Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Short Review - Zeiss Terra ED Pocket 8x25 Binoculars

Hey Folks,

Disclaimer....looking to build my post count here - thought I'd try to make them useful.
I've been looking for a good pair of compact binos for a while. I live in Pennsylvania and I do a little bit of stand hunting, but mostly I like to still hunt. So I'm regularly on the move. Or, when I'm getting to know a new piece of ground, I move pretty fast just so I can see as much of it as possible in the limited hunting time I get. My father has an old pair of compact Gold Ring Leupold bino's that have been around the world and they are still in great shape. If you see him in the woods in the fall, those will be around his neck (unless he's chasing bird dogs through the brush). So that was my reference point. I have no need or room in my kit for a pair of 8x42's I need something small enough that I don't mind having them around my neck all day and that don't get in the way of other tasks. I've looked at the Swarovski CL Pocket 8x25 and they have amazing glass, but at a street price around $900 they're more than I'm willing to pay right now.

I found these Zeiss Terra ED Pocket 8x25 binoculars and found a few reviews on bird watching websites. They normally sell for $349...but I snagged a floor model/demo pair on ebay for around $260 shipped. They arrived and they're like new, no handling marks at all.
The glass on these is very clear, very bright. Contrast seems to be great as well. Last week my boy was off school for Presidents Day and I took him in the woods squirrel hunting....These bino's performed flawlessly. Very easy to keep in a vest pocket, or around my neck. I actually like to have them around my neck then tuck them under my orange vest on my left side. This protects them from brush, keeps them out of the way for snap shots, and keeps them very handy.

Focus....They focus down to about 3ft...seriously. We stepped out onto a small gas pipeline and I was able to focus on a log about 600yds away. Very good detail, very clear and crisp.
These are a hidden gem of binoculars - amazing features for the cost. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better value. Are the $900 swaro's better....maybe, probably. But can you or I tell the difference 100% of the time....probably not. If I hunted out west and did a lot of sitting/glassing, I'd probably invest in a larger pair, but for my needs, these are perfect.


https://cameralandny.com/shop/zeiss...e9110c0?variation=1291164&query=8x25

Good luck.
Ross

Nice review. I always appreciate member feedback on products.

New Zeiss Version made in China by the CCP.
F**K the CCP.
I purchased a pair of the Zeiss Made in Japan 8X25 Terra ED for my son in 2018 for a Africa hunt. Great compact binoculars. Was going to buy a pair for myself. Not anymore!! Zeiss is losing its identity. I won’t be buying any more Zeiss sports optics until they make a change away from the CCP. I suggest others do the same including Retailers pushing this CCP made products.
Time to do some research on other brands.

Interesting....I thought they were made in Japan.
I'll have to check mine to see where they were made.....sure enough China.

Honestly, I don't get too upset about that stuff anymore. Do I want to live in China, NO! Do I think that China is currently guilty of crimes against humanity and/or human rights violations....Absolutely. Do I think that not buying a $350 pair of binoculars will make any difference when literally every car on my street (mine included) has a majority of components sourced from China.....no. The steel used in truck frames/bodies nowadays is mostly Chinese steel, even if it was stamped/forged here in the states. The phone or computer that we use to access this website has a ton of Chinese components in it. Right, wrong, or otherwise Walmart is a lot of peoples main access to groceries and clothing in the US nowadays....and a majority of (non-food) items in that store comes from China. Even if your clothing is made in the US, what about the material that was used....was it sourced domestically?

I get it that everyone draws their line somewhere, but I'm a practical person, and a realist.

Are these Chinese made bino's still a great value...Yes. Would I buy them again knowing they are Chinese made?....After having looked through them, Yes.
Does that make me un-American....No.

It is probably going to come down to what you can live with for fov and light gathering. I've been birding lately and took the "Tiny Tens" (10x25 Sarovski binos) along the first few trips and convinced myself that the 8x32's or even the wife's 8x42's would have been a better choice just to get that wider fov when the warblers are jumping around in the trees. I too took those little pocket binos out west elk hunting to save carrying the weight of a larger pair, but never once remember using them. You might be more stealthy than I've been still hunting or even stand deer hunting, but the deer that I've seen have been on the move and I darn sure want my rifle in my hands instead of my binos. The little binos take a lot more muscle memory to get what you want to see centered in the narrow fov than a larger pair.

@windfall,
That's a great point. The field of view on these seems really good compared to other compact binos I've used . Obviously it is much smaller that an 8x42 set of bino's. But again, for my purposes they are great.

As far as being stealthy while still hunting...my dad taught me to get into an bedding area around mid day then spend more time looking than walking. I've been moderately successful, but my dad has found numerous bucks in there beds and shot them were they were laying....it's ridiculous.