Sig Image-Stab Binos and the Podcast Hype Train

[Minute_of_Antelope]

Curious if anybody has experience with the Sig Zulu image stabilizing Binos, and if you’re willing to share your experience.

I have a Barbary sheep hunt and with the winds down there think they sound perfect but I’m skeptical with the right-on-time podcast hype machine and how much they are pimping these things…

 

[hereinaz]

I haven’t used them, but the utility of stabilization amazed me on Nikon’s stabilized rangefinder. I don’t think the stabilization is hype, the tech is out there.

 

[TheLoamRanger]

I haven't used these specifically, but I had about 5 minutes with an older pair of 15x stabilized binos (Cannons IIRC) about 3 years ago. I was definitely impressed. It made me wonder why there weren't more common for hunting use. I have pretty steady hands, but still have a tough time holding 10x regular binos as still as I'd like sometimes. These stabilized binos could be handheld even better than my 8x or 10x - it was surprising to me how well they worked.

I probably wouldn't omit a tripod when long glassing sessions are needed, but the ability to hold higher power binos by hand is super cool.

I'm sure these newer Sigs are much nicer than the ones I've looked through. Hopefully someone else can chime in with specifics on these.

 

[JGRaider]

I personally wouldn't trust battery powered binoculars on any hunt, anywhere. I've grown up and lived in free range aoudad country for 50 years and IMO you're better off with a high quality bino and tripod to mount it to.

 

[Mountainrancher]

I’ve got a buddy with a pair and I’ve played with them a bit. They’re neat and they certainly work. However I got the feeling from the little bit I’ve used them that they might cause me to get vertigo/headaches if I was to use them for an extended period. Also I wasn’t super impressed with them optically. They seem better than they are due to how steady the image is, but a good pair of binos on a tripod will be of equal or better quality.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Here is a recent thread:

ONE OPTIC TO RULE THEM ALL

I have swaro's 15x56 SLC and maven's 9x45. I found myself grabbing these optics for all my glassing both on a tripod and off my chest. These sig zulu6 are 16x42 and have only one downside and that is early morning light transmission, but where it lacks it makes up with image stabilization. THIS...

rokslide.com

 

[Minute_of_Antelope]

Here is a recent thread:

ONE OPTIC TO RULE THEM ALL

I have swaro's 15x56 SLC and maven's 9x45. I found myself grabbing these optics for all my glassing both on a tripod and off my chest. These sig zulu6 are 16x42 and have only one downside and that is early morning light transmission, but where it lacks it makes up with image stabilization. THIS...

rokslide.com

I tried searching but I must be bad at internet. Thanks!

 

[Minute_of_Antelope]

I personally wouldn't trust battery powered binoculars on any hunt, anywhere. I've grown up and lived in free range aoudad country for 50 years and IMO you're better off with a high quality bino and tripod to mount it to.

That’s interesting; I was debating pairing the 16x with my ELs for a February Barbary hunt.

 

[4th_point]

What podcast hype are you referring to? I know that there are a bunch of people sponsored by SIG, so we have to take that info with a heap of salt, but I haven't heard of any outrageous claims.

I don't have the latest version, but owned the first version with grey armor. I owned two of those.

The image stabilization was great. You could scan while riding in a car to give you an idea. So scanning while moving on foot is no problem. How valuable is that to you? You could also get by without a tripod but I still find one useful depending on glassing technique.

I sold both SIG units but missed the IS so much that I bought a Canon with IS. It's big and clunky but the optical quality is better. Not alpha though.

The HDX version came out this year with tan armour and supposedly better optics. I compared one to my Canon and still prefer it other than size and weight.

If the battery dies, you still have regular binocs. But keeping 16x or 20x steady without a tripod could be a challenge!

 

[Minute_of_Antelope]

What podcast hype are you referring to? I know that there are a bunch of people sponsored by SIG, so we have to take that info with a heap of salt, but I haven't heard of any outrageous claims.

I don't have the latest version, but owned the first version with grey armor. I owned two of those.

The image stabilization was great. You could scan while riding in a car to give you an idea. So scanning while moving on foot is no problem. How valuable is that to you? You could also get by without a tripod but I still find one useful depending on glassing technique.

I sold both SIG units but missed the IS so much that I bought a Canon with IS. It's big and clunky but the optical quality is better. Not alpha though.

The HDX version came out this year with tan armour and supposedly better optics. I compared one to my Canon and still prefer it other than size and weight.

If the battery dies, you still have regular binocs. But keeping 16x or 20x steady without a tripod could be a challenge!

A couple; specifically the gohunt podcast dedicated an entire 90 minute episode to them. And there were a few other podcasts that all came out and the same time. Very astroturf marketing all with some variation on the theme of “gAMecHaNGer.”

This is great info, thank you. So do you think the use case is primarily just quick glassing either from the truck or free hand and nothing else?

 

[Steve O]

Meh. I looked thru some. It’s pretty amazing to click that button, and click it again but I’m not tempted in the least. I have a bunch of friends that have jumped on the train and I have got some great deals on their cast offs..

 

[4th_point]

A couple; specifically the gohunt podcast dedicated an entire 90 minute episode to them. And there were a few other podcasts that all came out and the same time. Very astroturf marketing all with some variation on the theme of “gAMecHaNGer.”

This is great info, thank you. So do you think the use case is primarily just quick glassing either from the truck or free hand and nothing else?

Thanks for the podcast info. I saw it in my app when it came out, but for some reason thought it was a different show.

I listened to it and don't think that they hyped it up and actually did a good job.

I think that quick looks and leaving a tripod behind are the benefits but in some cases one may still want a tripod. And you can bump up your magnification from say non-IS 10x to 16x, as long as the FOV works. I think those points were mentioned in the podcast.

 

[6.5x284]

I just finished up a limited entry hunt with them. I had my NL 12x, NL 8x, and Zulu6 HDX 16x with me. I still packed my NL 12x and tripod most of the time. Where I found the Zulu6 HDX the best was glassing from the truck. Where I found them the worst was glassing with fog or snow. My NLs could cut through falling snow well. The Zulu6 HDX didn't seem to be able to nearly as well. I'll probably sell mine since I don't just glass from the truck a lot. I do think if a guy used these at some point he would spot a buck or bull to kill that he wouldn't have seen just glassing from a truck or taking a break working up a ridge. I'll probably move mine for a pair of 15 or 18x binos. I just love scouting with big binos on a tripod on a nice summer evening!

 

[doc holiday13]

I used the Zulu6 HDX at Tac this year.. It blew me away.. I think its a great piece of equipment

 

[doc holiday13]

I personally wouldn't trust battery powered binoculars on any hunt, anywhere. I've grown up and lived in free range aoudad country for 50 years and IMO you're better off with a high quality bino and tripod to mount it to.

The bino still work if the battery dies, you just loose image stabilization

 

[JGRaider]

The bino still work if the battery dies, you just loose image stabilization

Then you're left with an oversized, overweight, poorly spec'd, average at best optically binocular. No thanks.

 

[w.travis]

Then you're left with an oversized, overweight, poorly spec'd, average at best optically binocular. No thanks.

Not really, the HDX is compact and light only around 20oz. The Canon IS are larger and heavier.

I have the HDX 16x42 (newest version in FDE)

I would agree with others who mentioned premium glass on a tripod will give you a better image. But without a tripod, the IS really is pretty good. If I had to compare the glass alone in the HDX to a non-IS bin, I'd say it's somewhere close to a Vortex Viper regarding sharpness and chromatic aberration control. But with the IS at 16x it really allows you to visualize more detail. With a compromise in low light because of the small exit pupil.