David:
Thanks, but I don't know how to cut and paste, like you mention.
Maybe someone can post a translated link.
Jerry
Jerry
Here is a translation of the text only: you will need to look at the Dutch test report as you read to refer to illustrations. Hope this works for you.
Note that 'viewer' means binoculars, and the first paragraph refers to the replacement of the former agent for Zeiss in B/NL by a local Zeiss office.
General Comments
Zeiss formerly had its own office in Weesp from which the viewer sale was managed.
About fifteen years ago this plant was closed and the viewer department was pushed Technolyt in Wormerveer.
At that time, Swarovski also booming with very good binoculars and telescopes.
And whether we like it or not, at present, in our country the market completely dominated in the high end by this brand.
This is not only due to the quality of their products, but it certainly is a clever strategy by sales.
The sale of Zeiss binoculars and telescopes are now controlled from the Dutch Zeiss headquartered in Sliedrecht.
The new Zeiss SF viewers are not more than one year on the market, but until now I managed to get it available for a test.
Incomprehensible that even the importer that temporarily could make available for testing. Therefore, we are indebted to birders Photo Konijnenberg in Den Ham
which I could get these viewers for a test on loan.
The e-mails I receive from birders go there many on the question "what is? The best viewer for me." However, I will never appoint a viewer as "best"
partly because the choice often depends on personal preferences.
In this report I will particularly pay attention to the similarities and differences between the Zeiss Victory 10x42 SF and the Swarovski EL 10x42.
I published a report in June 2010 on the EL binoculars from Swarovski. Optical has hardly changed anything in these viewers but the design has undergone minor changes.
Formerly the warranty for both brands in our country for thirty years, but now it is brought back to ten years.
In the table I put next to compare the specifications of the Zeiss Victory SF viewers of the "old" Zeiss Victory 10x42 T * FL and those of the Swarovski EL 10x42.
design
The SF 10x42 is about 70 grams lighter than the EL 10x42, and about 14 mm. longer.
The magnesium viewer housing of the EL is provided with a rather hard green plastic lining, which of SF consists of a gray and clearly softer plastic.
Time will tell whether this higher temperature and with wet hands as possible may feel sticky.
The focus of the SF is closer to the eyepiece and because the viewer is longer than the EL grab him up more to the front and feels for my taste more pleasant.
Moreover, the index finger than exactly on the Focus button, which is not the case with the EL.
The individual ocular adjustment is made at the SF by pulling out an extra button on the focusing screw.
In EL the focus knob must be pulled out in its entirety. I have no preference for one of two methods.
It is known that the focus knob clockwise is heavier at the EL viewers (against spring pressure) counterclockwise.
When SF is the focus in both directions smoothly but I found both the SF 8x as with SF 10x slight play on this button.
SF set with a rotation of 250 degrees (from 3 m. To infinity) slightly faster than the sharp EL 300 degrees.
The effective eye relief is the SFs and the EL 17 mm respectively. and 16 mm. I should like wearer slightly unscrew the eyepiece rings (cups eye) to see any black spots.
When EL is one notch and at the SF needs a bit of feeling. While at the Victory 10x42 T * FL eyepiece rings or snapping at intermediate positions, one has refrained from SF. Pity, because especially when using the eyepiece cap distorts the institution often unintentionally.
In EL the eyepiece rings of metal, but in the SF and FL they are made of plastic which makes a little less solid impression.
When my now 12 year old 10x42T * FL works incidentally, still as before and in addition they are easy to replace if something unexpected should fail.
When the freeze-test (-20 ° C), all movable parts are still prevalent, but the hinge rotation is then very heavy, both for the SF as under the EL.
After thawing, all viewers free of internal condensation.
SF are supplied with a carrying case, straps for bags and binoculars, caps for eyepieces and lenses and a user manual in thirteen different languages except Dutch.
The caps for the lenses by means attaching a string to the viewer but that seems less useful because they me what to dangle in the field.
However, they are easily removed by a special connection. When FL to fix the covers with tight rubber rings around the viewer house and working at my "old" Florida still good. also with the Swarovski EL know they firmly attach to the viewer. The previously used rubber rings were too soft so you lost the caps regularly.
The optical performance
A comparison between the SF and the EL 10x 10x is equal to the larger field of view of the SF on. A viewing angle of nearly 62 degrees is worth a compliment to the Zeiss designers.
As Swarovski Zeiss has now implemented a "field flattening" which reduces the distortion at the edges and increases the edge sharpness.
However, this technique involves the creation of the "globe effect", also called the "rolling ball" effect where the image which seems to undulate when one moves the viewer.
Many observers do not bother them, but some claim it to be dizzy or nauseous. But perhaps it is also a matter of accustoming.
So is the art of keeping this effect within the limits and still provide a reasonably good edge sharpness with little distortion at the edges.
To my taste, the Zeiss succeeded thereby to find a nice compromise. Partly because of the larger field of view is the edge acuity somewhat lower than in the EL, but also the globe effect is less pronounced. Whether or not experience disturbing this phenomenon is very personal and I'm curious to hear the experiences of other users.
So do not hesitate to email me about that.
The display manufacturers as light transmission value of 92% for the SF and 90% for the EL. But there is no mention in for any wavelength, and whether this could be some kind of average for "daylight". In the field, I get the impression that the EL is slightly brighter, but possibly it is because the natural color of the viewer.
The SF has a light, non-irritating yellow cast that makes the image warmer hue.
SF 10x indicates the image edges to see a little less blue / green color than the edges EL and SF 8x just a little more.
The phenomenon is moreover inconvenient in any of the viewers. In the field, I have the SF 10x slightly larger focus range (depth of sharpness) than the EL 10x, possibly due to the slightly longer focal length of the lens SF, but this is just an assumption. The differences are also not very large.
The sharpness of all viewers very well. Both 10x binoculars score on my test card a resolution of 2.8 arc seconds.
The eye means 28 arc seconds and a resolution is not reached by the average human eye.
The magnification listed on viewers is often not 100% exact. On the image of the test chart can be seen that the image of the EL is a little larger than that of the SF.
Finally,
Zeiss has the market now, about 12 years after the release of the top models "Victory T * FL", enriched by the SF-viewers.
These belong to the absolute top, and in this report I made comparisons with the largest competitor, the Swarovski EL 10x42.
I hope that the prospective buyer therefore slightly easier to make a choice. But the final choice is it necessary to compare the next few viewers in a well-equipped shop considered adjacent. Not all eyes can differences are equal and flavors.
Finally, I sincerely hope that with the Zeiss binoculars again gets the attention of the Dutch birders who she used to be and they certainly deserve.
ear questions and / or comments regarding binoculars and telescopes I am only reached by email at
[email protected]
(To send you must remove "DITNIET" from the address)
February 2016 J.A. meijerin
but I laugh at the auto-translate results sometimes:
