Name: 9 Reasons to Buy the Zeiss Victory Today! (2023)
Brand: birdwatchinghq.com
SKU: birdwatchinghq-com-5
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

9 Reasons to Buy the Zeiss Victory Today! (2023)

preview

Skip to contentWhile watching birds and observing nature is fantastic, shopping for binoculars is not. 🙁 I think you’ll agree that it’s time-consuming and frustrating!There are countless models, technical details, and specifications to comb through, making researching the best model for you a chore. The Zeiss Victory SF has a reputation as an amazing optic. So I did all the research, read brochures, spoke with Zeiss, and even tested a Victory myself to create this review.Compare Prices!|A quick note before we begin: This list is tailored for a Zeiss Victory SF 8×42, but most of this list is still applicable no matter what size Victory SF you select and prefer. Also, there is a Zeiss Victory HT model available that is similar to the SF. Scroll to the bottom to read about the differences and find other resources to help you pick the right binocular.Do you love paying money for warranties&nbsp;as much as me?I hope the sarcasm came through in that sentence! I hate paying for warranties and wish that companies would just stand behind their engineering and product design.Luckily, I have great news. The warranty is one of the best features of a Zeiss binocular.Zeiss may change their warranties at any time without notice. Please check the current warranty policy at the time of your purchase.Finding a binocular that’s comfortable for you can be difficult because it’s more about personal preference than superior specifications. The Zeiss Victory SF not only delivers impressive images, but it’s also comfortable and easy to hold:Personally, the Victory fits very well in my hands. It has a secure grip, and my index finger sat directly over the focusing wheel.In my opinion, the answer to this question is no.It goes without saying that the most important feature of a binocular is the glass that you look through. It can make all the difference when trying to find your target bird in the dark forest brush or when the sun is setting. These are the moments that a high-end binocular needs to be worth its weight in gold!The Zeiss Victory SF delivers.I don’t think any binocular on the market can compare to the quality of the SCHOTT Ultra-FL extra-low dispersion (ED) fluoride (FL) lenses in the Zeiss Victory SF.First, it combines different glass materials to correct the problem of color fringing and chromatic aberration. Among these materials is the highest quality Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass that also contains fluoride.As you will read in any of my reviews, ED glass is a must for any birding binocular, but there are many models at much lower price ranges that use ED glass. Flouride is what makes the Zeiss Victory lenses unique.A glass that contains fluoride is considered almost flawless. The problem is that it’s fairly complex to integrate into a binocular and needs a lot of sophistication. This comes at a high cost, which is why you can only find fluoride lenses on the most expensive optics.The Zeiss Victory SF includes MULTIPLE fluoride lenses made from the highest quality SCHOTT glass. This craftsmanship and dedication to quality mean you get the best possible image when looking at birds and nature.If you’re using your binoculars to their full potential, it’s likely they are going to be exposed to water, wind, and dirt. Luckily, the Zeiss Conquest HD is ready for your next adventure.And if all of this fails, remember you have a fantastic warranty as a backup!!The coatings on the interior lenses of a binocular are vitally important to the quality of the image that reaches your eye.But there’s a catch: Trying to figure out details about the coatings a company uses is super frustrating! As you can imagine, competition among optics manufacturers is fierce. Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, and other optics companies spend tons of money in research and development trying to perfect their binocular. As each company perfects its coating process, the last thing they want is for another company to jump in and steal all of their secrets. Each manufacturer is very careful about what they release, and normally we just get a general overview of their coatings.As light enters the binocular and moves toward your eye, some of the light gets lost on the journey which can negatively affect the final image. Coatings are used and applied to ensure that as much of the precious light as possible reaches your eye.Zeiss has spent years and countless hours perfecting their coatings. Many of the specifics are lacking, which means that Zeiss relies on the performance of the binocular to do the talking.Below is a brief description of each coating that is applied to the Zeiss Victory SF:The field of View is one of the most important features that I review and consider for binoculars.Unfortunately, I have this problem where birds don’t realize I need them to stay still so I can watch them! They tend to fly, flap, and flutter around, and it can be hard to follow them through the binocular.Having a wide FOV helps solve this problem. More area is visible, and I find it much easier to track my subject.The Zeiss Victory 8×42 sports an industry leading FOV of 444 feet! Seriously, I didn’t mistype that last sentence. You might as well get a bag of popcorn with your new widescreen view.To see more technical details about the Zeiss Victory SF 8×42, check out the Zeiss website. They also offer a 10×42 model that is also a fantastic optic if that size is your preference.Do you like to get as close as possible to the birds you’re observing? Most bird watchers do! I love seeing their vibrant feather colors, field marks, or even the small caterpillar hanging out of the bird’s mouth!Close focusing distance measures how close you can get and still have an optimal focus on the image. So the smaller the number, the better!The Zeiss Victory SF 8×42 comes in at a Close Focus of 5 feet (1.5m), which is once again the best in its class. That means you can be as close as 5 feet, and the subject stays sharp and clear. With a Close Focus like that, you may even get into looking at butterflies, moths, and frogs!While testing and researching dozens of binoculars, I’m continually impressed with anything that Zeiss makes. A big