Occasionally, however, a new glass comes out that is simply unacceptably flawed. It has, not one, but several shortcomings, which tip the balance so far toward the “missed it” side that it is clear, even to the optics company involved, that it is just not going to be successful in the market.
When the Zeiss Victory line was introduced several years ago it was just such a glass. It represented a genuine breakthrough in brightness, outperforming all current 42 mm glasses easily on that front. However, the rubber armor felt and smelled like new tires, the strap lugs dug into the soft flesh between the thumb and palm for most birders, making them less than a joy to hold, and the optics were simply not very sharp—or at least they gave the impression of being just slightly soft and unable to resolve the finest detail. I had to wonder if anyone, once the design was finalized, had actually taken them out and tried to use them on real birds—if anyone had tried to hold them—if anyone had looked through them with real eyes (as opposed to test equipment on a optics bench).
This was especially disappointing for Zeiss because the Victories were to be their flagship model, leading them back the dominance they once held in the birding market. It was especially disappointing for birders because, well, because it was Zeiss, and, based on exceptional products of the past (the Zeiss 7x42 and 10x40 roofs, now known as the “Classics”), we expect more from Zeiss.
There are companies out there that are still producing a seriously flawed optic simply because they are already selling all they can make. To their credit, Zeiss listened to birders and other critics and significantly redesigned the Victories. Hence the Victory IIs.
Most obvious in the IIs is the absence of
that elegant but bothersome strap attachment. It has been replaced with a simple
strap loop allen screwed on
to the outside of the rubber armor. It has the look of a “retrofit”,
and is clearly the best solution they could come up with without completely
retooling the body-making machinery and redesigning the body molds, but— and
this is what matters—it works. With this simple change the Victories are
now easy to hold.
The most significant change, however, even though it is very subtle, is in the view through the binoculars. The slight fuzziness is completely gone! Sources in the technical end at Zeiss say they added some internal baffling to cut down on stray light. The result is a view with all the added brightness of the original Victories and the sharpness of the Zeiss 7x42 Classics. The combination is potent! The Victory IIs provide a view of the bird that is the equal of any roof-prism glass on the market. They come very close to equaling the brightness and resolution of the best porro prism glass on the market. Given their waterproof/fog-proof construction, wide field of view, close focus, ease-of-view, relatively light weight, and the indisputable lure of the roof-prism design, the Victory IIs have to be on anyone’s list of glasses to look at when shopping for the best view of the bird money can buy.
In fact, they are really close to being so good that they would push the Nikon Venturers out of the BVD Reference Standard category. The view is as good, if not better (certainly brighter). The weight factor is important (the Nikons are too heavy by several ounces). The focus on the Nikons is still, I think, among the best balance of speed and smoothness yet. The Nikon’s armor is still far superior (the Victories still feel and smell like car tires, and collect every bit of lint and dust they come in contact with—though I am getting used to the feel and the smell fades over time). What’s the balance. All but too close to call on this one. I think the Nikons retain their status as the Reference Standard (but I wish they were a few ounce lighter), and the Victories come close to sharing the honors (but I wish they would do something about the armor). I would award the Victories a Reference Standard, if I didn’t think it might stop them from doing something about the armor. I guess I am still expecting more from the company that produced the Zeiss Classics.
Still, I am really impressed that Zeiss has managed to fix two out of the three flaws in their original Victory design, without loosing the one remarkable advance the design represented (the additional, and welcome, brightness).
So,
I have no hesitation in saying that the Zeiss Victory IIs are now “Reference
Standard Quality” glasses.
While doing this test I also got a chance to become reacquainted with the 7x42 Zeiss Classics. It is, as I have said, the overall quality of the Classics that drives the high level of expectation of Zeiss products in the birding market. There never have been any other binoculars on the market that equal the ease of view of the Zeiss Classics. They provide a view of the bird that is very like simply walking 7 times closer—and that is, to my mind, high praise. They are also exceptionally well balanced and, since they fit the hands very well, easy to hold steady in the field. Their 7x is slightly on the low side if you are used to the image scale of 8x roofs, and they are not waterproof—despite the fact that Zeiss “warrantees” them to be. They are certainly tight enough so that Zeiss is willing to fix the few that ever do get water inside, but there is no way to completely waterproof binoculars with external focus. The hard rubber armor could use an update, and they desperately need screw-up, screw-down eyecups. With just a few “updates” the Classics might regain their position as the top birding glass, especially if Zeiss managed to incorporate the new Advanced Optical System advances from the Victory line.
I
guess what I am saying here is that we are still waiting for the genuine
Zeiss successor to the Classics, but, meanwhile, take a look at the Victories.
Until the Son of the Classics comes along, the Victories are certainly excellent
enough to make them one of the top picks for any serious birder.