Yes, adding two field flattener lenses will cause about 1% overall energy loss. But that loss has been more than compensated with better dielectric mirror coating and lens AR coating. The only impact to resolution is a much better resolution at the edge of the field.
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Review: ZEN Prime HD (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Steve C
- Start date
Yes, adding two field flattener lenses will cause about 1% overall energy loss. But that loss has been more than compensated with better dielectric mirror coating and lens AR coating. The only impact to resolution is a much better resolution at the edge of the field.
Binoseeker
Mostly using spectacles (myopic) with binoculars.
Some sloppiness.....in the action...
15 days ago I applied for an RMA number on Zen-Rays homepage and also sent a personal PM to Charles but haven´t received any RMA number yet. Do you know how many days it normally takes to get an RMA number?
I am very pleased with the Prime but it has some sloppiness in the focus and unequal focus balance between the barrels that i would like to get rid off.
If the bin is focussed on a near object and i want to look at some new object farther away, then i get an unequal focus balance when focussing from the near object to the new object. I have to focus "past" the new object and then return with the focus to the new object to get that image with perfect focus balance. That is no fun to do every time....
When i got the brand new bin i noticed that there was some resistance in the movement of the wheel when focussing for the first time, like no one had tried to focuss it before, it felt like there was some grease spreading out when the parts in the bin moved for the first time. Well the persons at the QC sure can't find if there are any problems with the image etc, if they never look through them, at object at various distances.
Anders
15 days ago I applied for an RMA number on Zen-Rays homepage and also sent a personal PM to Charles but haven´t received any RMA number yet. Do you know how many days it normally takes to get an RMA number?
I am very pleased with the Prime but it has some sloppiness in the focus and unequal focus balance between the barrels that i would like to get rid off.
If the bin is focussed on a near object and i want to look at some new object farther away, then i get an unequal focus balance when focussing from the near object to the new object. I have to focus "past" the new object and then return with the focus to the new object to get that image with perfect focus balance. That is no fun to do every time....
When i got the brand new bin i noticed that there was some resistance in the movement of the wheel when focussing for the first time, like no one had tried to focuss it before, it felt like there was some grease spreading out when the parts in the bin moved for the first time. Well the persons at the QC sure can't find if there are any problems with the image etc, if they never look through them, at object at various distances.
Anders
I have admittedly not handled the Prime's personally, but I've read everything I could get my hands on. I have to say I'm very disappointed with all the sample defects, QC issues, and numerous problems with this glass. I was hoping for something much more reliable and competitive with binos costing 2-3 times as much, like the ED3's managed to do. Very disappointing to say the least, IMO.
OsageArcher
Well-known member
I went through several iterations with ZR also before I got units that met my expectations, for one reason or another. I have to say I have complete confidence in them, they took care of everything to my satisfaction, there was never any question that they would not, and the turn-around time from my door to them and back to my door was never more than one week - superb customer service. At this time I would not have any qualms dealing with them, I'm a very happy customer, my 10x42 Primes are very, very good when compared even with the top of the line alphas.
Binoseeker
Mostly using spectacles (myopic) with binoculars.
Today 22 days without any answer regarding a RMA number...:-C
Anders
Anders
Anders,
It just dawned on me that I may cause a confusion in the PMs between us. I thought your binoculars were on its way back here already, not realizing that you were still waiting for the RMA number. Please check your message, hopefully we get it straightened out this time. My apology!
Charles
Binoseeker
Mostly using spectacles (myopic) with binoculars.
Review of exchange 8x42 Prime HD.
Here is my review of the exchange 8x42 Prime HD I got.
When sitting in the dark and using a small maglite illuminating into the objectives I can see minute streaks of dirt on an optical surface inside both tubes. It is like someone has gently touched the surface with a small brush leaving marks. Maybe this could be starting points for mould in the future? I can’t see the marks when looking through the oculars but they are there and they should not be….in a good binocular..
Collimation
When looking at a horizontal line and at the same time moving the bin forward away from my eyes, still looking through the tubes, the horizontal line becomes divided, it goes down in the left tube and up in the right tube. In a good binocular the horizontal line is not divided.
I have an IPD of 62mm, and adjusted the bin on the tripod to have the same, checked at the ocular side. When looking through the bin, with spectacles on, eyecups down, and dioptre adjusted, I put a mark on the paper where the left edge of the image on the left tube was, and put another mark on the left edge in the right barrel. I measured the distance to be 67mm, giving a 5 mm difference relative to IPD. I guess it should be 0mm difference in a good binocular. ( I put my old Kowa 10x50 on the tripod but at a longer distance due to longer close focus distance and it was 0 mm difference, nice.).
