ZEISS Victory SF Binocular

I had a pair of Leitz Trinovid 8x40BA that I purchased in December of 1988. There were great up until April of 2019. They sadly had a failure in the diopter adjustment system. Tried to get them repaired but the warranty expired in December of 2018 and parts were all long gone. Could have been bitter about it but I got such good service out of them for over 30 years. I can't complain.So I researched everything I could find about high end binoculars. Came down to 3 choices. All about the same price. I chose the Zeiss Victory SF 10x42. They are very, very good. Great feel in the hand. The only possible concern is they are a little longer than I expected from the pictures. They are a little lighter than their competitors however. Very fast and very accurate focusing system. I use then to look through heavy brush. If you focus precisely at something on the otherside of bush you can basically see though it. Very helpful. I like that the diopter adjustment locks once set. The eyecup adjustment is very nice with exact detents that stay put. Wide field of view. Great carrying strap and very handsome case. While waiting for repair on the Leitz I bought a pair of $200 Vortex 8X42. They are not close to the the Zeiss in image quality but are very good for the money. Can't complain if you get 60-75% of the performance for only $200. They are lighter and smaller. Carry them if not carrying the Zeiss. Either pair will save a lot of walking if you want to inspect something without having to walk over there. That extra bit of performance whether it is stereo equipment, cars, boats or watches is gonna cost you plenty everytime.

There is what looks like a scratch on the inside of the right objective lens. There is a small black dot at the top of the left lens system.Otherwise, the binoculars were excellently.

Binoculars had a small defect in the left ocular tube. Sending it back and will try another vendor.

I already had Zeiss binoculars; they were still good, but at 25 years old not good enough for my "older" eyesight! These new ones, however, are fantastic. I thought I needed binoculars that I could use with my glasses, but turns out they are so crisp and clear, with so much light gathering that I can use them without my glasses. Plus, the focus knob is much better, as well as the eyepieces and the entire design of the body.

High quality for the price Love the Smart Focus feature.

These are the best binoculars out there, I've had all the top contenders. However, it is the worst carrying case I have seen. The case has to be replaced, so after all the research for this product, you have to run research for a case that will protect, easy to get the bins in and out and have room for the strap and lens cover.