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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

One more SF 8X32 or SFL 8X40? (6 Viewers)

Wow! If I understand… you were able to establish focus while bringing Bino to eyes? Had no idea this was possible.
Yes, within a focus range between your fingertip touching the wheel, and fully extended finger / 2nd knuckle on the wheel.
Then providing your finger stays on the wheel, or lets go and comes back to the wheel in the same place each time, eg finger fully extended, you get used to the finger position/touch point, and corresponding distances.
Would work well in woodland where birds are close out to canopy distance.

I genuinely have no idea if this is a fairly unique skill! Or my idiot eureka moment haha. But like I say, it's much harder to get that familiarity with these fast focussing wheels.
 
Two obscure things to consider, maybe even in combination:
(1) SF has more eye relief, and a deeper eyecup can give me more of a tunnel impression, although I'm not sure why it should.
(2) SF has a different distortion profile (less pincushioning, more AMD) that gives a smaller apparent field. Of course it also has a larger true field, so this could cancel out, but at any rate it won't feel as much wider as it might.
It's clear about this.

Thank you for informations.

One more thing I would like to test 8X40 SFL to feel another way to birding with 40mm and eye position too.
 
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Wow! If I understand… you were able to establish focus while bringing Bino to eyes? Had no idea this was possible.
With a slower focus binocular it can really help to get the focus wheel moving when you see a flicker of movement. You kind of have the focus in a "neutral" position and start turning it for "closer" or "further" as you raise your binocular to your eyes. With familiarity you can anticipate how much, more or less, you need to turn the wheel for different distances, and the whole process becomes instinctive. @peter.home - I think over time you will probably adapt to the focus speed of the SFL - after all, how long have you had it compared to what it replaced?

It's a little like whipping off your glasses before you put a short eye relief binocular to your eyes. With practice you can get quite good at it. I can't turn focus wheel while removing glasses though!
 
+1 with the 'pre-focusing' method. It's one of the reasons I only buy bins with clockwise-to-infinity focus direction. I have tried the occasional interloper over the years but my pre-focussing ability goes to pot completely with CCW focusers - and the split second lost has seen me missing more than the occasional bird.
 
Are Zeiss serial numbers sequential and not random in any way?
I received the SF.

First, no plastic around the binocular. Is it a Zeiss choice?

Then, there' s dust on the optical outside, I did not yet check into.
I suppose seller showed it at some customers.

About warranty, there's no specific paper. I supposé invoice is enough ( for exemple, Nikon need invoice + warranty paper.

About eyepieces, they are not similar. One is hard to extension, maybe too hard and the other is easier, probably too easier on first position and I think he won't stay in thiz position if I have to use like that.
Currently, i use them totally extend.

1st pictures here. ( dont know why quality picture is bad like that)
If Zeiss serial numbers are sequential and chronological will that mean these binoculars were made in approx 2020?
 
Why 2020?
As I have some binoculars starting with serial 50 and they were manufactured in Feb 21. That was then my deduction if they are sequential and chronological. If there is a different system then maybe someone can say. Zeiss will tell you if you email them exactly when they were manufactured.

Also, the warranty should normally only start when you register as the first owner etc
 
As I have some binoculars starting with serial 50 and they were manufactured in Feb 21. That was then my deduction if they are sequential and chronological. If there is a different system then maybe someone can say. Zeiss will tell you if you email them exactly when they were manufactured.

Also, the warranty should normally only start when you register as the first owner etc
Ok thank you.

If I keep them, Im the 1st owner because I have invoice as a new item.
 
Hello.

I'm back.
Finally, after many tests and comparison, I returned the SF 8X32 and bought a SFL 8X40 for a good price because nice opportunity. In reality, the 40mm was exactly what I need for my eyes, especially for a 640g one. Ergonomy for the SFL is very good even if not as perfect as the SF. Optical quality is excellent too and I saw some light differences but without the SF to compare, it would be not enough significative for my eyes.

I tried 2 SFL 8X40, a new one build in 2022 (Zeiss informations) and another new one build in 2024 (Zeiss informations)
The 2022 one was a bit less bright and with less sharpness. My 14 years daughter tried them and without informations, she told me after 10 seconds " this one (the 2024) is more yellow (= bright) and we can see closer (= sharpness I think)
The 2024 (639g) was more balanced too, for a same weight (2022 = 640g)

I don't know if the 2022 was just a "not good one" or if Zeiss improved the quality during the 2 years beetween them. Do you know that?

Thank you to all members. I choosed exactly what I needed for my 2025 bird watching.
 
Hello.

