Zeiss Quality Impressive

Author's Rating:

Pros: Fluoride glass, brightness, edge to edge sharpness, ergonomics, ruggedness, mechanical quality, warranty, optical performance, weight.

Cons: Expensive, but still a value.

The Bottom Line: 
If your near this price range, consider them because you may be getting a lot more by spending a little more.  Shop the web for below retail!

Author's Review
I purchased these to give myself a higher powered option to my Zeiss 8x20B.  Those have been just wonderful for travel, so light and easy to carry that they actually get used a lot!  I have been going on a cruise every year, so I had in mind these would stay in the state room and be used on the balcony, but I still want the option of being able to carry them comfortably in the field.  I was very concerned about the field performance of a 10 powered binocular, knowing that this is at the practical edge of a hand held device.  After a great deal of research, I settled on the 32mm objective size as meeting the ease of carry criteria.  What sold me on the Zeiss were the Fluoride glass lenses.  I know from astronomy that this is the best technology available, being 100 times more transparent than standard optical glass.  That means a 32mm objective should be able to compete with a larger objective lens of standard glass.  Coatings are vitally important also, but that's a given in this price range.  I also know this glass is hard to produce which equals expensive, but it is truly something special.  After I received them and took my first look, I was not disappointed, I was amazed.  The field of view greatly exceeded my expectations since at 10 power I was expecting a somewhat limited field.  Not the case, field of view is awesome.  My concerns about shake at 10 power were also instantly eliminated.  I guess because of the wide field, light weight, outstanding feel and perfect balance in your hand, they just seem to hold steady.  No kidding, I had to double check that they did indeed ship me the 10 power I asked for. Brightness is impressive.  In a wooded area you can see into every shadow better than your naked eye.  I am looking forward to using these for astronomy, which I didn't expect I could do. Mechanically, they focus smooth as silk, instantly, with no back lash.  The lens caps attach to the front and the neck strap in back, so they can't get lost, you don't have to find a place to put them, and most important, they don't get in the way when viewing ... what a concept!  The rubber coating gives a sure grip and confidence they could sit on the metal dashboard of a jeep cross country and not be bothered in the least.  I agonized over spending so much, but now that I have them, I am so glad I made the purchase.  With optics you get what you pay for. Every time I use them I am just thrilled and a smile appears on my face.  Priceless!