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Where are all the 8x32 SF reviews? After all the speculation... (1 Viewer)

Here come the bashers! Full of expectation prior to production, that's fine, then being dissapointed with this and that and quick to "evaluate" the binocular to the assembled crowd as a ""could have been better".

I concur that the announcement and timing of the NL probably affected purchases of the SF32 and the resultant panic by some lemmings saw a few hurried cancellations and changes to pre orders.

Now, the baying crowd is seeking fresh blood - why no reviews yet, ( the McDonald's Syndrome ), but meanwhile here's some negatives to satisfy the craving for a while.

It is after all just a new alpha binocular. Here are two more review comments, as per the thread title......

1. Got my 8x32 today - first impression is very positive!!! More perhaps later.

I registered the new SF on Zeiss' website and found that experience a bit less positive - Zeiss now says that the warranty period is generally only 2 years (!) from date of purchase, but if you register, the "extended warranty period" is 3 years. This is valid for products purchased after Dec. 15, 2018.

So definitely gone are the times when we got 10 years warranty on Zeiss binoculars. And since I recently had to send in several of my Zeiss binoculars due to beginning internal fogging (all binos less than 5 years old, so clearly product quality issue), for me the reduced warranty period is not necessarily going to instil a lot of confidence when considering to buy future Zeiss products.

Canip

2. Unbelievable but true--- many years ago it was 30y, more recently 10y, and now it's 2y:
https://www.zeiss.com/consumer-produ...istration.html
This basically means that if you bought a pair of used Zeiss binoculars you would likely have no warranty.
Thanks, Canip, for the heads-up.

According to the enclosed warranty card the SF 32 has 10 years warranty.

Jan
 
I just received my 10x32’s in the mail today.
Initial impressions are that the view is certainly immersive, something I highly value in my optics.
A couple quick thoughts: The diopter adjustment has only one detent at “0”. This could be slightly annoying while pushing back in, if it moves slightly after making your adjustments.
The eye relief is really big, however the space between the 4 positions is quite large. At the 3rd position, I get blackouts if I hold them securely up to my face. At the 4th position, I lose field of view. This could be an issue for myself. I am going to see the Swaro winged eye cups will fit later this evening, which may effectively make the 3rd position fit a little better.
I expected to be completely sold on these when I got them, but still undecided as of now if I’ll be moving away from Swarovski or not. The 10x32 EL’s were great, except for the horrible glare for me. Currently I have a new pair of 8.5x42’s, which is the bino I’ll be comparing these to, not for a direct comparison for anyone else per se, but for my own needs.
 
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I just received my 10x32’s in the mail today.
Initial impressions are that the view is certainly immersive, something I highly value in my optics.
A couple quick thoughts: The diopter adjustment has only one detent at “0”. This could be slightly annoying while pushing back in, if it moves slightly after making your adjustments.
The eye relief is really big, however the space between the 4 positions is quite large. At the 3rd position, I get blackouts if I hold them securely up to my face. At the 4th position, I lose field of view. This could be an issue for myself. I am going to see the Swaro winged eye cups will fit later this evening, which may effectively make the 3rd position fit a little better.
I expected to be completely sold on these when I got them, but still undecided as of now if I’ll be moving away from Swarovski or not. The 10x32 EL’s were great, except for the horrible glare for me. Currently I have a new pair of 8.5x42’s, which is the bino I’ll be comparing these to, not for a direct comparison for anyone else per se, but for my own needs.
That is the third report of issues with the eye cup length and blackouts with the SF. Must be a problem.
 
With the 8x32 format, ergonomics. i.e. facial features will in some ways dictate how they perform to a specific individual. No doubt the consumer market has been jaded by the pandemic, as some time passes lets see some more folks with the SF 8X32 give more opinions. I mean the NL 8X42 is a heavy glass for some, and will not be first choice for everyone, so the SF will be the other likely choice.

Andy W.
 
That is the third report of issues with the eye cup length and blackouts with the SF. Must be a problem.
Must be a problem with knowing how to set it up properly for yourself. If the correct ER for you falls between 'clicks' - then implement an alternative solution in an intermediate position - O-rings etc.

I'm actually surprised that so many people manage to get a satisfactory view with the small number of stops most bins offer. Easy for me - mostly all the way down or first stop out.





