Sig Sauer ZULU 6 16×42 Stabilized Binoculars Review

PREMISE

I've been waiting a few months to test the binoculars I'm reviewing here: the Sig Sauer Zulu 6 16x42, which cost €1149. Bignami, the official distributor of Sig Sauer products in Italy, kindly provided them to me for inspection.

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BRAND HISTORY

The history of Sig Sauer began in 1852 above the Rhine Falls in Switzerland, when
Friedrich Peyer imHof, Heinrich Moser and Conrad Neher created a railway carriage factory. At that time, nothing would have predicted that their commercial ambitions would transform into something entirely different. In 1859, in fact, they accepted the request of the Swiss Federal Ministry and participated in a competition for the construction of a cutting-edge rifle that could improve the needs of the Swiss army. After another five years, in 1864, thanks to the creation of the Prelaz-Burnand, the Swiss Wagon Factory, which they founded, won the prize. With a commission of 30,000 rifles, the company changed its name to Swiss Industrial Company, Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, then known as SIG.
In 1949, they introduced the famous SIG P49 and the P220, the new army pistol, which was later followed by the compact P230 for the Swiss police. In the 1970s, they acquired Hämmerli Target Arms of Lenzburg, Switzerland, and JP Sauer & Sohn GmbH of Eckernförde, West Germany, two well-known hunting rifle manufacturers. To expand their business, in the 1980s, they decided to target the United States market. In 1985, SIGARMS®, Inc. was founded and is headquartered in Virginia. In the following years, they specialized in weapons manufacturing, developing lines of rifles and pistols that have made history in the industry. Nine years later, the Training Academy was created, which still offers courses for civilians and law enforcement today.
In 2007, Sigarms transformed into SIG SAUER®, tripling its workforce and investing in the production of new products (pistols and rifles). After seven years the new company headquarters has been created at Newington, NH, while in 2015 SIG SAUER began offering shooting optics, sights, ammunition, and air rifles, supplying both the civilian and military markets, both domestically and abroad. For example, news broke a few weeks ago that SIG SAUER had been awarded a supply contract, after 27 months of testing and evaluation, for the United States Army with its new ’SIG SAUER NEXT GENERATION SQUAD’ weapons.

TECHNICAL DATA DECLARED BY THE PARENT COMPANY

Enlargement	16X
Lenses (mm)	42
Exit pupil (mm)	2.6
Eye relief (mm)	14
Minimum focusing distance (m)	8.2
Actual field of view (°)	3.8
Apparent field (°)	60.8
Interpupillary distance range (mm)	56-75
Regulation of the diopters	+-3
Optical hull composition	Polymers
Prism Type	Schmidt-Pechan
Waterproofing	IXP4
Dimensions (mm)	170×80.60 (91.70 eye area)
Weight (g)	668 grams with caps, battery and shoulder strap
Price (Euro VAT included) Bignami.it	1142
Official distributor for Italy	www.bignami.it

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

There are no optional accessories for this binocular

MECHANICS AND FIRE SYSTEM

The Sig Sauer Zulu 6 16×42 binoculars certainly don’t look like classic binoculars. Schmidt Pechan prisms were used, but due to the gyroscope stabilization system, its design is quite linear, with a very narrow and tapered optical body, separated only by the battery compartment at the rear. The gray rubber protective armor is decidedly thick. Compared to some competing binoculars, its design makes it easier to use with one hand. The thumb completely envelops the lower part, while the middle finger allows you to rotate the focus knob. It also fits perfectly into a pocket or inside tactical jackets and vests. I think this design isn't left to chance.

On the upper bridge, in addition to the focusing knob, there is the OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) engraving on the frame. Near the eyepieces is the lever for activating the OIS system, which I will write about shortly. On the lower part of the optical frame, however, you can see the serial number, the word “China,” and the wording US PATENT. 
The focusing was smooth and with a fairly unambiguous snap test.. I would say that it satisfied my needs especially because at 16X the depth of field is decidedly minimal and this does not allow for adjustment errors. I have estimated a very good minimum focus distance for a 16X, namely 3.8 meters, to reach infinity you need to rotate the knob a little less than one turn counterclockwise.  It seems to me to be an excellent performance, given the medium magnification which will allow you to observe even very close subjects.

