ZEISS Terra ED Pocket Binoculars Compact, Waterproof, and Fast Focusing with Coated Glass for Optimal Clarity in All Weather Conditions for Bird Watching, Hunting, Sightseeing

I've been a fan of Zeiss-designed lenses since the 1970s. This binocular lives up to the company's reputation. Bought it for my wife, who's been griping about my hogging the good gear while she was stuck with her mom's old opera glass. The lenses on this binocular are very high quality, especially given the relatively modest price point. They have good sharpness, resolution, light transmission, and color accuracy. Eye cups are easy to adjust (twist out for bare eyes, in for glasses). Focus adjustments are good, too, with focus knobs fore and aft on the center column. The right-eye focus adjustment (front knob) is a bit stiff, but sensitive enough to allow for good two-lens images, and the stiffness keeps the adjustment from changing. As an 8x25 optic, the exit pupil is only 3.25mm, so don't expect great light-gathering; predawn and after sunset will be problematic. The unit is reasonably light for easy carry, the strap works fine, and the binocular comes with a rigid, zippable carry case. Can't comment on durability because we haven't had this optic long enough to provide good data, but it seems sturdy enough to withstand fairly rough field treatment. My only criticism is that the binocular didn't come with lens caps! Strange. But if you can afford this unit it should do a good job for you.

I have had these binoculars for a little over 2 years. They work so well that I find myself taking them with me more often than my better 8x42 's. I take them on almost any walk. If I am really birding in the spring I find that I can follow a bird faster with my 8x42's, but these work just as well for everything else. They have a wide field of vision for their size and colors are sharp. They are light and fit in most pockets. They stay open pretty well, but are easy to adjust if they close a little on you. Easy to use with one hand.

I also read about these on an astronomy forum, where I got the "use" info below, but not the specs.Buy these now. A best buy. Here's why:1. Zeiss is a world class optics company. So is Swarovski.Compare this Zeiss Terra ED 8x25 to the world-class Swarovski 8x25 at $819 on Amazon (list price is even higher). This will show youa) specs are same: field of view (6.8˚),brightness (14.1 vs 14.2),weight (11 vs 12 oz),eye relief (16 vs 17mm), andsize in inchesb) specs favor Swaro: water resistant to 4 meters (vs 1 meter for Zeiss)c) specs favor Zeiss: close focus 6.2ft (vs 14.2 for Swaro),operating temperature -20 to 144˚ (vs -13 to 131 for Swaro)d) use favors Swaro: view is said to be more comfortable to look at, ergonomicallyfocus has lighter touch, for those who like thate) use favors Zeiss: view is more crisp, contrasty (Swaro view is said to be softer, more milky)focus has firmer touch, for those who like thatf) price favors Zeiss: $293 (vs $819 for Swaro)2. Compare them to other Zeiss binos from the SAME series - Zeiss Terra ED.- 8x25, 10x25 are made in Japan- 8x25, 10x25 are getting great reviews, for small binos- all larger Terra ED models are made in China- all larger models are getting panned for poor optics and build qualityI think everybody is well aware that China optics and build quality are inferior (so far) to those from the US, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Austria, etc.So this 8x25 model is unusual. Superior optics and build are normal for Zeiss, except for their Chinese built Terra ED line.Luckily, the 8x25 model is made in Japan with Zeiss design. This results in typical world class Zeiss quality.What is hard to understand is how Zeiss makes a $293 optic that arguably outperforms an $819 Swarovski.For bino newbies looking at 10x25, remember: the 10x25 will have a smaller exit pupil, so your views may black out more. Also, a 10x is way harder to hold steady and actually see than an 8x. So, even though you think you want 10x, you probably really want 8x25. With the 8x25, you'll actually see and enjoy the view more.

These binoculars (8x25) are great. The case is nice. The neck strap is fine.The hinge is the right amount of stiffness, and setting the diopter and focus are natural. I handed these to my kids under 10 and they were looking using them fluently in a minute.I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on binoculars, but these things look nice. The colors look accurate, and I don’t see any colored fringes. They arrived when it was mostly outside, and it’s now nearing sunset with overcast skies. They seem to be handling the variation in light well. I’m replacing a pair of larger (12x42) and much older pair of binoculars, and the light transmission on these is probably surprisingly good.The only negative I can really see on the image is that the bottom edge is a little blurry. The center is crisp. I don’t really see this as a problem, and if I weren’t looking for it I might never have noticed.I figured these were made in China since I couldn’t find anything explicitly saying where they were made. That’s usually a big hint. There’s nothing on the binoculars themselves or any of the paperwork inside. The only thing that said a country name (China) was the bar code sticker. Really, it was a barcode sticker under another bar code sticker. I find this to be misleading so I dropped my rating to 4/5. Knowing this and the price, am I happy with them enough to keep them? I _think_ so. They’ll certainly get the job done. I’d like to try the top of the line Zeiss binoculars (15x56) at some point. I just hope those are still made in Germany by the time I save up my pennies.

I’m a novice to binoculars so my experience with them is very limited but the 8x are very clear and far better than the $30 ones I had previously. Worth the cost.