Sig Sauer Zulu6

[w.travis]

Wow. The 16s really do cover as wide a field as the 12s. Seemed to good to be true. But I decided to pick up the 16s last night based on that stat. Took them out on a hike and was blown away. It redefines what a binocular is. I spot it with my eye, and immediately identify with my bino. On target mode it's like watching a nature movie that I'm the protagonist of.

The 12x and 16x have the same FOV, but the AFOV is larger in the 16x because of the increased magnification.

 

[donrleonard]

Makes sense. If that’s the way Sig are measuring their specs (TFOV) it almost makes me want to try the 20s, which are only half a degree narrower than the 12s/16s.

 

[w.travis]

Makes sense. If that’s the way Sig are measuring their specs (TFOV) it almost makes me want to try the 20s, which are only half a degree narrower than the 12s/16s.

Eye placement will be more difficult because of the smaller exit pupil. It's already difficult on the 16x for my eyes.

 

[donrleonard]

Eye placement will be more difficult because of the smaller exit pupil. It's already difficult on the 16x for my eyes.

Great point. The 16s are already straining their useful exit pupil size.

Cliff Gray runs the 12s largely for that reason.

 

[donrleonard]

Great point. The 16s are already straining their useful exit pupil size.

Cliff Gray runs the 12s largely for that reason.

I will say

Eye placement will be more difficult because of the smaller exit pupil. It's already difficult on the 16x for my eyes.

you might try rotating the eye relief cups inward. I found that the image stays intact at the shortest distance and feels a bit more immersive.

 

[bigbuckdj]

I will say

you might try rotating the eye relief cups inward. I found that the image stays intact at the shortest distance and feels a bit more immersive.

I had the 12s and 16s like I mentioned earlier and agree with everything. 12s are definitely easier to get behind and a little easier to get sharp. But I don’t mind dealing with either of those things to get the extra mag, I have really loved the 16s this season. I was pretty conflicted about which to keep and I think I would’ve been happy with either. The image stabilization is the key

 

[donrleonard]

I had the 12s and 16s like I mentioned earlier and agree with everything. 12s are definitely easier to get behind and a little easier to get sharp. But I don’t mind dealing with either of those things to get the extra mag, I have really loved the 16s this season. I was pretty conflicted about which to keep and I think I would’ve been happy with either. The image stabilization is the key

Glad for the positive review. I’m heading out for a hunt tomorrow and debating bringing my 8x42s along as well for close in work and low light or just bringing my SIG 16s and using my rangefinder for close in.

 

[bigbuckdj]

Glad for the positive review. I’m heading out for a hunt tomorrow and debating bringing my 8x42s along as well for close in work and low light or just bringing my SIG 16s and using my rangefinder for close in.

I have the 10s also and appreciate the increased field of view. If I’m somewhere I can use the 16s I normally will bring those and maven b3 8x30s. If it’s not really open enough for the 16s I bring just the 10s.

I’m sure there’s a better setup I’m just really pleased with how it works for me

 

[180ls1]

If someone made roughly a 14x50 with 300' FOV I'd sell everything else and just run those.

I am worried for my bank account it'll be a Swaro product.

 

[donrleonard]

If someone made roughly a 14x50 with 300' FOV I'd sell everything else and just run those.

I am worried for my bank account it'll be a Swaro product.

The 10x30 Zulu6 HDXs would get you pretty close to that field of view. I'd wager that the 10x30s stabilized would probably feel like a 14x magnification unstabilized. At least until the last 20 minutes of shooting light when your pupils get bigger than 3mm.

Binocular True Field Of View Conversion Tables

ft/1000yds

100 = 1.9° TFOV (ft divided by 52.5)

175 = 3.3° (Zulu6 20x42s)

200 = 3.8° (12x42s and 16x42s)

270 = 5.2° (10x30s)

 

[donrleonard]

Just ordered one of these for tripod-mounting. Besides gridding, I think the combo of Zulu6s and tripod would make for fantastic digiscoping/videography. When it's on target mode you kinda feel like you're watching a 4k movie.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6Y5I5M?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[NE Herd Bull]

Well you guys talked me into it......

Actually I had used the previous gen (non-HD) Zulu6 IS binos on a Wyoming hunt last year.
We were glassing from the pickup and getting hammered by a 50mph wind.
The rocking of the vehicle made it almost impossible to effectively use any of our other high end optics.
Using the Sig Zulu6 in that instance was an incredible night-day experience.

I knew that I would eventually own a pair.
I had been waiting to hear field evaluations on the HDX products, and possibly catch a sale price.
Just cashed in my Cabela's points that I had built up, on a price match.

 

[donrleonard]

Well you guys talked me into it......

Actually I had used the previous gen (non-HD) Zulu6 IS binos on a Wyoming hunt last year.
We were glassing from the pickup and getting hammered by a 50mph wind.
The rocking of the vehicle made it almost impossible to effectively use any of our other high end optics.
Using the Sig Zulu6 in that instance was an incredible night-day experience.

I knew that I would eventually own a pair.
I had been waiting to hear field evaluations on the HDX products, and possibly catch a sale price.
Just cashed in my Cabela's points that I had built up, on a price match.

If you liked the non-HDX version the new ones are the bees knees. Besides glass clarity, the "Target Mode" is pure wizardry.

