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

New Zeiss 8x32SF as your main binocular (1 Viewer)

I feel a bit late to this, despite having been one of those chivvying round dealers and those in the know regarding a potential new SF 32mm since just after the 42mm came out....
I thought Steve's point was principally that you shouldn't ruin your enjoyment of birding by constantly thinking that there's a better binocular out there, and that i agree with completely; however, there is a reliance by the industry that there will be sufficient punters who feel that way to keep the wheels a-turnin'. I just had a deja vu, and think i've said this somewhere on BF before.
The question i think i ask myself these days is whether my binoculars have actively prevented anything - has glare, or CA, or poor transmission actually worked against what i set out that morning to do, or prevented an i.d.
When i was a kid, i used to go off on a bike with my cousin's navy-issue marine bins round my neck, bruising my chest as they swung about.
The FL 8x32 is now my 'main' bin and i consider myself a bit of a Fat Baron by also having a Nikon Eii, a Pocket and a Vanguard EDII 8x42. Riches indeed!
I'm really keen to look through a 8x32 SF, but don't think i'll be chewing myself up if i don't actually buy one, or enjoy the FL any less as a result.
One builds a relationship with a binocular over a period of time, and through a range of experiences you've shared together and the danger of becoming a 'binocular butterfly' becomes less as that relationship develops.

Nice post; reminds me of much the same, playing about with an old German pair of binoculars and them bumping on the chest as you mention, till sadly I lost them - something I still beat myself up over as they weren't mine and they had history. Very salutary last sentence too!

Tom
 
I just want to say, very briefly and simply, that I would enjoy threads like this more if they stayed on topic and didn't keep degenerating into personal attacks that have by now become unpleasant and entirely repetitive themselves. What effect are they meant to have, and if they haven't by now... ?


Agreed; I'm unaware of the history but always feel uncomfortable with it, if truth be told.
 
You guys just need to understand who's opinions you can trust, and who's you cannot, that's all.

I have called out Dennis the Menace before, he just tries to bully his opinion
out there., leaving others in the ditch.
Don't believe anything he says. His opinion changes faster than a woman likes
to change shoes, just look at his ebay selling site.

He is a simple showboat, or whatever.....;) He simply likes the attention.

This website is not here to only support that only the highest priced optics are
worthy of consideration.

Jerry
 
I ....
This website is not here to only support that only the highest priced optics are
worthy of consideration.

Jerry
Agreed. Neither should it be a place for a single individual to monopolize.

As the Victory SF 8x32 has some chance of making me finally part ways with over $2k, I will withdraw to reasonable discussion of said binocular.
 
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Steve. We all change our mind's sometime's. Nothing wrong with it! Lighten up.;)

"Yes ,you get what you pay for, but after you spend $1,000 the extra benefit is simply not worth the cost. Is the Victory a better glass than the Conquest? Yes ,if you look hard enough and pick apart the requisite nits, it is a better glass. The subconscious realization of this is not worth it to me, but it is to some. Personally, if I had nearly $3K to spend, I'd get the Conquest and use the rest on a better trip. I would be secure in the knowledge I'd not miss a thing because of an inferior glass."

"As the Victory SF 8x32 has some chance of making me finally part ways with over $2k, I will withdraw to reasonable discussion of said binocular."
 
Dennis uses this forum for 2 primary purposes:

To inflate the perceived value of whatever binocular he currently owns, so he can either profit, or minimize his losses, when he sells them.

His relentless appetite for attention and status in this tiny corner of the virtual universe seems to be the underlying catalyst for this prolific, recurring cycle of behavior. He's spent over a decade on this forum haranguing a small, semi-captive audience with all the rhetoric and ethics of an unscrupulous used car salesman.

Briefly owning a product, does not convey any wisdom or depth of experience gleaned from practical use. I'm sure Dennis has memorized his FedEx or UPS account numbers though.

So, take him or leave him, he's not going away anytime soon, I expect.

-Bill
 
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But you argued relentlessly about their excellent warranty / better than Alphas and so on citing some extraordinary claims along the way. Okay, you have now changed tact and that is recognised. However you now appear to be "slating" these brands and for me, that becomes slightly hypocritical, as well as unfair now you have more disposable cash.

There is a market ( or was ) for affordable binoculars and we shouldn't loose sight of those users either.

Let's just enjoy what we have, eh?

Regards

PS. I own a 42mm SF, 8 x32 mm Victory FL, and a 7 x 42 Dialyt, none of which will be traded. If I was 10 years younger, a pair of SF 8 x 32 would be perfect for me as the only bin I needed.[

Yeah, my 8x(43) zen was great, until the focus bit the dirt. Sent it back and nothiing. They chewed the focus knob off and sent it back. It's junk.

RIP.
 
Which is not to say Zeiss is in the clear.

8x32 FL's were selling for as low as $750. I paid $1150. And for what it is, too much. Zeiss, near as I can tell, was selling factory seconds, at least for a while.

My first Zeiss 8x32 showed up with a totally nonfunctional focuser. It was stupiidly wrong. All the diopters in the world wouldn't fix it.

The replacement was better.

Still have it; I couldn't in good conscious sell it. It's not great.
 
Which is not to say Zeiss is in the clear.

8x32 FL's were selling for as low as $750. I paid $1150. And for what it is, too much. Zeiss, near as I can tell, was selling factory seconds, at least for a while.
My first Zeiss 8x32 showed up with a totally nonfunctional focuser. It was stupiidly wrong. All the diopters in the world wouldn't fix it.
The replacement was better.
Still have it; I couldn't in good conscious sell it. It's not great.

I'd be very surprised if this was a fact and probably close to a "slanderous" comment should there be nothing to support that claim. First time I have ever heard that. Did you purchase from an authorised Zeiss dealer?

