Nicholas Chen 10.18.22
Just lately I went on a cruise to Alaska. I wished to video and {photograph} wildlife on the journey. I thought of my cameras, lenses and my Maven 12×50 B.6 binos. Whereas these will work, they take time to make use of and I’m not positive how properly they might work whereas shifting. Extra on that later. So I made a decision to chew the bullet and purchase a pair of imaged stabilized binoculars. I discovered the SIG SAUER ZULU6 binos at my native Sportsman Warehouse and acquired them a day earlier than our journey. They have been a household favourite on the cruise. Let’s check out them.
Binocular Protection on AllOutdoor
Picture Stabilized Binoculars, However Why?
As I discussed above I’ve cameras and an honest Maven bino. Whereas they’re all enough at seeing far I used to be involved in regards to the whale watching and wildlife tour that I deliberate to absorb Juneau, Alaska. We’d be on a ship and I used to be fairly positive that boat might be shifting. Plus making an attempt to carry the Maven Binos regular simply to watch issues takes time not to mention attempt to {photograph}/movie by way of them with my telephone is an added complication. That is extreme time I don’t have when making an attempt to {photograph} or movie one thing in a brief period of time, like a Humpback Whale arising for air. I recall my buddy Aaron beaming about his Canon stabilized binoculars however they’re over $1,000. I wished binos with vary and picture stabilization. A easy Google search and the SIG SAUER ZULU6 appeared to tick all of the containers. It has extra magnification than my Maven Binos although the target lens measurement is smaller. It retails for $850, which is lower than the Canon binos. The Canon I used to be was the 18×50 IS however they weigh 2.6 lbs!. The SIG SAUER ZULU6 solely weighs 20 oz (1.4 lbs). I had solely tried my buddy’s Canon IS binos over 2 years in the past and I don’t bear in mind a lot. So after I purchased the ZULU6 I took them out off the field as quickly as I left the shop and powered them up. I used to be impressed by the picture stabilization. I even had my 6 yr previous daughter strive them and she or he might see issues clearly. She hasn’t realized the way to hold regular binos regular so these have been an enormous assist.
SIG SAUER ZULU6
The SIG SAUER ZULU6 has a fairly unconventional design. The target lenses sit subsequent to one another and fairly than have the 2 pods hinge within the center, the eyepieces rotate for pupillary distance adjustment.
Close to the entrance of the ZULU6 is the main focus knob.
Utilizing the ZULU6 is a bit totally different. Most binos have the main focus knob near the eyepieces. So I needed to appropriate my household on the way to use the ZULU6. They might naturally grasp the ZULU6 just like the picture beneath. With their index finger indexing on the ability change.
You might want to regulate your arms a bit ahead so your index finger can flip the main focus knob. I didn’t have any situation however I might see somebody with bigger arms not having sufficient room for his or her pinky fingers.
On high and simply in entrance of the target lenses is the ability change for the Optical Picture Stabilization. 
How does the Optical Picture Stabilization work? Watch this video by Canon. SIG SAUER doesn’t have a video explaining their system so this should do.
Just under the ability change is an indicator gentle that faces the person. It glows to let you already know the Optical Picture Stabilization is on.
As I discussed earlier, the eyepieces rotate to regulate for pupillary distance adjustment. They’re geared to at least one one other so whenever you rotate one, it rotates the opposite. See the picture beneath for the max vary of adjustment.
The ZULU6 is powered by a single AA battery. I’ve seen different critiques that state the battery lasts a yr however mentioned reviewers solely used them a handful of instances on some hunts which isn’t the identical a yr lengthy use. I used them on daily basis on the week lengthy cruise and didn’t want to vary the battery.
The battery cap has a flip down tab to assist unscrew it from the bino physique. I might have appreciated it if it was tethered. However it has an o-ring for waterproofness and that helps improve the friction to maintain the battery cap in place.
There are retractable rubber eyecups and a diopter on the fitting ocular.
The neck strap for the ZULU6 is an easy affair. They supply a cut up ring and fast detach buckle for the strap.
My household used these binos for a strong week and we by no means unbuckled the neck strap. In reality we all the time used it as a result of we advised our children “These are costly, don’t drop them” and they might use the neck strap.
I did discover the steel cut up ring and plastic buckles a bit of bit annoying as they make noise once they hit the edges of the ZULU6. So I eliminated them and looped the neckstrap on to the housing.
Within the field, The ZULU6 comes with a ballistic nylon pouch. It’s a easy pouch with a velcro flap and a belt loop sewn into the again.
