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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Zeiss Victory SF (1 Viewer)

Chosun:

How much time have you spent with the Zeiss Victory SF ?

I suspect very little, and that is disturbing to those here that own and use this binocular.

Jerry

Jerry

CJ certainly has her own unique point of view on many subjects but she is entitled to this and she is dead right about the eyecups on SF being low rent. They accomplish the job but are not to the standard of the rest of the bino.

As to etiquette on Bird Forum, if you disagree with someone then explain your own experience. It is not etiquette to imply or state that someone has no right to post on Bird Forum because they have less experience with a bino than you. This would exclude beginners for example and Bird Forum is an inclusive forum not an exclusive one.

A little less abrasive tone would go a long way too.

Lee
 
Jerry

CJ certainly has her own unique point of view on many subjects but she is entitled to this and she is dead right about the eyecups on SF being low rent. They accomplish the job but are not to the standard of the rest of the bino.

As to etiquette on Bird Forum, if you disagree with someone then explain your own experience. It is not etiquette to imply or state that someone has no right to post on Bird Forum because they have less experience with a bino than you. This would exclude beginners for example and Bird Forum is an inclusive forum not an exclusive one.

A little less abrasive tone would go a long way too.

Lee

Lee,
suspect Jerry / NDhunter just likes to be extremely succinct with his words. Though the sometimes the tone of the message may feel like an attack...
eg :
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=124267&page=135
 
If you look at the teardown pictures of the top of the range Canon and Nikon cameras the main frames and mirror box/lens mounting points have always been magnesium as have the covers. Click to enlarge photos here:

http://www.fixyourcamera.org/canon-1dx/

Their mid range cameras are internally polycarbonate and where required CRP (carbon reinforced plastics) apart from the old Nikon D800 and current D850 which are all magnesium. The outer covers are all magnesium.

Current Canon L series lenses are typically a mix of polycarbonate and metal outers with plenty of metal inside.
Good if you drop it as the outer plastic deforms rather than cracks but clearly magnesium is the premium structural material now that it can be made in complex shapes without excessive machining.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/12/canon-35mm-f1-4-mk-ii-teardown/
 
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I'm just one of those ignoramuses who simply asks "Can I see the birds better with this one?"

Deciding which binocular to buy by reading or comparing specs is not the best way.
 
SBB
Jerry has a lot of experience of binos and is well respected on the forum, but even a diamond can have flaws......

Lee

Lee,
And that is the one thing I love with people like Jerry who have heaps of experience vs us young ones. They stuff the political “niceties”. They just get straight to the point. So that allows one self to spend more time birding, discussing the best bino, watching Sir David Attenbrough or what ever tickle ones fancy.
 
Hi All

I am on the cusp of buying some Zeiss Victory SF 10 x 42, but the only thing that is holding me back is a number of reviews I have read that suggests that the build quality is not up to scratch for such a high end bin.

Could any Zeiss Victory users on the forum please confirm or dispell that rumour?

Many thanks

MacHector

Here's my take....
I don't think the build quality of the SF is the best when compared to some of its peers. I'm not really sure it MATTERS though. It's certainly built well ENOUGH. I don't think you'll wear it out! The reason to purchase an SF is because of it's optical features....all at the top of the class for a birding binocular.

If purchasing NEW, I'd probably be sure to get a black SF.....
 

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Here's my take....
I don't think the build quality of the SF is the best when compared to some of its peers. I'm not really sure it MATTERS though. It's certainly built well ENOUGH. I don't think you'll wear it out! The reason to purchase an SF is because of it's optical features....all at the top of the class for a birding binocular.

If purchasing NEW, I'd probably be sure to get a black SF.....
What faults did the grey SF's have versus the newer black SF's? Thanks.
 
How many times have you dropped your binoculars on the eye cups and had to replace them? I have never dropped any of my binoculars. An eye cup get's used a lot going in and out and in my experience metal will last longer and is smoother because it can me machined more precisely to closer tolerances. I will take metal eye cups and a magnesium body on my binocular over plastic any day.

Plastic can have its own advantages.

From the Zeiss sport optics website:


Questions & Answers

Why is polycarbonate used for the housing of the Victory FL binoculars?

The advantage of the housing material used is that it reacts flexibly to impacts and temperature fluctuations. It is nevertheless extremely sturdy and very light.
 
If you want the best birding binocular with the largest FOV the Zeiss SF is it. Instead of criticizing it for all the things it isn't we should appreciate it for what it is.
 
What faults did the grey SF's have versus the newer black SF's? Thanks.

