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NEW Terra ED 32mm Under Armour Edition Binocular (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MPeoples
- Start date
brocknroller
porromaniac
I'd like to see a "shoot out" between the 32mm Terra ED and 30mm Nikon M7 like absolut_beethoven did with the full sized models, preferably a field test, he did his comparison in a store:
Zeiss Terra ED vs Nikon Monarch 7
The biggest difference he found was that the M7 controlled CA noticeably better.
Zeiss Terra ED vs Nikon Monarch 7
The biggest difference he found was that the M7 controlled CA noticeably better.
Last edited:
John Dracon
John Dracon
Frank - I was up at the crack of dawn to continue my assessment, so critical times of both dusk and dawn and full daylight were present.
Disclaimer
I'm not a shill for Zeiss nor a nit-picking critic. I have been a constant user of binoculars for over 70 years in every imaginable environment. Turning 80 in four months, I was blessed with excellent vision and still have 20/20 corrected vision. As a poor boy I was given a beat up pair of 1930's Zeiss 7x50s by an old man, which was my beginning with my love affair for optics. I do not consider myself an expert at all but rather a user with a rudimentary grasp of binoculars and their construction. Have cleaned many, repaired and collimated some, and damaged some. At one time I was infatuated with alphas of all persuasions and purchased many. But today I look for quality vintage binoculars, mostly Japanese made. I try to keep an open mind and admit to my biases which tend to favor porros over roofs, but as the popular song goes, "times they are a changing." We all have our preferences and sense of aesthetics. (degustibus non est disputandum) So if I seem to lack objectivity and to be overly opinionated, chalk it up to old age. My impressions and opinions are based on the examination of one specimen and one only. It may be the best one of thousands. Who knows? Or it may be representative of what Zeiss is now marketing. It is made in China which doesn't bother me in the least. I believe my examination was simple and straight forward. Read on.
First Impressions of the Terra ED 8x32
To my eyes, this Terra is understated elegance. Straight lines and segments of a circle. Only the eyecups are black with the rest of the outside body a light gray. Very pleasing to look at. An old English grand dame wouldn't be reluctant to have that hanging from her neck. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Once focused properly, my sense was similar to the first time I looked through the Leupold Yosemite 6x30. I don't believe anything this inexpensive should have this kind of view. I bought the Terra ED 8x42 when it first came out and passed it on to a favorite niece. The 8x32 is better in many ways.
The Terra fits in one hand nicely, and the large focusing knob is perfectly located for the fore finger. The body covering reminds me of finishing sandpaper. Not slick but some tiny grit to give secure handling. There are longitudinal ridges on both the top and bottom of the body which help hold the binocular for both thumbs and top fingers. No indentation to force the thumb to one location.
The eye cups are robust with four stops. The top edges are wide enough (4 mm) to not gouge the eye socket.
The top has a slight taper which incidentally will accommodate the Bushnell Elite extender and other similar ones. The sides have impressed slots which aid in the twisting them up and down. No looseness or slop at all.
Many persons are fussy about focusing and with good reason. The Terra focusing knob is large, and it stays put with normal handling. I got rid of some Nikon alphas that moved every time I moved because of their fast focus and tendency to move from infinity where they were left. Few things are as irritating having to refocus a binocular every time it is put up to one's eyes. Is the Terra a fast focus binocular? I don't think so. The turn from extreme setting to extreme setting is one and a half turns. The resistance to moving from finger pressure is there, but not overly. The diopter setting is where it belongs, on the right barrel in front of the eye cup. None of this complicated lifting, turning, and then pushing back the over-engineered mechanism which plagues all kinds of roofs today. The resistance to turning the diopter ring is there as it should be. Tiny raised plus and minus marks help the user find his setting should the Terra be used by another. I note that the Swarovski 8x30 CL costing three times as much as the Terra has this kind of diopter setting.
The Terra weighs 17 oz. the same as the CL Companion. The Terra is five inches/120 mm long and depending upon the interpupillary adjustment, 4.75 inchs/120 mm wide or 4 inches/113 wide.