reason that I am a fan of the Victory SF Binocular is that I have become such a fan of Zeiss.The company has been in business for a very long time (the first workshop was started in 1846 by Carl Zeiss) and has a fantastic reputation for building products that have the latest technology but are functional in the field.But when it comes to spending my money on an expensive binocular, trusting the manufacturer is extremely important. From talking to local experts to speaking with representatives from Zeiss, I have been continually impressed with the company, and their reputation is justified.The last and best reason to purchase the Zeiss Victory SF is that you just can’t purchase any better binocular.Other binoculars might have a combination of some of these important features:But I can’t find another binocular that combines ALL these features into one binocular and delivers an amazing viewing experience with the brightest and best picture available.Put simply, if you can afford the price tag, you won’t be disappointed with the Zeiss Victory.There is no sugarcoating this issue: the best binocular money can buy costs A LOT of money! Usually priced around $2,500, the Zeiss Victory can cause some fights with your spouse if it’s purchased without a lot of thought and consideration.If you are not in a financial position to spend more on binoculars that a mortgage payment, this is probably not the optic for you.In addition:Are you convinced the Victory will transform you into the next John James Audubon? If so, I have done a lot of research to find the best places to purchase.Not convinced the Zeiss Victory SF is the best choice? Check out the Zeiss Victory HT and additional ]information below.I completely understand. Buying binoculars is a big decision, and it’s best to take your time and do your research! I recommend checking out the following resources as your next step:Tell us about your experience in the comments!Seems everything to Zeiss is considered normal wear and tear , and is not covered. Very disappointed in what I thought was a reputable company.ReplyI just sent my Victory FL 8X42 binoculars back for service for internal fogging. Zeiss notified me they would not cover this under warranty. What does the limited Lifetime Warranty cover if not fogged lenses. The binoculars have no visible damage so hard to see how this would be normal wear and tear as claimed by Zeiss. I could not be more disappointed with Zeiss. If you are considering buying Zeiss binoculars be aware that their Limited Lifetime warranty probably isn’t what you think it is. What do others think should fogged lenses be covered under a Limited Lifetime Warranty?ReplyWhat is your opinion of the Zeus Victoria sf 8 x 32?ReplyWe owned a Zeiss Victory 8×42 and a Zeiss Victory 10×56 and both runt into problems. The first one had a focus problem on one side after one year of use. The binocular was properly used nearly every day and it seems that Zeiss binoculars may NOT be used. Zeiss refused to repair without a firm payment because the binocular was used.Later, after 6 years the larger binocular had issues aswell, they were able to repair against a payment of more than 1500 US$. Because both issues were bad craftmenship the lifetime, or in other countries 10 years, warrenty has no value at all.ReplyThe optics on these are great. There are reports of some of these having defective focusing (not smooth) and I was one of the unlucky ones to get one of these. Sent back to Zeiss for repair, they came back OK, but the same focusing problem came back within a week. Very annoying. I have several other pairs of, Leica, and Zeiss, and just a bad pair this time. Make sure that you test first!!!ReplyVery concerned that the focusing problem returned after “repair”. My focusing wheel failed the frist day of the Western Field Ornithologists Conference last week. The wheel is completely frozen and I just went through the process of returning them for repaire to Zeiss. There were “warning” symtoms of the impending failure where there were spots where the wheel was ahrder to turn, sort of a catch.A friend had to return his Victory SF because of diopter problems and they were at Zeiss, one place or the other, for 3 months! Totally unacceptable in my opinion. The shop where he bought his in Mendocino said they have had many complaints about the “gray” colored version of the Victory SF – I guess now they are black and supposedly have addressed past issues – no idea if that is correct.I previously had issues with the eye cups which Zeiss did replace without me having to send in the binoculars, which my friend had to do.I would not recommend the Victory SF binoculars to anyone, inspite of the excellent optics.I have had Leica and Swarovski binos without issues. A 30 year-old pair of Leica Trinovid 7×42 were returned to Leica for repair, shipping paid, when they became out of alignment – they were completely rebuilt including new armor at no cost.ReplyWhile I purchased the SF 8X42 and the view (I am also a fan of the wide FOV) was to die for, there was a problem with light in the barrels as stated in the Allbinos review of the 10X42 SF, I noticed the same thing, and it did not crop up all the time, but when it did it took away the splendor of the great view.Aside from that the eyecups were slightly loose and plastic, not built like the FL, I have the FL 8X32 great glass, well built and great wide FOV, but I wanted a 42 objective. while the SF provides a great view, there are some issues with it, and It is not just coming from me.I have the Nikon EDG 8X42 which is a great bino, and I am going to look at the Leica Noctivid 8X42 as another lifetime glass in 8X42.Reply© 2023 BIRD WATCHING HQ

Skip to contentWhile watching birds and observing nature is fantastic, shopping for binoculars is not. 🙁 I think you’ll agree that it’s time-consuming and frustrating!There are countless models, technical details, and specifications to comb through, making researching the best model for you a chore. The Zeiss Victory SF has a reputation as an amazing optic. So I did all the research, read brochures, spoke with Zeiss, and even tested a Victory myself to create this review.Compare Prices!|A quick note before we begin: This list is tailored for a Zeiss Victory SF 8×42, but most of this list is...

9 Reasons to Buy the Zeiss Victory Today! (2023)

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS