ZEISS SFL 8X40 £1,550
These bins somehow squeeze just about all the excellence of the well-established 8x42 SF binoculars into a slightly smaller objective lens diameter pair, which is considerably smaller, lighter and cheaper.
The dioptre adjustment has ‘moved’ from being near the focus wheel to being by the right eyepiece. It is rubberized without click stops, which stays in place well. And the eyecups are more rounded and more comfortable than the ones on my 8x42 SF pair. I don’t want them to. The SFLs seem to have a better lock, so this didn’t happen while I was using the 8x40s. The focus wheel is smooth and precise.
Remarkably, though the objective diameter is only 2mm smaller, the SFLs are considerably smaller (e.g., compare the length of 144mm with the 173mm of the SFs) and lighter (640g versus 790g). This means you have a pair of 8x40 binoculars which look and feel more like 8x32s but have a performance akin to 8x42s (incidentally the 8x32 SFs are 152mm long and weigh 600g).
I compared them with my 8x42 SFs over a range of conditions, and both pairs delivered wonderful, natural, ‘walk-in’ images. In some ways, I preferred the image of the SFLs which could appear punchier and more ‘exciting’.
I found a subtle difference in colour, with the SFs appearing very slightly yellower and slightly flatter than the slightly bluer SFLs.
Both pairs require extreme lighting to force them to show any colour fringing, which is minimal.
The official field of view at 1,000m is very similar and side by side, they also seemed very similar, to my eyes. Similarly, the close focus of about 1.5m was the same for both.
VERDICT
Brilliant, yet good value bins offering the excellent performance of their larger siblings in a much smaller, more lightweight pair.
SPECS: Eye relief: 18mm Field of view: 140m @ 1,000m Close Focus: 1.5m Weight: 640g Length x width x depth: 140mm x 118mm x 52 mm (fully opened) RRP: £1,550 Warranty: 10 years Supplied with: Padded case, neoprene strap, rainguard and objective eye cups Web: zeiss.co.uk