Zeiss Victory SF Review
If you’re looking for high-end binoculars, you should definitely consider the new Zeiss Victory SF series. These offer superb glass, fast focus and an ultra-wide field of view (very important for hunters). Read this article to see what it now offers.
Optics
The Victory SF combines Schott fluoride glass, Schmidt-Pechan prism system, proprietary coatings, seven-lens eyepieces and Zeiss flat field technology to give you bright, crisp and clear images edge-to-edge without chromatic aberration. With 92% overall light transmission, these Zeiss binoculars work in all light conditions, highlighting brilliant colors and framing every detail in a wide field of view. With a crisp 5-foot close focus, the Victory SF is the ideal binocular for close-up viewing of birds or insects.
Focusing
The first thing you notice when focusing on the Victory SF is how smooth and almost effortless it is. We noticed that it takes about 1.8 turns of the focus knob to go from minimum close-focus to infinity, which is almost right. This allows very precise focusing of the optics without taking too long to get there. The soft rubber used on the focus knob is molded into a wide ridged structure that fits almost on your finger, providing a very reliable feel and action. the Victory SF models all have a minimum close focus distance of 4.9 feet, which is excellent in this role.
Color Fidelity, Contrast and Chromatic Aberration
In my opinion, the Victory SF’s color reproduction is very natural and accurate. Contrast is very good, providing vivid, realistic images that almost simulate what you would see if you stood 10 times closer with the naked eye. It’s a very relaxing, comfortable, and natural viewing experience.
Zeiss uses the highest quality glass from German glass manufacturer SCHOTT, including multiple fluorinated lenses in the optical design to virtually eliminate chromatic aberrations (chromatic aberrations) in the final image. Even when viewing high-contrast objects in the field under normal conditions, it is not noticeable. As with any binocular, you may develop color fringing if you try very hard, but you won’t notice it in normal use.
Body and grip
Zeiss has introduced the ErgoBalance concept into the construction of these binoculars. Using unique high-traction armor provides ergonomic comfort, while lightweight materials allow for fatigue-free viewing.
Zeiss has nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed these binoculars to make them completely fog and water resistant.
In addition, these binoculars are tripod-adapted, so you can use them for long periods of viewing without getting tired. They also come with a lockable diopter, allowing you to lock the lens settings until you need them again.
In a Nutshell
High-end binoculars don’t get much better than these. All in all, I love the Zeiss Victory SF and highly recommend them for birding and butterfly watching. But don’t just take my word for it, try them out for yourself.