Sometimes I feel my left eye have been looking in another direction when I quickly remove the bin from my eyes.
When looking through the bin from the objective side, in the right barrel (the barrel to the right when looking at the bin from the front) , and moving my eye to the left in the image, I can see a vertical edge to the right in the "image" and vice versa in the left barrel. The edge in the right barrel is a bit bigger and it seems like it cuts off the view a bit when moving the eye to the right. I can see a circle at the end of the optical path (the ocular) and another circle (somewhere in the middle of the bin) , which seems to be the smallest section in the bin, when aligning these circles in the left barrel, the edge is not protruding into the "circle" which it does in the right barrel. When I look from the ocular side I can see that the right edge of the image is blurred, this is not so in the other tube where all outer edges in the image is ok.
The hinge is very tight, but the focus is much better this time, it is not perfect but acceptable.
The Prime HD would be very good if only assembling & QC were up to speed....
Well, I think I have to PM Charles again….maybe third Prime's the charm :-C
Anders
Here is my review of the exchange 8x42 Prime HD I got.
When sitting in the dark and using a small maglite illuminating into the objectives I can see minute streaks of dirt on an optical surface inside both tubes. It is like someone has gently touched the surface with a small brush leaving marks. Maybe this could be starting points for mould in the future? I can’t see the marks when looking through the oculars but they are there and they should not be….in a good binocular..
Collimation
When looking at a horizontal line and at the same time moving the bin forward away from my eyes, still looking through the tubes, the horizontal line becomes divided, it goes down in the left tube and up in the right tube. In a good binocular the horizontal line is not divided.
I have an IPD of 62mm, and adjusted the bin on the tripod to have the same, checked at the ocular side. When looking through the bin, with spectacles on, eyecups down, and dioptre adjusted, I put a mark on the paper where the left edge of the image on the left tube was, and put another mark on the left edge in the right barrel. I measured the distance to be 67mm, giving a 5 mm difference relative to IPD. I guess it should be 0mm difference in a good binocular. ( I put my old Kowa 10x50 on the tripod but at a longer distance due to longer close focus distance and it was 0 mm difference, nice.).
Sometimes I feel my left eye have been looking in another direction when I quickly remove the bin from my eyes.
When looking through the bin from the objective side, in the right barrel (the barrel to the right when looking at the bin from the front) , and moving my eye to the left in the image, I can see a vertical edge to the right in the "image" and vice versa in the left barrel. The edge in the right barrel is a bit bigger and it seems like it cuts off the view a bit when moving the eye to the right. I can see a circle at the end of the optical path (the ocular) and another circle (somewhere in the middle of the bin) , which seems to be the smallest section in the bin, when aligning these circles in the left barrel, the edge is not protruding into the "circle" which it does in the right barrel. When I look from the ocular side I can see that the right edge of the image is blurred, this is not so in the other tube where all outer edges in the image is ok.
The hinge is very tight, but the focus is much better this time, it is not perfect but acceptable.
The Prime HD would be very good if only assembling & QC were up to speed....
Well, I think I have to PM Charles again….maybe third Prime's the charm :-C
Anders
Steve C
Well-known member
I've had several new ED 3's and Prime HD's in hand over the last several days. What I can say from the appearance of those, is that they are significantly better binoculars than some of the earlier runs were, and those were pretty good. The image is brighter, the flatness of the field is better. There is no slop in the focus, save for a degree or so as the wheel is reversed
Frankly I have come to the point where I no longer give any credence to, or pay any attention to, "slop in the focus wheel" complaints. That it seems to me is the number 1 overly anal complaint about any binocular. There are even times in threads on the various recognized alphas where complaints about focus sounds like the discussion is about $24.99 bubble wrap specials instead of high $$ glass. But I do hope your issue can be resolved
. Spots were another matter, as there were some problems in the first run.
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Binoseeker
Mostly using spectacles (myopic) with binoculars.
Got my return Prime "unannounced" today. Since i got tired of waiting, and needed a bin for the summer and onwards, i ordered a 8x42 McKinley last week...well, that´s life i suppose...i will get back to you concerning the McKinley...
...and the Prime...
For a quick check...the focus seems fine enough, i can feel a little slop, but when changing focus direction, during the slop phase, the focus actually changes, so it isn´t a free play so to speak.
Saw two dust particles on an optical surface in one barrel, they really light up when being illuminated, when looking inside, illuminating with a small flashlight, I guess i will not see these when looking through the oculars.
The rubber covers for the oculars seems a bit bigger and is easier to put on and remove from the oculars.
The diopter adjustment is easier to turn than before.
