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Message: <blockquote data-quote="angelo225544" data-source="post: 1229493" data-attributes="member: 31246">I'm happy to report that I am once again the proud owner of a Zeiss 7x45 Night Owl. This time, I will never part with them! The 8.6 degree FOV, incredible high contrast image and those wonderful wrap-around eyecups are an addictive combination. They are still heavy enough to remind me why Zeiss felt market pressure to replace them. I can also report that the new Zeiss 7x42 FL provides an equally bright and contrasty view, but without those wrap-around eyecups I so like. Comparing the FL to the Night Owl was quite revealing. As nice as it is to have virtually no chromatic aberration in the FL, it still has Zeiss' signature sofness away from the center of the image, so overall image quality is not improved. Between the weight, and perfect balance (when held correctly), I can see as much detail as with any hand-held 10x I've compared them to. Between the Night Owl and the Victory FL, came the original Zeiss Victory line. It had poor flare control, low contrast and excessive CA. I have always suspected that perhaps Zeiss abandoned leaded glass before they had found a suitable replacement - which turned out to be their new FL glass. This is just speculation, but may help explain the giant optical backward step that was the original Victory binocular. A shame too, because the Victory 8x40, with the strap lugs removed, is THE most comfortable binocular I have ever held - perfect size and weight, smooth yet grippy surface, smooth and perfectly placed focus wheel - and no thumb grooves. Zeiss is the least conservative of the Big 3, so it is no surprise that they have produced both some of the most sublime, and ridiculous binoculars in the last 20 years.</blockquote>

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