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

SF Review - Scope Views, Roger Vine (1 Viewer)

NDhunter

Experienced observer
United States
I found another review of the new SF models, and that is by Roger
Vine, Scope Reviews.

I cannot post a link, so just google, "Scope Views Roger Vine.

He is mostly an astro reviewer, and does a very nice review of the Zeiss,
and I agree with his thoughts.

Jerry
 
I found another review of the new SF models, and that is by Roger
Vine, Scope Reviews.

I cannot post a link, so just google, "Scope Views Roger Vine.

He is mostly an astro reviewer, and does a very nice review of the Zeiss,
and I agree with his thoughts.

Jerry
Here is the link for the Roger Vine Zeiss 10x42 SF review. He liked the Zeiss SF for their optics and functionality but wouldn't buy them because of quality issues. Here is also the link for Swarovski 10x50 SV review. It is among his favorite all around binoculars and surprisingly are among his favorite astronomy binoculars. Here is a quote from the review on the 10x50 SV's performance on the night sky. Also, the link for the review site.

"The view of the Great Nebula in Orion on a clear night was the best I’ve had through binoculars, period. I could make out the dark lane and sharply defined ‘arms’ as if through a telescope. With averted vision I could see variations in the nebulosity – something I’ve never seen with hand-held binoculars before."


http://scopeviews.co.uk/Zeiss10x42SF.htm

http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/Swaro10x50EL.htm

http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/BinoReviews.htm
 
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The Zeiss SF beats the SV in many ways. The balanced handling, better focuser and wide FOV have now
set a new high point. And I should mention the SF is easily brighter than the Swarovision.
I now have a new favorite.

Jerry
 
Thanks Jerry,

This is a very good site. Well written and thorough reviews from a perceptive and knowledgeable fellow. On the SF review, there is the minor slip of saying that the dioptre adjustment lacks a scale, while the scale is clearly visible in all the photos. True, when you pull the wheel out, no scale is revealed, but that is because it is printed on the top of the wheel with the index mark on the hinge.

Other than that, I largely agree with his findings when it comes to the 10x42 SF, and also on the 10x56 SLC & the 10x30 Canon. The other reviews I'll look at later.

Kimmo
 
If there was anything about the dreaded green cast, I missed it.

Steve

Here is how he summed up the view:
By any standards the view is excellent: superbly detailed and natural and aberration free.​
(my italics).

Shame his example had QA issues in other ways.

Lee
 
Steve

Here is how he summed up the view:
By any standards the view is excellent: superbly detailed and natural and aberration free.​
(my italics).

Shame his example had QA issues in other ways.

Lee

I agree and it seems the early examples of the SF had some issues
reported on more than one review.

The newer production, and one I am using, I received in November, seems solid in every way with no issues at all.

The focuser is superb, and that is one thing I really appreciate.

Jerry
 
"Despite the lack of a blackened lens ring, the SFs control stray light exceptionally well. They produced no flare or ghosting or spikes, even on a streetlight or full Moon. Veiling flare, when viewing around a full Moon or bright lamp, was also very well controlled."

No spikes, as reported elsewhere.
 
Thanks Jerry,

This is a very good site. Well written and thorough reviews from a perceptive and knowledgeable fellow. On the SF review, there is the minor slip of saying that the dioptre adjustment lacks a scale, while the scale is clearly visible in all the photos. True, when you pull the wheel out, no scale is revealed, but that is because it is printed on the top of the wheel with the index mark on the hinge.

Other than that, I largely agree with his findings when it comes to the 10x42 SF, and also on the 10x56 SLC & the 10x30 Canon. The other reviews I'll look at later.

Kimmo

Kimmo:

He is a good reviewer, another mistake he made about the Zeiss SF
is he said it has plastic strap lugs, and they are really magnesium.

Jerry
 
Also he says:

The colour balance overall seems slightly less vivid than Swarovski’s ELs and I also felt that the SFs lacked the absolutely crystalline clarity and supreme resolution of my ELs, but that could well be down to variation between samples.
 
Also he says:

I felt that the SFs lacked the absolutely crystalline clarity and supreme resolution of my ELs, but that could well be down to variation between samples.

Yes he must have had an amazing and quite exceptionally good EL to come to that conclusion :-O

Lee
 
1st you spend weeks trying to find as many bad reviews as possible for the SF, then you try a pair and tell us how much you like them, now you are back to trying to find fault wherever it may be.

Seriously man, you have one of the finest bins in the world [your SV], why don't you go off and enjoy it and forget about the SF?
 
The Zeiss SF beats the SV in many ways. The balanced handling, better focuser and wide FOV have now
set a new high point. And I should mention the SF is easily brighter than the Swarovision.
I now have a new favorite.

Jerry

Hi Jerry:

Is it SF 10x42? I own an SF 10x , and was considering buying also an EDG 10x42---I cannot try the EDG before buying, and would appreciate a comparison of your EDG and SF---I believe the EDG was your favorite; why do you now prefer the SF? (the EDG has a number of potential mechanical issues; besides that it is sometimes referred to as a "lump of lead"---does it really feel heavy in the hand?).

Peter
 
Wow. A surprising and disappointing review from the perspective of build quality; and then to have Chill6X6 confirm it. At any rate the best image I've ever seen was from the Zeiss HT 8x42 as I said last week below.

You agree Chuck since you have SF, HT's, and UV's? How is the HT build quality?

As my eyes got progressively wider in the Roger Vine review:

"armour is thin and the strap lugs are plastic [magnesium actually], the eye cups quite flimsy"
"More seriously, the armour on the test pair was loose in places, making scrunching noises when pressed."
"there is all that dust in the left barrel."
"loose eye cups"
"the uneven finish on the bridge"
"the loose and wobbly diopter knob"

For sure. In the last couple of months through Woods and Water in Tuscaloosa I've gotten to get all the time I would want behind the new Victory SF's in 8 and 10 and some EL's, and have used HT's at TTown Gander Mountain and with the North AL Birding Society. And, the Bass Pro East of B'ham and the Cabela's off 565 in HSV nearer to you have a big stock of Swaro EL's as well as the new banana Geovids.

The best image for me of anything was the 8x42 HT's . . .
 
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