I solely used the pouch to guard the ZULU6 in my backpack. In any other case we wore the bino round our necks. Discover something lacking? The ZULU6 doesn’t include any lens covers. It did include a pair of plastic caps that sit over the eyepieces however they don’t seem to be retained in anyway. It’s extra for safeguarding them throughout journey within the pouch. I might have appreciated rubber lens covers for the eyepieces. Both a caps that slip onto the eyecups or a bra fashion cap just like the one on my Maven Binos which is retained by the neck strap. Extra importantly I desire a a canopy to guard the target lenses. I feel a easy rubber cap to go over the complete entrance of the ZULU6 can be high-quality and held on with an elastic twine, then you may slip it off, have it dangle down and slip it again on whenever you wish to defend the target lens.
Photographing and Videoing By way of The ZULU6
I’ve a Telephone Skope case for my iPhone 12 Max Professional and the lens adapter for my PVS-14 oculars suits the ZULU6 eyepiece.
With the adapter put in you’ll be able to see how the eyepiece is sort of flush with the adapter.
Utilizing the PhoneSkope with my iPhone takes a little bit of trial and error. To start with the iPhone 12 has three totally different lenses. Whereas the Telephone Scope case has adjustable lens adapter mount, it isn’t fast or straightforward to maneuver it from lens to lens. So I discovered the candy spot for viewing and filming by way of the SIG ZULU6 was to remain at 1x to simply underneath 2x. If I zoom in with the iPhone and go previous 2x magnification, the iPhone switches to its lengthy vary lens. However that lens is blocked by the lens adapter mount of the Telephone Scope case. So if you wish to replicate this setup, hold the magnification underneath 2x.
As regards to the ZULU6, I discovered that having the eyecup half means out was the perfect eye reduction for my iPhone digicam. If I’ve it absolutely collapsed or absolutely deployed, I see artifacts within the picture. Kind of like scope shadow. See the pictures beneath, you’ll be able to see a bluish fringe on the outer edges.
Here’s a display screen shot from a video I shot on my iPhone of the Mendenhall Glacier. This was whereas we have been on the whale watching boat. That is with higher eye reduction so there may be much less artifacts within the picture.
Here’s a video displaying a number of the whales and animals I noticed on our journey. Many of the video was shot trying by way of the ZULU6.
Last Ideas On The ZULU6
As I discussed at first of this text, my household beloved the ZULU6. The picture stabilization made it straightforward to look at animals with out worrying about retaining the binos regular to make the picture regular. The 16x magnification was respectable and I hardly ever wanted extra magnification. I completely loved utilizing these. Usually we might stand on our state room balcony searching on the water on the lookout for animals within the ocean. I noticed a Dall’s porpoise however sadly it dove again underneath water earlier than I might {photograph} it. There have been instances we noticed one thing floating on the water that was too far for our eyes or my telephone’s 12x zoom that might not resolve so we might seize the ZULU6 to see what it was. Usually it was a bit of driftwood however every so often it could be an animal. Just like the Sea Otter that was a pair hundred yards away. I noticed one thing small and black within the water. Regarded by way of the binos and positive sufficient, it was a sea otter.
Trying by way of the ZULU6 binos was higher than what my iPhone captured. I did discover the attention field/exit pupil appears narrower than I would really like. I actually needed to have the pupillary distance dialed-in to keep away from scope shadow. The dearth of lens caps is a bit annoying and the unconventional design makes it unimaginable to seek out an off-the-shelf choice for the target lenses. However the slimness of the ZULU6 is good because it doesn’t take up that a lot house in my backpack.
One factor I want to enhance on, in addition to lens covers, is a method to mount a micro crimson dot on the ZULU6. 16x is fairly zoomed in and making an attempt to level the binos at one thing small and much away is a bit difficult. Particularly when you find yourself miles and miles of open water. After I photographed this Bald Eagle I needed to determine some distinctive function on the bottom close to the tree, the eagle was perched on, and observe the tree up with the ZULU6 till the Bald Eagle confirmed up within the small FOV. A crimson dot mounted on the ZULU6 would make this a lot sooner.
I’ve a Trijicon RMR mounted to my excessive velocity digicam after I use my Sigma 600mm Mirror lens. I even use crimson dots on my Bushnell LMSS recognizing scope. It simply makes aiming them sooner and I might see excessive magnification binoculars benefiting from this.
In case you are considering of getting a lightweight weight, considerably compact, picture stabilized binocular than the SIG SAUER ZULU6 is perhaps one thing to look into.
