50-some reads and not a single response. Interesting. I wish I could see who read the thread and didn't respond.
My take, they (collectively) have the sharpness, lack of color fringing, brightness and wide field of view (better than the Alphas in this last regard) of the high end Alpha binoculars. I have never been able to say that about any of the other "contenders" in the past. They were always lacking in one of those key areas.
Contrast is reasonably comparable depending on which Alphas you are comparing them to. Physical size is right there with the Zeiss FL and Swaro EL...and the weight is in the same ballpark as well.
Overall build quality and fit and finish on the Zen Rays that I have in my possession is very good. There are a few points I would like to see improvement on...and I commented on that in my original thread as well as to Zen Ray. On that issue I cannot wait to see what the eventual revised version looks/performs like.
In my opinion though it all comes down to the optics. I don't have any of the Alpha binoculars anymore. I am not a hardcore birder or a hunting guide or involved in some other profession that requires the most expensive binoculars commonly made. I casually bird and hunt a few months out of every year. I sit on my back deck or look out the back window of my home just about every day of the year.....whether it is at deer or turkey in the back field or Snow Geese flying overhead. I also spend a great deal of time up at the local hawkwatch watching raptors for several months with some very knowledgable folks. I am very picky with my optics and strongly prefer binoculars that perform at a very high level. After having owned many of the Alpha binoculars in recent years I eventually decided that I am content with binoculars that perform at Steve's 99 1/3rd % criteria (99 percent of the Alphas' optical performance but 1/3rd the price).....though I think Steve is going to have to revise that as these bins are less than 1/3rd the price of the Alphas.
In my opinion, the Zen Ray EDs are more than satisfactory for any of the applications that I mentioned. For the $350-$400 that these are selling for I think anyone would be hard pressed to find a better binocular.
Dennis,
I would offer some friendly advice. If you decide to order a pair of these then I woulud kindly ask that you approach them with an open mind. Don't look for them to "outperform" your Nikon SEs or even your Leica Trinovids. What I would ask is that you look at them as a unique binocular with its own set of positives and negatives. Leave the Nikons and the Leicas at home and just use the Zen Ray EDs for a week or two...by themselves. After you are done experimenting with them for a time then go back and consider what you paid for them.
Are they worth the $350-$400 that they are selling them for?
