VICTORY SF Binoculars as Top Premium Choices

NORTH CHESTERFIELD, Va., July 6, 2015 – ZEISS VICTORY SF 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars have been named as the top binoculars for birding enthusiasts in a new review in Birdwatcher's Digest, one of the most respected birding magazines in the world.

In a head-to-head "top product" review the new ZEISS VICTORY SF binoculars in both 8x and 10x were ranked by Michael and Diane Porter, renowned experts on birding optics, as the best in class with ratings of 9.59 each out of a possible score of 10.

The article stated: "In building the SF, Zeiss decided to start over from scratch and design a brand new binocular. Their stated goal was to create the best birding and wildlife observing binocular in the world."

In discussing some of the optical features: "A wide field of view helps when you're trying to locate a bird in the binocular…..To create an eyepiece with long eye relief and a wide field of view requires a sophisticated, expensive optical design. As you can see from the chart, the Zeiss SF sets a new level of achievement in providing a wide field of view even for people who wear glasses."

While describing some of the ergonomic benefits, key design features were noted. "There are no ridges or indents on the barrels. You can position your hands wherever you want. Zeiss' barrel length is a plus here. The extra space in the hollow of the bridge is good for people with large hands. The bridge replaces the thumb guide. With three fingers in the bridge, one finger lands on the focus knob. With two fingers in the bridge, two fingers land on the focus knob, and your hand is still clear of the strap lugs. In either position, your focusing fingers remain in a natural, un-angled position. Someone put a lot of work into good ergonomics here."

In summing up the Overall Score results, the review found:

The Zeiss SF comes out clearly on top. "This is not surprising, since Zeiss started from scratch and completely redesigned the SF with the express intention of creating a product for birders that would beat the competition on as many metrics as possible. The new SF design scored well both in optics and ergonomics."

SF Optics. "The SF combines a huge field of view with edge-to-edge sharpness and long eye relief. The combination provides an exceptional experience of immersion in the image that works even if you wear glasses. The binocular seems to disappear, and all your attention is on the bird."
SF Ergonomics. "The SF is an incredibly comfortable binocular. Its perfect balance makes it feel light. There's less small muscle activity needed to hold it up to your eyes, so you can observe longer without fatigue. SF stands for Smart Focus, and the new design allows the focus knob to be turned either with one or with two fingers without having to reach at an angle or feel the strap lugs poke your hand. You can focus from 20 feet to 250 yards with only1/3 turn of the focus knob. That's one easy finger swipe."

"We appreciate the time and effort the Porter's put in to completing the "Clash of the Titans" review. It was no easy undertaking and it clearly and objectively compares the best products in the market," said Mike Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. "We are humbled but not surprised by the results and the positive comments about the Victory SF's."

"A few years ago we promised the birding community that ZEISS would continue to develop the very best premium binoculars for their passion," stated Jensen. "From TERRA ED to CONQUEST HD to VICTORY SF, we have persevered to bring birders the product they need."

To view a chart rating of all of the binoculars tested in this review, please visit http://www.birdwatchersdigest-digital.com/birdwatchersdigest/july_august_2015#

For more information on ZEISS' award winning products please visit us at www.zeiss.com/nature or join
us at facebook.com/ZEISSbirding

Richard W. Moncrief
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics
Phone: (804)-425-8455
Email: Richard.moncrief@zeiss.com
www.zeiss.com/press
www.zeiss.com/nature
www.facebook.com/ZEISSbirding

About the ZEISS Group

ZEISS is an international leader in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. The more than 24,000 employees of ZEISS generated revenue of about 4.2 billion euros in fiscal year 2012/13. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. ZEISS has been contributing to technological progress for more than 160 years. ZEISS develops and produces solutions for the semiconductor, automotive and mechanical engineering industries, biomedical research and medical technology, as well as eyeglass lenses, camera and cine lenses, binoculars and planetariums. ZEISS is present in over 40 countries around the globe with more than 40 production facilities, around 50 sales and service locations and over 20 research and development sites. Carl Zeiss AG is fully owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).