Zeiss Binoculars – 4 Solid Lines

When I looked over the Zeiss binoculars lines in preparation for writing this review, I found I was hard-pressed to find something special about them compared to other manufacturers’ lines. In the end I decided that the lack of a standout feature might actually be their standout feature. Zeiss binoculars are solid from the least expensive to the highest end.

Zeiss binoculars come in four basic lines.

• Terra
• Victory
• Conquest
• SFL (SmartFocus Lightweight)

Zeiss Binoculars Overview

Zeiss Terra, the least expensive line, is usually spoken of (and written) as “Terra ED” because, even at this price point, Zeiss includes ED lenses in their binoculars. The Terra ED Pocket models are included here too.

The Victory line consist of Victory Pocket (very close to the Terra ED models), Victory SF and HT, both of which are high end offerings.

Conquest, usually called Conquest HD for the glass type (much like Terra ED), is a mixed lineup of common sizes and larger binos. They’re priced toward the “low” end of the spectrum, which means in and around $1000.

The SFL line, the latest as of this writing, is similar to the Victory SF but with slightly smaller objective lenses, so they weigh and cost a little less too. In other words, they don’t hit the $2000 mark.

With that overview, let’s take a closer look at the significant features and specifications of each line.

Zeiss Terra ED Binoculars – Entry Level Optics

The only reason you can get away with calling quality optics like the Terra ED binoculars “entry level” is to compare their price to others of equal or better quality. What this means is that you shouldn’t have to pay even $500 for a pair of Terra EDs. Yes, that’s still a lot for most people, but that’s a relatively cheap price. Note the emphasis on relatively.

I wrote in some detail about the Terra ED 8×42 here some time ago. (Looking back at that post now, I’m pleasantly surprised that what I’ve written here so far conveys nearly the same ideas about Zeiss that I had back then.)

All Zeiss binoculars have nitrogen purged tubes, making them waterproof and fogproof. They also all have their proprietary LoluTec protective coatings.

For those of you who need to know about size, weight, and field of view (FOV), here’s a table with those specs for the entire Terra ED line. The FOV is given in feet at 1000 yards.

Terra ED Model	FOV	Weight (oz.)	Dimensions (in.)
Pocket 8×25	357	10.9	4.4 x 4.5
Pocket 10×25	291	10.9	4.4 x 4.5
8×32	405	18	4.9 x 4.6
10×32	336	18	4.9 x 4.6
8×42	375	25.6	5.6 x 4.7
10×42	330	25.6	5.6 x 4.7

You can get the Pocket versions in black or gray. The other EDs come in black, gray, or green.

Zeiss Victory Pocket Binoculars – A Step Up, But Double the Cost

I’ll compare the Victory Pocket models here and compare them to the Terra ED models. We’ll save the other parts of the Victory line for last.

As you can see from the pictures just above, the Victory Pocket binoculars fold asymmetrically. Why? Probably because they can. Perhaps it was an experiment. I’m not saying whether it was successful or whether it failed, but I don’t know of any other models (from any manufacturer) that fold like this. If you do, let us know.

It could be that unusual folding mechanism that adds to the cost. There are differences, but the Victory Pockets are identical to the Terra Pockets when it comes to power (8×25 or 10×25), exit pupil (3.1 and 2.5mm), and close focus (6.2 ft.).

The Victory models have a little wider FOV, Zeiss’ T* coatings (as do all the models below), and FL (which I assume is fluoride) glass. It’s hard to imagine that those features double the cost. I think you’re mostly paying for the novelty of the fold.

Zeiss Conquest HD Binoculars – Middle of the Road

I did say above that Conquest HD binoculars were priced toward the low end of the Zeiss lines, but they feel like they fall in the middle of all the others feature-wise.

As the name suggests, these all have HD glass, which I assume is better than ED and FL but not as good as UHD, Ultra-FL, or HT. (By the way, I’m not sure what any of those designations really means. Zeiss seems to keep that info close to the chest.)

The Conquests have the same coatings and waterproofing as those around them. They have FOVs and other specs that you’d expect depending on size.

If there’s anything notable about them, it’s the three models with 56mm objective lenses – the 8×56, 10×56, and 15×56 models. These are of the size (8.3 x 5.7 in.) and weight (~45 oz.) where you’re likely to want a tripod to hold them. These are the largest made by Zeiss. They’re the ones to look at for stargazing.

Zeiss SFL Binoculars – More for Your Money

Zeiss lopped 2 millimeters off the objective lenses of the SFL models, creating sizes of 8×30, 10×30, 8×40, and 10×40. Obviously the numbers will be different for the specifications because of that change, but in many ways these SFLs are just the little brothers of the Victory SFs (below). The most notable difference is the bottom line: The SFL models cost about $1000 less than the comparable sizes of Victory SF models.

I’ve written about the SFL 8×40 and 10×40 models here, so I won’t go into more detail about this line in this article.

Zeiss Vistory SF Binoculars – Top of the Brand

I think, even though they’re not all the most expensive, Zeiss intended the Victory SF line to be their flagship models.

New Victory SF binoculars are going to cost you between $2500 and $3000. You’re paying for the quality put into all facets of these Zeiss binoculars. The four standard models – 8×32, 10×32, 8×42, and 10×42 – all have what Zeiss calls Ultra-FL lenses. Again, what makes them “Ultra”, I dunno.

Bird watchers especially will appreciate the FOV of these models, which is the widest of any made by Zeiss. For the 8×32, it’s 465 feet; for the 10×32, 390. For the 8×42, it’s 444 feet; and the 10×42 shows 360.

Zeiss Victory HT Binoculars – Top-Notch and Big

Price-wise, the Victory HT 8×54 and 10×54 fall between the Victory SF 8x and 10x models. Their objective lenses aren’t quite as big as the larger Conquest HD models, but they cost about $1000 more.

These have FL/HT glass which I understand to mean Fluoride, High Transmittance material. This must be really good stuff, though I don’t pretend to understand the technicalities of it.

As with the 56mm Conquests, get yourself a tripod (and adapter) for either of these models and you’re all set for many night of stargazing.

If these solid Zeiss binoculars don’t measure up to your standards for the price, consider one of these Leica models instead.