Sig Zulu 6 12’s or 16’s?

[Bitterbrush]

Anybody have thoughts on the Zulu6 12 vs 16 for my chest binos?

 

[Andrew12gauge]

I bought the 16’s to be my one and only optic, so far I’ve been happy, I tend to hunt fairly open environs though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[croben]

It depends on what, where, and how you’re hunting. Personally I prefer an 8x or 10x bino on my chest if I’m on the move chasing elk in the fall. If I’m sitting and glassing in the later seasons, I prefer something bigger and usually use my spotting scope. The Zulu6s are great for image stabilizing, but the 16x might be too big of magnification if you’re on the move a lot in thick country chasing stuff. If you’re going to sit and glass, there are better binos out there with higher quality glass. If it’s open country, those 16s might be perfect for you.

 

[Bitterbrush]

I bought the 16’s to be my one and only optic, so far I’ve been happy, I tend to hunt fairly open environs though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you! I’m pretty confused on the 12’s and 16’s having the same field of view but more magnification. Goes against all the bino rules I know

 

[Bitterbrush]

It depends on what, where, and how you’re hunting. Personally I prefer an 8x or 10x bino on my chest if I’m on the move chasing elk in the fall. If I’m sitting and glassing in the later seasons, I prefer something bigger and usually use my spotting scope. The Zulu6s are great for image stabilizing, but the 16x might be too big of magnification if you’re on the move a lot and chasing stuff. If you’re going to sit and glass, there are better binos out there with higher quality glass.

Copy that. Thank you for your input!

 

[ridgehopper]

16’s get my vote where I hunt. If your in tight cover neither. Yep, 16’s it is.

 

[sf jakey]

Have you looked through them? I can’t stand the tiny FOV. I wouldn’t buy either

 

[Bitterbrush]

Have you looked through them? I can’t stand the tiny FOV. I wouldn’t buy either

I sure haven’t. I could see that being a concern for sure

 

[NE Herd Bull]

I own the 16's and use them in a specialty roll.
Freaking love them!

But I just don't see using them as my first choice everyday hunting optic.

During my normal hiking and spot-stalk ventures, I still wear my alpha 10x42' s as a go to, in my chest rig. Carry the Zullu6 in my pack as more of a lightweight spotter. Work great as a hand held spotter, and when tripod mounted they are incredibly useful.

I would not even consider using my Zulu6 in a a tree stand situation. Too much magnification. Too small FOV.

Btw.....the image stabilization is LEGIT
Very useful and a game changer in a lot of handheld situations. Good money spent for me.

YMMV

 

[Bitterbrush]

16’s get my vote where I hunt. If your in tight cover neither. Yep, 16’s it is.

I own the 16's and use them in a specialty roll.
Freaking love them!

But I just don't see using them as my first choice everyday hunting optic.

During my normal hiking and spot-stalk ventures, I still wear my alpha 10x42' s as a go to, in my chest rig. Carry the Zullu6 in my pack as more of a lightweight spotter. Work great as a hand held spotter, and when tripod mounted they are incredibly useful.

I would not even consider using my Zulu6 in a a tree stand situation. Too much magnification. Too small FOV.

Btw.....the image stabilization is LEGIT
Very useful and a game changer in a lot of handheld situations. Good money spent for me.

YMMV

Good input. Thank you very much!

 

[josef]

I have run both. If what youre typically glassing is 800 yards and in then I would get the 12s. If youre typically glassing further then I would run the 16's. These things are unreal how much they help in finding game.

 

[bigbuckdj]

I bought the 10s, 12s, and 16s, I posted some scopecam photos in an old thread about Zulu6s. The 12s and 16s do have the same field of view, the 12s were optically better to me I found it easier to get a sharper image and it was brighter but the FOV was too tight to be 12 for me. I kept the 16s and 10s.

I thought the 16s would be the workhorse but I use the 10s for everything and only breakout the 16s for targets or glassing really open stuff. The 10s and 16s together weigh less than my old binos. I feel like either the 12s or 16s is a solid choice, I really really like the stabilization. Don’t sleep on the 10s.

 

[Oregonhuntrboi]

Have you looked through them? I can’t stand the tiny FOV. I wouldn’t buy either

Even with that “tiny” field of view I still spot more game than people I know with binos that cost 4x as much on a tripod…

 

[wnelson14]

Had the 12s and traded for the 16s on here and then sold the 16s because the clarity seemed better on the 12s.
Sticking with Alphas on the chest for archery and rifle hunts, have been toying with the idea of getting the 20s and pack them instead of a small spotter especially on archery hunts elk hunts when picking something apart with a spotter is not needed.

 

[Nicaburns]

I have the 16 and love it! comparing the specs and planned use, the extra magnification was the deciding factor and I absolutely don't regret it!

 

[tdoublev]

How many guys are using these on a tripod? I’m super intrigued and have plenty of use cases, but is image stabilization on a tripod still wowing guys over a normal bino on a tripod?

 

[Nicaburns]

I use mine some on a tripod but mostly handheld… but I am sure that will change come fall

 

[Bitterbrush]

I bought the 10s, 12s, and 16s, I posted some scopecam photos in an old thread about Zulu6s. The 12s and 16s do have the same field of view, the 12s were optically better to me I found it easier to get a sharper image and it was brighter but the FOV was too tight to be 12 for me. I kept the 16s and 10s.

I thought the 16s would be the workhorse but I use the 10s for everything and only breakout the 16s for targets or glassing really open stuff. The 10s and 16s together weigh less than my old binos. I feel like either the 12s or 16s is a solid choice, I really really like the stabilization. Don’t sleep on the 10s.

Thank you for the thorough reply!

 

[Jim Row]

I’ve had both. I got rid of the 16x, because I was using the 12x more. I would get the 16x only if I wanted to take a closer look at something. I may look to getting some 20x so I don’t have to carry spotter. But the 12x are amazing and do a way better job on the chest then the 16x. IMO

 

[bigbuckdj]

Just wanted to insert those old quotes I mentioned with some different bino shots and that prime gif usage. Not much has changed from my original opinions. 12s seems easier to get behind and produce a nicer image, 16s have the same field of view.

Alright I got my 16s today. I just want to reiterate, regardless of the power, I really like the image stabilization. I kind of have my same opinion that i shared earlier between the 12s and 16s, it’s easier to get behind the 12s. I don’t have the 12s anymore but I found them to be more forgiving, brighter, and easier to come to focus.

The field of view thing addressed, the field of view seems the same. I have a scopecam adapter and I always push the eye cups and the adapter all the way to use it. The image(circle) is larger with the 16s but the image seems the same.

These are my meostar 12x50s again, which I love

This is the 12s but this was in really low light, not a far comparison for optical quality but focus on the size of the circle(image).

This is the 16s in excellent conditions, focus on the size of the circle.

Bonus maven b3 8x30s, massive circle territory

Again I think the 12s are easier to get behind, come to focus, and brighter, but the field of view seems the same. A larger circle with 16s seems to make a closer(?) image of the same thing. I wouldn’t judge the optical quality of these off the pictures.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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.