falcondude
Well-known member
Arthur, thank you. I like the FL too when spending a brief time in store with them.
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A Very Happy Zen-ray Owner (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gcole
- Start date
Arthur, thank you. I like the FL too when spending a brief time in store with them.
I have had my 7x36 ED2 Zen Rays for about a week know so I thought I would summarize my impressions of them. This review is subjective and to the point because I am kind of weary from reading all the reviews on these. I have never seen so much interest on ANY binoculars!
1)STRAP
It is shorter than the 8x43 ED and it has disconnects. It is still too long for me but most factory straps are. I prefer the Neoprene straps so I usually just go get a simple Vero Vellini(without the disconnects) over at Gander Mountain and shorten it by cutting it off and burning the ends with a soldering gun. Perfect strap now. I don't want the binoculars hitting my belt buckle and it is quicker to the eye if the strap is shorter. Problem solved!
2)RAINGUARDS
These are fine. High quality and they fit tight! No problem here.
3)OBJECTIVE COVERS
Nice quality but they are still too loose. I wonder if you could shrink them some way! Anyway with most of my binoculars I just order the Bushwacker objective covers from Eagle Optics(about$15.00). They are simple to install and I think they work better than any objective cover out there. The Zen Ray 7x36ED2 takes a #6. Problen solved!
4) CASE
It is actually a pretty nice case but where do you put your strap? I like to put my strap INSIDE the case and then put the case strap over my shoulder. To do this takes a bigger case to hold the strap and binoculars. I bought a bunch of the Tamrac Binoculars cases which are a green nylon cordura nicely padded with their own strap and a big u-shaped zipper for easy acces at the top. Best case I have ever seen with plenty of room for your padded strap and nice protection for the binoculars. I don't think they are available anymore although you could buy them on E-bay UK for a while. I had an extra one which fit the Zens perfect. Problem solved!
5)COSMETICS
I feel the Zen's cosmetically are pretty nice in appearance. They might not be quite as nice as Swarovski or Zeiss but you are not paying $2000.00 either! It's kind of like comparing a Corvette to Ferrari. The Corvette will perform as well but it doesn't have hand stitched leather seats or a real wood dash. It depends on what is important to you. The Zen Rays optically will perform 95% as well as the Swarovski or Zeiss for a whole lot less money. Me, I will take the Corvette or the Zen Rays every time!
6)FOCUS
My 7x36 ED2 focus has no backlash although I feel it is a little bit hard to turn. It is a little harder than my Nikon 8x32 SE's. The SE has a ribbed focus wheel instead of the little rubber strips so it actually easier to get a grip on it with your finger. I feel the Zen's focus is entirely acceptable though and I feel with time it will loosen up. Really no problem here although I feel there is room for improvement. Nikon LXL's still have the best focus action.
7)OPTICS
This where the Zen Ray 7x36 ED2 shines. I compared it to my Nikon 8x32 SE which IMO is the best optics I have ever seen in any binoculars. No roof prism binocular is as good optically as the Nikon SE IMO so I consider it the benchmark to compare binoculars to. The Zen Rays were as good as any roof prism binocular I have ever used or compared to the SE. They are not quite as sharp as the SE's but they are VERY close. The Zen's have the advantage of the bigger FOV and they are VERY bright. The SE's are a little sharper at the edge but not much and when you consider how much bigger the FOV is on the Zens optical compromises dictate that the Zens should be a little less sharp at the edge. The sweet spot and color richness and lack of CA on the Zen's is awesome. Really comparable to any alpha binocular I have seen. I see the stray light issue everybody is talking about. But to notice it I had to look almost directly down from a 40 degree sun and kind of angle my eyes to see it which I really don't do very often! I see the same stray light with the SE although it is not quite as noticeable. I think we are expecting too much to not have ANY glare or stray light when you have the binoculars almost directly pointing at the sun. ANY binoculars will produce glare in that situation or any binoculars I have tried will and I have had alot of different binoculars. To me it is a non-issue and I think the people that are complaining about are being unrealistic.
8)CONCLUSION
I find the Zen Ray 7x36 ED2 an awesome binocular and I like it better than the 8x43 ED2 because of the wider FOV and the brighter view with the dielectric prisms. I really like the size too! It is much smaller than the 8x43 ED and it fits my hands nicely. The bottom line is it is by far the best bargain out there in a high quality binocular. It is way better than the older alphas(Nikon LXL,Leica BN's) and very, very close to the top alphas(Zeiss FL's) for 1/5 the money.
Dennis
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NDhunter
Experienced observer
[email protected]; I find the Zen Ray 7x36 ED2 an awesome binocular and I like it better than the 8x43 ED2 because of the wider FOV and the brighter view with the dielectric prisms. I really like the size too! It is much smaller than the 8x43 ED and it fits my hands nicely. The bottom line is it is by far the best bargain out there in a high quality binocular. It is way better than the older alphas(Nikon LXL said:
If only I could stop laughing....