The Terra field of view (Ft/thousand yds) in the Zeiss literature states 442. That is a mistake. When compared to my Nikon SE 8x32 (on tripods) both have the same FOV - 420 feet.
Am going for lunch and will continue with my assessment.
Disclaimer
I'm not a shill for Zeiss nor a nit-picking critic. I have been a constant user of binoculars for over 70 years in every imaginable environment. Turning 80 in four months, I was blessed with excellent vision and still have 20/20 corrected vision. As a poor boy I was given a beat up pair of 1930's Zeiss 7x50s by an old man, which was my beginning with my love affair for optics. I do not consider myself an expert at all but rather a user with a rudimentary grasp of binoculars and their construction. Have cleaned many, repaired and collimated some, and damaged some. At one time I was infatuated with alphas of all persuasions and purchased many. But today I look for quality vintage binoculars, mostly Japanese made. I try to keep an open mind and admit to my biases which tend to favor porros over roofs, but as the popular song goes, "times they are a changing." We all have our preferences and sense of aesthetics. (degustibus non est disputandum) So if I seem to lack objectivity and to be overly opinionated, chalk it up to old age. My impressions and opinions are based on the examination of one specimen and one only. It may be the best one of thousands. Who knows? Or it may be representative of what Zeiss is now marketing. It is made in China which doesn't bother me in the least. I believe my examination was simple and straight forward. Read on.
First Impressions of the Terra ED 8x32
To my eyes, this Terra is understated elegance. Straight lines and segments of a circle. Only the eyecups are black with the rest of the outside body a light gray. Very pleasing to look at. An old English grand dame wouldn't be reluctant to have that hanging from her neck. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Once focused properly, my sense was similar to the first time I looked through the Leupold Yosemite 6x30. I don't believe anything this inexpensive should have this kind of view. I bought the Terra ED 8x42 when it first came out and passed it on to a favorite niece. The 8x32 is better in many ways.
The Terra fits in one hand nicely, and the large focusing knob is perfectly located for the fore finger. The body covering reminds me of finishing sandpaper. Not slick but some tiny grit to give secure handling. There are longitudinal ridges on both the top and bottom of the body which help hold the binocular for both thumbs and top fingers. No indentation to force the thumb to one location.
The eye cups are robust with four stops. The top edges are wide enough (4 mm) to not gouge the eye socket.
The top has a slight taper which incidentally will accommodate the Bushnell Elite extender and other similar ones. The sides have impressed slots which aid in the twisting them up and down. No looseness or slop at all.
Many persons are fussy about focusing and with good reason. The Terra focusing knob is large, and it stays put with normal handling. I got rid of some Nikon alphas that moved every time I moved because of their fast focus and tendency to move from infinity where they were left. Few things are as irritating having to refocus a binocular every time it is put up to one's eyes. Is the Terra a fast focus binocular? I don't think so. The turn from extreme setting to extreme setting is one and a half turns. The resistance to moving from finger pressure is there, but not overly. The diopter setting is where it belongs, on the right barrel in front of the eye cup. None of this complicated lifting, turning, and then pushing back the over-engineered mechanism which plagues all kinds of roofs today. The resistance to turning the diopter ring is there as it should be. Tiny raised plus and minus marks help the user find his setting should the Terra be used by another. I note that the Swarovski 8x30 CL costing three times as much as the Terra has this kind of diopter setting.
The Terra weighs 17 oz. the same as the CL Companion. The Terra is five inches/120 mm long and depending upon the interpupillary adjustment, 4.75 inchs/120 mm wide or 4 inches/113 wide.
The Terra field of view (Ft/thousand yds) in the Zeiss literature states 442. That is a mistake. When compared to my Nikon SE 8x32 (on tripods) both have the same FOV - 420 feet.
Am going for lunch and will continue with my assessment.
John Dracon
John Dracon
Frank - Thanks for the correction. I was relying on my memory about the SE 8x32 FOV. The Terra must be the same, 392 FOV. My memory isn't infallible as this illustrates. (probably thinking about the Swift Neptune Mark II when I wrote that down) On with my review.
