Zeiss SFL a year later? How do they stack up?

[Spiral Horn]

Pretty hard to argue with the current sale on the ELs - great glass / fantastic price. I always wanted to own a pair and set out to buy them a few times, but they just didn't agree with me. Personally like the SF over the EL in both optics and handling. The SF vs SFL is a tougher call. While the SF definitely resolves a bit better and has a very easy view it is very hard to turn away from the exceptional handling of the SFL - and the color pop is amazing. When comparing the EL to the SFL their overall handling and optics personalities are vastly different.

 

[Bluto]

Just got mine in the mail. They really are amazing. A little hefty, but not obnoxiously so and we aren’t exactly talking 2022 tech. (That’s more of a compliment than a complaint - amazing that essentially the same bino is still top tier glass.)

That said, I do have the nagging thought that if I’m going to pay the weight penalty, I should at least get 10x versus 8.5. But, maybe not. FOV and exit pupil in low light are my bigger factors, so maybe the weight is a push.

To your point, I think I might actually try and sneak an SFL purchase in. I joke about convincing the wife I can just sell one, but since they’re both 8’s I really do think I can pick.

I don’t see rollerball with Swaro, but I do find I like the eye cups and ergos overall of the SF a smidge better than the EL. But it’s a smidge, and the SF’s are just gigantic. I really want to run the SFL 8x and see.

 

[Bluto]

Pretty hard to argue with the current sale on the ELs - great glass / fantastic price. I always wanted to own a pair and set out to buy them a few times, but they just didn't agree with me. Personally like the SF over the EL in both optics and handling. The SF vs SFL is a tougher call. While the SF definitely resolves a bit better and has a very easy view it is very hard to turn away from the exceptional handling of the SFL - and the color pop is amazing. When comparing the EL to the SFL their overall handling and optics personalities are vastly different.

While you didn’t state it directly, this post leads me to believe that you’ve compared the SFL to the EL/SF?

I had SF’s last year in 8x42 and I really enjoyed them. I’ll say this though, if the SFL is as good or better (doubtful with 40mm vs 42mm objectives) in low light it would be a slam dunk for my personal use.

Everyone has different needs and eyeballs; I have old eyes and just need to answer a binary question: yes elk or no elk.

I hear people actually compare the SFL favorably to the Swaro 8.5x42 and that makes me feel all tingly at the size and weight they are. IF the low light performance is good.

 

[bowhiker88]

I’ll take a peek, thanks! I have a lowball offer pending on a set of new EL 8.5x42 as well. We’ll see.




I‘m curious if the cups are the same as the SF? Comparing the EL/SF/Maven/GPO my eyes liked the Zeiss the best.

The low light performance is a big deal to me, as is size/weight (not at the expense of performance.) Man, talk about going down the optics rabbit hole. 30 pages just in one thread at birdforums on the SFL. NERDS! (I mean that as a compliment.)

Most seem to be really high on the SFL. Not to sell off alpha glass, but for someone like me who’s just looking to upgrade from junk? Might be the answer to a lightweight option with high performance, updated coatings, and good low light performance.

Im basically down to EL or SFL for roughly the same price new, if my offer is accepted. If I read rokslide I should definitely get EL’s. If I read birdforums it’s the SFL all day. (8x only. The 10x is not very highly regarded.)

What did you end up doing?? I am faced with this same dilemma right now. My current binos are just too heavy for steady one hand operation while hiking...I fear that I will spend almost $2k and end up with sort of the same glass just in a smaller package...

2k is before the proceeds from selling my current pair.

I have the B2 9x45 right now. I thought the EL 8.5 was nice but not a forgiving eye box vs. ziess 8x40 with a forgiving eyebox. ELs felt like the mavens I have.

Any help would be appreciated..

 

[Code Red]

Not a heavy user, but casual use and a 9-day self drive in Botswana. I made a big step up from some Steiner 8x30's to the 10x40 SFL's. It was my first pair of near-alpha binos. I was very nervous about whether it would be worth the price of admission (I paid abut $1,700), but I was blown away by the clarity, form factor, and low light performance. The difference was amazing. I am very happy with mine.

That said, if I had it to do over again, I would get the 8x40's. The FOV was pretty good, but the extra magnification wasn't needed for my use, and the extra FOV would have been useful several times. The clarity was so good, that I am confident that I wouldn't have missed the magnification. The 8 power pair would have been perfect.