Chosun :gh:
 
Well I’m home now and took the 8.5x42’s, the 10x32 SF’s and the 8x25 Victory Pockets out for a walk. Dull light, lots of trees and viewing up to 800 yards away.
I know these are all very different bino’s, but this is my impression with what I have on hand.
The SF’s have a greener color cast than the Swaro’s and noticeably dimmer to my eyes. More so than I remember the 10x32 EL’s being, but that could just be the difference in color tricking my mind. I’m continuing to have trouble with the eye relief. Sure I could put the eye cup halfway between positions.
The view when I put the 8.5’s to my eyes are far more relaxed and easy. But, the really surprising thing is this.. the Victory Pockets are easier to position right for me than the new 32 SF’s. This is all very subjective and not meaning to be too negative, but I was expecting to feel a bit differently. When I got the 10x32 EL’s earlier this summer I was blown away by them at first look, before being let down by the veiling glare. These little issues with the SF’s have deflated me just a little.
 
Certainly understandable to have a binocular that doesn't fit you very well be a bit disappointing!

I will get an 8x32 SF at some point certainly, or at least take a good look at one. I am a glasses wearer so with modern bins with 17-20mm eye relief I generally leave the eye-cups down and get a full field of view readily. It seems eye relief issues have come full circle and the non glasses wearers suffer more than the glasses wearers with alpha bins now.

I'm considering a PRK (eye surgery) touch up. I had it 20 years ago and it was amazing for 12-14 years to be glasses free. But now I need a light prescription. The idea of going back to glasses free is very tempting, particularly for outdoor sports and for not fogging my glasses when birding in the tropics. But it does make me want to check the blackout issue on the SF without glasses if I get one, as I'm fairly expecting it to become my primary bin, which means that in a year or two I'll probably be using it without glasses.

Vamos a ver...
 
the Victory Pockets are easier to position right for me than the new 32 SF’s.
I have both the 8x32 SF and the Victory 8x25. For me, this is the contrary: the Victory is relatively easy to position, especially compared to my 8x20 Ultravid but with the SF, I have almost nothing to do: I just use them and everything fall into place naturally.

I've upgraded from 20 years old Trinovid BA, tried the Ultravid and the Swaro before buying the new Zeiss and except for their size, I find them close to perfect.
BTW, I'm wearing glasses so that may be the reason.
 
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The eye relief is really big, however the space between the 4 positions is quite large. At the 3rd position, I get blackouts if I hold them securely up to my face. At the 4th position, I lose field of view.

I have just acquired the SF 10x32, and I have the same struggle with the eyecups. When fully extended I can just see the whole field of view, but I have to ‘jam’ the binoculars into my eye sockets, and with the eyecups one stop down I notice blackouts. But when I put the eyecups on the stop before fully extended, and then twist them up for about 2mm, I get the perfect view, seeing the whole fov without blackouts. So I’m trying to find a solution to ‘fix’ them in that position. People talk about using O-rings? How does that work? It’s a pity Zeiss chose only two intermediate stops between fully retracted and extended.

Other than this small issue that I need to resolve, I find these a joy to look through. Nice wide fov, very sharp, surprisingly bright for 32mm. Also the weight and weight-distribution is the best of any binoculars I have tried. In the store I had the chance to compare the SF with the NL 8x and 12x. These really are magnificent binoculars, with superb ergonomics and maybe a tad better views, but I found them pretty heavy. Compared to them the SF32 is like a feather, I know the difference is ‘only’ 250g, but it feels so. I had a hard time making a decision between the NL and the SF, but in the end the ‘ease of use’ and lightweight of the SF did it for me.
 
I had a pair of 8x32 SFs for two days, liked the fov but, with spectacles, adjusting the eyecups to get the full view resulted in major blackouts, raise them sufficiently to stop that and all that extra fov lost behind the blurred edge of the eyecups. I'll stick with my EL 8x32 FP until the 8x32 NL comes out!
 
I have just acquired the SF 10x32, and I have the same struggle with the eyecups. When fully extended I can just see the whole field of view, but I have to ‘jam’ the binoculars into my eye sockets, and with the eyecups one stop down I notice blackouts. But when I put the eyecups on the stop before fully extended, and then twist them up for about 2mm, I get the perfect view, seeing the whole fov without blackouts. So I’m trying to find a solution to ‘fix’ them in that position. People talk about using O-rings? How does that work? It’s a pity Zeiss chose only two intermediate stops between fully retracted and extended.

The fix is pretty simple: get O-rings with the right diam and thickness (2mm), or silicon/rubber gaskets, unscrew the eyecups and place the O-rings inside the tubes, screw the eyecups back and you should be good to go.
 
I think the moral of the story is Zeiss needs a better eyecup person.
SF x42 and Pocket and now new SF all have minor but real eyecup issues

Edmund
 
I think the moral of the story is Zeiss needs a better eyecup person.
SF x42 and Pocket and now new SF all have minor but real eyecup issues

Edmund
Let's not forget the Zeiss Conquest HD. Their eye cups have always had issues with being hard to pull out and being too short. I know I had two of them.
 
