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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

New Zeiss binos 8x40 SFL and 10x40 SFL (2 Viewers)

DrewskiMT said:
And the prior gen Opticron DBA VHD+. I have one in 8x42 and it is better than my Monarch HG in most all respects except FOV. Such an under-appreciated small and light 8x42. The SFL will have to be very very good optically and ergonomically for me to justify a 2x price over the small but mighty little Opticron.
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A friend of mine has these, and while it's been a few years, I remember looking through them and being impressed, feeling they were about on par with the Conquest HD. I've never done a comparison with the MHG, so all my opinions are just cobbled together out of trying various bins at various times, but I still am a big fan of the MHG for the combo of FOV, color, ergonomics, and weight even if the Conquest HD and DBA VHD+ and a few others can perhaps outperform it on chromatic aberration and central sharpness.

I do think Opticron's higher end bins are generally excellent and represent excellent value with an excellent warranty to back it up. It would not surprise me if the Aurora outperformed the MHG in direct comparison (the two do seem to share some DNA).
 
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It seems that Zeiss team wondered about a new way in the competition instead of follow the FOV race. Actually these new binoculars is a return to the old 40mm format which was common before 42mm became standard.
Sacrificing ~10% of brightness in dim condition to get slightly shorter length and ca 150g less weight than 42mm Conquest HD and Victory SF. I like the idea. And I agree that it looks nice!
The price is just slightly higher than Conquest HD so I think SFL definitely can be worth to choose instead of Conquest HD.
 
ZDHart said:
As for the brochure... the female model has lots of pizzazz... even though she's truly a dirty blonde, in hair color. The red hair dye and massive curls really suit her, though! (That's the 'casting director' in me, observing and speaking. Background as a life-long commercial photographer.)
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Yes indeed, she makes a striking change from the artist Catherine Hamilton (a delightful lady) who has appeared on much of Zeiss's marketing in recent years.

Lee
 
Swedpat said:
The price is just slightly higher than Conquest HD so I think SFL definitely can be worth to choose instead of Conquest HD.
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Early indications are SFL will be around £500 more than Conquest HD. Not sure if this qualifies as 'just slightly higher' :) but it places SFL just about halfway between Conquest HD and SF which I don't think is an accident.

Lee
 
HenRun said:
It will be very interesting to see the SFL 8x40 in the flesh. I will compare it to my Pure NL 8x32 as they are exactly the same weight and it seems like they are the same height/length. I do think the Pure NL could have been smaller, but the optics are stellar so all is forgiven.
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I must be honest and say I don't find myself being swept along on a wave of excitement regarding these binoculars, but having very much caught the bino bug from the learned and enthusiastic members on this forum, I know I won't be able to resist making the same comparison as you, but in 10x form. There will definitely be a Try ZEISS order going in, once they're available to test!

I very much fell in love with the 10x32 Victory SF's, but they just didn't fit me, the kidney beans ruining my confidence in them, and my enjoyment. I opted for NL Pure 10x32's instead, and although they don't handle quite as nicely as the Victory SF's, they fit me perfectly, and the optics are, as you say, absolutely stellar.

BUT, I do sometimes wish for a 10x instrument with a larger exit pupil which is a little less fiddly to position, yet no larger or heavier than my NL Pure, and if the SFL's handle as nicely as the Victory SF's and have a far, far better control of blackouts, who knows, I may just be tempted to trade my 8x32 EL's for a pair. I have absolute confidence the optics will be nothing short of magnificent.
 
Troubador said:
Early indications are SFL will be around £500 more than Conquest HD. Not sure if this qualifies as 'just slightly higher' :)
Lee
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Ok, when I search I see that Conquest HD 8x42 is available for ~£1000 so the difference is a a bit bigger than I thought.
It's still an extra price I would consider to pay if I was considering to get some of these. I already have Conquest HD 8x42. And actually the price of Conquests has raised with ~60% since I bought mine 7-8 years ago.
If SFL had been released at the time I bought NL Pure 8x42 I seriously had considered to get SFL instead.
And given the huge price increase of Conquest since I bought mine, if I sell it I should be able to get at least almost as much as I bought it for.
 
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Troubador said:
Early indications are SFL will be around £500 more than Conquest HD. Not sure if this qualifies as 'just slightly higher' :) but it places SFL just about halfway between Conquest HD and SF which I don't think is an accident.

Lee
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RSP yes, but the Conquest:s can be found quite a bit cheaper. So in practice the SFL is closer to the SF and even very close to the price of the SF:s at their introduction (2018). We'll see if the optical quality can keep up with the inflation.
 
Here are the list prices at one of Sweden's leading optical dealers:

Conquest HD 8x42: 13000 SEK
SFL 8x40: 19500 SEK
Victory SF 8x42: 29200 SEK.

When I bought Conquest HD 8x42 7-8 years ago the list price was 8000 SEK.
 