 

[donrleonard]

Just ordered one of these for tripod-mounting. Besides gridding, I think the combo of Zulu6s and tripod would make for fantastic digiscoping/videography. When it's on target mode you kinda feel like you're watching a 4k movie.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6Y5I5M?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

So here’s the final product. Looks like it’s going to work well for extended glassing as well as digiscoping

 

[roosiebull]

What is the most practical application for these? The 10x for close range off hand glassing or the 20x for off hand big country? I feel like I would want one extreme or the other, I just don’t know what extreme I would appreciate more

The 10x seems like a pretty sweet archery season bino and all around bino for my daughter. I feel like I want a pair, I just don’t know what pair

The 10x would be a handy bino for the ocean too

 

[donrleonard]

What is the most practical application for these? The 10x for close range off hand glassing or the 20x for off hand big country? I feel like I would want one extreme or the other, I just don’t know what extreme I would appreciate more

The 10x seems like a pretty sweet archery season bino and all around bino for my daughter. I feel like I want a pair, I just don’t know what pair

The 10x would be a handy bino for the ocean too

Having been mulling over picking up a 15x for intensive grid glassing for some time, I took the Goldilocks approach and bought the SIG in the 16x42. They have just as wide a FOV as the 12s with only a slight loss in exit pupil size. Unless I’m in big wide open country I’m going to run these alongside my 8x42 non-IS chest binos. One for reach out and touch someone clarity (and for digiscoping), the other for wide FOV and strong low light performance owing to the generous exit pupil of the 8x42s.

Watch the Cliff Gray video or check out Brady on GoHunt. They run the 12 and 16, respectively. Both rave about them.

 

[bigbuckdj]

What is the most practical application for these? The 10x for close range off hand glassing or the 20x for off hand big country? I feel like I would want one extreme or the other, I just don’t know what extreme I would appreciate more

The 10x seems like a pretty sweet archery season bino and all around bino for my daughter. I feel like I want a pair, I just don’t know what pair

The 10x would be a handy bino for the ocean too

Having had the 10s, 12s, and 16s, I personally wouldn’t want the 20s, the eye box and finicky nature of the 16s vs the 12s kind of reinforces that the exit pupil is starting to get picky. The 16s aren’t bad by any stretch but they aren’t as easy to get behind as the 12s.

The reason I kept the 10s and 16s were the field of view in the 16s was the same as the 12 and I couldn’t resolve anything with the 12s that I couldn’t with the 16s. Even as light is fading they aren’t as bright but they are higher mag, so I didn’t feel like the 12s offered increased detail. I’m still not sure if 16s were the right choice over the 12s but I didn’t want to get rid of the 10s and keeping the 10s and 12s felt stupid. I bring maven B3 8s if I have the 16s and I bring just the 10s if I don’t need to look very far.

The increased field of view with the 10s is very noticeable. None of these are what I’d consider like super bright or ultra sharp compared to normal binos in the $1000 class, but stability is king. I can’t imagine someone out glassing you off hand with normal binos, and by the time the tripod is setup and comfy, you’ll have had a nice first pass over the hillside.

 

[donrleonard]

Having had the 10s, 12s, and 16s, I personally wouldn’t want the 20s, the eye box and finicky nature of the 16s vs the 12s kind of reinforces that the exit pupil is starting to get picky. The 16s aren’t bad by any stretch but they aren’t as easy to get behind as the 12s.

The reason I kept the 10s and 16s were the field of view in the 16s was the same as the 12 and I couldn’t resolve anything with the 12s that I couldn’t with the 16s. Even as light is fading they aren’t as bright but they are higher mag, so I didn’t feel like the 12s offered increased detail. I’m still not sure if 16s were the right choice over the 12s but I didn’t want to get rid of the 10s and keeping the 10s and 12s felt stupid. I bring maven B3 8s if I have the 16s and I bring just the 10s if I don’t need to look very far.

The increased field of view with the 10s is very noticeable. None of these are what I’d consider like super bright or ultra sharp compared to normal binos in the $1000 class, but stability is king. I can’t imagine someone out glassing you off hand with normal binos, and by the time the tripod is setup and comfy, you’ll have had a nice first pass over the hillside.

Damn. Now you’re making me think I need the 10s too.

 

[bigbuckdj]

Damn. Now you’re making me think I need the 10s too.

I really like them but I cant really hand hold 10s that well. As mag decreases there is some diminishing returns, like I wouldn’t want a set of 8s because I can hold my 8s just fine for what I use them for. Being able to single hand the 10s feels like a super power to me but for others it seems like they are able to get them pretty stable without stabilization.

 

[donrleonard]

I really like them but I cant really hand hold 10s that well. As mag decreases there is some diminishing returns, like I wouldn’t want a set of 8s because I can hold my 8s just fine for what I use them for. Being able to single hand the 10s feels like a super power to me but for others it seems like they are able to get them pretty stable without stabilization.

I’m the same with non-stabilized 10s. I can do it okay with the hand on hat brim trick, but they’re definitely not as good as my 8s. I’m heading out today for a Thanksgiving hunt in some wide open parts of West Virginia. Right now I’m gonna run with the 8s on my chest and the 16s packed away for spotting work. But we’ll see if I don’t reverse that by the end of the hunt