous, and can probably compete and win over *any* other 8x daytime binocular out there, especially for hiking.The huge cost and weight advantage over other alphas outweighs the pupil size difference in many use cases: this instrument really shows an image as soon as you pick it up.
However, people who spend hours behind a bino -including me when drawing- will still prefer their large-size but "restful" large-pupil alpha monsters. Also, there is the low light issue. I have an indoor camera SFR target, with decent lighting in my room the teeny bino actually beats my Leica, it seems to do very well at close range, but with the lights minimal the Leica shows the expected 2 stop advantage over the mini, and wipes the floor with the small contender - those who view at the low end of dusk shouldn't sell their full-sized heavyweight alphas quite yet.
Edmund
PS. The case is too large, and not really well thought out IMHO, especially for pocket bins. Better is needed. The strap is unusable on the bino itself as hard buckle rings could intersect the lenses inside the case. Objective and ocular covers are NOT provided and much missed. Let me clarify that - the accessories are useless, which is annoying as this instrument has been entered in the "Luxury Bijou and Gift" category in which elegance is a must.
PPS. Yesterday a wild gray heron suddenly appeared from behind bushes on the duck island in my local parc (Parc Monceau), put its feet in the water and found dinner. I had take my UV and used that to watch and then draw the bird. Next time I won't need to lug the UV, and I'll still get the show!
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