$1500 is a tough price point IMO. Lots of great entries in that range. I'm one that's been impressed with the Conquest HD's optics, but that's about it. The eyepieces are way too short for me and a whole bunch of potential buyers, and I'm sure that's the reason Zeiss acknowledged the mistake and will send out extended eyecups for free. I also do not care for the super fast focus, and most hunters I hang out with don't either. That's why I never see them in my camps I guess.
 
Swedpat said:
Here are the list prices at one of Sweden's leading optical dealers:

Conquest HD 8x42: 13000 SEK
SFL 8x40: 19500 SEK
Victory SF 8x42: 29200 SEK.

When I bought Conquest HD 8x42 7-8 years ago the list price was 8000 SEK.
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The Conquest HD 8x42 and SF can still be found much cheaper, but if these are the new 2022 prices, it's getting covid-ridiculous.

For 13k, I'd rather get some used FL:s which clearly are better bins.

And it doesn't look promising for the SFL:s. I starting to doubt they can compete with the Swaro EL classic more than on paper/specs.

Maybe they will be closer optically to the discontinued Swaro SLC:s.
 
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Vespobuteo said:
The Conquest HD 8x42 and SF can still be found much cheaper, but if these are the new 2022 prices, it's getting covid-ridiculous.

For 13k, I'd rather get some used FL:s which clearly are better bins.

And it doesn't look promising for the SFL:s. I starting to doubt they can compete with the Swaro EL classic more than on paper/specs.

Maybe they will be closer optically to the discontinued Swaro SLC:s.
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Today I carefully compared Conquest HD 8x42 to Swarovski NL Pure 8x42.
NL Pure shines when it comes to fov and flat field. But Conquest definitely does not come to shame. It's actually better when it comes to stray light. And there is so subtile sharpness difference that many likely will not notice it.
This shows that the class of Conquest HD is very high!
 
Swedpat said:
Today I carefully compared Conquest HD 8x42 to Swarovski NL Pure 8x42.
NL Pure shines when it comes to fov and flat field. But Conquest definitely does not come to shame. It's actually better when it comes to stray light. And there is so subtile sharpness difference that many likely will not notice it.
This shows that the class of Conquest HD is very high!
Click to expand...

Too much CA in the Conquests for my taste. The Conquests were good value at 8k. Not so much at 13k, if you can get some used FL:s for less.
 
Vespobuteo said:
Too much CA in the Conquests for my taste. The Conquests were good value at 8k. Not so much at 13k, if you can get some used FL:s for less.
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Yes, there are a number of factors to take in consider. Personally I don't use to find CA a problem at any binocular at handoldable magnifications. I guess I am not very sensitive for CA.
 
Clarification on CA in Conquest. In post #141 above (my first in the thread), I have expressed myself incorrectly, and now apologize. I wrote (bold+italic below done now):

Is Conquest clearly not up to Victory FL standards in control of CA and/or backlit glare? Or are you aware of QC variation in Conquest leading to some specimens showing more of these?

I recently acquired a Conquest 10x32, mostly on the very high praise in Scopeviews and Binomania, for the model as a whole, and high praise there especially for those two aspects. My experience of mine is very different, and I am very disappointed.
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I meant: control of CA in backlit conditions. In other conditions sometimes I don't see it and other times can ignore it.

I am pretty sensitive to CA. In my impressions of the Victory Pocket 8x25 I wrote:

Chromatic aberration. I am sensitive to color fringing in that it can be "provoked" easily and here that occurs less than 1/2 way from the center of view. In actual use it was never obtrusive or even noticeable.
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ZDHart said:
It would certainly appear from the brochure that with the new "Ultra HD Concept", used in the SFL models, there is no hint of a green cast with the SFL binoculars.

As for the brochure... the female model has lots of pizzazz... even though she's truly a brunette, in hair color. The red hair dye and massive curls really suit her, though! (That's the 'casting director' in me, observing and speaking. Background as a life-long commercial photographer.)
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Troubador said:
Yes indeed, she makes a striking change from the artist Catherine Hamilton (a delightful lady) who has appeared on much of Zeiss's marketing in recent years.

Lee
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The ‘model’ is Debby Doodeman, one of Hollands best female birders, who also happens to be my girlfriend 😃. We were invited as ZEISS ambassadors to the photoshoot last year. I will pass on your compliments to her.

Cheers
James
 
Paultricounty said:
Getting up there at almost $1800. Maybe they're pulling a fast one, no tax , then add it to the price 🙁

Zeiss SFL Binoculars | Zeiss SFL 40mm Binoculars on Sale

Shop Zeiss SFL UHD and get a great price, FREE shipping & 5-star service! Click or call (800)720-9625
www.sportoptics.com www.sportoptics.com
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I am not familiar with retailing in the States but haven't they added Sales Tax to the list price and are offering to 'pay the tax' for the customer?

Lee
 

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