Great scopes for the modern shooter.

[jamesdmock]

Over the last decade, I have had the privilege of testing many of our premium scopes. I am amazed by the quality available to today's shooters.
I will be testing a March 10x-60x High Master in the near future. While reading about the High Master series, it was stated that their new compound lens system rivaled that of Fluorite lens.
If you are like me, you may not be aware of the Fluorite glass. Fluorite crystals occur naturally, and they were discovered to create almost no distortion or chromatic aberration. They also transmit light very well. However, natural Fluorite crystals are too small for lens. However, Canon discovered a method of growing synthetic Fluoride crystals large enough for lens. It is VERY brittle and difficult to grind into quality lens. It takes at least four times as long to grind it as does conventional optical glass. Fluorite glass is extremely expensive and there are some cameras and microscopes that use it, but I know of no riflescope that has this expensive lens.
If the High Master scopes from March can match the lens of the expensive cameras with the Fluorite, they will be something special. I don't have the scope to test yet, but I will give my impressions of it soon after receiving it. Thanks to Lou Murdica for the loan of this scope. James Mock

 

[boltfluter]

James,
Looking forward to your next report, as they are always a great read. Thanks for some great reviews.
Paul

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I started a thread on the subject of ED, Super ED and Fluorite crystal glass a couple years ago and it's been running (slowly) ever since.

ED glass, CA and mirage

Since I can't shoot rifles at long range during the Wuhan virus pandemic, I can at least think about it. So, while reflecting on the atmospheric vagaries than engender issue looking at a target on 1000 yards, I dedicate a few neurons to try to explain why I believe that ED glass helps tame the...

forum.accurateshooter.com

In it I discuss the origins of ED glass, and the latest information/observations of performance with Super ED glass. March introduced ED glass to the riflescope world about 14 years ago. They were the first to do so and were the only ones with ED glass for many years. All their riflescopes have ED glass except for the LPVOs with 24mm objectives and several other scopes that now have Super ED glass.

Super ED glass has a high content of fluorite crystal glass in its formula and as such it is much more expensive than regular glass.

Other high-end riflescopes that do not use ED or Super ED glass attempt to control CA (chromatic aberration) the old-fashioned way, by using different types of glass in their lens formula. This only works for a couple of wavelengths or colors, but it is quite effective, albeit more complicated and heavier.

Because of this, people generally do not discern much of a difference between various high-end glass under normal or excellent conditions. Some might even report that brand X is brighter than the 10-60X56 HM. That may even be true, but it completely ignores the main benefit of ED, and especially, Super ED glass compared to traditional glass.

Super ED controls the CA better than traditional glass and that seems to lessen the deterioration of the IQ in shimmer (mirage) conditions compared to traditional glass.

I first noticed this some years ago when I moved from an NF with traditional glass to a March-X with ED glass. It dawned on me after using it for a while (years) that I was staying at 40X all the time, year-round, regardless of shimmer/mirage.

When I started using my March-X 10-60X56 HM with the Super ED glass, I was able to go to 50X and stay there all the time.

 

[Ironworker]

What scopes use Super ED Glass ?

 

[6MMsteve]

What scopes use Super ED Glass ?

March High Master, Valdada uses some kind of double glass, Zeiss also uses fluorite glass

 

[jamesdmock]

March High Master, Valdada uses some kind of double glass, Zeiss also uses fluorite glass

Are you referring to PURE fluorite lens or fluorite coating?

 

[jamesdmock]

Are you referring to PURE fluorite lens or fluorite coating?

Not to be argumentative, but I did some reading about Zeiss lens and they mentioned that they used Calcium Floride lens, but did not say they used lenses made of Fluorite crystals. I will have to do more research, but Zeiss has great image quality, no matter what lens material they use.

 

[6MMsteve]

Are you referring to PURE fluorite lens or fluorite coating?

I have no idea, I just seen fluorite in the lens description

 

[6MMsteve]

Not to be argumentative, but I did some reading about Zeiss lens and they mentioned that they used Calcium Floride lens, but did not say they used lenses made of Fluorite crystals. I will have to do more research, but Zeiss has great image quality, no matter what lens material they use.

your ok, I'm just yakkin I can't argue when clueless

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

The Zeiss website is very confusing. It uses the word Fluorite in the overview, but when you drill down into the details, they use the word Fluoride in the various scopes. Since they also emphasize light transmission, I believe they mean Fluoride glass, which has high light transmission and the person doing the website does not know the difference.

I actually know of only one riflescope that has/had? pure fluorite crystal and that was an Hensoldt (Airbus?) 5-25X50 or some such. It was upwards of $7000.

You are more likely to find pure fluorite crystal glass in spotting scopes because they are not exposed to anywhere near the rough treatment that a riflescope experiences. Pure fluorite crystal glass is fragile.

The manufacturers that have pure fluorite crystal glass in their offerings make a very big deal out of that. It's not something they just throw in or about which they obfuscate.

The only spotting scope make that uses pure fluorite crystal glass in their spotting scopes is Kowa in their 99mm and 88mm Prominar models, and they talk about it a lot.

Back to the question about which scopes have Super-ED glass: Currently only March has Super-ED and only in a few models: The March-X 10-60X56 HM (SFP) and the two fixed power scopes: 48X52 and the 40-60X52 EPZoom. The March-FX 5-42X56 and the 4.5-28X52 HM, both FFP. The March Genesis 6-60X56 and the 4-40X52.

 

[marine52]

The Zeiss website is very confusing. It uses the word Fluorite in the overview, but when you drill down into the details, they use the word Fluoride in the various scopes. Since they also emphasize light transmission, I believe they mean Fluoride glass, which has high light transmission and the person doing the website does not know the difference.

I actually know of only one riflescope that has/had? pure fluorite crystal and that was an Hensoldt (Airbus?) 5-25X50 or some such. It was upwards of $7000.

You are more likely to find pure fluorite crystal glass in spotting scopes because they are not exposed to anywhere near the rough treatment that a riflescope experiences. Pure fluorite crystal glass is fragile.

The manufacturers that have pure fluorite crystal glass in their offerings make a very big deal out of that. It's not something they just throw in or about which they obfuscate.

The only spotting scope make that uses pure fluorite crystal glass in their spotting scopes is Kowa in their 99mm and 88mm Prominar models, and they talk about it a lot.

Back to the question about which scopes have Super-ED glass: Currently only March has Super-ED and only in a few models: The March-X 10-60X56 HM (SFP) and the two fixed power scopes: 48X52 and the 40-60X52 EPZoom. The March-FX 5-42X56 and the 4.5-28X52 HM, both FFP. The March Genesis 6-60X56 and the 4-40X52.

I have two March scopes, both with the MTR-1 reticle. Love these scopes even though they are older and don’t have super-ED glass. I will need to re-barrel one rifle in a year or so and I am liking the HM 48-52 fixed. This will save some weight that I can put into the barrel. Just wish this fixed power had the MTR-1 reticle as an option.