Zeiss Conquest

[Hornseeker]

How do folks like these? I have been using some friends Diafuns and the optics are awesome, but the bino is sorta lame for several reasons.

Anyone out there have the new Nikon Monarchs? They looked good in the store too.

I really have my heart set on Leica Ultras or Swaro EL's, but just dont know that I will be able to afford them anytime soon!!

Thanks for input,

Ernie

 

[AZbowhntr]

If you do a search for scopes here at MM you will find several posts asking the same thing. I have the 3X9 conquest and love it. Good luck.

 

[HUNT]

I have a 3.5x10 Conquest on my 30-06 and love it. Got mine on Ebay new in box. Very crisp and clear.

 

[Hornseeker]

Actually I was asking about binoculars!! Ooops.

Thanks though!

 

[eelgrass]

Somebody else said it on a previous post, but I tend to agree. Unless you spend hours a day, literally, looking through binoculars, just buy a good pair for around $400 and spend the money you saved on hunting trips. I like the idea myself.
Steve

 

[jaburford]

Get the New Pentax SP. Go to www.betterviewdesired.com to read the review on these binoculars. I have them and love them. I am sure the swaro and leica may be a little better, but $1000 better. These binoculars are truly world class. WWW.hotbuyselectronics.com sell them for $389.00 plus a $50 mail in rebate from pentax. Good Luck.


PS. If I had money to burn I am sure that I would go with the Swaro EL's.

 

[fatrooster]

Hornseeker, eelgrass and jaburford are right about the bino's in the $400.00 range. Some of them are awesome and very comparible to the high end optics. The Pentax, Wind River Pinnacles, and several others to name a couple.
If you are absolutely determined to get high dollar binos like I was then I suggest putting them on layaway with Sportsworld in Ely Nevada. They have a 6 month layaway plan and the guy will go longer than that if need be. Ask for Jason Bath, 775-289-8886.
So why would anybody want to buy high dollar bino's if the low dollars have great quality. These are my owne personal thoughts; #1.You can still see a little better in the daytime and even better in low light. #2. Will the less costly bino's loose thier seal and leak nitrogen in several years? #3. Will these companies honor thier warranty? (some have good reps some have questionable rep.) #4. How many times do you want to buy bino's if they don't hold up?
I can't answer all of these questions but I decided to go with Swarovski because of thier great reputation for honoring thier warranties, they are great quality, and I will be able to pass them on to my kids and know that the quality is still thier and if its not I will be sending them in to get fixed on the warranty.
I have noticed one personal problem though. I'm afraid to get them dirty, ha ha. fatrooster.

 

[ridgetop]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-04 AT 06:19AM (MST)[p]I compared the Zeiss conquest 12x45 and the Cabelas Alaskan Guide 12x50s side by side for a decent amount of time a few weeks back. The conquests were nice, but not as quite good as the Alaskan Guides to my eye. Both were The AGs had a nice focus mechanism, were tack sharp and a shade brighter (could be that extra 5mm really helps over the Conquests 45 mm). Didnt compare any of the others at that time, but I know that Pentax and Nikon make some really great valued ones too just below that price range that may be every bit as good as either or better.

A side rant on these lower to mid-price range binos... You hear a lot of chatter about how if you get a lesser glass than the top end, you are going to end up with headaches, horrible blurring on the edges, poor alignment, and much less light transmission. In my experience comparing several upper and mid range manufacturers over the years, the various mid range bino brands have a lot of variation in quality that are quite noticeable.

However, from what I've seen Nikon, Pentax and Cabelas Alaskan Guide full sized upper end glass will give you none of the problems to any significant degree that people claim you will get unless you get the best of the best (you know who they are).We are mainly talking VERY small incremental differences in optical quality that dont translate into a $1,000 price jump. Bottom line... the best are the best, and if you can justify such an investment, and just have to "drive the Escalade" so to speak... by all means go forth and get the "best". But if your budget doesent warrant such a purchase, check around at the upper tier products of some of the less expensive brands with a good reputation, and you will be pleasantly suprised at what you will see.

 

[graybeard]

I've got a new set of 10X42 leica ultravids and I love them. Quality?-goes without saying and the passport warranty is unbelievable. I can run over them with a semi and they'll send me a new pair if they can't be repaired.

 

[RANGERCON]

>I've got a new set of
>10X42 leica ultravids and I
>love them. Quality?-goes without saying
>and the passport warranty is
>unbelievable. I can run over
>them with a semi and
>they'll send me a new
>pair if they can't be
>repaired.

Leica does make incredible products, to be sure. But, Nikon has the same lifetime warranty. You will have to pay one way shipping though. Not a bad deal.

 

[flight]

I have the nikon monarch and i must say for the price you can not beat them I used them for the deer and elk hunt and they preformed great I only paid $299 and right now you can them in Realtree camo through Cabelas for $299.99. And nikon cusomer service is great when i had problem with twist out eyecups I mailed out my binoculars on a monday and i had them back on a sat.......so if you are on a buget you cant go wrong with them.

 

[Foreman4x4]

Be careful when buying binos that you get them from an authorized dealer; otherwise, if you ever have a problem, you might be left holding the bag. Hotbuys.com is famous for jacking up shipping costs and trying to charge extra for items that should've been included from the factory, such as cases, lens covers, straps, etc.

Here's some Pentax SP's on Ebay for a good price from a reputable dealer. I've heard several people compliment the customer service at 17tstreetphoto.com, plus they don't deal in "grey market" goods.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=50538&item=3842024564&rd=1

I've owned the Pentax SP's, and while I thought they were good glass for the money, they just didn't give me that "wow" feeling that I get from the Leica's, Zeiss, or Nikon Venturer's.

There are definately some good binos available in the $400.00 range, but for the most part they're still not quite up to the level of the top brands, which I consider to be Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski and the Nikon Venturer/LX's. Whether or not it's worth the extra money to get the top level of performance is up to the individual buyer.

As far as the Zeiss Conquest binos go, I think there is better glass to be had for the same money. Don't get me wrong because Zeiss produces some of the finest binos ever made, just that the Conquest's aren't their top of the line. I'm not even sure the Conquest binos can be considered the same quality as the Conquest scopes.

IMHO, one of the best buys currently available is the Zeiss 10x40 ClassiC's from Cabelas for $699.99. They're fantastic binos that have proven themselves worldwide for decades. You'd have to spend $900.00 to $1200.00 to get the same level of performance from Leica of Swarovski.

Another great deal if you don't mind the weight is the refurbished Nikon Venturer/LX's for $456.00 from ewins.com. These are the absolute best glass I've ever looked through, although they are also some of the heaviest, but not unbearable with a good strap.

Nikon has one of the best warranties in the business. The refurbs are covered by a 90 day limited warranty, after which they are backed by Nikon's "no fault" lifetime warranty that lets you return them, no questions asked, for repair or replacement for $10.00 plus the cost of return shipping, which is normally $7.50 in the lower 48.

Good luck. Sorry for rambling.

 

[RANGERCON]

Foreman4x4

Excellent response. You stated most everything that I believe to be true about binos. My Nikon 10x40 Venturers were outstanding!!

It's hard to believe that Nikon can produce glass/coatings equal to the Europeans standard of excellence, but it's true.

Ergonomically though, the Venturers have some work to do. HEAVY!!
They are not as user friendly as Swaro's EL's or Leica's BN's.

Another great bino is the IOR line. Made in Bucharest, Romania. These binos are more on the military/tactical end, but are outstanding none the less. IOR binos are the best kept secret in the world of optics.

I have owned two rifle IOR scopes, and have been pleased with both. FWIW...RANGERCON, Out!