I like the ocular cover. It fits nicely, removes easily, and bends with the barrels. Some may find it so-so. The objective covers are a clone for what the earlier 8x42 Terra came with. Zeiss should discard those. They are a nuisance. I would use the Butler Creek snap shut covers on the objectives for maximum protection.
The eyelet for attaching the carrying strap are on the sides where they belong. The Terra came with the Under Armour harness. It has two parallel beads of silicone underneath the straps to stop the sliding. The securing mechanism is like a small hose clip with a gate made of spring metal. The nose passes through a special piece of propeller-looking material (very strong) and that through the clip itself, obviating chafe and galling. Of course one can use a standard strap.
I don't know what kind of materials are used in the body. On to the most important part, the optics. The ocular diameters are 22 mm; the objectives of course 32 mm. The coatings reflect the light green hue so common today. Zeiss states the lens have their proprietary coating called the Zeiss MC. It has hydrophobic properties and cleans easily and is "durable and abrasion resistant." Included with the kit is the Zeiss micro-weave cloth.
I used a number of binoculars in making comparisons of image quality, including the Nikon SE 8x32. These were fixed on sturdy Bogen tripods for steadiness. The 1951 USAF resolution test charts were used including the black background and white background ones. The Nikon SE 8x32 was my reference standard. And this is what I discovered.
As expected, the SE 8x32 held its resolution to the edges better, but not much. Few binoculars today can compare to the SE in that category until the $2,000 range is reached. The Terra sweet spot was virtually the same, with about 75% of the field holding up with the SE and then gradually diminishing to the very edges but not the blur so often seen.
But the resolution of the Terra matched the SE in the sweet spot, where it is important. That surprised me. I was prepared for a different result. But it was in the brightness area where I was assuming the Terra couldn't match the SE. I was dead wrong.
Even in day time the Terra looked brighter to my eyes, but I wrongly assumed that dusk and dawn and near darkness would favor the SE. Again, I was dead wrong. For Brock's information, the serial number of my SE 8x32 is 503154. Perhaps the later models and their improved coatings might close the gap, but I doubt it. Looking at the horizon just before the sun breaks over the edge is a severe test for binoculars. The Terra out performed the SE. I even threw my beloved Zeiss Dialyt 7x42 TP binocular into the mix. It couldn't begin to sort out animals and scenery as did the Terra. Ouch! I used my Cascade 8x42 (which out performed my Zeiss FL 8x32 at dusk under similar conditions), and the Terra simply showed more detail than either.
The reader probably doesn't know I live in an area of low humidity at 5,000 plus feet surrounded by three mountain ranges, and my house (with no homes in front of me) overlooks a wide valley of hay lands, beaver ponds, willow bottoms, and the North Fork of the Smith River with mountains framing the background. It is an animal and bird paradise.
Yesterday, as I swept the valley with my binoculars before dusk, I could see a herd of elk feeding three miles away on an open ridge, numerous mule and white tail deer (nine mule deer walked by my house thirty feet away before dusk), a small herd of antelope a mile away, and below near the river about 150 yards away is a pond with a small island in the middle. The ice is still on the water, but several pairs of Canadian Geese have already arrived waiting to nest on the island. Mallards by the hundreds feed on a meadow a quarter mile upstream. The local rancher has fed his black Angus cows with Barley hay, and bingo! More ducks to look at. The meadows are sprinkled with hundred of cows which winter on the hay fields. Even small groups of horses are visible. And of course so are both bald and golden eagles flapping up and down the river looking for a meal. The magpies & crows are everywhere harassing numerous hawks. The osprey and sand hill cranes will soon arrive as will all the other migrating birds. This is the kind of place for which binoculars were created.
The Terra doesn't come with a functional case, just a black, velveteen cloth sack with draw string. Is it a legitimate gripe? I don't believe it is for a piece of optics costing $350 with a limited life time guarantee that is transferable, that is water proof, eye glass friendly, handy, attractive, and possessing good optics. My bias against the roofs just took a beating. The coatings are truly remarkable. I believe Zeiss hit a home run with the Terra 8x32.
