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

Review: Zeiss Victory SF 8x32 (1 Viewer)

At last...
If you see nothing in a 10x56 because it's too dark, you can still see something with the 8x56, then the larger AP takes precedence over the higher magnification, but I think you just want to troll something.

Andreas

P.S.Binocular for night and dusk,

Where discussed at other locations, binoculars for dusk should have exit pupils of at least 5mm, Night glasses require even larger lenses. The standard glass for the hunter on the night seat is the 8x56, which with 7mm exit pupil provides plenty of reserves that many people of middle age cannot even fully use.
http://www.eyry.eu/miltec/documents/fernglaspraxis.pdf
 
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Still a folding bino or conventional? Either way it would be a step up in size, and although this is just my guess and could be wrong, I suspect a 20% increase in lens diameter would lead to a more than 20% increase in weight when the prisms, optical tubes and rubber armour are taken into account.

But you would get an easier eye placement too.

Lee

I am not a birder except by accident eg. gulls, or at home .... feeders and random locals.. In that context I already have what I need, although at the rate people are dumping x50 glasses ...

While walking, I use a binocular for glances or orientation, even in town; I find my eyesight improves and I have a much better mental model of where I am. In foreign places I choose my route better which SHE likes, with a single glance ensuring a 5 minute walk is not wasted. I have noticed that on trips the complaints about my not knowing where I’m going have ... stopped ever since I started describing what we would find on arrival, including once when I explained we would be back to civilisation after a 2 mile beach walk.

For drawing a glance through glasses allows me to get details and texture, a feel which helps me sketch even though I don’t really need it for the sketch. I may spend one minute every three days with the binoculars, but I enjoy that minute. Recently I started looking at the bas-relief carvings on the Arc de Triomphe, and ever since I used the glasses on them I can decode them much better with the naked eye when I walk past.

My ideal binocular is the largest one which is comfortable to EDC. I think the Leica 8x32 would be ok, but optically I find it less impressive than the Zeiss pocket.

Edmund

http://instagram.com/edmundronald
 
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I am not a birder except by accident eg. gulls, or at home .... feeders and random locals.. In that context I already have what I need, although at the rate people are dumping x50 glasses ...

While walking, I use a binocular for glances or orientation, even in town; I find my eyesight improves and I have a much better mental model of where I am. In foreign places I choose my route better which SHE likes, with a single glance ensuring a 5 minute walk is not wasted. I have noticed that on trips the complaints about my not knowing where I’m going have ... stopped ever since I started describing what we would find on arrival, including once when I explained we would be back to civilisation after a 2 mile beach walk.

For drawing a glance through glasses allows me to get details and texture, a feel which helps me sketch even though I don’t really need it for the sketch. I may spend one minute every three days with the binoculars, but I enjoy that minute. Recently I started looking at the bas-relief carvings on the Arc de Triomphe, and ever since I used the glasses on them I can decode them much better with the naked eye when I walk past.

My ideal binocular is the largest one which is comfortable to EDC. I think the Leica 8x32 would be ok, but optically I find it less impressive than the Zeiss pocket.

Edmund

http://instagram.com/edmundronald

Edmund I think it is great that you have found this way to enjoy your binoculars. If you ever visit art galleries where you are not allowed to approach the paintings closely, you might enjoy studying texture and brush-stroke technique by using your binos to examine the paintings.

Lee
 
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Yes, but if you are over 60 and your exit pupils are only 5mm the 10x56 and 8x56 will appear equally dark in low light. It depends on your age and pupil dilation. If you are over 60 you will probably see more in low light with a 10x56.
 
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Nice that you confirm my last post again.
Only there are younger people and they can normally take 7mm. AP. still use sensibly.

