Little test : Zeiss T and V, Nikon P7S, Vixen Atreck, Eschenbach Trophy (1 Viewer)

Little test : Zeiss T and V, Swaro Pocket, Nikon P7S, Vixen Atreck, Eschenbach Trophy

Hello !

I use google translation and fix a few things myself. However, forgive me for the many faults or approximations ... (tell me if the text is understandable, or full of mistakes of spelling)


As promised, a small and approximative/personal return on some binoculars ordered recently to equip three people.
Given that it became VERY complicated to try a pair in shops, optical stores selling binoculars becoming more and more rare (in France anyway), we ordered some 6 different pairs on internet :

8x30 or 8x32 binoculars:

- Nikon Prostaff 7s 8x30 (160 €)
- Vixen ATREK II 8x32 DCF (239 €)

8x26 binoculars:

- Eschenbach Trophy F 8x25 ED (269 €)
- Zeiss Terra Pocket ED 8x25 (305 €)
- Swarovski CL Pocket 8x25 (560 €)
- Zeiss Victory Pocket 8x25 (594 €)


Let's go there ...



Nikon Prostaff 7s 8x30: For 160 €, the good surprise !

These small Nikon, in addition to a contained size and weight rather featherweight (438 g), surprised me by the good contrast and accuracy of the image provided.
The negatives being a fuzzy edge of the field arriving early and a flare not always well mastered (it seems that it is the disease of Nikon ?) which invites himself rather quickly.

But overall, for a reduced price, it is a pair of binoculars that I could advise without problem, the quality of the image is, in my opinion, excellent !


Vixen ATREK II 8x32 DCF (239 €): Sweet sweet binoculars ...

With a brand like Vixen, I was expecting something exciting with this very compact and lightweight pair.

At first glance, the feeling is rather pleasant: wide field, edges with a progressive blur and not too present ...

Unfortunately, it is enough to throw immediately after an eye in the Nikon Prostaff to remove the Vixen from a final choice : we realize that the image provided is too soft, lacking contrast and sharpness (we had the impression that the focus was not always perfectly made). Pity !


Eschenbach Trophy F 8x25 ED (269 €): The lemon ?????????

By phone, the saleswoman had confirmed what I could read here and there on the internet : for the price, a picture quality very good, maybe excellent!

Aïe aïe aïe … (no traduction xD )

To tell the truth, I do not have much to say on it : hardly an eye thrown in, they returned in their box to not leave any more ...
Blurred edges as I had never seen, appearing very quickly, all with a questionable sharpness...
In short, it is not impossible it was a very bad sample ...


Zeiss Terra ED Pocket 8x25 (305 €) : Best value for money

There, we enter "something else", another universe ...

In term of sharpness of image, I will have many difficulties to decide between the Terra Nikon Prostaff !!
But the Terra have a peripheral blur much better content, which comes very gradually and remains very reasonable even in field edge (much less fuzzy than for the Prostaff).
Moreover, they have less flare sensitivity. On this aspect, they seemed to me to be in average.

For a person looking for a compact pair for daytime observations only, with an average budget, it is definitely this pair that I would advise (better than Prostaff).


- Swarovski CL Pocket 8x25 (560 €) and Zeiss Victory Pocket 8x25 (594 €) : Flat field vs wide field ...

Making the choice between Swaro was not easy ...


Swarovski CL Pocket:

Pros :
- Flat field, in any case more than for the Zeiss, although the difference is not huge either.
- The focus wheel which is very soft, very pleasant to use.
- The focus that is more progressive than on the Zeiss, allowing more accuracy more easily in focus.
- Compactness that seems slightly better, but very very little.
- The aesthetics that I personally find more successful than the Victory which is very sober.
- The sharpness of the field, almost perfect: the blur, with an classic use, does not come late, very gradually. Even on the edge of the field the image remains easily exploitable. If we are not careful, we feel that the field is 100% net. If you pay attention, but not so much, you detect it around 90%.

Neutral :
- The construction in three parts: some people say they have concerns with this design that would make the deployment of the binoculars more complex. I personally did not notice anything : you take out the binoculars from the box, you open them without paying attention, you use them ... in short, no problem : it is not important that the binoculars are open symmetrically ...

Cons :
- The sharpness of image, in very very slight withdrawal from the Victory.
- The field of 119m / 1000, narrower than that of Zeiss.


Zeiss Victory Pocket :

Pros :
- The sharpness at the center spot, a bit higher than the Swaro.
- The field of 130m / 1000, superior to Swaro
- The weight: 57 g lighter.

Neutral :
- The hinged construction on the left: I am left-handed and focus with the left hand. No problem for me.

Cons :
- The peripheral blur is less contained than in the Swaro: it SEEMS (see right after) appear more quickly, but remains discreet and progressive. However, the blur on the edge of the field is more important and will be less exploitable than with the Swaro.
HOWEVER: we must not forget that the Zeiss have a wider field. Result, the central net spot is finally about the same size in the two pairs of binoculars ...
- Maybe a little less compact than the Swaro.
- The field is a little less flat than for the Swaro.
- The focus wheel, firmer than the Swaro and which requires more effort to turn.
- The focus, very (too?) Fast : it is necessary to go slowly to have a perfect focus, at the risk of missing it. Move the focus wheel, of only half a millimeter, and you have a blurred image. Which is not the case of the Swaro, more accommodating on it.
- The aesthetics, very sober.


FINALLY :

I chose the ... Zeiss Victory ! For their upper sharpness and their largest visual field.
My companion decided for Nikon Prostaff (looking for a first pair of binoculars, she will invest later in quality pockets).
The Terra will equip my father which goes out more occasionally and looking for a good ratio compactness / weight / performance / price.