Don't take the word of an old man on the verge of senility. Buy one or bum one off a friend and find out for yourself, and let the forum know what you think.
John
I like the ocular cover. It fits nicely, removes easily, and bends with the barrels. Some may find it so-so. The objective covers are a clone for what the earlier 8x42 Terra came with. Zeiss should discard those. They are a nuisance. I would use the Butler Creek snap shut covers on the objectives for maximum protection.
The eyelet for attaching the carrying strap are on the sides where they belong. The Terra came with the Under Armour harness. It has two parallel beads of silicone underneath the straps to stop the sliding. The securing mechanism is like a small hose clip with a gate made of spring metal. The nose passes through a special piece of propeller-looking material (very strong) and that through the clip itself, obviating chafe and galling. Of course one can use a standard strap.
I don't know what kind of materials are used in the body. On to the most important part, the optics. The ocular diameters are 22 mm; the objectives of course 32 mm. The coatings reflect the light green hue so common today. Zeiss states the lens have their proprietary coating called the Zeiss MC. It has hydrophobic properties and cleans easily and is "durable and abrasion resistant." Included with the kit is the Zeiss micro-weave cloth.
I used a number of binoculars in making comparisons of image quality, including the Nikon SE 8x32. These were fixed on sturdy Bogen tripods for steadiness. The 1951 USAF resolution test charts were used including the black background and white background ones. The Nikon SE 8x32 was my reference standard. And this is what I discovered.
As expected, the SE 8x32 held its resolution to the edges better, but not much. Few binoculars today can compare to the SE in that category until the $2,000 range is reached. The Terra sweet spot was virtually the same, with about 75% of the field holding up with the SE and then gradually diminishing to the very edges but not the blur so often seen.
But the resolution of the Terra matched the SE in the sweet spot, where it is important. That surprised me. I was prepared for a different result. But it was in the brightness area where I was assuming the Terra couldn't match the SE. I was dead wrong.
Even in day time the Terra looked brighter to my eyes, but I wrongly assumed that dusk and dawn and near darkness would favor the SE. Again, I was dead wrong. For Brock's information, the serial number of my SE 8x32 is 503154. Perhaps the later models and their improved coatings might close the gap, but I doubt it. Looking at the horizon just before the sun breaks over the edge is a severe test for binoculars. The Terra out performed the SE. I even threw my beloved Zeiss Dialyt 7x42 TP binocular into the mix. It couldn't begin to sort out animals and scenery as did the Terra. Ouch! I used my Cascade 8x42 (which out performed my Zeiss FL 8x32 at dusk under similar conditions), and the Terra simply showed more detail than either.
The reader probably doesn't know I live in an area of low humidity at 5,000 plus feet surrounded by three mountain ranges, and my house (with no homes in front of me) overlooks a wide valley of hay lands, beaver ponds, willow bottoms, and the North Fork of the Smith River with mountains framing the background. It is an animal and bird paradise.
Yesterday, as I swept the valley with my binoculars before dusk, I could see a herd of elk feeding three miles away on an open ridge, numerous mule and white tail deer (nine mule deer walked by my house thirty feet away before dusk), a small herd of antelope a mile away, and below near the river about 150 yards away is a pond with a small island in the middle. The ice is still on the water, but several pairs of Canadian Geese have already arrived waiting to nest on the island. Mallards by the hundreds feed on a meadow a quarter mile upstream. The local rancher has fed his black Angus cows with Barley hay, and bingo! More ducks to look at. The meadows are sprinkled with hundred of cows which winter on the hay fields. Even small groups of horses are visible. And of course so are both bald and golden eagles flapping up and down the river looking for a meal. The magpies & crows are everywhere harassing numerous hawks. The osprey and sand hill cranes will soon arrive as will all the other migrating birds. This is the kind of place for which binoculars were created.
The Terra doesn't come with a functional case, just a black, velveteen cloth sack with draw string. Is it a legitimate gripe? I don't believe it is for a piece of optics costing $350 with a limited life time guarantee that is transferable, that is water proof, eye glass friendly, handy, attractive, and possessing good optics. My bias against the roofs just took a beating. The coatings are truly remarkable. I believe Zeiss hit a home run with the Terra 8x32.
