Luke Tiller’s review on the ZEISS Victory SF32

I am so excited about these new ZEISS Victory SF 8x32s binoculars. For a long time now 8x32s have been a favorite format of mine because they offer the light weight and compact size that are essential in my life as a tour guide and traveling birder, so I have been waiting patiently for a new high end 32 since the launch of the Victory SF line in 2014.

What a surprising number of people do not realize is that in the same line of binoculars the 8×32 is always going to give you the wider field of view than a comparable 42, essentially because of the shorter body. One of the main features found across the Victory lineup is the lines incredible field of view and here in the 32’s it is a spectacular 465 feet at 1000 yards (twenty percent larger than many comparable binoculars). Of course, that wide field of view is sharp edge to edge, with the Ultra FL Glass providing a razor sharp and true to life image.

The binocular is extremely comfortable in the hands and the one-and-a-half turns from the close focus of six feet (great for observing butterflies and odes as well as birds) to infinity provides the speed of focus birders require but also allows for easy precision adjustments when required. The focus on the binocular is silky smooth, as befits the SF designation (special focus) and the three stops on the eyecups allow me to set them precisely for my favored stepped down position.

As a professional hawkwatcher, I find people often think that extra magnification would be the key element that you would be looking for in a birding binocular, however many eschew more magnification for a wide field of view and a bright image. Lots of professional hawkwatchers used to use seven power binoculars to get just that, however with the SF’s you no longer need to sacrifice the magnification to achieve that. When you have a lot of open sky to cover the large field of view allows you to do that quicker and a bright image can be especially useful when trying to pick out plumage detail on backlit birds. Of course, actually getting on the bird is of importance to all birders and a large field of view is important as it allows you to find birds easier, a key starting point for any bird ID.

What I loved about the 8×42 Victory SF’s is that they combined an incredible wide view with being both incredibly well balanced in the hand and taking top spot as the the physically lightest high end 42 on the market – a record they hold to this day.

In my mind there is no point having a big field of view in a clunky and heavy binocular that will be exhausting to carry all day. As a professional tour guide, hawkwatcher and wildlife biologist I am often wearing my binoculars for up to 12 hours a day, so I therefore want as light a pair of binoculars around my neck as I can. This is ever more relevant these days, when like many birders I am also encumbered by a camera and/or spotting scope too. With these new Victory SF 8x32s you are looking at a binocular that weighs a third less than many of the high end 42s and that lack of weight around my neck is a massive draw.

Of course, all optics are something of a tradeoff and with the 8×32’s you sacrifice a little light gathering, however thanks to the incredible light transmission of these new ZEISS Victory, for most birders that’s not going to be perceptible. I regularly lead tours in Panama in fall to see the spectacle of hawk migration there. That migration coincides with rainy season and often days can be heavily overcast. Even birding deep in forests in those overcast conditions with a ZEISS 8×32 I have not ever felt like that has impacted my ability to identify and enjoy birds. Though I cannot currently travel to rainforests to test these out I have taken these new SF’s up to the mountains here in Los Angeles to use at dawn and dusk in forested conditions and with their amazing light transmission they perform incredibly well.

I’ve always been something of an 8×32 evangelist. When I am working at birding festivals, I always ask people to look at the 32’s and it’s amazing how many converts I’ve made. It always surprises me when you see people lugging around these huge heavy binoculars that really do not seem to fit comfortably in their hands. The weight savings and compact size alone make them such an appealing format, and a pair of 8×32’s is a no brainer in my opinion especially if you plan to pack and carry a camera or scope too.

The new ZEISS Victory is a binocular that marries the incredible quality of glass and innovative lightweight technology that you’ve come to expect from the ZEISS Victory line with a compact and light weight design. If you do not currently own a high-end binocular you need check out this binocular before you buy anything else. If you have a high-end 8×42 and are thinking about something lighter and compacter either for travel or as your primary binocular, then you need to check out this extraordinary little binocular too!

Review of the updated ZEISS Victory SF

Richard Gregory’s experiences with the 10×42

Having been wowed by ZEISS’s new wonder binoculars, the Victory SF 10 x 42, at the UK BirdFair back in 2014, I have been using them ever since and I have been very pleased with their performance in a variety of conditions, home and abroad. But there is now more, as the sharp looking black Victory SF binoculars are just out and I have been putting them through their paces recently. Obviously the first thing that strikes you with the updated binoculars is the sleek black look and ZEISS have redesigned the armouring and how it is fitted to overcome niggles with reports of poor fit and discolouring with the original grey armour.

The result is a very pleasing smooth tactile, sticky and solid grip; and personally the nostalgic black seems right for ZEISS again. The other obvious thing to me on the new binoculars is the focus action, which is notably much smoother and more even on the updated Victory SFs. Previously, the large focus ring was great, moving your view from infinity to a metre instantly, but it could be sticky in places and on some pairs; and that’s an issue I have seen on the bird forums too. The new bins have none of those problems and that is a significant improvement on something that was pretty good to start with.

THE IMAGE BRIGHTNESS, QUALITY AND CRISPNESS, FIELD OF VIEW, NEUTRAL COLOUR RENDITION, WEIGHT AND EASY FEEL AND BALANCE PUTS THEM IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN AS THE TOP BIRDING BINOCULARS.

The other nerdy feature I noticed that has changed was the eyecups, though not in an obvious way. An original pair I tested had the odd feature that if you extended the eyecups upwards, as I would normally do, an overzealous birder could inadvertently unscrew the whole thing and end up holding the eyepiece! I managed to do this surveying waders on the mudflats in China and it is not recommended. ZEISS have again listened carefully to feedback from birders and diligently acted upon it to improve the binoculars and fix that issue.
The optics in the updated binoculars have not changed, which means you still get the amazing razor sharp image, depth of focus, wide field of view, and stunning close focus. They are designed to perform particularly well in lower light conditions and that’s a feature I noticed watching wonderful short-eared owls coming into roost recently near home.

The relatively light weight, ergonomic design with a balance away from the objective lens means they are very easy and comfortable to use, which is a big plus over their competitors. The binoculars come with adjustable eyecups, rain guard, objective lens cover, a broad comfortable neck strap and a solid carrying case – all of which exude quality and attention to detail for ZEISS – even the box they come in is a thing of beauty. A great deal of care and thought has been put into these binoculars by people who clearly understand optics and birders, and in consequence, the new bins perform superbly. I prefer to use 10x magnification for my birding but I know lots of other birders prefer to use 8x – and there was a glowing review of the later bins by Roger Riddington in British Birds last year.

Learn more about the ZEISS Victory SF binoculars.

PERSONAL PREFERENCE AND BUDGET HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH WHICH BINOCULARS YOU CHOOSE, BUT IF YOU ARE AFTER TOP-END BINOCULARS, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE VICTORY SFS. IN MY OPINION, AND IT IS A PERSONAL VIEW, THESE ARE THE VERY BEST BIRD WATCHING BINOCULARS ON THE MARKET TODAY AND ARE DEMONSTRABLY AHEAD OF THE PACK.