Got my Zeiss HD5 5x25x50mm today

[Ironworker]

Dang it ! Side by side this Zeiss HD5 and my 12 year old Bushnell elite 4200 6x24x40mm and Weaver 3x15x50mm Tactical . Zeiss by a nod and only a nod. Also i'm 55 and wear glasses I'm near sighted. In fact i take my glasses off when shooting through a scope. I think I paid $400 buck for my elite way back in 2000 . Is this Zeiss $600 bucks better absolutely not but it is nice . Mechanically its very nice. Also the Weaver Tactical gives up very very little to the Zeiss.

 

[NateHaler]

IW, presumably your Zeiss is the Conquest line, not the scopes they build in Germany? I was just talking to Scott Berish of Liberty Optics, and the Zeiss (German-made) scopes in which I'm interested are about $4k!. Hensoldt, $5k!!

In the 5-25 range, I'm thinking hard about the new Steiner that Scott just mentioned on his way back from the SHOT show. Made in Germany, but a relative bargain at maybe $2.5k vs. those others.

As to really comparing scopes, may I suggest you use a resolution target at whatever distance is practical to produce meaningful results (i.e. something father than 50y), and then peer through them side by side, ideally in good and bad light conditions. Of course it all depends on how you intend to use the scope, but I totally getcha.

I have a Sightron SII4-16x42MD that I bought in '99. Optics aren't great, but they're good enough. Repeatability is the best I've encountered. It would be cool if this site or another could do a scope test as have been conducted in years gone by, to help us gauge performance for dollars spent. Seems like a grand for a scope these days is below the midway point of the spectrum now. Times have changed.

 

[dansig]

I have a Zeiss Victory Diavari 6-24x56 FL, and I have Nightforce NSX 5.5-22x56 and 12-42x56.

the Zeiss cost about 20% more than the Nightforce scopes but it's at least 40% brighter and crisper.

I can see 6mm bulletholes at 300m with the Zeiss at 24x, but I can't see them with the 5.5-22 and I have to go up to 36x on my 12-42 to see the holes.

German made Zeiss is just about the best glass you can get, Zeiss made anywhere else is just consumer grade like most other scopes...

 

[Ironworker]

It says on the scope "Assembled in Germany "

 

[dansig]

"assembled in" and "made in" is not the same thing...

like Leupold is "assembled in USA" but made in japan, same goes for nightforce and some others...

but the HD line is their newest and best glass so it should be the best thing you've ever looked through...

the paralax adjustment might be a bit off if it's not crystal clear..

 

[JRS]

It says on the scope "Assembled in Germany "

It certainly is Ironworker. However, the scope is MADE in Romania. What you will find with Zeiss scopes is that their best and unfortunately, expensive line of scopes wear the Schott glass. The HD glass in your scope is made in Romania. They brought these into the market to compete with the other major manufactures mid range scope lines.

 

[Ironworker]

"assembled in" and "made in" is not the same thing...

like Leupold is "assembled in USA" but made in japan, same goes for nightforce and some others...

but the HD line is their newest and best glass so it should be the best thing you've ever looked through...

the paralax adjustment might be a bit off if it's not crystal clear..

Well if that's true about the parallax adjustment what could I do about it ? I think its my vision that's off.

 

[dansig]

if your vision isn't 20/20 then get someone with good eyesight to look through the scope.. if you know a photographer then that is your best choice... photographers deal with lenses every day and they know when something is wrong.

 

[Ironworker]

Its been a sunny afternoon here in Reno. I was doing a side by side comparison with My Zeiss HD5 ,Weaver Tactical,Bushnell elite 4200 and a Bushnell elite 6500 . All on 15x viewing a pine tree 425 yds away. No doubt the Zeiss is the best but the Weaver is a close 2nd 4200 3rd and a big space between the 4200 and the 6500( Last). I did have a Sightron S3 8x32x56mm and I thought the Weaver was a smudge better.