midsize ZRS HD 8x32 and 10x32 (1 Viewer)

[eitanaltman]

One little follow-up: an obvious comparison is to the Sightron SII 8x32, since it is similarly priced (~$200) and also extremely light for an 8x32 (around 17oz).

Unfortunately, I don't have the Sightron 8x32 anymore, but from memory I would suspect the Sightron is slightly better optically overall. The ZRS is probably a tiny bit brighter, but the Sightron is fairly exceptional for the price in terms of contrast and sharpness on axis. With its silver coatings, the Sightron doesn't have that "vivid" feel of dielectric coated models, and a slightly warm/red color balance, but it is still very bright. They probably have a similarly sized sweet spot, but the Sightron's off-axis aberrations are less distracting (more gradual fall-off, less pincushion).

In the ZRS's favor are a slightly smaller and lighter package (most noticeably in terms of length), much nicer accessories (the Sightron's strap, rainguard and ocular covers are embarrassingly bad), and IMO better build and ergonomics. The eyecups are *much* more comfortable than the little hard-edged deals on the Sightron (this is one of the main reasons I tended not to use them and ended up selling them) and the focus knob on the ZRS (at least my sample) is much smoother and lighter than that of the Sightron. You also don't get that hard plastic body with its "klingon ridges".

But overall (again based on memory) I would think it's a very close call between the two, and largely depends on personal preference (open bridge vs. closed, overall ergonomics, priority of maximum size/weight savings vs. optics and cost, etc.). I would be very interested in someone who owns the Sightron 8x32 SII giving the ZRS a shot for comparison.

Speaking of which, I would love to see a comparison of the Swaro 8x30CL vs. the ZRS 8x32, preferably by someone who doesn't have a sense of the relative brand cachet and doesn't know how much each one costs. I'm sure the CL is better optically (brighter, very neutral and vivid Swaro color balance, larger sweet spot) but I bet it's not a big difference. I also (personal opinion) hated the feel of the Swaros, I thought the eye relief was too long for the eyecup extension and I had a lot of trouble getting a clean view with them. As a light-weight travel/backup/hiking bin, I know I'd definitely rather have the ZRS and ~$700 extra in my pocket.

 

[eitanaltman]

A few photos attached for size comparison w/ Bushnell Excursion 8x28.

As you can see it's barely larger, just slightly taller/longer. There is a bit more room in front of the bridge for fingers to wrap around the barrel.

Like many Zen-Ray products, I think it's much more attractive in real life than the the photos on the website.

 

[Den Dee]

Eitan,
No wonder it took you so long, this is a mammoth review.
Very nice. Thank you!
Sounds like a perfect second or third bin.
Now Zen-Ray, where is your European representation??

 

[ABCY 1]

As a Zen Ray fan, here is one more personal opinion on the ZRS 8x32 (with thanks to Eitan and Howard220 for their reports).
I wanted a small, lightweight 8x32 with wide FOV for birding fieldwork and tried this model for a day. It was a very neat package but I had significant problems that led me to return it. I think most of my worries relate to the fact that I need to wear eyeglasses (myopic with astigmatism) and with these binoculars I just couldn't see the full FOV. I also saw a lot of internal reflections, and found myself adjusting the diopter when focussing at different distances (like Howard220 with his contacts?). When it was aligned and focussed correctly it was very good, but just too fiddly to work for me. So maybe these binos will work best when the user doesn't wear eyeglasses. BTW I have now got Minox BL 8x33 which work very well for me.

 

[eitanaltman]

Thanks for the report. The eye relief spec is a bit on the short side for glasses wearers. I do not wear glasses and didn't experience diopter issues or find them fiddly to use, but nothing is more important than being able to use the bins comfortably.

Can you compare the optics of the Minox BL 8x33? This is an interesting model and I find Minox always makes a quality product.

 

[ABCY 1]

Eitan - happy to compare the Minox BL 8x33 with the Zen Ray 8x32, though I'll be relying on memory for the latter. I'll post in the Minox section in a day or so, and I'll throw in comparisons to Zen ED2 9x36 and Vanguard Endeavour ED 8x42 which I have on hand.

cheers, Peter

 

[eitanaltman]

Thanks. Considering your collection includes three different brands I think you should post your comparison thread on the main forum. Looking forward to it, the fact that you have the Endeavor ED too is a nice reference point.

 

[ABCY 1]

Ok main forum it is then

 

[black crow]

As a Zen Ray fan, here is one more personal opinion on the ZRS 8x32 (with thanks to Eitan and Howard220 for their reports).
I wanted a small, lightweight 8x32 with wide FOV for birding fieldwork and tried this model for a day. It was a very neat package but I had significant problems that led me to return it. I think most of my worries relate to the fact that I need to wear eyeglasses (myopic with astigmatism) and with these binoculars I just couldn't see the full FOV. I also saw a lot of internal reflections, and found myself adjusting the diopter when focussing at different distances (like Howard220 with his contacts?). When it was aligned and focussed correctly it was very good, but just too fiddly to work for me. So maybe these binos will work best when the user doesn't wear eyeglasses. BTW I have now got Minox BL 8x33 which work very well for me.

I also saw what I take to be internal reflection if I take your meaning correctly. There seem to be a "mirror like" reflective ring around the edge of my views which was totally annoying and distracting. I also got partial blackouts easily. Too fiddly is about right. And really they were hard to hold in my hand steadily or easily. I went back to the Sightrons which while slightly heavier have significantly better viewing IMO and a cheaper price tag. Too bad as I was all set to love them.

