Brief reviews about Zeiss victory SFL 8/10 x40 (3 Viewers)

[Andy Gan]

I have not seen 8x30 sfl. but I think 8x32 UV is bit better overall.

I have chance now to go with Leica UVHD+ 8x32. I haven't look through it yet. But one of my friends this week will be near the Leica shop in Europe.

Maybe You can remember - that Leica UVHD+ 8x32 how deals with:
1. Ease of eyes placement/pointing - is there easy to avoid blackouts?
2. Edge-to-edge sharpness and width of a "sweet spot" of sharpness?
3. Some maybe mechanical problems (I've heard that it has sometimes focuser malfunctions)???

 

[Declan Joseph Deasy]

What would be considered Zeiss’s flagship binoculars?

 

[Vinnie45acp]

What would be considered Zeiss’s flagship binoculars?

SF

 

[[email protected]]

Thread 'Hello from South Korea!' Hello from South Korea!

As I'm doing binocular review continuously and gaining some influence over South Korean binocular society,
Zeiss main distributor of South Korea lend me SFL 8x40 and 10x40 for review. As it was first introduced 2023 jan in Korea, I was the first Korean to use SFL.
the 30mm SFL is not available in Korea yet.

(I'm not used to writh in English at foreign domain... so I have to right much shorter (about 30~40%) then ones I wrote is Korean forum.
but I'll try my best to summarize my feeling about it.)

significantly smaller in both length and width compared with SF 42mm (about 150g lighter too)


Pros :

1. highest color fidelity in market. (better than swaro el/ nl, zeiss ht, nikon edg, fujinon hc, steiner nighthunter and more.)

2. most pleasing agronomic in Zeiss binos.
short, light, easiest focusing due to short width, most comfortable eyecups in zeiss.

3. close focus 1.3m

4. very good stray light suppression.

even slightly better than victory ht/ sf

Cons :

It's price is closer to victories than conquest.
but It's overall image quality is closer to conquest than victory.

It has the name 'victory' on it, but it seems it's more evenly matched with conquest.
central sharpness is almost same as conquest and edge sharpness (about 85%) is smilar too.
CA control is significantly better than conquest but worse then victory sf (especially at the edges.)
color fidelity is over one step more higher in SFL (conqust color tends to be yellow - green. and 32mm has more green coloring than 42)

I think SFL is not a victory level, closer to 'Reinforced Conquest'

to summarize.

Zeiss SFL will be highly innovative to birders.
It's pros, the high color fidelity, stray light control, close focus, good agronomic, compact and lightweight is all the spec birders need.

It is very convenient for me that if I go serious birding, I'm thinking obut taking this along...

but for the optic purists, It's optic quality doesn't seem to be fitted to 'victory' name.

In korea, It is about a same price with Swarovski EL. so It is more obvious to go buy EL because EL's image quality is still a step over then SFL.

After having several Zeiss SFL's and now having an SF, I agree with you on everything you said. Good comparison.

 

[pm42]

BTW, as much as I appreciate them, I was watching falcons against a perfect blue sky yesterday and for the first time I wished for less CA.
On the other hand, I took them with me on holidays instead of my NL Pure because of their weight and size: you can't have it all.

 

[Vinnie45acp]

After having several Zeiss SFL's and now having an SF, I agree with you on everything you said. Good comparison

For a 30/32, would you recommend the SFL 8x30 or the SF 8x32? I just got a SFL 8x40 and a SF 10x42, but really want a 30/32 for strict daytime in wooded area.

 

[Scott98]

For a 30/32, would you recommend the SFL 8x30 or the SF 8x32? I just got a SFL 8x40 and a SF 10x42, but really want a 30/32 for strict daytime in wooded area.

how about going by size - 8x32 is bigger and more comfortable to hold maybe, the SFL is much smaller.

 

[Vinnie45acp]

how about going by size - 8x32 is bigger and more comfortable to hold maybe, the SFL is much smaller.

Yeh, I’m looking right now at finding the best price or a demo on a SFL 8x30. Thx

 

[Vinnie45acp]

Actually I have changed that to trying to find the Best price or a Demo on a Zeiss SF 8x32, to complete my collection, for now

 

[NatureLover123]

Actually I have changed that to trying to find the Best price or a Demo on a Zeiss SF 8x32, to complete my collection, for now

I think so, too. You probably want that additional HI res detail and field that the SF gives. And „strict daytime in wooded area“, my experience with SF 10x32 is, that they are also still useful some good minutes after sundown.
You wrote you have already a SF 10x42, the SF 8x32 would be a good combo. You could sell the SFL 8x40, when you really aim for the SF 32.

