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ZenRay Binoculars #5735299 05/08/15 11:28 PM
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nsmike Online Content OP
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Has anyone had experience with the ZenRay 10X42 Prime HD or 10X43 ED3.


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Re: ZenRay Binoculars [Re: nsmike] #5739621 05/12/15 01:02 AM
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I think I asked this myself about six months ago. Evidently they just haven't penetrated the market enough to develop a reputation.

I read up on them a little, and it's been a while but I think I recall the guys who got together to form the company were more of the bird watching type. Not that I think of that as a liability at all...

What little I was able to find from folks who have reviewed ZenRay binoculars seemed to be very positive from a performance perspective. "Lots of bang for the buck" seems to have been on of the common themes in reviews.

My only reservation is the same that I hold toward Vortex optics...since they have everything built elsewhere they have no investment in production facilities. In my mind that makes it difficult to be confident that they are committed to a long-term presence as a quality optics source in the market. OTOH, binocs don't take the same kind of punishment a rifle scope does. When I find myself in a position to buy better binocs, ZenRay may well be my choice.


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Re: ZenRay Binoculars [Re: RiverRider] #5739643 05/12/15 01:27 AM
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Originally Posted By: RiverRider
I think I asked this myself about six months ago. Evidently they just haven't penetrated the market enough to develop a reputation.

I read up on them a little, and it's been a while but I think I recall the guys who got together to form the company were more of the bird watching type. Not that I think of that as a liability at all...

What little I was able to find from folks who have reviewed ZenRay binoculars seemed to be very positive from a performance perspective. "Lots of bang for the buck" seems to have been on of the common themes in reviews.

My only reservation is the same that I hold toward Vortex optics...since they have everything built elsewhere they have no investment in production facilities. In my mind that makes it difficult to be confident that they are committed to a long-term presence as a quality optics source in the market. OTOH, binocs don't take the same kind of punishment a rifle scope does. When I find myself in a position to buy better binocs, ZenRay may well be my choice.


Much of the Vortex line is made buy light optical. Light optical also makes upper end bushell scopes LHRS and also all the Nightforce parts and complete SHV scopes.

Light optical is a very highly regarded optics mfg.

I've never seen a bad review on zenray, but have never played with them.


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Re: ZenRay Binoculars [Re: RiverRider] #5739657 05/12/15 01:39 AM
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I have owned a ZR ED1 and ED3 in 8x43. I gave the ED1 to my African tracker as a gift last August, and he was quite happy to finally own a good binocular. The ED3 lives in my home office and I use it to observe the goings-on at the two corn feeders behind my house.

The ED3 holds up pretty well along side my Leicas. The ZR has a bit of fringe fuzziness at the extreme edges of the field, whereas the Leica is crisp all the way to the edge. But my eyes are unable to appreciate any difference between the two binos in the center of the field, where we do all our field judging. And ergonomically, the ZR frankly fits me better than my Leicas. And the ED3 costs a fourth of what the German glass does.

The more expensive ED Prime HD is reputed to be equal to Euro binoculars in performance, but I can't comment, having never tried them. The birdwatchers really love them, and they're far more demanding than hunters.

The ZRs lack the snob appeal of Swarovski and Leica, but they perform all out of proportion to their price tag.


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Re: ZenRay Binoculars [Re: nsmike] #5740607 05/12/15 05:37 PM
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Thanks for the feedback it confirms what I've been able to find. I still have some looking to do but I am going to be upgrading my binoculars before fall.


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