None really. The gray model eye cup has one intermediate postion and the black model has two. All else on the eye cup looks the same. The new eye cup is a direct replacement and so a simple call to Zeiss and the gray model can be owner updated to the new eye cup in a matter of minutes.

Zeiss somewhere during the second have of the production run of the gray models imroved the machining tolerances of the focus mechanism. Some but not all of the earlier gray models had some degree of stiction (but not as much as the pre Profield Swaros). This improvement carried over into the black model change. Anyone who bought a late model gray should have the same focus feel as the black. If not, then it can be sent to Zeiss for improvement just as some do with the Swaro.

The third change is switching the armor from black to gray and I think the surface feel is also a little different and it may feel thicker. I do not look at this as an improvement but as a styling change. I prerfer the gray because it has a noticeably cooler surface temperature out here in the AZ desert during a summer afternoon. It works for me because I am dumb enough to sometimes wonder about at that time of the year. The gray is more likely to show dirt than the black but I have not found it to be a problem.

The gray sold out on clearance for as much as $1,300 below the new black model. Other than the color, the gray could be udpdated to be the same as the black for free. I do remember coming across a person who was considering an SF saying they did not like the gray color and would not buy it on clearance even with that kind of savings. My thought was how short sighted since it probably could have been sent to Zeiss for new black armor even if it cost say $100 or so. Oh well.


If you want the best birding binocular with the largest FOV the Zeiss SF is it. Instead of criticizing it for all the things it isn't we should appreciate it for what it is.

Thumbs up on that post. :t:

I agree with you on the first part and really like the second part!
 
And I thought someone had proclaimed the 'Alpha' to be dead... funny how the winds of change howl through this forum...;-)
 
None really. The gray model eye cup has one intermediate postion and the black model has two. All else on the eye cup looks the same. The new eye cup is a direct replacement and so a simple call to Zeiss and the gray model can be owner updated to the new eye cup in a matter of minutes.

Zeiss somewhere during the second have of the production run of the gray models imroved the machining tolerances of the focus mechanism. Some but not all of the earlier gray models had some degree of stiction (but not as much as the pre Profield Swaros). This improvement carried over into the black model change. Anyone who bought a late model gray should have the same focus feel as the black. If not, then it can be sent to Zeiss for improvement just as some do with the Swaro.

The third change is switching the armor from black to gray and I think the surface feel is also a little different and it may feel thicker. I do not look at this as an improvement but as a styling change. I prerfer the gray because it has a noticeably cooler surface temperature out here in the AZ desert during a summer afternoon. It works for me because I am dumb enough to sometimes wonder about at that time of the year. The gray is more likely to show dirt than the black but I have not found it to be a problem.

The gray sold out on clearance for as much as $1,300 below the new black model. Other than the color, the gray could be udpdated to be the same as the black for free. I do remember coming across a person who was considering an SF saying they did not like the gray color and would not buy it on clearance even with that kind of savings. My thought was how short sighted since it probably could have been sent to Zeiss for new black armor even if it cost say $100 or so. Oh well.




Thumbs up on that post. :t:

I agree with you on the first part and really like the second part!

Bruce:

You have summed up the Zeiss SF very well, it is at the top of class.

That is why I get a little miffed with some who like to just criticize without
much positive to say about it. :smoke: Appreciating a quality binocular is not
hard, just takes some time.

I should not get so thin skinned, but sometimes, I can't help myself.

Jerry
 
Here's my take....
I don't think the build quality of the SF is the best when compared to some of its peers. I'm not really sure it MATTERS though. It's certainly built well ENOUGH. I don't think you'll wear it out! The reason to purchase an SF is because of it's optical features....all at the top of the class for a birding binocular.

If purchasing NEW, I'd probably be sure to get a black SF.....
Well said Chuck :t:



Chosun :gh:
 
And I thought someone had proclaimed the 'Alpha' to be dead... funny how the winds of change howl through this forum...;-)
My point with "The Death of the Alpha" thread was that there a lot of binoculars on the market now that will match most of the alpha's performance for a lot less money. For most people it doesn't make sense to spend $2500.00 for a binocular but to those people where price in not an object and they have to have that few extra feet of FOV or smidgen of brightness then go for it. The SF is kind of in a class by itself for a roof with a 442 FOV. Maven or Tract don't make anything with that wide of a FOV. If they did I would be first in line for one. Only some porro's like a Nikon E2 get up to those big of FOV's. The SF is kind of a "Super Alpha" when it comes to FOV.
 
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