Victory FL 8x32 (1 Viewer)

[gkw]

Bought myself a pair of these today, so looking forward to much fun. I did waver a bit between these and the Swaros, but decided they were forcing my elbows outwards, and I was getting my thumbs stuck on the focus wheel.

Both were great, possibly a smother focus on the Swaros, but I really wanted the Zeiss, and apart from the obvious, the narrow IPD(52) really swung it.

Geoff

 

[kristoffer]

I have no tried them but most here seem to think that the Victory FL series is best you can get right now. Enjoy!

 

[ronh]

Geoff,
I just got the 8x42, and the view is such that I would use it even if it forced my thumbs to cross and stick up into my nostrils. Everybody says the 8x32 is just as good, until it starts to get seriously dark. You're going to love it.
Ron

 

[gkw]

Hi Ron,
If I was not clear, it was the Swaros that my thumbs got stuck in. Assume it was the Zeiss that you bought?

regards

Geoff

 

[brocknroller]

Bought myself a pair of these today, so looking forward to much fun. I did waver a bit between these and the Swaros, but decided they were forcing my elbows outwards, and I was getting my thumbs stuck on the focus wheel.

Both were great, possibly a smother focus on the Swaros, but I really wanted the Zeiss, and apart from the obvious, the narrow IPD(52) really swung it.

Geoff

Geoff,

Congratulations! on your new Zeiss FL.

One thing I've read about the 8x32 FL is that it has a larger "sweet spot" than the 8x42 model.

Did you have an opportunity to compare the 8x32 to the full sized model?

I haven't tried an FL yet, but I've owned mostly Nikons - SE, E, EII, LX, LX L, XL Zooms, WF, and all have very good edges, and the fall off beyond the "sweet spot" is gradual until the very edge.

From what I've read, the full sized FL is very sharp over 60% of the FOV, then sharply falls off to the edge. So you have a very sharp image at the center and a very out of focus image at the edges.

As Steve Ingraham explained on the now defunct Zeiss Website, zbirding, this was a design choice to maximize the "zone of critical sharpness" rather than compromise by giving a less sharp image over a wider area like Nikon does (though I have no complaints about the overall sharpness of my SEs, which are almost as sharp at the edge as they are at the center, same thing with the full sized LX).

I find edges that are very out of focus distracting, particularly while panning since my eyes will dart ahead into the fuzzy areas (unless that area is far from the centerfield near the extreme edge).

In fact, it even gives me eyestrain, because my eyes try to focus the out of focus areas.

What percentage of the field of view would you say is "sharp" in your 8x32 FL?

That is, how far out from the center on both sides is the image sharp before it degrades?

And how sharp is the image from where the sharpness begins to fall off to the edges.

IOW, is the out of focus area beyond the sweet spot still useful until you get to the extreme edge or are birds totally out of focus beyond the sweet spot?

Brock

 

[ronh]

Sorry to be unclear, yes, thumbs and all, I bought the 8x42 FL. Actually it is ergonomically just right for me.

In the 8x42 FL, the size of the sweet spot might well be picked on, and has been, hopefully, enough so that nobody will have to eat their hearts out over not owning one. Hey, it has pincushion distortion too, take that! But the number one deliverable, the clarity of the view in the middle, beats all I have ever seen, SEs and FMT-SXs included.
Ron

 

[gkw]

Thanks Ron, and Hi Brock

All a little techie for me Brock, but will try and think about it during the next week or so - off on hols on Sat.

I have to say, I have not noticed anything "lacking" in the few view I have had. They seemed fine this afternoon at a local lake. The Depth of Field looks great(anyone know of any comparison charts for this on 8x32's?)
Yesterday, after I bought them, we went to a local golf course, and the quality of light and glass was amazing.

I am off for an hour now, and will see about the middle to edge fall off.

Geoff

They suit my hands, I am am glad I did not get the Swaros - nothing against them, just did not like getting stuck in between the barrels, and having my elbows forced outwards.

 

[Alexis Powell]

I can't pretend to do a percentage measurement, but it is true that the 8x32 FL does not hold up away from the center as well as do the 8x32 EL, Ultravid, or LX. Also, the problem in the FL is astigmatism rather than field curvature, so it can't be focused away when looking at things off center. Mind you, the edge sharpness is plenty good for spotting and IDing many birds, it just isn't as good as the others. I think the biggest difference between the FL and the others is how critical proper eye placement (centering) is to getting the best view that they provide. If you have the habit of moving your eyes around the view, and, in the course of doing so, move the oculars around a bit (thus decentering your eyes) to avoid vignetting (which many folks do, whether they know it or not), than you will likely not like the 8x32 FL because doing so greatly increases off-axis astigmatism. If you keep your eyes centered, and only rotate your eyes to see around the field, off-axis sharpness is actually quite good but at the cost of some vignetting.

--AP

 

[gkw]

Well Brock. I have just had 50mins on the "local Hill" 1000ft up and on the flight path of the Airport. It is 12 miles from the Airport by car, and 4.5mins to landing.The time was 7.45pmGMT and the sun had gone down and the light was beginning to go down. The light quality was pretty good, but nothing special I thought - in orther words I have had better light.
With my old bins, which are very good (opticron imagic 8x42 oasis coating - left at home unfortunately) I can see the airport and planes, but can only see the dust when they have landed.
Tonight, I could see them land, and also see the runway tarmac between the runway lights. The red and white lights were pin sharp and could be counted. I could see the tail colours on the planes on the deck, and see the landing gear to almost touch down.
Now, I thought all that was impressive.