 

[Steve C]

I also saw what I take to be internal reflection if I take your meaning correctly. There seem to be a "mirror like" reflective ring around the edge of my views which was totally annoying and distracting.

Oftentimes this is not internal reflection at all. Very often, certainly not always, this mirror like reflection, is just that, a mirror reflection off the face of the ocular lens. This is a mirror reflection because it is a mirror of light hitting the ocular from some angle. I can see this on several binoculars and is one reason why I happen to like the Field Optics Research Winged eye shields or similar winged accessory. Flip up the wing and no more reflection as the offending side light is blocked.

One of my cardinal rules for people accepting or not accepting a binocular for their personal use is whether or not everything dealing with the eye the eye cups and your face react with the binocular in a way you can use.

 

[black crow]

Thanks for that info. I really only have the issue with two bins and both are Zen Rays. (7x36) Now isn't that odd. I have had at least a dozen other pairs with nary a problem.

 

[Steve C]

Thanks for that info. I really only have the issue with two bins and both are Zen Rays. (7x36) Now isn't that odd. I have had at least a dozen other pairs with nary a problem.

As I posted above, I think the single over riding consideration in whether or not a person pushes the like/dislike button an any particular binocular is how well that particular binocular fits the face, particularly around the eyes (right eye relief, right eye cup diameter, right shape, right ipd adjustment, right eye cup extension...etc).

You mention the ZEN ED 2 7x36. When that came out, there was a near immediate series of posts about veiling glare. This immediately was interpreted as some serious failing in design or QC. I saw those and my thought was..."what in the world are those people seeing?" There is no glare, veiling or otherwise for me in my 7x36. Some of those posts I could discount, but not from some of those posting. I even asked Charles if he could send me any of the 7x36 which were returned for glare problems, which he did. There was no glare for me in any of the several 7x36 he sent me...none. So with my curiosity fully aroused I started fiddling with the way I handled the binoculars. The first thing I did was to turn the eye cups back just a little from the fully extended position. Bingo there was some veiling glare, the more I turned them down the more glare there was. It was the worst when the eye cups were turned down a bit and I resorted to what is referred here as the MOLCET technique (which I learned about in 1969 from my Ornithology professor in Ashland, Or.). This is where the top of the eye cup is rested on the eye brow and the rest of the binocular is angled just a little to your face.

So what this tells me is that the 7x36 is a proper fit for my face and I was not in the position of having any stray light leak around anything to muck things up. In addition there were some QC checks for properly blackened surfaces, and another internal baffle was added to the 7x36. I am convinced that many of the glare complaints were the result of the 7x36 not fitting the face of the user quite right, in some way or another. I have come to think that the ergonomics of a binocular are way more important than the eternally unanswerable questions of which binocular is better than which binocular...etc.

We could each sit down with a table full of different binoculars and you do your checklist while I do mine. We will each like some of the same and will each dislike some of the same. Likewise there will be some one of us likes that the other dislikes. Comes down to how well the optical/mechanical design of the binocular interfaces with the biological/optical design of the user. There are other design features to be certain in that in some instances design a may have some flaw as compared to design b, but I think ergonomics is the principle determiner if we are comparing similar quality instruments.

 

[Howard220]

I would like to update a few observations with the 8x32. 1) I have yet to see any reflections that have been cited. I've tested mine by looking at trees where the sun was near the view, and I could still easily see a contrasty view, albeit reduced from normal. 2) I can see almost the entire FOV while wearing eyeglasses. My diopters are -1.50, so the lenses are not thick. Thicker lenses would, of course, reduce the FOV. 3) The sweet spot is painfully small, but brilliant and crisp. I would have considered returning them, but I don't know what else there could be that is otherwise so comfortable and light in the price range. 3a) Surrounding the small sweet spot, there is noticeable chromatic aberration. I looked at a Mourning Dove on a sunny day in a distant tree, and noticed its color changed dramatically when viewed slightly off-center. I at first thought it was some other bird I've never seen here before. Therefore, I would not recommend these to a serious birder. 3b) I think I figured out why I have to fiddle with the diopter when changing the distance viewed. It's apparently due to the small sweet spot. When we change our viewing distance, our eyes' interpupillary distance changes. We may think the binocular would accommodate for that, but it doesn't. Therefore, the alignment of the eyes behind the sweet spots changes. In my case, my dominant eye focuses properly on the newly focused object, while my other eye has to follow -- and it will no longer land behind the small sweet spot. One way to correct for this is to change not the diopter adjustment, but instead the spacing between the objectives. Neither is convenient by any means. My non-dominant eye is "lazy," but I don't think that has any bearing on this issue.

In any case I own them, and I enjoy using them, and make accommodations for their shortcomings. I just need to perfectly center the object I'm viewing. ;-)

 

[black crow]

Steve, I also owned the Zen 9x36 and had no problem there. I still have the 7x36 and have learned to live with the issue and I use them quite often.

 

[Steve C]

Steve, I also owned the Zen 9x36 and had no problem there. I still have the 7x36 and have learned to live with the issue and I use them quite often.

Likely makes the point , as the eye relief will be different on each, the 9x36 being more suited to you. I have problems with the 7x43 ED 3 because of eye relief issues.