ZEISS SFL 12 x 50. Many birders will immediately ask…? Do you have to go to the local gym to be able to hold it, as the weight of 50 mm binoculars is usually quite heavy and the full 12x magnification requires a steady hand…. I felt like most people when I heard about these new ZEISS binoculars from the SFL series (also available in 8×50 and 10×50). So I was very excited when ZEISS once again gave me the opportunity to test a new ZEISS model. My first impression when I saw it in the cardboard box was… it doesn’t look very big… and when I got it in my hand I was even more surprised, it was really light. I immediately had to check if it was true that it only weighed 872 grams! My kitchen scale agreed! And the ergonomics were fantastic, it felt great in the hand and it had a super wide focusing screw, so you can focus easily.
After being very pleasantly surprised by the weight and ergonomics, it was time to see if it could also live up to the fantastic optical qualities I knew from the other models of the SFL series I have previously tested. I was almost convinced that they must have compromised on some parameters to create such a lightweight 50 mm binocular. The first look was at one of the local Blackbirds walking in my garden and despite it being through a winter-dirty window that had just been punctured to add to the challenge, I was amazed, it was razor sharp.
After the first hour of impressions from the living room, I’ve been testing it non-stop for the 14 days I’ve had the opportunity to have it on loan… I’ve looked at butterflies and other insects, I’ve scoured the scrub and seen the first Red-capped Chickadees, I’ve sea-bobbed and checked the first flocks of Eiders for King Eider, checked flocks of gulls and geese and seen Black-headed Gulls and Red-necked Geese and finally challenged it in the first light and the last light of the day to see if it was an advantage to have a 50 mm. Despite always being a fan of smaller magnifications and smaller binoculars, I have to admit that I was totally blown away by these binoculars.
Before anyone thinks I’m getting a free pair of binoculars for this review, let me just say that I’ve always paid for my own binoculars.
If I have to boil down everything that has impressed me about this new model, it’s the following: Weight and ergonomics (which I have unreasonably compared to my own ZEISS SF 8 x 32) and actually from day one I didn’t even realise that I had switched to a larger binocular than my own (SFL160 mm against SF 152 mm).
The fact that I suddenly have 12 x magnification and could handhold 12 x has meant that I have been able to identify many more birds at greater distances than I normally could. In fact, I’ve used my telescope much less than usual to follow up on an observation. The fact that I have a field of view of 105 metres in 12 x binoculars is simply outstanding, which for a glasses wearer like me has been a big win with 105 metres.
The binoculars are as sharp as you would expect from a ZEISS. The SFL series is on the same level as the ZEISS SF series which is their top model. I have also been very happy with the colours in the binoculars which have given a very lifelike image. These binoculars offer so many possibilities and advantages that you should really consider them the next time you need new binoculars. Being able to stand at a migration site, for example. Grenen on Skagen, where many birds are seen at a great distance and have a high magnification is a huge advantage and the fact that you can also scratch with it (close range 1.8 m) makes these binoculars a winner in my opinion. The fact that you also get a ‘light cannon’ when there is not much light in the morning and at the end of the day is also a fantastic plus.
ZEISS SF 8×32 compared to the new SFL 12×50. Comparing it to an 8×32 is tough odds, but the SFL 12×50 has just delivered on all parameters. I highly recommend these new binoculars, in fact I’m a huge fan of the whole SFL range. …. You get so many binoculars from the very top shelf.
About Post Author