Don't take the word of an old man on the verge of senility. Buy one or bum one off a friend and find out for yourself, and let the forum know what you think.
John
Fine review John!
It brought back memories of a Fly Fishing float trip I took down Smith River with some friends in the last year you could get on it without a permit. Three Gerrity brothers who were from Eden and Great Falls; their friend, a lawyer from Glasgow; myself and a friend and his nephew from Great Falls. We put in at Camp Baker and got out at Eden Bridge a couple of days later and went to their ranch in Eden. Later we fished the Missouri below Holter Dam and after that got on some private water on the Sun River and did very well. We visited a bar in Augusta and tried our luck on some canals up along Willow Creek Reservoir.
I never got back there. It's all memories now.
I think I will order the Zeiss.
Bob
It brought back memories of a Fly Fishing float trip I took down Smith River with some friends in the last year you could get on it without a permit. Three Gerrity brothers who were from Eden and Great Falls; their friend, a lawyer from Glasgow; myself and a friend and his nephew from Great Falls. We put in at Camp Baker and got out at Eden Bridge a couple of days later and went to their ranch in Eden. Later we fished the Missouri below Holter Dam and after that got on some private water on the Sun River and did very well. We visited a bar in Augusta and tried our luck on some canals up along Willow Creek Reservoir.
I never got back there. It's all memories now.
I think I will order the Zeiss.
Bob
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John Dracon
John Dracon
Jerry - Thanks. Far better to obsess over binoculars than our oligarchical political system which is becoming a continuing soap opera. At least the persons who contribute to this forum talk about things which provide real pleasure, and the manufacturers can still produce a product and make pay roll.
I failed to mention several things about the Terra 8x32. (1)Its mechanical reliability is an X factor. But this is true with all new products. I will be long dead and gone before that become a known fact. (2) I believe that the 8x32 is the ideal binocular for women, hikers, and hunters. More and more women will buy binoculars because they have the discretionary income. Hunters (in the USA) are on the decline numerically, but the Terra will serve them well. Hikers many assume want the little compact models. But when your pulse is bouncing around and your trying to catch your breath and look at something, those models aren't very useful. I speak from experience.
There will always be those who simply want the best, and the alphas will accommodate them. But if binoculars continue to evolve such as the Terra 8x32, ordinary people who drive Hondas, etc. will take notice and buy them. Besides protective coverings, the evolution of coatings has been the significant advance in binoculars. I would pay big bucks to Zeiss to take my 60 year old Bushnell Rangemasters and give them the coatings that the Terra has. Perhaps one day there will be an after-market business for recoating the old classics.
John
I failed to mention several things about the Terra 8x32. (1)Its mechanical reliability is an X factor. But this is true with all new products. I will be long dead and gone before that become a known fact. (2) I believe that the 8x32 is the ideal binocular for women, hikers, and hunters. More and more women will buy binoculars because they have the discretionary income. Hunters (in the USA) are on the decline numerically, but the Terra will serve them well. Hikers many assume want the little compact models. But when your pulse is bouncing around and your trying to catch your breath and look at something, those models aren't very useful. I speak from experience.
There will always be those who simply want the best, and the alphas will accommodate them. But if binoculars continue to evolve such as the Terra 8x32, ordinary people who drive Hondas, etc. will take notice and buy them. Besides protective coverings, the evolution of coatings has been the significant advance in binoculars. I would pay big bucks to Zeiss to take my 60 year old Bushnell Rangemasters and give them the coatings that the Terra has. Perhaps one day there will be an after-market business for recoating the old classics.