Andreas
 
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(SF, others have too many issues IMO)

would you put that in concrete terms?
Having said it periodically before, I didn't want to repeat myself... the common fault in previous Zeisses I've seen is noticeable distortions (astigmatism, coma) in the outer field which fans who concentrate on the sharp central view don't mind. This doesn't work for me. (Actually the latest 25mm Pocket belongs with the SF too)
 
Having said it periodically before, I didn't want to repeat myself... the common fault in previous Zeisses I've seen is noticeable distortions (astigmatism, coma) in the outer field which fans who concentrate on the sharp central view don't mind. This doesn't work for me. (Actually the latest 25mm Pocket belongs with the SF too)
The Zeiss SF 10x42 has very low astigmatism, distortion and coma. Not quite as good as the Swarovision 10x42 but equal to the Nikon EDG 10x42.

https://www.allbinos.com/304-binoculars_review-Carl_Zeiss_Victory_SF_10x42.html
https://www.allbinos.com/223-binoculars_review-Swarovski_EL_10x42_Swarovision.html
https://www.allbinos.com/215-binoculars_review-Nikon_10x42_EDG.html
 
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Having said it periodically before, I didn't want to repeat myself... the common fault in previous Zeisses I've seen is noticeable distortions (astigmatism, coma) in the outer field which fans who concentrate on the sharp central view don't mind. This doesn't work for me. (Actually the latest 25mm Pocket belongs with the SF too)

thank you...;)

Andreas
 
B&h

Hey all,
On another topic the B&H site is now showing the Victory 8x32 as available for $2249.99 US (7 to 14 day delivery)
Amazingly the purchase also includes a pair of either the 8 or 10 x 42 Terras.
Haven't found a buyer for the kidney yet otherwise I'd be on this pronto!
Seems like a decent deal.

Cheers,
Bryan
 
Hey all,
On another topic the B&H site is now showing the Victory 8x32 as available for $2249.99 US (7 to 14 day delivery)
Amazingly the purchase also includes a pair of either the 8 or 10 x 42 Terras.
Haven't found a buyer for the kidney yet otherwise I'd be on this pronto!
Seems like a decent deal.

Cheers,
Bryan

I have seen notification on Zeiss websites that SF32 will not be available until the autumn so B&H's 7-14 day delivery doesn't look likely.

Lee
 
Hi Tom,

I have the 8x32 and 7x42 EDG!

I share your assessment of the 7x42, the view is very calm and relaxing!
It's true that 7x42 has a slightly smaller AFOV, similar to the Leica 7x42, but the Nikon doesn't bother me at all because the overall picture is just excellent.
In this context it is difficult for me to say whether the 8x32 or the 7x42 is the better glass, I like both very much!

I cannot contribute to the other EDGs because I do not know these glasses.

Andreas

Thanks, Andreas. Reassuring to hear you like the 7x42 EDG too as I suspect you have a lot more experience with binoculars and viewing conditions than I do. Also reassuring because Dennis's post above is not the first time I have read of the 7x42 being darker than the others so from time to time I wondered if I had made an expensive mistake! And as you put the 7x42 up at the same level as the 8x32 which I know is well thought of by anyone who mentions it, that is great news.

Briefly digressing about 7x, though not at heart the collecting type when I talk to myself sternly, I had the idea two years ago to get some different alpha 7s as I knew they were being discontinued by most manufacturers and they were too good a concept to miss out on. Some lucky secondhand finds as well as two new purchases got me 7x42 in EDG, UVHD Plus, Dialyt ClassiC (BG/AT*P*) and Victory T*FL. As mentioned before the one I like most, purely for the beautiful view and colours is the UVHD Plus even if it doesn't feel as high resolving as the others, which makes me wonder if it's a weak sample or due to a difference in design emphasis. Anybody else who has looked through it says it's OK! When conditions ease I am considering a trip to Leica in Germany with them to Wetzlar as I am also a keen street photographer and use Leica's M-system, so it would be a pilgrimage with sightseeing, nature and photo opportunities.

I'm going off topic! Thank you again.

Tom
 
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Of course the EDG is a good binocular. It was even when Dennis didn't like it.

Your questions are dealing with optics, whereas Dennis is dealing with biased, subjective impressions, as, truthfully, most of us are. He read a review years ago on another website about the 'dark' EDG, and spent several years parroting those assertions on this forum, if only to needle and ridicule owners of said product. However that 'other' website has since re-canted those earlier observations, and now Dennis has to reconcile his former opinions with a new reality: Perhaps the EDG isn't 'dark' after all. Perhaps it never was!

Dennis now refers people to reviews that praise and rank his current purchases highly.