How did I differentiate the Zeiss Victory Pocket Swarovski Pocket ?

Good question, and especially the answer may only convince me.

1. In a field, I spotted a tree with a large patch of yellow/orange lichen, about 100 meters away.
I aimed with each pair of binoculars.
The Zeiss, finally, are the binoculars that gave the most details and contrast, with a focus "razor", while the Swaro, although excellent, seemed to me to give a little less detail (they seem a little softer).
Overall, through other observations, I always felt that the Victories were the most "razors".

2. Through the window of a car: a little stuffed wolf was hanging in the car.
The Zeiss was the bin that gave the best contrast.
The other pairs, although close, did not bring out the plush as well.

Basically :
Zeiss: "We are going to give the best possible sharpness, we don’t pay attention for the peripheral blur"
Swaro: "We are going to create binoculars with a field perfectly flat and clean, even if we must to reduce the sharpness of the image a little bit"


Currently, I can still compare more precisely:
- The Sightron
- The Terra
- The Prostaff
- The Victory.
I will try to give more details and nuances in the next days ...


|;|

Thanks for this review. I had never owned a pocket binocular, but I kept reading high praise of the Victory Pocket. It is an amazing little binocular and could supplant a full size for probably 80% of my time spent using binoculars .
I believe there is a band of refocusable field curvature, maybe starting around 65%; it is very mild. I then see what I believe to be astigmatism in the last ~10% or so. Very good in my opinion, given the relatively wide field (for a pocket). Perceived/apparent sharpness in the center portion of the view is excellent, probably similar to the Victory T*FL/HT series. I have never found such an easy to use pair of binoculars, I believe people refer to something as focus snap or ease of acquiring a razor sharp image and I consider that quality very strong in this binocular.
I tried, briefly, the CL Pocket at Cabela's and did not find the view nearly as "easy".

Justin

Hello Eveos,

Sharpness is a fairly personal perception, dependent on both resolution and contrast. If the Zeiss provided both better resolution, details, and contrast, your preference for the Zeiss makes sense.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

Evios,

Thanks for reporting.

I've not seen the Vixen or the current Eschenbach, but I would mostly agree with your other observations. The exception would be the Terra pocket. It's quite likely you got a better sample. The one's I've tried were pretty awful. I look forward to your further comparisons.

Have a great Christmas.

David

Hello,

I’m new to this forum and not an expert but just a person who uses optics almost daily in free time, mostly for birdwatching.

I received an Eschenbach Trophy F ED 8x25 (new in the box) this week after buying it at half the price comparing to normal prices here in Europe.
Because of such a low price (130€ instead of 250-300€) I would assume the possibility of being faulty and then being sold ‘under’ the regular price, although I don’t know if these things happen.

Well, to be honest, they’re actually very good!
In a first quick look, the sharpness and ease of view were striking!
I did a quick direct comparison with my Bresser Montana 8x25 (wich I also bought at half the price) and my Zeiss Victory 8x25.
In terms of sharpness they were noticeably better than the Montana’s and at the same level as the Zeiss Victory! Wich is, at least that’s my opinion, the best 8x25 ever..!?
Contrast, brightness were also very good and they handle CA very well.
Blue an Great tits at the feeding table were almost as brilliant as through the Victory 8x25 or Trinovid Hd 8x32.
Yesterday 5 males Great Mergansers on a pool a little before sunset were very enjoyable to see, so were the feather patterns of resting Greylag Gees and foraging Wigeons.. And although a friends new CL 10x30 was the better, the Trophy Ed’s held their ground very good!
So you must have got a very bad sample.

Although this one isn’t without flaws eather;
It has astigmatism. The Edge on the left side of the field of view is a blur.
I looked through each barrel separately and while the right barrel seemed fine,
The left did not, so the problem is mainly a blurrie edge in the left barrel.
Yesterday I took them out all day and they are actually very satisfying.
The blurrie edge didn’t caused much trouble but I saw it easily when looking for it. Strange is, when I focus further to infinity the edge becomes sharper again,
its like while focusing to infinity the sweetspot starts to move slightly to the left and off centre.

This all makes me very curieus about a ‘good’ sample in 25 or even 32mm,
Because than I believe they could easily compete with a Viper Hd, Meopro Hd.

About the new Zeiss Victory 8x25.. Well, I think it beats the CL in practical every aspect. I’ve compared them several times side by side, and while the CL’s are amazing! they just fall a short versus the Zeiss.
I would be very curieus about a Swarovision 8x26..

Grtz

Hi Nivado, regarding your problem below:

"Yesterday I took them out all day and they are actually very satisfying.
The blurrie edge didn’t caused much trouble but I saw it easily when looking for it. Strange is, when I focus further to infinity the edge becomes sharper again,
its like while focusing to infinity the sweetspot starts to move slightly to the left and off centre."

Why don't you give another try at setting the diopter for your right eye and see if that corrects the problem.

Set your diopter in the neutral center position: Then focus your left eye on an object about 70 feet away till it is sharp using the center focus wheel. Then, using the diopter wheel, focus your right eye into sharpness.


Bob

That’s one of the first things I always try.
It’s at zero and it’s fine for my eyes, checked it again this morning.
It seems that when looking through the left barrel only, the ‘sharp’ area moves from right to left when focusing further to infinity. The fuzzy area in the left side of the left barrel becomes almost entirely sharp except for the outer edge, but then the right area is hazy. And when focusing to near the right area becomes sharper again and the left is a blur. That effects the overall view wich is a pity but it has got a nice resolution in the sweetspot.
Maybe I’ll keep it in the car or pas it through..
Thx for reacting!

Grtz