When looking in the left barrel from the objective side, there is a small cut off seen on the right side when moving the eye to the edge of the image. Don´t know if this will effect the view... The right barrel looks fine though.
Have you looked in your binocular, whatever model you have, if you have cut-offs? Maybe it is common and ok ?
Well, i will compare the Prime to the McKinleys...and get back to you...
Anders
...and the Prime...
For a quick check...the focus seems fine enough, i can feel a little slop, but when changing focus direction, during the slop phase, the focus actually changes, so it isn´t a free play so to speak.
Saw two dust particles on an optical surface in one barrel, they really light up when being illuminated, when looking inside, illuminating with a small flashlight, I guess i will not see these when looking through the oculars.
The rubber covers for the oculars seems a bit bigger and is easier to put on and remove from the oculars.
The diopter adjustment is easier to turn than before.
When looking in the left barrel from the objective side, there is a small cut off seen on the right side when moving the eye to the edge of the image. Don´t know if this will effect the view... The right barrel looks fine though.
Have you looked in your binocular, whatever model you have, if you have cut-offs? Maybe it is common and ok ?
Well, i will compare the Prime to the McKinleys...and get back to you...
Anders
Not looking good.:-C:-C
Binoseeker
Mostly using spectacles (myopic) with binoculars.
Well, I will keep the PRIME for now. I would have been glad if it didn’t have the spots, you know the feeling you get when everything is top notch with a new product you bought, but it is too costly to send back an “all new Prime” a third time from this side of the pond and I guess/hope the spots will not effect the view/image. Maybe this is what to expect when buying a chin-bin, please be prepared to be disappointed on this issue when doing the FLT (Flash Light Test ...no,no..not FTL..Faster Than Light :smoke. The barrels are better aligned and I don’t get that involuntary eye movement when removing the bin after looking.
The focus is acceptable now, hope it doesn’t get sloppier with time. I compared it briefly with the McKinley 8x42 I bought and they are pretty close optically, both very good optically. I looked in the objective side on the McKinleys and both barrels have slight cut offs. Maybe this is ok, I haven’t got any feed back on this, no one else seems to have looked for it in any bin, or have an opinion….strange….:eek!:
I could see some small CA on horizontal edges on top of a building with both bins without wearing spectacles, I have seen small CA with the excellent SV 8x32 earlier…so I think it is very hard to design a roof without CA. Well, lucky me…the CA is gone when I use spectacles, that is why you need to get spectacles for your roof-bin with at least 20 mm eye relief :-O.
I think SteveC & FrankD reviews of the McKinley is close to my opinion.
The most important things for me on both bins are the optical quality and the large eye relief and large FoV.
One thing that could have been better on the Prime is the surface on the focus knob. I would have liked it to have more traction for the finger. The focuser is the thing on the bin that you use most “mechanically” and it needs to be designed for optimal grip to ease focusing. Osage Archer may have some special solution for this kind of problem…
Anders
. The barrels are better aligned and I don’t get that involuntary eye movement when removing the bin after looking. The focus is acceptable now, hope it doesn’t get sloppier with time. I compared it briefly with the McKinley 8x42 I bought and they are pretty close optically, both very good optically. I looked in the objective side on the McKinleys and both barrels have slight cut offs. Maybe this is ok, I haven’t got any feed back on this, no one else seems to have looked for it in any bin, or have an opinion….strange….:eek!:
I could see some small CA on horizontal edges on top of a building with both bins without wearing spectacles, I have seen small CA with the excellent SV 8x32 earlier…so I think it is very hard to design a roof without CA. Well, lucky me…the CA is gone when I use spectacles, that is why you need to get spectacles for your roof-bin with at least 20 mm eye relief :-O.
I think SteveC & FrankD reviews of the McKinley is close to my opinion.
The most important things for me on both bins are the optical quality and the large eye relief and large FoV.
One thing that could have been better on the Prime is the surface on the focus knob. I would have liked it to have more traction for the finger. The focuser is the thing on the bin that you use most “mechanically” and it needs to be designed for optimal grip to ease focusing. Osage Archer may have some special solution for this kind of problem…
Anders
OsageArcher
Well-known member
One thing that could have been better on the Prime is the surface on the focus knob. I would have liked it to have more traction for the finger. The focuser is the thing on the bin that you use most “mechanically” and it needs to be designed for optimal grip to ease focusing. Osage Archer may have some special solution for this kind of problem…
Anders
Maybe there are still some QC problems, or large variations between some ZR models - my 10x42 ZR Primes have the best focus knob in all ways of all the binoculars I now have! I haven't had to apply my "solution" to the Primes (nor the new ZR 10x32s)...I could only wish that all my binoculars had focusers as good.
