I received the 7x36 ED2.2 this week and have only been able to check it in the backyard and at the office but so far I'm quite impressed. I'll try to post some photos this evening if possible and fyi I do not have experience with the previous version or other Zen Ray products.
Sweet spot appears to be approximately 70% of the field with very good resolution/brightness- compares well to my T FL and 8x32 SE in these areas with the Zeiss being the brightest as expected. I suspect the optical performance should be quite similar to the previous model with perhaps some differences related to the upgraded coatings. There appears to be no difference between the size of the sweet spot between barrels (I believe Brock had an issue with this on his ) and I am unable to identify any quality control issues such as internal dust or fit/finish/mechanical problems.
Focus knob is smooth with no slop and while the resistance is somewhat firm I definitely would not categorize it as stiff. Focus speed is neither too fast nor slow- for me it meets the goldilocks principle of being just right. It's similar to my 8x SE which reaches critical focus easily and without the overshoot of a too fast focuser such as my 8x32 LXL. YMMV, however.
Eyecups appear similar to photos from Holger's review in terms of their shape and have 1 intermediate position.
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/zen7x36.html I do not typically wear glasses while birding so it's difficult to comment on the eye relief but these reportedly have improved in this area with the chance in the diopter mechanism. The nonlocking diopter appears to have more than adequate stiffness to prevent accidental changes.
Overall I'm quite pleased with the optical performance and look forward to some actual birding with it this weekend. I'm unable to comment on whether it performs better than its predecessor, but it certainly appears to be another example of a binocular that punches above its weight (as previously) and occupies an increasingly rare niche of not only being 7x but of the 35mm variety as well.
Thanks to Zen Ray for bringing it back,
Clinton