John
John Dracon
John Dracon
Hi Bob - You are so fortunate to float the Smith when you did. What you experienced will never be replicated by anyone.This year over 8,000 applied for 1,100 permits. I floated it in 1972 with the local game warden. We were the only ones on the water. The guides have ruined it, something that birding guides have never done to my knowledge helping people see more birds. The Smith has regulations piled upon regulations. Fecal materials must be carried out. Your favorite Lab can't be part of the experience. No dogs permitted. We have loved it to death. I know you cherish your memories. The ranchers upstream have fertilized their hay fields (primarily alfalfa) so much that the aquifers feeding the Smith are beginning to add to the chemical load. Geese and ducks, however, are holding their own. Thank God for that!
John
John
brocknroller
porromaniac
Great to finally read a review of the 8x32 Terra. Thank you for posting it. Also good to learn that the focus range of the 8x32 model from cf to ∞ is a whopping 1 1/2 turns, way more than the Nikon 8x32 LX I think you were hinting at in your view, which goes through the complete range in less than 1/2 turn.
I didn't measure the turning radius on the 8x42 Terra ED I tried briefly at a birding event, but I did find the focuser way too faaaaaaaast for my taste, much like the 8x32 LX. I could not keep up with the fast focus speed, and the tension of the focuser was Toulouse.
I'm a bit disappointed in the Terra's FOV. The Nikon 8x30 M7 has an 8.2* FOV, which is more to my liking. While I do like the 8x32 SE because of its low distortion and sharp edges, in good lighting, I prefer the 8x30 EII because of its larger FOV, which is better for the close-in, dense woodland birding I do, and also because I can focus the EII's image nearly to the edge in sunlight. In lower light, my focus accommodation deteriorates and the field curvature at the edges is more obvious, though still far enough out and gradual enough not be bothersome except on absolutely dismal, three-dog days where I should be inside sipping hot chocolate.
The 32mm Terra's 75% sweet spot with gradual fall off towards the edges is also to my liking. Wish I could compare an 8x30 M7 with an 8x32 Terra ED, that would be a good "shoot out."
I didn't measure the turning radius on the 8x42 Terra ED I tried briefly at a birding event, but I did find the focuser way too faaaaaaaast for my taste, much like the 8x32 LX. I could not keep up with the fast focus speed, and the tension of the focuser was Toulouse.
I'm a bit disappointed in the Terra's FOV. The Nikon 8x30 M7 has an 8.2* FOV, which is more to my liking. While I do like the 8x32 SE because of its low distortion and sharp edges, in good lighting, I prefer the 8x30 EII because of its larger FOV, which is better for the close-in, dense woodland birding I do, and also because I can focus the EII's image nearly to the edge in sunlight. In lower light, my focus accommodation deteriorates and the field curvature at the edges is more obvious, though still far enough out and gradual enough not be bothersome except on absolutely dismal, three-dog days where I should be inside sipping hot chocolate.
The 32mm Terra's 75% sweet spot with gradual fall off towards the edges is also to my liking. Wish I could compare an 8x30 M7 with an 8x32 Terra ED, that would be a good "shoot out."
John Dracon
John Dracon
Hi Brock - You are correct. I was referring to the LXs and their fast focus. They drove me crazy. My clumsy fingers always push past the point of best resolution. I swear a strong wind would move the focus knob. Silky smooth to the point that the knob seemed to "coast." Anyway, there was a young man here in White Suffering Springs who was guiding elk hunters. I loaned it (a 10x32) to him for the season, and a year later he hadn't returned it. But that really didn't bother me - just to get it out of my sight.
There was a view at dusk which I didn't mention above because the post was getting too long. After the sun had set, I was looking a two horses in a meadow about a half mile away with the light coming from behind me. (I'm facing east) One horse was a dark brown bay; the other a "paint" with white and light tan markings. Switching from binocular to binocular, I wanted to see which binocular would hold up the best. Several of my binoculars showed the bay to be black. But the Terra showed its true rich color. As could be expected, the paint with its large surfaces of white was easy to see, but the light tan markings were still visible.
But there is another aspect to the Terra that puzzles me, viz., that objects seem to show the 3-D effect that I always thought belonged to the porro construction. Last evening 10 whitetails moved within fifty yards of my deck. And 6 mule deer came by much closer. They were like a life size bronzes standing there. Animals even a distance of a half mile seem to be outlined by the Terra. I need to take it to one of our nearby forests and see how it performs in dense timber. I realize that depth of field claims of similar power binoculars is controversial, but I'm going to see how the Terra performs against three other eight power binoculars in my collection.