Wdc, just before I read your post I was thinking whether when we (at any rate I) read a review or criticism it even influences the view we think we actually get through the instrument in question. My 7x42 EDG purchase a year ago was a risk as I had no opportunity to find one to try out, the order from Nikon was not returnable unless the goods were faulty, and I had heard all sorts of things about poor service back up (true or false, I wouldn't know). So I was relieved and very impressed by the binoculars when they arrived. It ticked all the boxes I could think of and yes they were subjective impressions. Then doubts crept in: was it really true they were not as bright as XY and Z, and so on.. ?

Anyway if out in the field rather than standing at a window doing a comparison they still tick all the boxes for me, brightness included.

I think taking in a comment is not like eating something once off. If the thing you eat disagrees with you, you get rid of it after some hours and are soon back to normal; if you don't like something you hear it seems to stick with you a lot longer and you are reminded of it at various times even after you had seemingly forgotten!

It makes me wonder whether you should ever read a review, but then again without the review you could make some terrible purchasing mistakes.

Tom
 
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I have had all the EDG's. I would rank them 10x42 first, 8x32 2nd, 8x42 3rd, 10x32 4th and the 7x42 last. The 7x42 EDG IMO does have a duller image and a smaller AFOV compared to the rest of the EDG's and is my least favorite. The 10x42 EDG is about as perfect as a binocular get's. I have the 10x42 , 8x42 and the 8x32 EDG now. When the Zeiss SF 8x32 comes out I am going to compare it to my 8x32 EDG and whichever one I like better I will keep. I don't need two alpha 8x32's. I don't think the 8x32 SF will be necessarily better because the SF 10x42 IMO is not better than the EDG 10x42 but time will tell. The 8x32 SF will have the advantage of the bigger FOV like the 10x42 SF but the 8x32 EDG could still be better at glare, have sharper edges and doesn't have the orange crescent around the bottom of the FOV that I saw in the 10x42 SF and the EDG will most assuredly have a smoother focuser and possibly be higher quality than the new SF unless Zeiss does a major redesign of the focuser and increases their QC. I will write a short review of the two when Zeiss releases the SF 8x32.

https://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-10x42.html

Yes, the focuser is something very special indeed, Dennis. Maybe not in harshly cold temperatures but we don't get them in Britain apart from a few places (though most people complain if the temperature goes below about 40 deg.F).

Tom
 
I am not a birder except by accident eg. gulls, or at home .... feeders and random locals.. In that context I already have what I need, although at the rate people are dumping x50 glasses ...

While walking, I use a binocular for glances or orientation, even in town; I find my eyesight improves and I have a much better mental model of where I am. In foreign places I choose my route better which SHE likes, with a single glance ensuring a 5 minute walk is not wasted. I have noticed that on trips the complaints about my not knowing where I’m going have ... stopped ever since I started describing what we would find on arrival, including once when I explained we would be back to civilisation after a 2 mile beach walk.

For drawing a glance through glasses allows me to get details and texture, a feel which helps me sketch even though I don’t really need it for the sketch. I may spend one minute every three days with the binoculars, but I enjoy that minute. Recently I started looking at the bas-relief carvings on the Arc de Triomphe, and ever since I used the glasses on them I can decode them much better with the naked eye when I walk past.

My ideal binocular is the largest one which is comfortable to EDC. I think the Leica 8x32 would be ok, but optically I find it less impressive than the Zeiss pocket.

Edmund

http://instagram.com/edmundronald

Hi Edmund,

I enjoyed reading this - a bit of local and personal colour! I couldn't work out EDC. Or does EDC = SHE?!

Best wishes,

Tom
 
nice review, look to be tops on my list

Great review....now you got me thinking!...I am after a 8 x30 or 8x32....I am not in love with the Swaro 8x32EL but do like the CL 8x30. But this SF will more than outclass the CL I am sure. Of course you get what you pay for, as always with optics.

I have a Victory 10x42 and know the ergonomics of Zeiss..... I love it. And the FOCUS wheel of the Zeiss's is simply superb for my hands. I love the large wheel....smooth as butter and ergonomically it is placed so when you focus the bins, you are balancing the bins as well. So might have to save a bit and pick one of these up.

Right now in the states I can get this for $2250 minus 12%, bringing the price below $2000 US. Or I can go thru B & H and get a free cheaper Zeiss (no thanks). But to have this below $2000 to me is an excellent buy based upon your review. I can see nothing wrong with this model...nothing, based upon your review. It isn't due in stock for a few months (july) and depending on the virus situation, might be delayed further. But I do like this. Thanks for the review. This would be a great addition to my Zeiss 10x42...
 
