New Zeiss 8x32SF as your main binocular (10 Viewers)

[BryanP]

I agree with Chuck on this one. Never had an instance where a missed id was the result of the 8X32’s.
I’ve been living in Central America off and on (Mostly CR) for almost 10 years. ID misses were always the result of the circumstances, not the instrument.
As far as the 32’s being inadequate for dark understory and rainforest work I wish folks had told me before I bought my old 32’s 😉.
I dragged those admittedly cherry Terras thorough dozens of government and CBC bird counts. The counts here are taken seriously so you usually hit the ground running at 3 in the morning and go through till 9 at night. Those little Terras never stopped me. Side note; for this kind of hard core birding the lighter weight of the 32’s starts to pay off after about the 7th straight hour.
Now I have a pair of SF 8x42’s I love em and want to marry them but they haven’t improved my success rate one jot.

I’m not too big on homilies but I do like these, “Opinions are almost always wrong and preferences are almost always right” Don’t know who cooked that one up but I also like Teddy Roosevelt's quote, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”

Roosevelt’s quote might explain why I willing spent 3 years making do with a beat up pair of Canon 10x30’s. Those bloody things had a broken battery door so therefore no IS along with a missing eyecup. They were awful to use but when you live near Guatun Lake in Panama you go birding every day with what you have and lump it!
Ramble over.
Cheers,
Bryan

 

[lmans66]

I agree with Chuck on this one. Never had an instance where a missed id was the result of the 8X32’s.
I’ve been living in Central America off and on (Mostly CR) for almost 10 years. ID misses were always the result of the circumstances, not the instrument.
As far as the 32’s being inadequate for dark understory and rainforest work I wish folks had told me before I bought my old 32’s 😉.
I dragged those admittedly cherry Terras thorough dozens of government and CBC bird counts. The counts here are taken seriously so you usually hit the ground running at 3 in the morning and go through till 9 at night. Those little Terras never stopped me. Side note; for this kind of hard core birding the lighter weight of the 32’s starts to pay off after about the 7th straight hour.
Now I have a pair of SF 8x42’s I love em and want to marry them but they haven’t improved my success rate one jot.

I’m not too big on homilies but I do like these, “Opinions are almost always wrong and preferences are almost always right” Don’t know who cooked that one up but I also like Teddy Roosevelt's quote, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”

Roosevelt’s quote might explain why I willing spent 3 years making do with a beat up pair of Canon 10x30’s. Those bloody things had a broken battery door so therefore no IS along with a missing eyecup. They were awful to use but when you live near Guatun Lake in Panama you go birding every day with what you have and lump it!
Ramble over.
Cheers,
Bryan

I have seen a ton of Ecuadorian guides whose binoculars are barely above a Tasco, but they manage well. They know the territory and have lived there their entire life and know the sounds. So birding to them can almost be done with the naked eye. For me....no....not even close.

But I like what you said about the 7th hour. Then you pile on 'day after day' and the 7th hour becomes more like the 3rd or 4th!... My entire point in this thread.....I wanted a binocular that was going to be a whole heck of lot lighter than my HT at 29-30 ounces. I have essentially cut it in half with the Nikon HG.

The SF 8x32 is only 21 ounces or so....so that would due nicely but if I can get the same benefit at half the cost, I have no issue with that.

 

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In thickly wooded areas, jungles with canopy, birding at sunset or sunrise or in poor weather and any low light birding situation I will take a 8x42 over a 8x32. A 8x42 is the best all around birding format for a serious birder under ALL conditions. It brings in 70% more light than a 8x32 and has a bigger exit pupil and will ALWAYS perform better in these situations. You can get by with a 8x32 but it will NOT perform like a 8x42 under these conditions. A 8x42 is the best all-around general purpose binocular. That is the reason your major binocular manufacturers always bring out their top binoculars in a 42mm first. And to Bozo Eitan it is not hyperbole. It is a fact.

 

[BryanP]

I have seen a ton of Ecuadorian guides whose binoculars are barely above a Tasco, but they manage well. They know the territory and have lived there their entire life and know the sounds. So birding to them can almost be done with the naked eye. For me....no....not even close.

But I like what you said about the 7th hour. Then you pile on 'day after day' and the 7th hour becomes more like the 3rd or 4th!... My entire point in this thread.....I wanted a binocular that was going to be a whole heck of lot lighter than my HT at 29-30 ounces. I have essentially cut it in half with the Nikon HG.

The SF 8x32 is only 21 ounces or so....so that would due nicely but if I can get the same benefit at half the cost, I have no issue with that.

Hi Imans66
I hear you about the Ecuadorian guides. I see the same with my Costa Rican and Panama friends who happen to be guides.
I have noticed that as I become familiar with the birdlife here I have the binoculars up less and less frequently so maybe its something in the water 😉

You’re right about the 3rd or 4th hour day in day out, you start to count the ounces/grams pretty quickly. I did the bird count at La Selva last Christmas with my then new SF 42’s for the first time. They were great but a 6 kilometre hike in humid heat with zero breeze to our assigned route then 12 kilometres on the route itself was gruelling. I was certainly feeling the weight and size by the end of the day. Either the SF 32 the MHG 42 or just about any decent 32 would have been more appropriate that day. Still going to marry my 42’s though 😊
Cheers,
Bryan

 

[BryanP]

Dennis,
Not that all of this isn’t a storm in a teacup but...
I can’t speak for Chuck but in my opinion he won’t be sorry he brought the SV 8x32’s to Costa Rica. I see enough guides here who use just those for their field work. They’re not all idiots so there must something about the SV 32’s that works well for them in this environment.

