Zeiss Victory 8x32 T* FL LT Binocular with $150 EO Gift Card (Black)

My biggest question prior to ordering a pair of Zeiss Victory 8x32 T* FL LT binoculars was are they really worth over $2000? In my 50 years of birding I have owned about six pairs of quality binoculars including the vintage heavyweight Swift 8,5 x 44 Audubon, Leica 10x40 BGA, B&L 8 x42 Elite (circa 1977), Swarovski 10x42 ELs, and several Nikon compact models. I didn’t really need new binoculars, but the allure of Sharper, Brighter, Lighter, Faster, plus the promise of a significant rebate on the obviously inflated price convinced me to order a pair with the firm resolve that I would return them within the trial period if not fully satisfied.

It is now three months later. I have used the FLs for at least 80 hours in the field and I am pleased with the purchase. They have not fully displaced my ELs as my favorite all-around pair, but the FLs do have notable advantages over any of the other pairs I have owned. First, they are very lightweight. A few ounces or even fractions of an ounce may not seem like much, but this lightweight pair is easier to hold for long periods of study without a brace and they eliminate neck strain, even without the harness that I find almost essential with the ELs. This means I both wear them more and can take them on or off more easily, while driving to work, for example. I have been learning digiscoping recently. With the additional burden of a digital camera, scope, tripod, adapters, etc., anything that lightens and simplifies my overall field kit, but still commands a wide range of superior optical capability enhances the experience. The FLs are a better complement to my full birding battle dress uniform than any of the other pairs I own.

I travel internationally frequently and always pack my binoculars in carry on luggage. The light weight, compact size and well-designed, durable, lens covers make this the clear choice for birding trips abroad.

As far as I can tell, Zeiss implies that the Lotec lens coating makes this instrument worth more than models with the previous lens coating. Lenses still fog quickly going from cold to warm environnments I gained more advantage from the actual lens covers more conveniently applied and removed than on my other pairs of binoculars.

Other positive features I like include the very wide angle of view, very sharp images, and easy focusing. I have big hands and my interpupilary distance is wider than many binoculars accommodate. These FLs fit my eyes and my hands well. It has been easy to find and manipulate the focus wheel, even with gloves on. I judge overall ease and speed of focusing of the FL’s as much superior to the ELs. Minimum focus distance was adequate for my purposes.

As an eye-glass wearer, both long eye relief and “naked eye” infinity focus compensation (to accommodate my high degree of near-sightedness when viewing without my glasses) were critical performance criteria. If I was not completely impressed in both of these respects, I would have returned the purchase. The FLs fully met my expectations more completely than any of the other binoculars I have owned.

The FLs have two obvious limitations in comparison to some of the other quality binoculars I have owned. In low light conditions such as at dawn or dusk or on very dark days, they do not provide images as bright as binoculars with larger objective lenses. Similarly, if I don’t have my scope, I find the difference between 8X and 10X binoculars is significant for identifying distant raptors, shorebirds or waterfowl.

Overall, if you can afford the price and want every marginal optical and quality advantage conferred by the best binoculars on the market, this model is a good candidate and you will never need to buy another pair… until the next even more expensive, technically advanced miracle instrument comes along.

Will Weber
JOURNEYS International, Inc.
Ann Arbor, Michigan