Review
Zeiss 10X30 BT Conquest Binoculars (December 28, 2005)
| Ease of Use |
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(5/5.0) |
| Value |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Performance |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Overall Rating |
|
(5/5.0) |
Reviewed By: Michael P. Runyon - North Pole, Alaska
I recently purchased a pair of the finest entry-level Zeiss 10X30 Conquest binoculars. I live and hunt in Alaska, I have purchased almost every brand of binoculars over the years the last pair being what I thought was the very best, a pair of Leupold Gold Rings. I met a fellow hunter in the remote city of King Salmon Alaska, following a Brown Bear hunt. We talked about the hunt, the excitement, successes and equipment. He had a pair of the Conquest 10X30 binoculars and I asked to see them. I was instantly sold I had to have a pair they made my Leupolds look like a dime store pair. As soon as I returned, I sold my Leupolds and started my search for a pair of Zeiss. Living in Alaska everything here is expensive so I often look online of the to find the best deal for my money. In my search I came across Vanns.com folks let me tell you Vann's has the BEST price anywhere, I have searched literally hundreds of sights. The entire online purchasing process was simple, quick, secure and very fast shipping. I have already recommended this sight to all of my co-workers and would highly recommend this sight to all reading this review especially if you interested in a new pair of Zeiss Binos.
Thanks Vann's
Mike Runyon
Review
Zeiss Conquest 10x30 Binoculars (December 10, 2005)
| Ease of Use |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Value |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Performance |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Overall Rating |
|
(5/5.0) |
Reviewed By: David J. Antanitus - Chesapeake, Virginia
As a point of reference, I am a real optics fanatic. I hunt big game in several states every year, and I am always searching for the right binoculars for the situation at hand. In South Carolina, where the deer hunting is done from fixed stands, and you can legally shoot from one hour before sunrise to one hour after after sunset, the binocular of choice is the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL. Nothing else even comes close. However, for just about any hunting where you are doing any amount of hiking, weight around the neck becomes a significant factor. If you are an elk hunter, and you hunt Southwest Colorado like I do, you know that 10 miles of hiking in a day is not unusual. This is where the Zeiss Conquest 10x30 comes into its' own. Its' light weight, bright image and ease of use make it the best glass for the money in these kind of trips. Nothing else in the price range compares, and the difference in cost between the Zeiss and the Swarovski 10x32EL is almost enough to pay for an extra hunt! I bought the Zeiss Conquest 10x30s this year to fill a niche for Western elk and mule deer hunting, and I could not be happier. They would also be my first choice for any hunt where I was also carrying a spotting scope or 15x56 binoculars for long range glassing in addition to the binoculars around my neck. My only criticism of the Zeiss binoculars is in the lense covers. No objective lense protection is provided, and the eyepice cover is pretty cheezy. The Swarovski covers are head and shoulders better, and I would recommend backfitting these lense covers to protect your Zeiss Conquests as I did. Good hunting!
Review
Zeiss Conquest 10x30 (April 15, 2005)
| Ease of Use |
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(5/5.0) |
| Value |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Performance |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Overall Rating |
|
(5/5.0) |
Reviewed By: Jorge D. - Malden, Massachusetts
Carl Zeiss optics are serious business. They manufacture optics from multimillion dollar lenses for space exploration to loupes.I am most aware of their products through photography. Names like Contax and Rollei,Hasselblad and Sony use Zeiss designs and glass.In my experience nobody surpasses Zeiss glass in resolution and color fidelity. Very few match it but not always or in everything. They are not cheap but we can talk of value when reviewing
the Zeiss Conquest 10x30 binocular.
I am comparing this product mainly with another famed and storied outfit's optics- Leica.
I own a duovid 8-12x42, a trinovid 8x20 ,a trinovid 10x25,a laser rangefinder,and an apo televid 77 spotting scope.
Part of the halo around these two companies is the high-esteem of german work but the Conquest is made in Hungary. I can't find any flaw in the fit and finish but this is meant to be a 'value' item so I'm sure some cost cutting has gone on somewhere. The trinovids are made in Portugal and the same story applies to them. Only the trinovids even being smaller less purportedly powerful binoculars feel heftier if not more robust.It could all be subjective here.
The first thing you notice when looking through them is that the cost-cutting must have gone mainly in the wage differential as the well
adjusted Conquest brings in stunning images to your eyes. I wear glasses and these binocular's glass certainly surpasses my specs glass by a mile. The conquest's big lens brings in less photons than my duovid.This ,of course,is what you get with a lens that is 30mm in diameter to the duovid's 42. The same story applies to the conquests' versus the trinovids. The image of the duovid is noticeably brighter and depending on the time of day a brighter image brings in the possibility of more resolution. Bigger lens brighter picture. It is unfair to compare the conquest to the duovid as the former is one third the price of the latter and of different lens diameters. That said,The Conquest's performance for the price is stunning. In fact,you only miss the Duovid's extra photons at twilight. During the sunny day the Duovid's are at times too bright and must be approached slowly ,letting the eyes adapt to the compressed brightness of the scene.
The conquest wins in lack of heft. They won't tire you and due to the quality of the show you are watching you may want to use them for long periods.
There are excellently designed eyecups that retract for glass wearers. The rubberized exterior has the feel of lasting quality. They come with neckstrap, eyecup covers and a cordura case that make them easily totable. Their list price is a fraction of what Leica will charge you for a more fairly optically comparable trinovid.
They currently go for substantial discounts that put it on the price range of Leica's smaller designs.
Zeiss regular line of binoculars are substantially more expensive than the Conquest. The difference may be found in the manufacturing, materials and german wages but also on the performance of the glass as hard as that is to fathom. For example they may bring in a wider angle therefore say, bringing a larger scenario at 200 meters that the conquest's.
Using binoculars is not an open and shut operation. Finely adjusting the diopter to your viewing takes practice and technique. Here is where you can see the difference between a cheap binocular and Zeiss's stuff. Where the cheapies adjustment possibilities end the Zeiss keep getting stunningly better. You get what you pay for. I could not see distortion at 500 feet or so I could focus on a newspaper and distinguish rows and colunms ,texture,images. This product is that good. A lifetime warranty adds to its value. I am very happy with them and thinking on getting their
bigger brothers.
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