First, let me apologize to Charles for not getting this sooner, and to Bone if on the off chance FedEx has a problem and he does not get the glasses in time.
So, after Bucklucky got done playing with the test optics, he sent them to me. I got them the day I left for my 10 day hunting trip to the Huckleberry. Anyone who has hunted this region knows that the terrain can go from VERY thick to WIDE open in a matter of yards. This posed a great test for these optics.
First thing I did when receiving them is to check them out while in the office. Initial reaction was WOW! After getting home and putting a Crooked Horn Bino Strap on them (No, Bone, I kept that with me!
) I set off for camp.
Opening morning the first thing I noticed was the weight of these glasses. They are much heavier than my 10x24 Nikons, but they offer a lot more FOV too, so it was worth it. Scanning the areas in the predawn light was fantastic. The light transmission and clarity seemed to be top notch. Again, all I could say was WOW.
As the sun came up, I started to glass greater distances. The optics were crisp and clear with great color depth. There was, however, a minimal amount of blurring at the edges, but the focal point was extremely bright and crisp. Not too bad for a 10x optic in my book. I was very impressed with the depth or field, the image clarity and the FOV. The only minor issue encountered here is that the focus is super sensitive and it was sometimes difficult to get the "perfect" focus. I also noted that for me, I could not keep the adjustable eyecup in the full up position, somehow I kept getting them in the down position for eyeglasses. No big deal as it is very easy to spin the eye piece to where you want it. One other minor irritant for me, and I have this on most all optics I have used, is the focus for the right eye, always seems to need to be adjusted. Could just be my weak eye as the day wears on.
Next I spent some time in the thick stuff. Here the detail of these optics really shined, but the 10x was just too much and made picking apart brush difficult as at 50 yards or less it would fill the image with "too much image". I think that the 8x would be better suited to this style of hunting. I faced the same minor issues in the brush as I had on the open with eye cups, focus, etc. Not a hindrance, just a minor nuisance.
After using these for the week, I began to compensate for the minor issues I was having and they became nothing at all. I actually hated to send these on, as I wanted to keep them, but after all of the usage I put them through, and I was not gentle with them, I decided I would pass them along. For the type of hunting terrain I hunt in, I need something that will work well in both the thick and the open. I think I will need to pick up the 8x set, if it is as good as the 10x, they are worth every single penny and then some!
If you are an open country Mule Deer hunter and spend more time glassing open terrain, I highly recommend the ZR 10x42. Crisp optics, comfortable viewing, relative light weight, great transmission and best of all, a price that makes it a phenomenal bargain.
Thanks again Charles and Hunt-Wa for this opportunity. You have earned my utmost respect and my business!