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Great review....now you got me thinking!...I am after a 8 x30 or 8x32....I am not in love with the Swaro 8x32EL but do like the CL 8x30. But this SF will more than outclass the CL I am sure. Of course you get what you pay for, as always with optics.

I have a Victory 10x42 and know the ergonomics of Zeiss..... I love it. And the FOCUS wheel of the Zeiss's is simply superb for my hands. I love the large wheel....smooth as butter and ergonomically it is placed so when you focus the bins, you are balancing the bins as well. So might have to save a bit and pick one of these up.

Right now in the states I can get this for $2250 minus 12%, bringing the price below $2000 US. Or I can go thru B & H and get a free cheaper Zeiss (no thanks). But to have this below $2000 to me is an excellent buy based upon your review. I can see nothing wrong with this model...nothing, based upon your review. It isn't due in stock for a few months (july) and depending on the virus situation, might be delayed further. But I do like this. Thanks for the review. This would be a great addition to my Zeiss 10x42...

Hi Jim
Thank you for your kind words. A nice companion for your SF 10x42? Sounds like a great team.

Lee
 
Also reassuring because Dennis's post above is not the first time I have read of the 7x42 being darker than the others so from time to time I wondered if I had made an expensive mistake! And as you put the 7x42 up at the same level as the 8x32 which I know is well thought of by anyone who mentions it, that is great news.

Hello Tom,

the problem is there aren't that many 7x42 out there anymore!

The Nikon 7x42 is often compared to the Zeiss 7x42 and yes, the Zeiss is brighter, if only because of AK prisms!
The Nikon is similarly bright as the Leica 7x42 but brightness is only one point among many, especially since I believe that the Zeiss T * FL 7x42 is primarily aimed at hunters or people who watch a lot at dusk.

What I like so much about the Nikon is the very calm insight, absolutely relaxing, plus the wonderful color rendering, which I like even better than in the Zeiss SF, is of course subjective,but color rendering is similar of the pictures old Flemish painters, the colors are very saturated, full and eye-pleasing.

By the way, I previously had the Zeiss 7x42 Victory and sold the Zeiss due to the optical properties of the Nikon's.

I also like to read binoculars reports, but personally I would not let them influence me too much, there have already been reports about glasses that have often been described as top, but which I ultimately couldn't do anything with, binoculars are always subjective!

If you like binoculars, just enjoy it regardless of whether other people don't like it so that's the most important thing!

Enjoy the Nikon, it is an excellent binocular and does not need to hide from any other binoculars.

Means,
Andreas
 
I have seen notification on Zeiss websites that SF32 will not be available until the autumn so B&H's 7-14 day delivery doesn't look likely.

Lee

Thanks Lee,
You'll be relieved to learn I was preserved from disappointment as I never took their 7 to 14 day promise seriously. In this case it looks like B&H has trotted out it's standard availability boilerplate prose, naughty webmaster!

Having dealt with them numerous times before and their being a prominent retailer I have confidence that they would receive product the same time as every other major retailer. Since one's credit card isn't charged until the product actually ships there's little risk other than time.
Were someone to finally sell a kidney and that someone ordered the 8x32's the deal with the Terra's would probably still apply whenever the product shipped.

By the by Lee, thank you for the great review, my kidney's not happy but the rest of me is grateful.
Cheers,
Bryan
 
Thanks Lee,
You'll be relieved to learn I was preserved from disappointment as I never took their 7 to 14 day promise seriously. In this case it looks like B&H has trotted out it's standard availability boilerplate prose, naughty webmaster!

Having dealt with them numerous times before and their being a prominent retailer I have confidence that they would receive product the same time as every other major retailer. Since one's credit card isn't charged until the product actually ships there's little risk other than time.
Were someone to finally sell a kidney and that someone ordered the 8x32's the deal with the Terra's would probably still apply whenever the product shipped.

By the by Lee, thank you for the great review, my kidney's not happy but the rest of me is grateful.
Cheers,
Bryan

Good news and hang on to that kidney it may be increasing in value :-O

Lee
 
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