ZEISS SFL Binoculars Lightweight, Compact, Waterproof, Ultra-High Definition Coated Glass for Bird Watching, and Hunting for Twilight and Low Light Wildlife Observation with SmartFocus, Black (8x30)

Can never go wrong with Zeiss these are awesome binoculars.

I have Monarch 7 8x42 & 10x42. I wanted something smaller and higher quality because they didnt hold up well over the years. After days researching the best compact binos, this one caught my eye because it came out this year. I compared it with every other brand and on paper it, overall, it outshines them in the 8x30 segment when size and weight are your priorities. You could spend 3k for some 8x32 swarvoski that are twice as heavy and get a little bit wider field of view, but you won't be reaching for them as often because they're inconveniently large. I find myself bringing these with me everywhere because they're so discreet and lightweight. I find more wildlife with them because I lift them to my eyes more often! Don't underestime size and weight when choosing a binocular! These are the best you can get when you consider it.Keep in mind smaller binoculars require more careful eye placement to avoid blackouts. They may require a little more practice if you're used to 8x42s like I was, but you soon get the feel for them.

My primary use for the Zeiss SFL 8X30s is watching birds. First off let me say that these are wonderful binoculars with exceptional optics. The lenses are clearly made with good glass and are coated to maximize light capture. A have been truly amazed at how bright an image you get with these binoculars in spite of the fact that they are only 8X30. These binoculars are also the lightest I have ever owned making them a joy to take into the field. Zeiss has also done an excellent job designing the focus so that you can get to where you need to be with short turns making focus an easy task. I purchased these as a replacement for my Swarovski SLC 8X30s that I lovingly used for about 30 years until they were recently stolen. Thus far I am completely happy with the binoculars.So, why the 4-star review. The lens covers, critical to caring for high-quality optics, are frankly poorly designed (resisting the urge to use stronger terms). I agree with others who have written reviews that the lens caps for the front lenses do not fit well and easily pop open. What Zeiss actually tried to accomplish with their design is a good concept but they would be much better if the rubber insert when deeper into the threads where they would better catch. The rear lens cover at first seemed fine but what has started to happen is that they fit so tightly around the rubber eye cups that when the cover is removed it has started to pull one of the eye cups off one of the eye pieces. Now I have to just slightly seat the cover to prevent this from happening. A simple fix here would have been to just make the cover a tad bigger. For what I paid for these binoculars I would have expected a little better engineering.

I love these

I bought these after trying 6 other pair and returned all the others. They work great for eye glass wearers because the design allows your glasses to get very close to the eye piece glass, and they have 18mm of relief. Not quit perfect though. The lens caps will not stay closed on the 30 mm end, and one slipped off and got lost the first week I had them.

Compared to my Nikon Monarch HG for half the price, this binoculars are cheaply made and offer inferior image quality. I've sent it back.