STABILIZATION SYSTEM

The stabilization system is gyroscope-based; the degrees of compensation aren't mentioned on the official website, but I think they're in the range of 2° to 2.5°. The system is powered only by a simple 1.5V mini AA battery (a Vinnic Alkaline AM3 KR6 was supplied), which I ran out of power after about 28 hours of use (even at night and at 5°C outside temperature). It doesn't have any deactivation system. Many stabilized binoculars hang when positioned vertically; with the SIG SAUER, you'll be able to observe, for example, from a helicopter or a building without any problem. However, you'll have to remember to turn the lever to OFF, although the long battery life won't be a problem even during long excursions.
I must admit that it is the stabilization system that really impressed me, it can handle even 16x magnification very well, a factor that was also confirmed during the test with the USAF CHART at 35 meters. Compared to a classic 8X, the amount of visible detail is impressive, and you can immediately perceive the difference between OIS off and on; license plates, airplane markings, and details on the mountains that are invisible to lower-power binoculars appear. I think it could be the best choice for those who need "power" but want to travel light, without a tripod or monopod. It's currently my favorite stabilization, besides the one on the Fujinon 14x40, which I remember stabilizing a full six degrees but costs significantly more, as well as being much bulkier.

OPTICS

Goals
The The Sig Sauer Zulu 6 16×42 does not use ED optics, as was obvious from the purchase price. The images are quite sharp with sufficient contrast, you can perceive, as you will read in the specific paragraph, the presence of chromatic aberration: Optically it is much brighter and more comfortable to use than the recent stabilized 16×28 – 16×30, thanks also to the large diameter of the lenses. Given the odd shape of the front lenses and the presence of a slight cut-off at the inner edges of the exit pupil, I attempted to measure the actual diameter of this optic using the flashlight method. Essentially, I shone light into the eyepiece and measured the resulting image circle. As you can see, the "cut-off" of the objective lens is visible. I can confirm that roughly speaking, the binoculars measure approximately 38 mm in diameter.

Eyepieces
The eyepieces are comfortable to use, the lens hood is retractable by rotating without pre-set stops, and is made of soft rubber for greater comfort. The eye relief may not be sufficient to show the entire field of view for those who wear glasses, so I recommend testing it before purchasing, if possible.The minimum interpupillary distance I measured was 49.70 mm, while the maximum was 71.50. 
At an interpupillary distance of 65 mm the distance between the eyepieces is 22.51. Personally, I haven't had any particular comfort problems during use.
The framed field of view is equal to 3.8° which generates an apparent wide-angle field of almost sixty-one degrees.

Prisms
As mentioned, the prisms are Schmidt-Pechan. Looking at the exit pupil from about ten centimeters away, you notice a slight lateral cutoff, which is well illustrated by the flashlight test just described. On the other hand, the exit pupil near the field lens is perfectly circular at the correct eye relief. Looking at it from a distance, you notice the internal lateral cutoff, as I mentioned. I tried measuring it several times with the caliper, arriving at an average estimate of 2.60, a factor actually in line with a 42 mm objective with 16x magnification.

Anti-reflective treatment
Compared to other stabilized solutions of this format, Sig Sauer uses the well-known anti-reflection treatment of riflescopes and other binoculars called SpectraCoat™. These are ultra-broadband coatings with high efficiency capable of reducing surface reflections across the entire visible spectrum.

CHROMATIC AND GEOMETRIC ABERRATIONS

On-axis chromatic aberration
Any achromatic lens with a wide focal ratio exhibits chromatic aberration above 8X, and obviously the SIG SAUER ZULU 6 16×42 isn't exempt from it either. Under ideal conditions, I must admit I didn't find it very intrusive, but when used to the max on backlit branches, antennas against a cloudy sky, white panels, or birds of prey silhouetted against the sun, it obviously exhibits a bit of green-purple halo around the outlines of subjects/objects.