 

[bowhiker88]

Not a heavy user, but casual use and a 9-day self drive in Botswana. I made a big step up from some Steiner 8x30's to the 10x40 SFL's. It was my first pair of near-alpha binos. I was very nervous about whether it would be worth the price of admission (I paid abut $1,700), but I was blown away by the clarity, form factor, and low light performance. The difference was amazing. I am very happy with mine.

That said, if I had it to do over again, I would get the 8x40's. The FOV was pretty good, but the extra magnification wasn't needed for my use, and the extra FOV would have been useful several times. The clarity was so good, that I am confident that I wouldn't have missed the magnification. The 8 power pair would have been perfect.

Love the insight and couldn’t be better timing as I am about to close on some 8.5 ELs. I’m unsure about everything at this point.

 

[Bluto]

What did you end up doing?? I am faced with this same dilemma right now. My current binos are just too heavy for steady one hand operation while hiking...I fear that I will spend almost $2k and end up with sort of the same glass just in a smaller package...

2k is before the proceeds from selling my current pair.

I have the B2 9x45 right now. I thought the EL 8.5 was nice but not a forgiving eye box vs. ziess 8x40 with a forgiving eyebox. ELs felt like the mavens I have.

Any help would be appreciated..

Well, I bought a pair of SFL’s and EL 8.5x42 And took them both to Idaho on an archery hunt along with an old pair of low end vortex just as a comparison.

Everything is this thread - the 2023 update from my original “test” (I use that term very loosely) and the SFL/EL thoughts are post 57. Take it with a grain of salt, I’m an amateur at best but I did buy both. If you don’t want to read it, they’re very close and in my opinion only are separated by a few key things that are purely subjective.

Amateur bino “test”

 

[bowhiker88]

Well, I bought a pair of SFL’s and EL 8.5x42 And took them both to Idaho on an archery hunt along with an old pair of low end vortex just as a comparison.

Everything is this thread - the 2023 update from my original “test” (I use that term very loosely) and the SFL/EL thoughts are post 57. Take it with a grain of salt, I’m an amateur at best but I did buy both. If you don’t want to read it, they’re very close and in my opinion only are separated by a few key things that are purely subjective.

Amateur bino “test”

Loved reading all the reviews and details in the comments. Learned a lot

 

[Happy Antelope]

We have them all in stock right now. Feel free to hit me up with a PM if you want some info on each of them.

 

[Fritz D]

You aren’t helping.

Swaro’s purchased. I couldn’t pass them up. Now to justify the SFL’s as “I can just sell whichever I don’t like”…

Well, obviously you need both.
:O

 

[Zengelhart1]

I really enjoy my SFL’S. Still very happy with the money I spend on them and I’ve been rough on them.

 

[Pilotone78]

I really enjoy my SFL’S. Still very happy with the money I spend on them and I’ve been rough on them.

Has the armor held up after usage? I was reading about some complaints that the rubberized armor gets pretty dirty.

 

[Zengelhart1]

Has the armor held up after usage? I was reading about some complaints that the rubberized armor gets pretty dirty.

I haven’t had any issues with mine at all. I hunted them hard in 2023. 3 elk hunts and two of them were on the coast of Washington. I do however store them in a bino harness if that makes a difference. But so far I haven’t had any problems.

 

[Magma]

I had the SFL's and didn't think they were $1700 binocs. Picked up a demo pair of Zeiss SF 8x42's for $1800!!!! Really like them!

What exactly did you not like about it ?

 

[Pilotone78]

I haven’t had any issues with mine at all. I hunted them hard in 2023. 3 elk hunts and two of them were on the coast of Washington. I do however store them in a bino harness if that makes a difference. But so far I haven’t had any problems.

Sounds good to me! I’d say that’s some solid usage! Now to find a nice used pair!

 

[DXT_Shooter]

subscrxibed!

still using the SFL 10x40s a year later. like having a 1/4-20 option on a smaller bino.

as I said in the review, they don’t resolve at the level of the SFs, but a good trade off for the tripod mount/better light performance.

Based on your great review I bought Zeiss Victory SF 8x32. I primarily hunt in wooded areas for Whitetail deer and prefer Binos I can hand hold without shaky view. I also wanted a minimum of 4mm exit pupil for dusk and dawn.

 

[robby denning]

Based on your great review I bought Zeiss Victory SF 8x32. I primarily hunt in wooded areas for Whitetail deer and prefer Binos I can hand hold without shaky view. I also wanted a minimum of 4mm exit pupil for dusk and dawn.

Keep us posted on the performance as you get more time on them. I think you’ll be pretty happy.