I took these bins on a multi-week sea kayak expedition in Baja, and they fogged upon my return to the states. I sent them back to Zeiss, and they were refurbished and returned within two weeks in marvelous condition.
I teach natural history courses at the university level, so I used my old Zeiss Night Owl 8x56 bins during the interim when the 7x42s were out for service. Until then I didn't realize how much I'd come to love the 7x42s, especially when inside forested biomes. It wasn't just about the weight; I find the 7x magnification far superior to 8x in terms of depth of field, field of view, and steadiness. I was missing small insectivors in dense cover with the 8x that I'm certain I could have followed with the 7x.
None of the alpha bin manufacturers is currently offering a 7x, and I think this is a mistake. Watching to see who will step up to fill the void.
I teach natural history courses at the university level, so I used my old Zeiss Night Owl 8x56 bins during the interim when the 7x42s were out for service. Until then I didn't realize how much I'd come to love the 7x42s, especially when inside forested biomes. It wasn't just about the weight; I find the 7x magnification far superior to 8x in terms of depth of field, field of view, and steadiness. I was missing small insectivors in dense cover with the 8x that I'm certain I could have followed with the 7x.
None of the alpha bin manufacturers is currently offering a 7x, and I think this is a mistake. Watching to see who will step up to fill the void.