Its very dry in March and even places like La Selva and environs have been known to go for weeks without rain that time of year.
Raincoats? I think not, one will see tourists with them but most serious local birders and field guides I know carry umbrellas. Raincoats no matter how light weight are just way too hot to wear. Yes, up at the higher elevations like Savegre you’ll see them but they’re mostly used for staying warm. It can get cool and foggy up there.

Where did you possibly get this Sloth at dusk idea? There are Three-toed Sloths here in our neighbourhood including a mother and infant just up the street from us that would be concerned to hear your assertions. Yes the two-toed Sloth is generally nocturnal but they’re easy to find during the day since I’ve seen them more than a fair few times.
I lived in a marina in Bocas del Toro where a resident wild Three toed was known to wander into the office if someone left the door open. Thats during office hours, you know, during the day.
Good grief, finding and observing Quetzals can be accomplished looking through two coke bottles or a couple of cardboard toilet tubes, they’re not that invisible!

Unless you’re just trolling this thread for the fun of it I suggest when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Imans66
Yes absolutely, checking an H is the usual (And fun) way to id here. 😉 I’m terrible at it compared to the local birders but slowly getting better.
I’m seriously looking at getting the SF 32 or perhaps some other worthy 32 as an instrument for the more gruelling counts. Smaller, lighter binoculars and cameras alongside other gear such as super light backpacks really do contribute to staying effective in those situations.
Every gram counts in the heat.
Cheers,
Bryan’

 

[lmans66]

Imans66
Yes absolutely, checking an H is the usual (And fun) way to id here. �� I’m terrible at it compared to the local birders but slowly getting better.
I’m seriously looking at getting the SF 32 or perhaps some other worthy 32 as an instrument for the more gruelling counts. Smaller, lighter binoculars and cameras alongside other gear such as super light backpacks really do contribute to staying effective in those situations.
Every gram counts in the heat.
Cheers,
Bryan’

The "H" factor brings up an interesting point all-told. I can go out with a guide in the jungle/tropics of central/ south america and hear lots of different birds and yet see 'no bird'....or at best, I can see a small portion of a bird poking thru the leaves in a jungle. Or I can go out by myself and have a lot less of a 'bird check-off' sheet but know that what I see is actually what 'I see' and have ID'd as opposed to being told by 'hearing it' that I found a bird ...to each their own on that one though. Yet bird Guides add a huge value and if going into an area that I really want to see what is there, I will look for a local guide for they are remarkable at knowing where to go to have a chance of finding some of the odder birds so, very valuable to have.

I look forward to the tropics once more with my 8x30 MHG.....I have birded so much in the tropics and have gotten so tired of heavy, bulky bins, that I won't venture into the tropics with them any more. Heck, I might miss (1) bird someplace in that mix of hundreds but so what? I will travel light (luggage and gear) and will now be in the field 'light and no bulk'..... Unless you have never birded the tropics (humidity and birding all day for days), you don't know what I am talking about.

 

[pbjosh]

The "H" factor brings up an interesting point all-told. I can go out with a guide in the jungle/tropics of central/ south america and hear lots of different birds and yet see 'no bird'....or at best, I can see a small portion of a bird poking thru the leaves in a jungle. Or I can go out by myself and have a lot less of a 'bird check-off' sheet but know that what I see is actually what 'I see' and have ID'd as opposed to being told by 'hearing it' that I found a bird ...to each their own on that one though. Yet bird Guides add a huge value and if going into an area that I really want to see what is there, I will look for a local guide for they are remarkable at knowing where to go to have a chance of finding some of the odder birds so, very valuable to have.

For what it's worth, I more frequently trust my ears more than my eyes for ID. Particularly with canopy Antwrens and Warblers, or skulky Antbirds, Spinetails, Foliage-Gleaners and the like. Same goes in SE Asia - I have far less experience there, but for me ID'ing some of the Babblers, Flowerpeckers, and the like, hearing is worth a lot, sometimes more than seeing!

 

[pbjosh]

Further, to the point of weight, there's a reason I generally don't carry a camera any more - just too heavy, and I would rather observe than photograph. I miss documenting rarities at times, but that's the trade off. By enjoying more, hiking more, and focusing on finding birds instead of photographing them, I find more interesting species. I have a lightweight recording setup that I still carry most of the time. Otherwise just some food and water and an umbrella.

An SF32 vs a 42 will make a difference, but realistically, it's a drop in the bucket after the glorious decision to abandon the camera.

