by B.R. Hughes
Field Editor

"Hungaria?"

When I saw the word on the box containing the light, compact roof-prism binocular bearing the time-honored name "Zeiss," I searched my mind for what I knew about this European nation: goulash, Joe Willie Namath, Eva Gabor For the life of me, I couldn't recall hearing legendary tales of quality optics emanating from Hungary.

Let's go back to the binocular itself. I first heard of the Diafun glasses in mid-2000, but I didn't get my hands on a test model until late November. Available in 8X30 and 10X30, I opted for the 8-power version, partially because of the relatively small objective lens. That's the second set of numbers in designation 8X30, which is the diameter of the lens furthermost from one's eye. The first number is the magnification.

All things being equal-and sometimes they aren't-the larger the size of the objective lens, the more light is transmitted to the eye, although things such as lens coatings, lens quality and the like, all affect light transmission tremendously. But it is reasonable to assume that if you contrast an 8X30 glass and an 8X42 binocular, both of equal quality, the 8X42 will be brighter. In a similar vein, an 8X30 should be brighter than a 10X30.

The Diafun is, as I've said earlier, a roof-prism design, which is more complicated and hence more expensive to produce than a comparable porro-prism design-that's the type of glass generally encountered 35 or 40 years ago. Currently the roof prism, being more streamlined and modern looking, is the binocular of choice among buyers. Most everyone has heard of Zeiss, which is a German optical giant known for its exceedingly high quality products. It should be noted that the prices asked for Zeiss products are right up there.

If you look around, you could save a buck or two, but the fact remains that a spanking new German-made Zeiss 8X30 or 8X42 binocular will set you back perilously close to $1,000. That, even in these inflated times, is a lot of money, and this probably accounts for the fact that even in good antelope country, for example, you will see precious few Zeiss glasses around the necks of hunters or guides, and the same holds true of Zeiss' famous competitor, Leica.

Having said that, I feel that I must point out that due to the effects of a handful of writers who genuinely understand the worth of good glassware, such as my chum and Gun Week colleague Jim Williamson, Americans are buying better binoculars and scopes than they did a decade ago. I don't see the cheap (in more ways than one) optics in the hunting fields as frequently as I once did.

Today, it is not so rare to spot brand names such as Bausch & Lomb, Burris, Leupold, Nikon, Pentex, etc., and occasionally Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss. You don't have to spend $1,000 to obtain a good binocular, but, conversely, you can't purchase quality for $39.95! Somewhere, between those extremes, it is possible to purchase glasses that will do an excellent job by anyone's standards, and it is into this neighborhood that Zeiss has tossed its new Diafun line, with a recommended list price of $480. Need I add that by shopping around, you can beat that price as well.

Comparison
When I received my test glass, I wasted no time in matching it against one of the best-a Swarovski 8X30 roof prism binocular. Yes, the latter costs significantly more, so the deck was stacked against the Hungarian entry. Since I have always maintained that in few areas of endeavor does one "get what you pay for" moreso than optics, I was not surprised when I discovered that when pitted eyeball-to-eyeball against each other, the Diafun came in second to the Swarovski-albeit by a modest margin.

I compared them in bright light, subdued light and near darkness. The darker it became, the better the Swaroski looked-no pun intended. But in terms of definition-that's how well you can make out far-distant numbers, etc.-they were "too close to call." The only area in which Diafun lagged was brightness.

However, it is lighter, weighing a tad less than 16 ounces. It certainly won't be a millstone around your neck when prowling the high country. It was no problem making out unknown license plates on vehicles parked 100 yards or so away, and I surmise that it would be equally good at determining just how long the brow tines are on that buck across the clearing.

Split Focusing Knob
The Diafun has a "split knob" for focussing purposes, much like those imported from Jena, East Germany, a decade ago. The front half of the dial focuses both tubes, while the rear half focuses only the right. The carrying strap that accompanies the Diafun isn't much, and should I elect to purchase the test glass, I'll look for an after-market strap. The case is some type of black ballistic cloth, which appears to be quite durable.

Overall, I'm favorably impressed with the Zeiss Diafun 8X30. It puts a very good binocular bearing the famous Zeiss name into users' hands at approximately half the anticipated cost. For the name of a dealer near you, contact Carl Zeiss Optics Inc., 13012 N Kingston Ave., Dept. GWK, Chester, VA 23838; phone: 804-530-5841; on-line: www.zeiss.com.