Lateral chromatism 
Present, more or less in the same measure and intensity highlighted by the chromaticism in the center of the field.


Angular distortion 
The angular distortion is minimal, some magnification distortion is noticeable, as objects change shape at the edges of the field, for example the moon becomes a little oval.


Other aberrations  
In astronomical use, I've noticed some coma and astigmatism toward the 80%'s field of view. In the center, the 2nd and 3rd magnitude stars are quite pinpoint, but not pinheads like those found in a high-quality astronomical refractor.

 

USAF CHART TEST AT 35 METERS

I'm offering a freehand test with OIS stabilization on and off. The table also includes a somewhat impractical comparison with a high-quality 66mm spotting scope, but it does a good job of capturing the SIG SAUER's fine detail capabilities. As you'll notice, detail perception with OIS OFF and ON is clearly evident even on the USAF CHART. The real improvement, however, lies in the continued certainty of perceiving detail at 16X, while with the OIS turned off, line 1 was perceptible but with difficulty, given that the vibrations would not have allowed me to observe a detail of the same resolution for a long time. Another advantage of the SIG SAUER, compared to other stabilized binoculars, is its light weight. If a pair of binoculars is heavy, no stabilization system can hold it, and your shoulders and arms will quickly tire. In this case, I must admit that I observed with extreme ease, even with one hand, where I noticed, if anything, an oscillation between lines 3 and 4.

 

FIELD TEST

 

I must admit that I had a lot of fun during the weeks I was able to test the SIG SAUER ZULU 6 16×42 binoculars. First of all, it is decidedly light and compact. Often used to carrying a high-quality 15×56 with a monopod and tripod, with the “SIG” I was able to go on some nice excursions with my Husqvarna mountain bike, calmly enjoying the view from the top of the peaks reached. Thanks to the OIS system, detail perception is far superior to that observable with classic 8x binoculars. Let's just say that the difference in effort between carrying an 8x25 in your backpack and a 16x42 is truly minimal, while the pleasure of observing the landscape at double the magnification is unparalleled. A 16x allows you to linger on various details that with 8x we would only have glimpsed fleetingly during classic wide-field panning.

I also appreciated its shape. I must say that the slenderness of the hull not only makes it easier to carry than other "stabilized" solutions, but it can also be operated with just one hand if necessary. And as we also found in the USAF CHART test, if you have a fairly steady hand, you can even use it with just one hand for decent periods of time. There's nothing to complain about with the battery life, which ran out almost by the end of the test. Obviously, it doesn't have an apochromatic lens, so you might notice some chromatic aberration at times, but details are always clearly visible. Another positive is the short focusing time; not everyone can achieve this, going from 10 feet to 0.3 feet in just under a full turn of the dial. 

PROS AND CONS

Merits

• Effectiveness of the stabilization system

•  Compactness and lightness 

• Wide-angle apparent field

• Good battery life (about 28 hours, mixed use night, day)

• Excellent interpupillary distance

• Brand safety for after-sales service and resaleability in used vehicles
  
  Defects

• Achromatic optics
•  Presence of chromatic aberration
•  Difficulty in supporting the binoculars on a tripod due to the battery compartment on the rear hull.

 

IN SUMMARY

 

The SIG SAUER ZULU 6 16x42 stabilized binoculars are a truly interesting product that could appeal to a specific audience, thanks to their medium magnification and, above all, the excellent functionality of their stabilization system. They are perfect for observing landscapes, animals, and even the sky with reasonable detail and good optical quality without the use of a tripod. Their rugged construction and long battery life also make them a reliable companion for long field trips. The renowned reputation of the SIG SAUER brand will delight not only enthusiasts of this well-known brand but also newcomers looking for reliable companies that have been around for many years and will also offer after-sales support for years to come.

PRICE

The SIG SAUER ZULU 6 16×42 costs 1149 euros, the suggested retail price from the official distributor.

THANKS

 

I thank Achille Berti of Bignami.it for providing the specimen for this test, leaving me free to share my impressions.

DISCLAIMER

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