 

[Vinnie45acp]

I think so, too. You probably want that additional HI res detail and field that the SF gives. And „strict daytime in wooded area“, my experience with SF 10x32 is, that they are also still useful some good minutes after sundown.
You wrote you have already a SF 10x42, the SF 8x32 would be a good combo. You could sell the SFL 8x40, when you really aim for the SF 32.

Yeh, it’s a thought, the 2 SF’s might stay with me and the SFL will probably be my Wife’s, we will see. I already love the 10x42,

 

[NatureLover123]

Yeh, it’s a thought, the 2 SF’s might stay with me and the SFL will probably be my Wife’s, we will see. I already love the 10x42,

When you get one, please tell me how you compare the two SFs. I am thinking also getting a SF 8x32. But then I would have enough money spend in optics for some years to come. Two 10x SF, I see me now seldom use the 10x42, at the moment. The SF 10x32 is so much better (field, weight) at sunny day in summertime, I love it.

 

[[email protected]]

For a 30/32, would you recommend the SFL 8x30 or the SF 8x32? I just got a SFL 8x40 and a SF 10x42, but really want a 30/32 for strict daytime in wooded area.

SF 8x32 all the way. IMO, the SF is a big jump optically from the SFL. Try the NL 8x32 also!

 

[[email protected]]

Actually I have changed that to trying to find the Best price or a Demo on a Zeiss SF 8x32, to complete my collection, for now

I picked up my like new SF 10x32 on eBay for $1800. Almost as cheap as an SFL.

 

[[email protected]]

When you get one, please tell me how you compare the two SFs. I am thinking also getting a SF 8x32. But then I would have enough money spend in optics for some years to come. Two 10x SF, I see me now seldom use the 10x42, at the moment. The SF 10x32 is so much better (field, weight) at sunny day in summertime, I love it.

I also love my SF 10x32. Great glass! It is close to being perfect.

 

[[email protected]]

Actually I have changed that to trying to find the Best price or a Demo on a Zeiss SF 8x32, to complete my collection, for now

Here is like new Zeiss SF 8x32 at B&H for $1869.95. If you have the Payboo card, you don't have to pay tax, either. Very SWEET binocular!

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802822998-USE/zeiss_523224_0000_000_8x32_victory_sf_binoculars.html

 

[Vinnie45acp]

I also love my SF 10x32. Great glass! It is close to being perfect.

If you could choose only one of the two, which would you prefer and why? The 8x32 or 10x32, I’m slightly torn

 

[NatureLover123]

If you could choose only one of the two, which would you prefer and why? The 8x32 or 10x32, I’m slightly torn

I picked in addition to my beloved SF 10x42 a SF 10x32 because I wanted to have a light travel/hike binocular for daytime, especially in the summer months. I would never give my 10x42 away, with one exception if Zeiss would bring a new next gen SF 10x42, some day in the future…. The 42 is still the better allrounder, overall, because of better lowlight performance. The winter will come again, then the 10x32 will probably stay at home.

You have already the 10x42, I would keep it, when you want to use that low light advantage.

I meant getting a high quality 8x32 like the SF in this format would be a good combo for your wooded area use at daytime (less far distance viewing, and more area covered at mid range viewing like you would have in the woods).

Don‘t be torn, you already have a superb HI res 10x which is more capable than the SF 10x32, overall. The additional 10meters field of view is negligible because the 10x42 has more comfort viewing.

 

[NatureLover123]

I picked in addition to my beloved SF 10x42 a SF 10x32 because I wanted to have a light travel/hike binocular for daytime, especially in the summer months. I would never give my 10x42 away, with one exception if Zeiss would bring a new next gen SF 10x42, some day in the future…. The 42 is still the better allrounder, overall, because of better lowlight performance. The winter will come again, then the 10x32 will probably stay at home.

You have already the 10x42, I would keep it, when you want to use that low light advantage.

I meant getting a high quality 8x32 like the SF in this format would be a good combo for your wooded area use at daytime (less far distance viewing, and more area covered at mid range viewing like you would have in the woods).

Don‘t be torn, you already have a superb HI res 10x which is more capable than the SF 10x32, overall. The additional 10meters field of view is negligible because the 10x42 has more comfort viewing.

And yes you should also give the NL 8x32 a try at the dealer…. But for me the NL are no option, because I don’t like that flat screen TV view. I prefer the for me more natural immersive view of the SFs.

 

[NatureLover123]

I also love my SF 10x32. Great glass! It is close to being perfect.

Yes very very close to be perfect. I got them new this year. But I expect my SF 10x42 to be used more often in the winter months again, we’ll see how the 32s perform then.