Also, why pay 1150 when they were on offer for 2/3rds of that price, doesn't add up, perhaps you would kindly explain?

Thanks.
 
While I most likely will get the 8x32SF, one thing to take into account when comparing to other bins is the FOV....

From what I can gather, the 8x32SF will have a FOV of 155/1000 m, ....which surpasses just about anything I can find...Swaro EL 8x32.... Swaro 8x30cl.... Conquest, Habicht, Meostar, Lieca Ultravid, 8x42HT or SF....

For kicks I looked up the FOV on my 7x42 Zeiss B/Gat and it is superb at 150, but still not achieving the new 8x32SF. Zeiss is doing something right with this pair of bins.

While FOV isn't that important to me as I have gotten used to my 10x bins, it is something being bantered around a bit.
 
I'd be very surprised if this was a fact and probably close to a "slanderous" comment should there be nothing to support that claim. First time I have ever heard that. Did you purchase from an authorised Zeiss dealer?

Also, why pay 1150 when they were on offer for 2/3rds of that price, doesn't add up, perhaps you would kindly explain?

Thanks.

Hi Pyrtle,

Yeah I wouldn't believe it either, except that's what happened. Second pair, also "show demo" had defective eyepieces. Bad couplet cementing. Went back to Germany, eyepieces replaced. Right eyepiece now mucked up the same way. I can give you the technician's initials of you want. I'd rather Zeiss just gets it right.
 
Dennis uses this forum for 2 primary purposes:

To inflate the perceived value of whatever binocular he currently owns, so he can either profit, or minimize his losses, when he sells them.

His relentless appetite for attention and status in this tiny corner of the virtual universe seems to be the underlying catalyst for this prolific, recurring cycle of behavior. He's spent over a decade on this forum haranguing a small, semi-captive audience with all the rhetoric and ethics of an unscrupulous used car salesman.

Briefly owning a product, does not convey any wisdom or depth of experience gleaned from practical use. I'm sure Dennis has memorized his FedEx or UPS account numbers though.

So, take him or leave him, he's not going away anytime soon, I expect.

-Bill
I've now been on BF for 10 years and can remember various glorious battles over that period - some with Den, some without him; as you can see by the posts number, i'm not overly prolific.
Perhaps we can agree at this point that Dennis is on his own slightly erratic and swervy yellow brick road to optical nirvana. However, i'm sure we'll be the first to know when he arrives!;)
 
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Hi Pyrtle,

Yeah I wouldn't believe it either, except that's what happened. Second pair, also "show demo" had defective eyepieces. Bad couplet cementing. Went back to Germany, eyepieces replaced. Right eyepiece now mucked up the same way. I can give you the technician's initials of you want. I'd rather Zeiss just gets it right.

Thank you but I will pass on needing the engineers endorsement on a repair.

There is quite a difference between the terms " ex demo " and "factory seconds" from my understanding of the phrases which explains my initial reply. The only time I had come across this practice was when Leica offered a few fully serviced or reconditioned ex demonstrators at a keen price to retailers. I associate the other term as items not able to pass the quality control standard ( such as China, chocolates, clothing ) that show a slight defect, thus becoming rejects or seconds.

I'm fortunate in that my pre Lotutec FLs are still performing without fault for me. I hope yours are acceptable when they return.

Cheers.
 
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Thank you but I will pass on needing the engineers endorsement on a repair.

There is quite a difference between the terms " ex demo " and "factory seconds" from my understanding of the phrases which explains my initial reply. The only time I had come across this practice was when Leica offered a few fully serviced or reconditioned ex demonstrators at a keen price to retailers. I associate the other term as items not able to pass the quality control standard ( such as China, chocolates, clothing ) that show a slight defect, thus becoming rejects or seconds.

I'm fortunate in that my pre Lotutec FLs are still performing without fault for me. I hope yours are acceptable when they return.

Cheers.[/QUOTE

Excellent, Pyrtle. I haven't sent them back a second time, even though Zeiss knows they have a problem. Not a big deal. I sort of figured out that if it wouldn't focus at +8 diopters it probably didn't pass QC.

That was the first one, BTW.
 
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I've now been on BF for 10 years and can remember various glorious battles over that period - some with Den, some without him; as you can see by the posts number, i'm not overly prolific.
Perhaps we can agree at this point that Dennis is on his own slightly erratic and swervy yellow brick road to optical nirvana. However, i'm sure we'll be the first to know when he arrives!;)

I appreciate your reasoning, humor, and your ability to be succinct, Paddy. Your perspective is appreciated.

Cheers,

-Bill
 
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I just want to say, very briefly and simply, that I would enjoy threads like this more if they stayed on topic and didn't keep degenerating into personal attacks that have by now become unpleasant and entirely repetitive themselves.

Agreed; I'm unaware of the history but always feel uncomfortable with it, if truth be told.

Personal attacks and sniping at individuals create an unfriendly and intimidating atmosphere totally against the ethos of Birdforum. They make other members uncomfortable and discourage members from posting because they fear being the victims of these kinds of attack. Kindly cease and desist.

Lee
MODERATOR
 
I`ll certainly be interested to try them when ever that chance comes. The spec is hard to fault, the 8x32SV just about managed to replace a 42mm as my main tool, but, and I know many on here have no issues with the stray light control in the SV, it ruined some great views for me.

If the 32SF matches the SV in every other aspect, adding good stray light control and a 10%+ increase in fov its got to be a real contender.

Whether I`ll bother given how much I like my 42mm SF I`m not sure. I still think its too expensive, and the current 42mm models don`t "feel" like £2.3k quality IMHO.
 
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