Zen-Ray ZRS HD 8x32 Review & Comparison
Ok Ok Den Dee here it is! o
I have had my new 8x32 ZRS for almost a week now, and have been comparing it to my other two binoculars on hand:
1. Minox BD BR 8x32 ALT (aspherical)
2. Bushnell Excursion 8x28
These are useful benchmarks for comparison because the Minox is a solid mid-tier 8x32 which sold for ~$500ish when it was new, and the Bushnell 8x28 was a somewhat legendary budget option as a nice compact backup for people who hate tiny binoculars (25mm or smaller).
The most obvious appeal of the new 32mm ZRS of course is its compact size and exceptionally low weight. Since the Bushnell was discontinued, there really isn't much out there for someone who wants a decent, light-weight option for hiking or travel that doesn't sacrifice much optically to a "full sized" binocular, and doesn't want to spend $400+ on an Opticron MG or $900+ on a Swaro CL.
Quick conclusion for those who don't want to read the rest:
In short, I think Zen-Ray absolutely nailed it with this binocular. It fits this niche perfectly. In terms of handling and "feel" it works like a normal binocular (not annoyingly small or fiddly like most double-hinge subcompacts), just throw it up to your eyes and look at stuff.
I think this binocular can be thought of as the new-and-improved spiritual successor to the Bushnell 8x28, or alternately the "poor man's Swaro CL". It's small, it's light, it's well built, it handles nicely, it has nice optics, it has a solid warranty backed by a great company, and it only costs 200 bucks.
For someone who has nice "main" binoculars but wants a solid, lightweight option for those times where weight is a concern, but doesn't want to go to the <3mm exit pupil and annoying handling of tiny subcompacts... and also can't stomach the thought of dropping 900 bucks on a Swaro 8x30CL just to get something decent that's lighter, the ZRS merits serious consideration. It's not a world-beater optically, but it's bright and sharp on-axis, and the overall package is excellent.
Build and Ergonomics
The 32mm ZRS feels very solid and well built. The textured rubber armor is solid and comfortable, and it feels good in my average-sized hands. It's probably a bit too short for people with big hands to use comfortably. It's a traditional single-hinge "H body" design, and the central hinge area is narrow enough that there is plenty of room on the barrel to wrap two fingers without blocking the objectives. I find the most comfortable hold for me is index finger on the focus knob, two fingers on the hinge, and my pinky resting on the barrel in front of the hinge.
With this hold, it handles like a "normal" binocular for me. In this regard it feels better than the slightly smaller/stubbier Bushnell. I don't "feel" like I'm handling a compact, but it weighs so little that I barely notice it slung over my shoulder when not in use.
The eyecups are a standard design, with comfortable rubber covering a metal cylinder underneath. The eyecups rotate out with one intermediate stop. None of the stops are "rock solid" like some more expensive binoculars I've used, but they hold their place fine. The eyecups are much more comfortable than the more hard-edged versions on the Bushnell 8x28.
Eye relief works fine for me (I don't wear glasses). With eyecups fully extended I can just plop them in my eye sockets and look through them. I would imagine someone with glasses might see some minimal cut-off of the FOV, depending on the shape of their face and how thick the glasses are.
Central hinge tension is slightly looser than I like, I would prefer it a little firmer to hold the IPD position.
They are so light that I can use them easily one-handed for a quick look, and I only need to brace them lightly with a finger or two of my off hand for a steadier view.
The accessories seem to be the standard ZRS package; it appears they simply repurposed the case from the 42mm ZRS, because it is somewhat comically large for the much more compact 32mm. Rainguard and objective covers are standard soft rubber deals, and both stay put. The single-hinge design allows for the objective covers to be well tethered with rubber loops, and they don't seem to be in any danger of falling off. I ended up using the nicer contoured neoprene strap that I have left over from when I had the ED3 (the ZRS strap is similar but not as padded or contoured).
Overall build quality is excellent for the price point. It absolutely blows away the Bushnell 8x28 in build quality (which feels very cheap, the compromise for such nice optics at such a low price) but falls short of the little Minox which is built like a tank.
Focusing
The focus knob on my sample is wonderful. It is smooth and light, with only a teensy tiny bit of free play that is barely noticeable. Much better than the focus knob on the ED2, but doesn't feel quite as robustly machined as that on the ED3 (although my ED3 knob ended up developing some minor free play).
Focus speed as mentioned by others is a standard 1.5 turns rack-to-rack. Much of the focus travel is in the <10ft/3m close focus range. I did a little test of the 10ft>infinity travel, and it's about 1/2 turn, with about 3/4 turn left for closer than 10ft and about 1/4 turn past infinity. Close focus seems as spec'd (~6ft). The focus is a nice speed, although if I had my choice I'd make it a wee bit faster. The Minox BD BR has a really smooth, fast focus, with only 1/4 turn total for 10ft>infinity, which I like better since 95% of my focusing can be done with one "swipe" of the finger. Going from 10ft to infinity or back on the Zen is a two "swipe" affair for me.
As mentioned by others the Zen focus CCW to infinity, but this is the same as my other binoculars. I don't really have a preference in this area.
Optics
For anyone familiar with Zen-Ray's binoculars, the optical package of the 32mm ZRS will not be a surprise. While I haven't tried the 42mm ZRS, I've owned the Vista (8x42), ED2 (7x36), and ED3 (8x43), and Charles has successfully brought comparable optical quality to this 32mm body.
