16x and steady views. Sig Zulu6 16x42 (3 Viewers)

[Dennis Mau]

I got the Sig Sauer Zulu 6 16x42 today, and I am really impressed! They look like binoculars from the future. They surprised me how good optically they are. They have excellent contrast and are extremely sharp to the edge and bright with the HD glass. The weight is phenomenal at less than 21 oz. on my scale with the battery in them.

It is amazing how much detail you can with IS at 16x. These are a lot of fun to use because you can see so much detail at incredible distances. They did have the Sig Sauer seal on the box. The eye cups are really nice, adjustable and comfortable, and I get no black-outs at the third click stop. The AFOV is 62 degrees and seems quite wide for a 16x.

I used my own strap because I don't care for a metal ring which their strap uses, and it worked fine. The eye cup covers are a little loose and tend to come off pretty easy, but that is not a big thing. The focuser is a little tight, but it is wide enough, so you can two finger it and I think it will loosen up. These are some of the best IS binoculars I have used, and I love the light weight. Thanks, rdnzl.

 

[quincy88]

I think those are pretty nice looking for a pair of IS binos.

 

[rdnzl]

I got the Sig Sauer Zulu 6 16x42 today, and I am really impressed! They look like binoculars from the future. They surprised me how good optically they are. They have excellent contrast and are extremely sharp to the edge and bright with the HD glass. They are actually better than the Canon's and have less CA, especially on the edge. The weight is phenomenal at less than 21 oz. on my scale with the battery in them.

It is amazing how much detail you can with IS at 16x. These are a lot of fun to use because you can see so much detail at incredible distances. They did have the Sig Sauer seal on the box. The eye cups are really nice, adjustable and comfortable, and I get no black-outs at the third click stop. The AFOV is 62 degrees and seems quite wide for a 16x.

I used my own strap because I don't care for a metal ring which their strap uses, and it worked fine. The eye cup covers are a little loose and tend to come off pretty easy, but that is not a big thing. The focuser is a little tight, but it is wide enough, so you can two finger it and I think it will loosen up. These are some of the best IS binoculars I have used, and I love the light weight. Thanks, rdnzl.

I thought you might be impressed. In addition to what you said, there is what I call the "Fun factor." They are a lot of fun to use.

 

[Dennis Mau]

I thought you might be impressed. In addition to what you said, there is what I call the "Fun factor." They are a lot of fun to use.

Exactly. They are fun because you can see so close up from a long distance and they are steady. There is no way you can use 16x without IS or a tripod. You shut off the IS and you are shaking all over the place.

 

[Dennis Mau]

I think those are pretty nice looking for a pair of IS binos.

They designed them that way to keep the weight down.

 

[rdnzl]

Exactly. They are fun because you can see so close up from a long distance and they are steady. There is no way you can use 16x without IS or a tripod. You shut off the IS and you are shaking all over the place.

And being able to use them one handed is great. I'm glad I grabbed this model before they are all gone. The HDX, while I'm sure it is great, it's out of my budget range. These are a great value. My Canons haven't gotten much use since these arrived.

 

[rdnzl]

I have the 12x36 III, the 10x30 II, and the 8x20.

 

[Dennis Mau]

I have the 12x36 III, the 10x30 II, and the 8x20.

Same here.

 

[rdnzl]

I'll probably keep them all. For now. But by the end of the summer if there's any I haven't used, I might sell.

 

[Dennis Mau]

I'll probably keep them all. For now. But by the end of the summer if there's any I haven't used, I might sell.

I would like to try the Zulu 6 HDX 20x42. 20x would be like a spotting scope. They are a little too expensive for me, though.

 

[rdnzl]

The exit pupil might be getting a bit too small on those.

 

[Dennis Mau]

The exit pupil might be getting a bit too small on those.

Yes, they probably would not be too good in low light.

