Cressi Zeus, part of Cressi Atelier products, which can only be sold offline, is the new mask by the Italian company that produces almost all its products in its own production sites, for a 100% Made in Italy solution.
The chassis
Cressi Zeus, to the contrary of many masks tested in the “Super Test-Dive masks reviews” articles, has a dismountable design that puts together 3 different elements: chassis, facial and lenses. In particular the Cressi Patented Integrated Dual Frame Technology consists in a construction system allows the assembly without the need of paste, and reduces to the absolutely minimum the thickness improving also the internal volume, the visibility and the adaptation of the mask.
The lenses
The lenses are of extremely wide dimensions (57.3 x 70.5 mm in the widest and highest points) for best visibility, Cressi Zeus immediately appears like the big sister of the excellent Cressi Calibro mask, thanks to the greater dimension lenses. This determines evidently an even better field of view compared to the Calibro, but also a greater internal volume. Still, for shallow to medium dives (0-15 meters) and Winter spearfishing, the field of view is definately key compared to internal volume, and so Cressi Zeus could be an extremely interesting choice. As for the Cressi Calibro and Nano masks, the Cressi Zeus has tilted lenses (Big Eyes system) to further increase lower and lateral visibility. Lens are in fact inclined downward by 17° to obtain a better view. It is in fact true that the spearo tends to have a view that is some degrees oriented towards the bottom, and not perfectly horizontal. The tilted lenses help consistently during the search phase looking at the sea bottom moving at the surface. Lens are also available in the mirrored version. Such solution has the aim of making contours of the images more defined. In fact, such solution makes sense only with good light, meaning sunny days and dives that are not too deep. In the testing done, with dives on average deeper than 15 meters, such solution has not really convinced us too much. The construction of the Cressi Zeus mask, with dismountable lens-chassis-facial system, permits the very simple mounting of graduated lens. Such solution is possible also with masks that are designed with lens-chassis and facial glued together, but costs are significantly higher, since the graduated lens have to be glued on the original lenses, with a job done by specific laboratories. For sure this last solution also permits the correction of astigmatism, in addition to myopia, something that with the prepackaged lens is not possible. Just as an example, such work can be found at Ottica Berti, in Rome, Italy.
The facial
Very interesting is the silicone facial, designed with wide utilization of veins to regulate the rigidity of the different areas. Such veins are present laterally, on the sides of the lens, four in the internal part and a thicker one on the external part of the facial, and on the forehead, internally. The silicone is matt externally, with only some polished areas for design reasons, and polished internally.
Cressi Zeus internal characteristics
An important plus is the Fog Stop System, an internal profile of the facial that directs the hot ait of the expiration away from the lenses with the effect of a stron reduction of fog forming on the lenses.
Cressi Zeus facial has big vertical and horizontal dimensions (11.8 x 10.1 mm) that should generate a more comfortable feeling on the face, but of course could be less adapt to women.
Buckle and chassis attachment
The buckle is linked through micro strap adjustment system to two triangles made of hard rubber and integrated in the chassis, with a unique Cressi solution. Such connection between rear band and chassis permits to have a semi-rigid connection with the chassis. In such a way two results are obtained: the first is to avoid the direct connection of the buckle with the facial, situation that tends to deform the latter and determine water entering the mask, the second is the softening of the connection of the whole structure pulling on the chassis, that so does not deform as it would with a more rigid solution, a situation that would again lead to water entering the mask. Finally, the harder rubber is definately more resistant to wear and breakage compared to the silicone of the facial, that often breaks if used as connection to the buckle.
The buckle is particularly refined, with double strap and Cressi logo for a bi-colour solution. The micro strap regulation is set lifting the lever of the system.
Measure of internal volume
Once more we have proceeded, as for the previous masks tested, with the measure of the internal volume of the mask, using the standard head of a polystyrene dummy and a 60 ml graduated siringe. The test has been done as usual tightening well the rear band of the mask, also because in the test in the sea no contact between eye lashes and lenses has been perceived, so there was no limit in tightening the mask on the face. With two measures made, the average value of the internal volume has been, as anticipated, particularly high and equal to 156 ml (equivalent to 156 cc), but evidently this is not the plus of this mask. In such measures one must consider that the error margin can be anyway of +-2 ml.
Field of view
Here we have the real strong characteristic of the Cressi Zeus, the field of view. The measurement methodology is still the same, using a GO-PRO camera to make photographs, positioning the mask in a hole in the dummy, so that the lens of the camera would be positioned in the same place as the theoretical eye of the dummy. From the photo obtained the field of view has been measured in the 4 cardinal directions and the 4 intermediate ones. The results have been:
North: 80, North-East: 90, East: 55, South-East: 60, South: 80, South-West: 70, West: 75, North-West: 85, for the best value among all masks measure until now, with a final value equal to 595.
Conclusions
Cressi Zeus, as anticipated, has an amazing field of view, potentially thought for scuba diving, the new mask by Cressi has an amazing potential for shallow to medium water spearfishing (evidently not adapt for freediving), where you need to see as much as possible in every direction. Evidently the big lenses determine a high internal volume, which is not adapt for deep dives in apnea. Weight, as far as this value can count, is 175 grams, higher than simpler masks. Refinements, Integrated Dual Frame Technology and Fog Stop position the Cressi Zeus among the first level professional masks.