It essentially has what I've found to be the typical Zen-Ray optical formula: nice and bright with the dielectric coatings, very sharp on axis, moderate sweet spot, plenty of pincushion, mediocre edges.
The view is bright, obviously brighter than the somewhat "dingy" Bushnell. I was expecting it to be brighter than the Minox with its older silver coatings, but in fact they are effectively equal. The Zen appears maybe a hair brighter in daylight, but the Minox reverses things in dark conditions (e.g. reading street signs or license plates at night). So it's a wash there. Therefore, based on memory, I would expect that it's not as bright as the ED3.
The color appears to be nearly neutral, with maybe a slightly yellow tinge, the severity of which depends on the lighting conditions (ranging from imperceptible to a little noticeable).
Chromatic Aberration (CA) appears to be average, about equal with the other binoculars I have. Minimal in the center, moderate at the edges, easy to induce if you know how. Although it has similar intensity/size, the purple/green fringing on the Minox appears to be "sharper", whereas on the ZRS it's a bit smudgier/fuzzier. I attribute some of this to the larger, better corrected sweet spot on the Minox (more on that later).
The "sweet spot" is typical for the budget binocular price class, with about 50-60% of the FOV appearing to be "clean" and in focus when you are looking at something. From there it starts blurring gradually and is quite blury at the edges. Most of this blurring is field curvature, as I can focus it out when I look towards the edge, but I can still never get it totally sharp in the other regions. There is some visible darkening at the edge of the FOV.
I find all three of my binoculars to have similar sharpness on axis. The Bushnell 8x28 is a weird cat, with a smallish sweet spot but almost all the blurring coming from field curvature such that I can get sharpness nearly out to the edge if I refocus. The Minox BD BR (with its fancier glass and aspheric lens elements) has a much larger sweet spot, making for a more "relaxed" view; and even the areas that are blurry towards the edge can be easily refocused.
Borrowing from a comment James Holdsworth made in the Zeiss Terra ED thread, I started to look more critically at (what he calls) the "super-sweetspot", which James defines as "that area of the centrefield that maintains
perfect sharpness". In this case, the super-sweetspot is quite small. To achieve maximum sharpness (e.g. reading tiny letters on a distant sign) you basically have to be lined up carefully on axis. The "super sharpness" falls off right away off axis, and then is "ok sharp" for the rest of the sweet spot area. In this respect it is about equal to the Bushnell, but again well behind the Minox.
The combination of the light focus and tiny "super-sweetspot" means that, if you really want to dial in something with
perfect focus, you have to be carefully lined up on axis. If you aren't, you will find yourself "hunting" back and forth trying to dial it in. To really get that "snap" of perfect focus on something small with micro contrast detail, you do need to get it well aligned.
As noted above there is plenty of pincushion distortion, although not as bad as the ultra-widefield 7x36 ED2 (based on memory). It has a little more pincushion than the Bushnell 8x28, and a lot more than the Minox BD BR (which has a fairly flat view thanks to its aspheric elements). I do perceive some "rolling bowl" type of angular distortion when I pan, probably due to a combination of the pincushion and curvature.
Considering this binocular doesn't have an "ultra wide" FOV, I would have hoped that Zen-Ray could have designed it with a slightly better corrected FOV (a little flatter, a little less pincushion, less drop-off in illumination towards the edge). However, I am assuming a lot of this was a concession to saving weight, as putting in larger prisms and more complex eyepieces would have added several ounces of glass. When you feel the "heft" of the ZRS in the hand, it's obvious you are not dealing with monster prisms and oculars, as it doesn't have that weighty, back-heavy feel of heavier 32mm glass (like my Minox or my old Alpen Rainer). So you sacrifice some goodness off axis, but the trade-off is an extremely light and handy package.
Conclusion & Summary
Overall, the optics are excellent for a $200 binocular. The view is bright, with the full 4mm exit pupil it's easy to use, it's very sharp on axis, and the sweet spot is competitive for the price point. If you are somebody who is really bothered by pincushion, mediocre edges, and CA, then it's not for you, but then again you probably aren't going to find anything at $200 that makes you happy.
It beats the Bushnell 8x28 optically, but not by as much as I was expecting. The major advantage is brightness, build quality and overall handling. The ZRS feels less "fiddly" than the Bushnell and is just easier to use (combination of ergonomics, eyecups, and larger exit pupil).... but it's not really any sharper or cleaner optically.
It also falls short of the Minox overall. Physically, the Minox has superior build quality. Optically, although it's not any sharper or brighter, the advantages of the extra glass (larger prisms, aspheric elements) are pretty obvious. The FOV of the Minox is flatter and better corrected, with a much wider sweetspot and "super-sweetspot", less pincushion, and better edges. This gives the subjective impression of a more "relaxed" view that is less fatiguing to use for extended periods. But of course the Minox is more expensive glass, and that "ease of view" is definitely something I notice with nicer binoculars compared to budget glass.
But none of this is a knock on the ZRS 8x32; remember, it only costs 200 bucks and weighs 16oz! One test I like to think about is whether I could use a given binocular and be happy if it was my only pair; the ZRS 8x32 passes this test for sure. The Bushnell BTW doesn't pass this test, thanks to its somewhat more fiddly handling, dingier view, and cheaper build.