I really think this glare issue is either a personal thing or perhaps you do have a bad sample. I would try exchanging them and see if another pair is not better. I see some glare in really adverse situations but not much worse than my Nikon SE's. Both have the same crescent type glare at the bottom of the field when looking slightly below the sun when the sun is about 40 degrees.
Dennis
chartwell99
Well-known member
Gosh, I am truly amazed at the disparity of opinions on the Zen 7 x 36. For what its worth, I am with Dennis on this one - truly enjoyable binoculars described accurately in Dennis's very fair review. I tried today to replicate the glare bugging NDhunter and some others using my two other 7 power binoculars (7 x 42 Leica BA and 7 x 42 Zeiss BGA Dialyt Classic) for comparison. With effort, all three flared if pushed, but I found the Leica the worst offender. None, however, were objectionable during a full day of birding under the blazing Texas sun. For the record, I think the Leica is actually the sharpest of the three with the easiest view, the Zeiss is the brightest with the greatest depth of field, and the build quality of the Leica and Zeiss is light years ahead of the Zen (Dennis's Corvette vs. Ferrari analogy is especially apt). Maybe my tolerance for optical flaws in greater than most but I continue to be pleased as punch with my Zens.
Bob A (SD)
Well-known member
Dennis,
I share your sentiments and frankly do not understand what John Traynor's laughing is all about. I do understand our friend's (from a bit further north of me) complaints although he too tends to throw the baby out with the bathwater in his condemnation of these bins. Elsewhere some decent detective work seems to point to individual facial physical characteristics as significant contributing factors to glare/flare susceptibility.
Your optics comments are basically what I posted when comparing the ED2 7x36 to my Swaro 7x42B SLCs. I felt the Zens trumped the Swaro's with weight, close focus, and FOV, but lost by narry a hair in edges and the proportional size of the sweet spot. Clarity, color rendition, starry nights visual observations, etc all queued up as indistinguishable.
I feel sorry for those plagued by the glare / flare issue to the point where they class the bins as unusable. Most all did favorable comment on the remaining aspects of these bins including the optical views.
I share your sentiments and frankly do not understand what John Traynor's laughing is all about. I do understand our friend's (from a bit further north of me) complaints although he too tends to throw the baby out with the bathwater in his condemnation of these bins. Elsewhere some decent detective work seems to point to individual facial physical characteristics as significant contributing factors to glare/flare susceptibility.
Your optics comments are basically what I posted when comparing the ED2 7x36 to my Swaro 7x42B SLCs. I felt the Zens trumped the Swaro's with weight, close focus, and FOV, but lost by narry a hair in edges and the proportional size of the sweet spot. Clarity, color rendition, starry nights visual observations, etc all queued up as indistinguishable.
I feel sorry for those plagued by the glare / flare issue to the point where they class the bins as unusable. Most all did favorable comment on the remaining aspects of these bins including the optical views.
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Dennis, like others, has repeatedly promoted a particular binocular as the world's best only to suddenly change his mind. Now it's the Zen; next week it will be something else.
I'm also humored by the use of "95%", something that has absolutely no meaning whatsoever, though it is often repeated as gospel.
If you like the 7X36 Zen, count your blessings and be happy. Frank had an 8X43 and a 7X36 that we both looked at. The 7X36 did not have anything approaching the walk-in view one would expect from a 477 FOV, the sweet spot was very confining, and eye relief was too short for eyeglasses. The 8X43 was pretty nice but it had a sloppy focus. Again, if those things don’t bother you, count your blessings.
Multiple users with no personal bias one way or another have noted several “faults” for the 7X36. Once again, if you’re not bothered by these shortcomings, count your blessings. There is one feature in the Zen ED’s that is not present in dozens of other mid-priced binoculars…control of chromatic aberration. That’s a very good thing but it does not offset other aspects. Inadequate eye relief, sloppy focus mechanisms, and soft edges are deal breakers for many others and myself. To discount these shortcomings with the “95%” argument is, at this point in the conversation, humorous.
If you’re satisfied with the Zen’s, be happy. Denigration of contrary opinions, however, is suspect, at best.
John
I'm also humored by the use of "95%", something that has absolutely no meaning whatsoever, though it is often repeated as gospel.
If you like the 7X36 Zen, count your blessings and be happy. Frank had an 8X43 and a 7X36 that we both looked at. The 7X36 did not have anything approaching the walk-in view one would expect from a 477 FOV, the sweet spot was very confining, and eye relief was too short for eyeglasses. The 8X43 was pretty nice but it had a sloppy focus. Again, if those things don’t bother you, count your blessings.