 

[BryanP]

For what it's worth, I more frequently trust my ears more than my eyes for ID. Particularly with canopy Antwrens and Warblers, or skulky Antbirds, Spinetails, Foliage-Gleaners and the like. Same goes in SE Asia - I have far less experience there, but for me ID'ing some of the Babblers, Flowerpeckers, and the like, hearing is worth a lot, sometimes more than seeing!

I agree with what you say here particularly regarding Antbirds and such.
At first, perhaps because of my inexperience with local bird calls I found iding via sound very unsatisfying.
These days I’m a bit better with the local bird calls. That might account for a particular kind of pleasure bordering on joy I experience at hearing a strange call followed by a little click in my brain. Its utterly delightful.
To be looking at and trying to id a bird in the underbrush and at the same time paying attention by ear to some other bird behind you is a really fun way to multitask while birding.
Cheers,
Bryan

 

[BryanP]

Further, to the point of weight, there's a reason I generally don't carry a camera any more - just too heavy, and I would rather observe than photograph. I miss documenting rarities at times, but that's the trade off. By enjoying more, hiking more, and focusing on finding birds instead of photographing them, I find more interesting species. I have a lightweight recording setup that I still carry most of the time. Otherwise just some food and water and an umbrella.

An SF32 vs a 42 will make a difference, but realistically, it's a drop in the bucket after the glorious decision to abandon the camera.

These days I do more video than photography and even then more for id’s sake than art. I’ve downsized from the monster camera rig I used to have to the Sony RX10mkiv. Much smaller and lighter but still heavier and bulkier than any 8x42. Now I’m considering the Sony HX99. Pocketable, good zoom range (700ish) and acceptable video. Tiny sensor of course but thats tradeoff city for you.
I’m using the iphone in combo with the rode iphone mic and it produces shockingly good audio. In fact some of the calls in our field guide are recorded with that rig. I don’t think anyone can tell which is the iphone recordings.
The iPhone/HX99 combo with a sweet 8x32 would be freedom for me. Plus the ubiquitous umbrella of course 😉

 

[pbjosh]

Bryan,

I have considered buying the Rode VideoMic ME-L a couple of times. As it is, I really really like my current recording setup, it's very lightweight and the only bulky aspect is the windsock on the mic. But I might end up with that little Rode at some point here.

 

[BryanP]

Bryan,

I have considered buying the Rode VideoMic ME-L a couple of times. As it is, I really really like my current recording setup, it's very lightweight and the only bulky aspect is the windsock on the mic. But I might end up with that little Rode at some point here.

The kit you have sounds like it works well for you. Noel our project partner has a largish recording kit so when I started down that path I pulled my self up short and just went with the iPhone with or without the Rode.
I downloaded this folding iPhone parabola file from here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2888690 on Thingverse. Light, portable, whats not to like. When I get near a 3d printer I might give it a go. Fun experiment if nothing else.
Cheers,
Bryan

 

[pppppvvvv]

Low light performance has to be the most overrated binocular attribute of them all, especially when you are talking x32 Vs x42. If it's getting dark... Just hook a torch between the barrels!
(There's nothing of interest in that pic, unless I missed one of our local Tawnies!).

I was blown away by the performance at dusk of my Swarovski 95mm scope, but that has only been used in anger once in really fading light over the last couple of years. Again, if it's getting that late, I velcro a torch to it!

 

[dries1]

Is there any update when the SF 8X32 hits the shelves?

Andy W.

 

[tenex]

Low light performance has to be the most overrated binocular attribute of them all, especially when you are talking x32 Vs x42.

At 8x I would agree, but at 10x pupil size can become more of an issue.

 

[PWB]

Just wondering to what extent the SF 8x32 will be a big seller, given that (in the Netherlands) it hits the shelves for at least €2106, while the Swarovski EL 8x32 SV is now discounted at €1700...

 

[PWB]

I’m using the iphone in combo with the rode iphone mic and it produces shockingly good audio. In fact some of the calls in our field guide are recorded with that rig. I don’t think anyone can tell which is the iphone recordings.

I have that mic as well, but I'm still struggling find a good app for just sound recording (not interested in video, given the 28mm eq. focal length).

Any recommendations?

 

[Troubador]

Is there any update when the SF 8X32 hits the shelves?

Andy W.

Zeiss website still says 'Late Summer' which I intepret as end August / early September. Not long now until we find out.

Lee

 

[PYRTLE]

I have that mic as well, but I'm still struggling find a good app for just sound recording (not interested in video, given the 28mm eq. focal length).

Any recommendations?

Please discuss this topic elsewhere rather than on a thread for Zeiss 32mm SF, thanks.

 

[b_reynolds_ak]

I may have missed this if it was already discussed, but I am very curious about how the 32 SF's will handle glare vs the 32 EL's.
I have been using 8x32 Swarobright's for a while and recently thought I would upgrade to Swarovision's. The view through them was phenomenal for the most part. But, even on a bright & hazy day, the veiling glare was awful. The loss of saturation and contrast was just not acceptable for my uses. ie. Wildlife viewing in Alaska.
Do the 42 SF's give any indication of how the 32's will be? I kind of doubt it, as the 42 EL's are so much better at handling glare for me than the smaller ones.
If the 32 SF's can out perform the EL's in this regard, I know I would most certainly consider them!