Something to amuse me today. Take care.
John
There was a view at dusk which I didn't mention above because the post was getting too long. After the sun had set, I was looking a two horses in a meadow about a half mile away with the light coming from behind me. (I'm facing east) One horse was a dark brown bay; the other a "paint" with white and light tan markings. Switching from binocular to binocular, I wanted to see which binocular would hold up the best. Several of my binoculars showed the bay to be black. But the Terra showed its true rich color. As could be expected, the paint with its large surfaces of white was easy to see, but the light tan markings were still visible.
But there is another aspect to the Terra that puzzles me, viz., that objects seem to show the 3-D effect that I always thought belonged to the porro construction. Last evening 10 whitetails moved within fifty yards of my deck. And 6 mule deer came by much closer. They were like a life size bronzes standing there. Animals even a distance of a half mile seem to be outlined by the Terra. I need to take it to one of our nearby forests and see how it performs in dense timber. I realize that depth of field claims of similar power binoculars is controversial, but I'm going to see how the Terra performs against three other eight power binoculars in my collection.
Something to amuse me today. Take care.
John
henry link
Well-known member
John,
Thanks for the excellent review. I particularly enjoyed reading the evocative description of your amazing "backyard"!
Henry
Thanks for the excellent review. I particularly enjoyed reading the evocative description of your amazing "backyard"!
Henry
Kammerdiner
Well-known member
More thanks from me, John. Your review is nothing short of eloquent. Wow can you write. :t:
I have also noticed that many of the latest roofs have, to my eyes, a very unexpected 3D appearance that rivals porros. I don't know what's going on but it seems real enough. Is it coatings, ED glass, field flatness???
Of the ones I've recently been using/had access to, here's which look really 3D, and which don't:
8.5 SV: Y
8x42 Zen Prime: Y
8x43 Zen ED2: N
7x36 Zen ED2: N
8x32 SV: Y
8x32 FL: N
None of my four compacts have it. So what is going on?
Mark
I have also noticed that many of the latest roofs have, to my eyes, a very unexpected 3D appearance that rivals porros. I don't know what's going on but it seems real enough. Is it coatings, ED glass, field flatness???
Of the ones I've recently been using/had access to, here's which look really 3D, and which don't:
8.5 SV: Y
8x42 Zen Prime: Y
8x43 Zen ED2: N
7x36 Zen ED2: N
8x32 SV: Y
8x32 FL: N
None of my four compacts have it. So what is going on?
Mark
FrankD
Well-known member
Mark,
I don't know if it is a definitive answer but all the bins that you said have a 3D effect also have field flattener designs.
Kammerdiner
Well-known member
That may have something to do with it, Frank. But John notes the same sensation in the Terra, which doesn't have a field flattener.
It also seems to be some elusive quality involving color and contrast, which makes objects "pop" more. That "pop" may have something to do with the 3D view.
I note that Eagle Optics says the Terra comes with a "display case," which I guess is a clear plastic box. So I guess my iPhone came with a "display case," too. I was wondering what it was for.
Anyway, I need a third 8x32 like an extra hole in the head, but that Terra sure is tempting.
Mark
For those in Europe - see https://www.worldshop.eu/product/Zeiss-Terra-ED-8-x-32/1746329?0
for direct ordering from Lufthansa
Barrie
for direct ordering from Lufthansa
Barrie
John Dracon
John Dracon
Gentlemen - Thank you for your compliments. I have to be careful not to stray too far from the twin topics of birds and optics, for without the latter, we could not enjoy the former as much. I have noted our moderator's (Steve) comments and understand them and agree with them. Political diatribes have no place in this forum, and certainly scatological and sarcastic comments should be avoided if possible. Also any language which tends to demean the opinions of others. I'm not talking about political correctness but rather a plea for civilized exchanges which we all try to model or should. I'm going to comment on the Under Armour harness which came with the Terra this evening.
John
John
