The impending release of the 7x36 ED2s has inspired me. At some point in the next few weeks, after I've had a chance to get to know them, I'll be posting a shootout among the following 4 bins:
Zen-Ray 7x36 ED2
Nikon EDG 8x32
Nikon SE 8x32
Zeiss 8x42 FL
The latter two are my long-term go-to stable, the EDGs arrived today, and hopefully the ED2s will arrive promptly next week. Not everyone is going to survive!
For the curious, I have no optical impressions of the EDG at all yet, but there are a couple of subtle but important improvements in the 8x32's compared with the 7x42's I test drove a few months ago. Their hinged objective covers fit tightly onto the barrels and seem much less likely to pop off, and the focus knob on this bin has a moderate detent holding it down over the diopter adjustment. It's still easy to slide up, but it doesn't seem to do so unless I want it to now. It also has that snap-on ocular guard that I love and others hate!
Stay tuned.
With such competition I sincerely doubt the Zens are going to last long...and I have been quite impressed with how the previous Zen offerings have performed.
I am curious though, what are you basing your decision on? Optical performance? Fit and finish? Overall handling? .....or just that everlasting impression that a set of bins leaves you with?
Drop them all from 6ft then 12ft onto concrete. Let us know which which loose collimation, damaged hinge, etc, etc.