I did not do an edge test. I tried looking at a wall, but will need my distance glasses as varifocals are not use for averted vision etc.
For me, I suspect there will be no problems. But the distance views across to the hills, and the airport were superb.

One thing, that I did find very odd. When I tried an edge test without my specs, I found that I got a fuller field leaving the eyecups down. If I expended them, the field narrowed considerably. Strange, because on the bins and my opticrons, I can only see the full field with the eyecups extended. Anyone else found this?

Geoff

 

[Pinewood]

I think the biggest difference between the FL and the others is how critical proper eye placement (centering) is to getting the best view that they provide. If you have the habit of moving your eyes around the view, and, in the course of doing so, move the oculars around a bit (thus decentering your eyes) to avoid vignetting (which many folks do, whether they know it or not), than you will likely not like the 8x32 FL because doing so greatly increases off-axis astigmatism. If you keep your eyes centered, and only rotate your eyes to see around the field, off-axis sharpness is actually quite good but at the cost of some vignetting.

--AP

Hello Alexis,

I found that the 8x32 glasses, as a group, are intolerant of poor eye placement, with their 4 mm. exit pupils, but the most difficult to use may be the Nikon 8x32 SE. In comparison, the FL is quite friendly. Needless to write, this a matter of perception and personal practices which vary among binocular users. I probably move my eyes around but I do not know if I knock the ocualrs around.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

 

[Alexis Powell]

Hello Alexis,

I found that the 8x32 glasses, as a group, are intolerant of poor eye placement, with their 4 mm. exit pupils, but the most difficult to use may be the Nikon 8x32 SE. In comparison, the FL is quite friendly. Needless to write, this a matter of perception and personal practices which vary among binocular users. I probably move my eyes around but I do not know if I knock the ocualrs around.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

It is precisely because of the 4 mm exit pupil that users are more likely to want to decenter (or maybe cant?--I'm not entirely sure what the eye to ocular adjustment really entails) their eyes when looking off axis with these binos, but with the FL I'm advising resisting that urge. The 8x32SE can be tricky when decentering because the eye to ocular distance must also be adjusted (though actually, for myself when wearing glasses, I find this easy to do). When done "properly" with the SE, it is as forgiving as the others w/respect to maintaining image quality. My point was that the FL is always intolerant of this--it never gives a good view when looked through "sideways" because of the greatly increased astigmatism.

--AP

 

[gkw]

Hi Brock,
I did try an edge test(wearing my distance specs) on a wall, but could not really notice anything. Perhaps slightly less sharp at averted vision,but so what I thought. When I use bins, I just look through them, and the F:'s seem fantastic to me. I sometimes think we get too technical or fussy. How many of us hold the bins in one place and then move the eyes anyway?

Like Alex says, they are a bit critical for eye placement, but it only seems to matter when you think about it!!

As I said, what really interested me, was the fact that the viewing (for me) without specs was best with the eye cups down. Has anyone else found this?

 

[temmie]

I always look through bins, without glasses, with the eyecups all the way down. It seems for me that not only you can enjoy the FOV more, but as your eye is gathering more light through the bino instead of stray light from around you, your pupils are less distracted and can focus better on the image through the bins.

 

[gkw]

I always look through bins, without glasses, with the eyecups all the way down. It seems for me that not only you can enjoy the FOV more, but as your eye is gathering more light through the bino instead of stray light from around you, your pupils are less distracted and can focus better on the image through the bins.

Hi temmie,
On all other bins, I need to extend the eye cups to be able to see the full FOV - the FL's are the only ones I have come across todate that I do not.

 

[Pinewood]

…I sometimes think we get too technical or fussy. How many of us hold the bins in one place and then move the eyes anyway?

Like Alex says, they are a bit critical for eye placement, but it only seems to matter when you think about it!…

Hello GKW,

I always feel that when you look through a binocular, you almost immediately know if it is good for you. It is sort of a gestalt in binocular choice.

Use the Fl's well,
Arthur

 

[Nessus]

I'm interested in the 8x32 FL's although I've never looked through them. My 8x30 conquest is one of my favorites, just something about the image I like. I always figured the FL was pretty much the Conquest with better FOV, edge clarity and brightness but I wonder if how the contrast on color cast stand up?

I have a 10x42FL and the Conquest is a bit bluer and darker but the colors are richer, the 10x42 tends to have a wash out effect, it brightens up the darks alot.

Whats your take on the color saturation and do you have any experience with the Conquest or other FL's to give me some kind of idea where they stand?

 

[gkw]

Hi Nessus,
Going out birding for the day with our usual team. It will be the first time in anger, so will think about the Colour saturation.

All techie for me as I said above, but my quick perception is that they are neutral. When deciding whether to get these or the Swaros, I thought the Swaros enhanced the colour a little.

Following on from your other post, I am glad to find that these bins focus clockwise to infinity/ My other bins, the really nice Opticron Imagic 8x40 focus the "other way", and I never really liked that.

Geoff

 

[gkw]

Well, took them out today, and I was delighted with them, as were my other three co-birders.

We all thought they were Colour neutral and were as the eye sees. If we ever see the stars where I live, I will do another test

Geoff