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Let's not forget the Zeiss Conquest HD. Their eye cups have always had issues with being hard to pull out and being too short. I know I had two of them/

I don't see so many eyecup complaints in the other make's forums.
The positive side seems to be that Zeiss binoculars have such good optics that nobody can find much fault with them. Every time I've used a Zeiss, I have been astonished, and I wish I could find it in me to carry a full-size SF.
The bad side seems to be that they make a mistake on the same part over and over again. In industry this is called the "Not invented here" syndrome, when a company doesn't learn from its competitors.

On the plus side, designating an "eyecup czar" and fixing what's out there should be possible, without a major investment as eyecups are presumably bought in. It might also pay to design the next models so that eyecups can easily be modded after the instrument is released.

Edmund
 
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I don't see so many eyecup complaints in the other make's forums.
The positive side seems to be that Zeiss binoculars have such good optics that nobody can find much fault with them. Every time I've used a Zeiss, I have been astonished, and I wish I could find it in me to carry a full-size SF.
The bad side seems to be that they make a mistake on the same part over and over again. In industry this is called the "Not invented here" syndrome, when a company doesn't learn from its competitors.

On the plus side, designating an "eyecup czar" and fixing what's out there should be possible, without a major investment as eyecups are presumably bought in. It might also pay to design the next models so that eyecups can easily be modded after the instrument is released.

Edmund
"The positive side seems to be that Zeiss binoculars have such good optics that nobody can find much fault with them. Every time I've used a Zeiss, I have been astonished, and I wish I could find it in me to carry a full-size SF."

I have always had trouble with Zeiss binoculars be it the eye cups or the optics. Neither the Conquest HD 8x32 nor Victory 8x25 eye cups worked for me with regard to having enough length to avoid blackouts and I tried two Zeiss 8x42 SF and got an orange crescent reflection along the bottom of the FOV. I never felt Zeiss had the build quality of the other alpha manufacturers either, especially Swarovski. I would try a Zeiss again but I approach them cautiously.
 
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I just received my 10x32’s in the mail today.
Initial impressions are that the view is certainly immersive, something I highly value in my optics.
A couple quick thoughts: The diopter adjustment has only one detent at “0”. This could be slightly annoying while pushing back in, if it moves slightly after making your adjustments.
The eye relief is really big, however the space between the 4 positions is quite large. At the 3rd position, I get blackouts if I hold them securely up to my face. At the 4th position, I lose field of view. This could be an issue for myself. I am going to see the Swaro winged eye cups will fit later this evening, which may effectively make the 3rd position fit a little better.
I expected to be completely sold on these when I got them, but still undecided as of now if I’ll be moving away from Swarovski or not. The 10x32 EL’s were great, except for the horrible glare for me. Currently I have a new pair of 8.5x42’s, which is the bino I’ll be comparing these to, not for a direct comparison for anyone else per se, but for my own needs.

I now tested my SF 10x32 on a rainy and foggy day, observing some ducks on a relatively large lake. There are two things I don't like about the SF 10x32: one is the diopter detent at "0" mentioned in the above quote. I don't see why it is needed and think that for people like me who could use a very slight diopter adjustment that is just near the detent, the diopter adjustment is not as precise as it could be if there were no detent. I would be curious what other users think about it. The second thing I don't like are the modern rainguards / eyepiece caps that I wrote about earlier (https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=4058745#post4058745), but I guess this has nothing to do with Zeiss in particular.
Apart from that, I am very happy about the SF 10x32, handling and optics are an absolute pleasure even if it's rainy and relatively dark.
 
Would that help with eyecup position a couple clicks out though? Or rather only at the fully closed position for eyeglass wearers?

EDIT* I just did some searches on this and found a wealth of experience with O rings on bird forum. Who knew?! Anyhow, before I send my 10x32’s back, I’m going to give this a shot.

The fix is pretty simple: get O-rings with the right diam and thickness (2mm), or silicon/rubber gaskets, unscrew the eyecups and place the O-rings inside the tubes, screw the eyecups back and you should be good to go.
 
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I ended up getting one. I actually got it yesterday(yesterday was a good day for binoculars!) I looked thru it BRIEFLY and put in on my digital scale. I was pleased with with ER which is going to be a little more than I need. I may go the o-ring route AND the weight which was 21.3 ounces. It's going to be a while before I get to really use it. College football(SEC) starts tomorrow. I do have a birding trip planned for the gulf coast in October. So hopefully sometimes after that.

I went out for a quick birding trip today with the SF 8X32s. I want to clarify my ER comments. It seems the binocular doesn't have as much ER as I thought it did with actual use in the field. I actually had the eyecups resting on top of the bottom "click." I set it there within two minutes of getting out of the Jeep and had no issues afterwards. I had really zero issues afterwards. No "blackouts." :smoke:
 
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