REVIEW: ZEISS SFL 8x40 Binoculars
12 September 2022
By Alex James
By Alex James
ZEISS have announced a new flagship binocular range called The SFL and we took them for a spin.
Building on the success of the Victory range ZEISS engineers have put a huge emphasis around weight and performance on this new launch to give the SFL (Smart Focus & Lightweight) a USP which could plug a nice gap in the premium binoculars market for birders who are neither fully sold on the 8x32 or 8x42 options and boost these binoculars to the top of premium optic shoppers next purchase list.
The question is, have they done it? Let's find out...
What's in the box?
- ZEISS SFL 8x40 Binoculars
- Padded Carry Case
- Rubber Rain Guard
- Carrying Strap
- Padded Neck Strap
- Cleaning Cloth
Images and coatings...
The SFL 8x40s provide a field of view of up to 140 metres at a distance of 1,000 metres. You can focus very nicely down to 1.5 metres, which gives the SFL 8x40 a nice viewing combination when it comes to precise detail recognition.
The SFL's come fully armed with a few neat features from ZEISS and modern day binocular design. They are complete with Field flattener lens technology which put simply - assists in creating a flat field of view with fewer distortions, and also helps improve the extreme edge sharpness. The coatings are multiple and include a 'T*' coating for bright, crystal-clear high contrast viewing which almost completely eliminates the undesirable effects of stray light. and LotuTec front coating for water and dirt resistance, making the SFL 8x40's much easier to clean.
The SFL's also come with Ultra-High-Definition (UHD) concept technology. Now, most of us will consider HD or indeed UHD when looking for a new telly, but ZEISS have now given the new SFL's some UHD love which the brand says give off exceptional colour fidelity and very good detail recognition thanks to the perfect combination of optimised lens coatings. I must say, when viewing a whitethroat perched about 60 metres away, the images displaying back were outstanding.
Bringing me nicely onto the FOV. Although the field of view is not as generous as the top-line ZEISS SF or Swarovski NL Pure binoculars, it is absolutely worth bearing in mind that the SFL does indeed cost a lot less than these models and you will weigh all these options up when making your final purchase decision.
Performance and handling...
Straight out of the box you notice the SFL's are an absolute joy to hold. The short length and lightweight, compact design, making them sit really nicely in the hand. That feeling is followed on, when around the neck via the padded strapping as the ZEISS SFL 8x40 sits very comfortably on your chest and when being looked through, ensuring fatigue-free observation.
The SFL are actually shorter than the high-end 32mm binoculars we compared it to and this is one of the advantages you get, with the other being weight. The SFL is practically a 90's super model! With a waif like figure of just 640g (which is very close to what you would expect in a high-end pair of 8x32's) the SFL is absolutely lightyears away from anything across the 8x42's market which will very much appeal to birders of all levels.
We have been going on about this for a while now, but weight really is a key issue when choosing premium optics. Nobody really wants to be straining themselves whilst watching birds and other wildlife and where as a lot of manufacturers can now offer great images and field of view, it's a much more difficult scenario when it comes to making optics lightweight and perform to the highest level. ZEISS managed this by reducing the lens diameter by 2mm, making it possible to use thinner lens elements at closer spacing and by using robust Magnesium housing.
The focus wheel is perfectly positioned in the DoubleLink Bridge and requires only 1.4 turns from close focus to infinity. The design is not only rugged but highly ergonomic, ensuring precise rotation and would no doubt be easy even with gloves on in the winter months. This allowed for a rapid and exact change of the focus distance in order to get a perfectly sharp image of the species even when following fast moving birds. In addition, the large focusing wheel is cleverly placed in such a way that the fingers and the hand can stay completely relaxed, nice!
Protection and value...
The SFL's come with a 10 year guarantee from ZEISS.
Verdict
Very light, sharp and compact binoculars that will be a strong contender for your money if you are considering a premium optic upgrade.
★★★★★★★★ 8/10
Testing scores
- Design: ★★★★★★★★ 8/10
- Performance: ★★★★★★★★★ 9/10
- Durability: ★★★★★★★★ 8/10
- Weight: ★★★★★★★★★ 9/10
- Value: ★★★★★★★★ 8/10
📦 Find a dealer: www.zeiss.com/consumer-products/int/nature-observation/binoculars/sfl/sfl-8x40.html
🏷 Price: £1,550.00
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