Multiple users with no personal bias one way or another have noted several “faults” for the 7X36. Once again, if you’re not bothered by these shortcomings, count your blessings. There is one feature in the Zen ED’s that is not present in dozens of other mid-priced binoculars…control of chromatic aberration. That’s a very good thing but it does not offset other aspects. Inadequate eye relief, sloppy focus mechanisms, and soft edges are deal breakers for many others and myself. To discount these shortcomings with the “95%” argument is, at this point in the conversation, humorous.
If you’re satisfied with the Zen’s, be happy. Denigration of contrary opinions, however, is suspect, at best.
John
John
I really didn't say they were the world's best but I do feel they are a good buy for the money. For me the ER is ok since I don't wear glasses, the soft edges I feel are a trade off for the large FOV and my pair does not have a sloppy focus mechanism although a bit tight. I like you appreciate the lack of CA in a binocular at this price which most don't have and other positive attributes they have.
Dennis
Thanks for all the information. I have a couple of questions regarding the 7x36s:
I'm thinking of switching from my Leica 8x32 BNs and when I heard of the Zen I assumed that eye relief would be better than the Leicas - is it so? Some members seem to be not satisefied with the the eye relief of the Zens... the stated eye relief is 16.8 mm compared to the Leica, 14.6 mm, is this difference significant?
Another issue is close focus, is it as good as stated? 5 ft?
The Leica 8x32 BN is 7.2 ft
I'm thinking of switching from my Leica 8x32 BNs and when I heard of the Zen I assumed that eye relief would be better than the Leicas - is it so? Some members seem to be not satisefied with the the eye relief of the Zens... the stated eye relief is 16.8 mm compared to the Leica, 14.6 mm, is this difference significant?
Another issue is close focus, is it as good as stated? 5 ft?
The Leica 8x32 BN is 7.2 ft
FrankD
Well-known member
For my eyes the close focus on the 7x36 Zen ED is 4.5 feet.
I cannot specifically comment on the eye relief in comparison to the Leica. I don't wear glasses but because of the shape of my nose and the inset of my eyes I typically require the use of at least "average" (15-16 mm) eye relief binoculars. The exception is if the diameter of the eyecups is narrower. In that case I can get away with 13-14 mm without any problem. I can see the full field of view in both the 32 mm Leica and the 36 mm Zen Ray though it is just borderline on the latter.
I cannot specifically comment on the eye relief in comparison to the Leica. I don't wear glasses but because of the shape of my nose and the inset of my eyes I typically require the use of at least "average" (15-16 mm) eye relief binoculars. The exception is if the diameter of the eyecups is narrower. In that case I can get away with 13-14 mm without any problem. I can see the full field of view in both the 32 mm Leica and the 36 mm Zen Ray though it is just borderline on the latter.
That's about what I remember. I saw a minimum focus of about 4', and eye relieve a little less than the Zeiss 8x42 FL. It was comfortable for me wearing my bifocals, but no extra.
I would suggest you try them out and return them if there are any glaring problems.
What do you wish to gain?
Makes sense. Just keep in mind that the Leica BN has a lot going for as a birding glass. Plus, it's a classic.
Not sure about the entomology. I do know a guy who carries two glasses at the same time - a Papilio and a Swaro SLC 8x56. He is a highly respected naturalist locally.
APS
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I am not one of those who considers the 7x36 Zen a flawless binocular, but they are very bright and their close focus performance is a highlight. I am presbyopic and could focus mine to about 4'.
Steve C
Well-known member
I agree with Fireform. They are not flawless, although there has been a lot of posting going on that seems to have been aimed at specifically pointing out that fact. Even to the point of holding them to the absolute alpha standard. I also am not one to find any binocular I have ever used to be flawless. I have used, to some extent, just about everything from ZEN image quality up.
I look at it this way, there are issues with anything. There is the deal breaker (for some) with kidney bean blackouts in the Nikon SE. Some people complain about edge distortion in the FL, some point to excessive CA in the Swarovski EL. There have been multiple posts over the years here where you would think the posters were posting about something they got in a bubble wrap package off the discount rack at the Cheap-Mart instead of a state of the art alpha binocular. Just keep in mind everything is about compromises.
The close focus of the 7x36 ZEN would make a good entomological tool, and the fov makes it a good birding binocular as well. Keep in mind however (since we are discussing flaws) that the close range of the focus of the ZEN 7x36 is where the majority of the slow part of the focus travel of that design lives.
Thanks for the info.
If you consider the close focus distance, maybe this binocular is not as slow as you guys perceive? Would it not be inevitable that a close focusing binocular needs more turns? What if you compare it with the alphas from six ft to infinity? I reckon most 8x32s have a close focus of approx 6ft.
The market (here on BF that is) seems to have been wanting for some time now an alpha class 7x32,36. Zen seems to have something tantalizingly close here, but not quite. That is a huge compliment to the Zen. But, folks might not want 2nd tier performance at a 3rd tier price. They want alpha performance in a 7x32, and better yet at a 2nd tier price, right? Thus, the alpha comparisons, unfair as they are. It's more about what people really want than about how good the Zens really are.
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