james holdsworth
Consulting Biologist
I’ve had a 8x25 Terra for a week now - managed to find one for a reasonable $300 USD - and have been able to test it in a range of conditions. I tell you though, for real testing of CA, colour-balance and whiteness, you have to test in a snow-covered landscape – the stark differences observed just cannot be seen in regular viewing. We have had mostly dim, gloomy, snowy days here for quite some time, so conditions would be considered challenging for any binocular. I have no other modern compacts, so can only compare to my 8x42 Terra [as siblings] and my 8x32 Conquest [as a benchmark for the price-range]
Build quality - excellent - appears high quality in fit / finish and material. Barrel interiors immaculate, nary a speck of anything.
Focus - started off stiff, now much better. Zero slack. Fast but very precise, can be easily used in sub-zero temps with gloves, with one finger. Close focus to 4 feet. Terra 8x42 feels spongy, imprecise in comparison.
Eyecups – Move with a smoothness and lightness totally lacking in the 8x42 Terra, click firmly in place with no play.
Optics
Straight out of the box, with zero adjustment, you realize you are dealing with optics on a different level than those found in the Terra 8x42 – instantly ‘snaps’ into best focus with no fiddling. Instantly visible, especially in viewing of snow, is the fantastic white rendering – perfect to my eye. The 8x42 looks positively yellow-brown in comparison and even the Conquest looks just a bit creamy. Overall colour seems very neutral while the 8x42 is distinctly warm, with over saturated reds and yellows.
Brightness is hard to judge - the 8x25 works fine in daylight but suffers noticeably as the light drops. I would not be relying on these for any dawn / dusk work but that was a given from the start.
Sharpness and contrast is exceptional, a different league than the 8x42, with a view that is closer to the Conquest than a Terra. While the 8x42 Terra has a small sweet spot and noticeably soft edges, the 8x25 has a much larger area of best sharpness and minimally less sharp edges, giving a really eye-pleasing view with no distractions. I always fond myself rocking the 8x42’s focus, to hit the perfect spot, but I have none of that with the 8x25 – you just lock right in to sharpness with no hunting.
CA, oft times bright and objectionable in the 8x42, is almost completely suppressed, with only a little visible towards the outer edges, Conquest HD level good. Best eye position is needed however, as a bit of de-centering will produce more central CA.
Glare / Flare / Veiling Glare testing was limited to a few hours of bright conditions and testing of interior lights and streetlights. The 8x25 showed only slight crescent glare against a strong sun and very slight ghosting against artificial lights. In comparison, the Terra 8x42 was similar, the 8x32 Conquest worse, the 10x42 FL similar, the HT better – so not bad company!
Ergonomically, I have always hated compacts and have never found one that could be used comfortably. The Terra 8x25, for me, can actually be used like a regular binocular as the eyecups actually fit my eyes and I get the full field of view without all kinds of vignetting. That said, such a small device will never replace a proper full sized bin in comfort or usability, especially when the light is challenging and conditions are difficult. I have used the 8x25 Terra for hours at a time, for casual birding, and it works great for that, no strain and a relatively easy, relaxing view but would grab a bigger gun for raptor / shorebird / lake watching.
So, accepting its’ limitations from the start, the 8x25 Terra is, for me, a revelation. A bargain at $300 USD, Zeiss could have easily slapped a ‘Conquest’ label on it, doubled or tripled the price and likely would have sold many. This 8x25 is the Terra I was hoping Zeiss would make with the brand introduction – Zeiss quality – not just average but well above – at very reasonable pricing.
Build quality - excellent - appears high quality in fit / finish and material. Barrel interiors immaculate, nary a speck of anything.
Focus - started off stiff, now much better. Zero slack. Fast but very precise, can be easily used in sub-zero temps with gloves, with one finger. Close focus to 4 feet. Terra 8x42 feels spongy, imprecise in comparison.
Eyecups – Move with a smoothness and lightness totally lacking in the 8x42 Terra, click firmly in place with no play.
Optics
Straight out of the box, with zero adjustment, you realize you are dealing with optics on a different level than those found in the Terra 8x42 – instantly ‘snaps’ into best focus with no fiddling. Instantly visible, especially in viewing of snow, is the fantastic white rendering – perfect to my eye. The 8x42 looks positively yellow-brown in comparison and even the Conquest looks just a bit creamy. Overall colour seems very neutral while the 8x42 is distinctly warm, with over saturated reds and yellows.
Brightness is hard to judge - the 8x25 works fine in daylight but suffers noticeably as the light drops. I would not be relying on these for any dawn / dusk work but that was a given from the start.
Sharpness and contrast is exceptional, a different league than the 8x42, with a view that is closer to the Conquest than a Terra. While the 8x42 Terra has a small sweet spot and noticeably soft edges, the 8x25 has a much larger area of best sharpness and minimally less sharp edges, giving a really eye-pleasing view with no distractions. I always fond myself rocking the 8x42’s focus, to hit the perfect spot, but I have none of that with the 8x25 – you just lock right in to sharpness with no hunting.
CA, oft times bright and objectionable in the 8x42, is almost completely suppressed, with only a little visible towards the outer edges, Conquest HD level good. Best eye position is needed however, as a bit of de-centering will produce more central CA.
Glare / Flare / Veiling Glare testing was limited to a few hours of bright conditions and testing of interior lights and streetlights. The 8x25 showed only slight crescent glare against a strong sun and very slight ghosting against artificial lights. In comparison, the Terra 8x42 was similar, the 8x32 Conquest worse, the 10x42 FL similar, the HT better – so not bad company!
Ergonomically, I have always hated compacts and have never found one that could be used comfortably. The Terra 8x25, for me, can actually be used like a regular binocular as the eyecups actually fit my eyes and I get the full field of view without all kinds of vignetting. That said, such a small device will never replace a proper full sized bin in comfort or usability, especially when the light is challenging and conditions are difficult. I have used the 8x25 Terra for hours at a time, for casual birding, and it works great for that, no strain and a relatively easy, relaxing view but would grab a bigger gun for raptor / shorebird / lake watching.
So, accepting its’ limitations from the start, the 8x25 Terra is, for me, a revelation. A bargain at $300 USD, Zeiss could have easily slapped a ‘Conquest’ label on it, doubled or tripled the price and likely would have sold many. This 8x25 is the Terra I was hoping Zeiss would make with the brand introduction – Zeiss quality – not just average but well above – at very reasonable pricing.
