Where do you get one though? I haven't seen one for sale anywhere for a long time. I think everybody is hanging on to theirs. Here is a good review from scopeviews.You want an excellent and extremely durable 7x42 with close focus? I think the Zeiss 7x42 FL is the obvious answer. It has a very easy and wide view, good feel in the hands, and the close focus is quite good for a bin in this category. Not only does it focus down to 6 feet, but just as importantly, the focus ratio is rapid and precise, which allows for combination butterflying+birding. Other 7x42 do not focus as close and/or they have very slow close focus which hinders its utility.
That said, if hand shake is a big problem, image stabilization may be the best solution and may supersede close focus concerns.
--AP
http://scopeviews.co.uk/Zeiss7x42FL.htm