I'm back.
Finally, after many tests and comparison, I returned the SF 8X32 and bought a SFL 8X40 for a good price because nice opportunity. In reality, the 40mm was exactly what I need for my eyes, especially for a 640g one. Ergonomy for the SFL is very good even if not as perfect as the SF. Optical quality is excellent too and I saw some light differences but without the SF to compare, it would be not enough significative for my eyes.

I tried 2 SFL 8X40, a new one build in 2022 (Zeiss informations) and another new one build in 2024 (Zeiss informations)
The 2022 one was a bit less bright and with less sharpness. My 14 years daughter tried them and without informations, she told me after 10 seconds " this one (the 2024) is more yellow (= bright) and we can see closer (= sharpness I think)
The 2024 (639g) was more balanced too, for a same weight (2022 = 640g)

I don't know if the 2022 was just a "not good one" or if Zeiss improved the quality during the 2 years beetween them. Do you know that?

Thank you to all members. I choosed exactly what I needed for my 2025 bird watching.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I own both and agree that the 8x40SFL is one heck of a bino. They both have their strengths and in truth, I need to get rid of one, but have not been able to do it. Love'em both :-/
 
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I own both and agree that the 8x40SFL is one heck of a bino. They both have their strengths and in truth, I need to get rid of one, but have not been able to do it. Love'em both :-/
I understand because they are all great.

Yes, SFL has maybe not all alpha characteristics but it's an unique one for the trio optical quality/weight/diameter.
 
I understand because they are all great.

Yes, SFL has maybe not all alpha characteristics but it's an unique one for the trio optical quality/weight/diameter.
Just beware of the BROD or Blue Ring of Death around the edge of the FOV. I would not buy a Zeiss SFL 8x40 because of it. Not everybody sees it but some do.
 
Just beware of the BROD or Blue Ring of Death around the edge of the FOV. I would not buy a Zeiss SFL 8x40 because of it. Not everybody sees it but some do.
You already toĺd that.
I saw it in the SF but I don't see it in the SFL.

But as another member already told, this BROD is only present in some rare conditions. Special light, eyes position, etc...
Not a problem for me.

Do you see it everytime?
 
You already toĺd that.
I saw it in the SF but I don't see it in the SFL.

But as another member already told, this BROD is only present in some rare conditions. Special light, eyes position, etc...
Not a problem for me.

Do you see it everytime?
Yes, I saw it every time in the Zeiss SFL 8x40. I especially noticed it when I compared a Zeiss SFL 8x40 to a Swarovski SLC 8x42 back to back. The SLC was sharp to the edge but the SFL had a very noticeable blue ring around the edge of the FOV. I sold the SFL and kept the SLC. Jackjack also shows the BROD in the SFL in some of his photos.
 
With a slower focus binocular it can really help to get the focus wheel moving when you see a flicker of movement. You kind of have the focus in a "neutral" position and start turning it for "closer" or "further" as you raise your binocular to your eyes. With familiarity you can anticipate how much, more or less, you need to turn the wheel for different distances, and the whole process becomes instinctive. @peter.home - I think over time you will probably adapt to the focus speed of the SFL - after all, how long have you had it compared to what it replaced?

It's a little like whipping off your glasses before you put a short eye relief binocular to your eyes. With practice you can get quite good at it. I can't turn focus wheel while removing glasses though!
No, I think I have to accept that this feature / skill is no longer part of my birding. The focus is too sensitive, and you are just as likely to overshoot as underestimate. Leaving a 50/50 guess when they are at your eyes as to which direction to move the focus.
Probably best to have a default rest point at infinity, and maybe familiarise with a 2nd point as a start point to move in from for close focussing.
 
Yes, I saw it every time in the Zeiss SFL 8x40. I especially noticed it when I compared a Zeiss SFL 8x40 to a Swarovski SLC 8x42 back to back. The SLC was sharp to the edge but the SFL had a very noticeable blue ring around the edge of the FOV. I sold the SFL and kept the SLC. Jackjack also shows the BROD in the SFL in some of his photos.
The SLC is sharp to the edge, really? Swaro doesn’t use field flatteners in the SLC. My spider senses are tingling me that there’s an SLC coming to the classifieds shortly.
 
The SLC is sharp to the edge, really? Swaro doesn’t use field flatteners in the SLC. My spider senses are tingling me that there’s an SLC coming to the classifieds shortly.
The SLC is not as sharp to the edge as the NL or EL, but it is much sharper and brighter than the SFL and most importantly it doesn't have the BROD. I know I compared them back to back. The SFL went to eBay that night. It did sell pretty fast because a lot of birders like that Zeiss name but what they don't realize is Zeiss are overpriced for what they are. You are paying largely for the Zeiss name.
 

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