 

[rdnzl]

Aside from birds, I was able to view the moon. Clear skies. The half moon was fun to view at 16x handheld. Nice details and sharp views

 

[fazalmajid]

Aren't these made by Kamakura in their Chinese factory?
It's a slightly confusing situation with all these IS-binos. These 16x42 models are sold by many different brands with only slight design changes. But I think the first 16x42 from Kite was "made in Japan". Since Kamakura is a Japanese company, it's probably not too far fetched to think they have more than one factory where these are made. So these might all be the same Kamakura-design, the first ones being made in Japan, the next production batch moved to China.

My late 2020 vintage Kite 16x42 APC (ordered directly from Kite Optics) are definitely made in Japan. They are pretty good at stabilization, but also with significant CA.

 

[Dennis Mau]

My late 2020 vintage Kite 16x42 APC (ordered directly from Kite Optics) are definitely made in Japan. They are pretty good at stabilization, but also with significant CA.

The Sig Sauer Zulu 6 are much better at CA control then the Kite's or the Canon's because they have HD glass. They are also brighter, have better contrast and are significantly lighter.

 

[Binocollector]

The Sig Sauer Zulu 6 are much better at CA control then the Kite's or the Canon's because they have HD glass. They are also brighter, have better contrast and are significantly lighter.

The Canon IS binos in 15x50, 18x50 and 10x42 have ED glass (Canon calls it "UHD"). The cheaper one's don't.

 

[Dennis Mau]

The Canon IS binos in 15x50, 18x50 and 10x42 have ED glass (Canon calls it "UHD"). The cheaper one's don't.

True, those models of Canon's do have ED glass, but outside of the much lower magnification Canon 10x42 IS-L I didn't find them to be nearly as effective as the HD glass in the Sig Sauer. The Canon 15x50 IS and 18x50 IS when I tried them showed considerable CA on the edge. That is a big reason I find the Sig Sauer preferable, especially in the higher magnification models like the 16x42.

The other reason I much prefer the Sig Sauer is they are about 1/2 the weight of the Canon 10x42 IS-L, 15x50 IS and 18x50 IS. Also, outside of the Canon 10x42-IS L the other Canon models are just water-resistant. The newer Sig Sauer HDX models are all fully waterproof to IPX 7 or can be completely submersed. So Sig Sauer has all the bases covered depending on what you need.

I also find the Sig Sauer to be brighter and have better contrast in general than the Canon's, so they must use a better grade of glass. Really, the Sig Sauer and especially the HDX models are the IS binoculars everybody has been wishing for. They are 1/2 the weight of the Canon's, fully waterproof and have better optics. The Sig Sauer Zulu 6 16x42 is amazing how much detail you can see. As rdnzl says, I have never had so much fun with a binocular. Even a $3000 NL. It is like looking through a spotting scope without the hassle of a tripod except with a 61 degree AFOV.

 

[Binocollector]

@[email protected]
You're really making me interested in that Zulu6. However, all the good deals seem to be gone. When I did my research back in the day before I bought the Canon 18x50 (which however wasn't bought for birding but for astronomy, so I wanted a larger aperture) the Zulu6 was available for much less money than current offers.

 

[Dennis Mau]

@[email protected]
You're really making me interested in that Zulu6. However, all the good deals seem to be gone. When I did my research back in the day before I bought the Canon 18x50 (which however wasn't bought for birding but for astronomy, so I wanted a larger aperture) the Zulu6 was available for much less money than current offers.

I have more fun with the Sig Sauer Zulu 6 16x42 than any binocular I have had, including my NL. I have the Sig Sauer Zulu 6 10x30 or order. I sold my Canon's because the Sig Sauer's are better optically and they are lighter.

 

[rdnzl]

Plane spotting is great. Once you get one in view you can follow it very easily. I've used mine to view ships out in the shipping lanes. With 16x I can see people on deck and on the bridge. Really nice for birds that aren't real close. Great colors. I was downtown for an appointment and while waiting a bit in the car before going in, I used them to watch iron workers up on the high steel of a tall building, doing what they do. Really cool.