Zen Ray HDs and Leupold GRs

[casscade]

Anyone know how these 2 compare, noticed they had the location in the same place. Are the ZR eds better than the leupold grs are or they close. Freind is looking at a mid price bin and leupy has some good deals on the grs but all the talk on the zenrays has hin 2nd guessing.

[FrankD]

Same town but not same plant.

;)

Yes, I prefer the image quality of the Zen EDs to the Golden Rings. To me the Golden Rings always appeared just a touch "soft" in apparent resolution especially for an ED/FL style of glass not to mention the fact that they are quite a bit heavier than the Zen EDs.

[Fireform]

I like the GR image quality and I think them very comparable on that score. The Leupold GRs are heavier and have unbeatable lifetime warranty support. Good as they are, the long term customer support on the ZRs is an unknown.

[falcondude]

goldring is much heavier. Optically, ZEN ED seems to sharper and slightly brighter.

[Steve C]

If the ZEN ED had not showed up, I likely would have an 8x42 GR. I looked quite a bit at each at the NW Sportsman's SHaow. The ZR and Leupold booths were pretty colse together.

Centerfield resolution is a wash. Contrast and color bias about the same. The GR showed a little more edge distortion, so what appeared as the sweet spot to me clearly went to the ZEN ED. Focus action better on the GR.

[FrankD]

I guess it is just me then, or possibly that I have had poor production samples to look through. I just don't see the sharpness there that others do. When BVD gave them one of the "reference standard" designations I just shook my head. Maybe I am missing something.

[Fireform]

If the ZEN ED had not showed up, I likely would have an 8x42 GR. I looked quite a bit at each at the NW Sportsman's SHaow. The ZR and Leupold booths were pretty colse together.

Centerfield resolution is a wash. Contrast and color bias about the same. The GR showed a little more edge distortion, so what appeared as the sweet spot to me clearly went to the ZEN ED. Focus action better on the GR.

I'd agree with all of that.

[casscade]

I am currently playing with a 10x42 GR HD I borrowed since I posted this, and comparing it to my nikon hg10x42s along with my 10x50 ultravids and slc 10x50s the resolution(GR)is on par for a 42 and very clost to the 10x50slc, but the GRs show heat waves more so than some of the others, they are also a brighter, almost more washed view than my nikons and leicas, they remind me most of a swaro with less dof. They have a great fast focus and great fov and the new eyecups are not bad in the center position. Wish I had a ZR to also try. My biggest flaw if u can have one is they are more washed out than I would like but they seem to really shine in lowlight, one of the brightest I have tried in a 42mm. I don't know how consistant they are, but this one is well done and at half the price of the bigs(Z,L,S,N), they are a little less refined but with optics that rivel any of them.

[Steve C]

cascade,

From your first post, do you mean the ZRS HD, or the ZEN ED? While the comparisons for the ZEN ED are what I made, the same comparison can't be made for the ZRS HD.

[casscade]

Steve, not really sure, what are the top line Zen Ray bins, thats what I would like a comparision with the grs. Not up to date on their names.

[casscade]

Side note, does anyone know where the Leupold GRs HDs are made, the say nothing anywhere on the bin itself about their make. Are the US, Japan. or some other.

[Fireform]

Leupold gold ring products are made in Beaverton, Oregon. Other lines (Cascades, Wind Rivers, etc.) are sourced overseas.

Gold ring products carry what is effectively a transferable forever warranty. They set the standard.

[Kevin Purcell]

Leupold gold ring products are made in Beaverton, Oregon. Other lines (Cascades, Wind Rivers, etc.) are sourced overseas.

Gold ring products carry what is effectively a transferable forever warranty. They set the standard.

Ah, "Made in ..."

Leupold gold ring products are assembled in Beaverton, Oregon from finished Asian optical components. For at least the rifle scopes. This goes a little fuzzy and doesn't mention bins directly.

http://www.leupold.com/corporate/about-us/americas-optics-authority/

e.g. the GR SwitchPower is based on a Japanese patent (not designed in house) so I'm not sure where it's built but I could see it being OEMed in Japan. SteveC would know.

I think they may still make their own enclosures and perhaps prism/len mounts.

Ultimately one is never sure how much "assembly" is done in the USA.

The only place they mention "Made in the USA" on their web site is in their testimonial letters for their rifle scopes.

http://www.google.com/search?&q=site%3Aleupold.com+%22made+in+the+USA%22

There is no one in the US making bins from scratch anymore.

[Steve C]

Gold Ring glass is assembled in their plant. The glass, from what I have been able to extract is Japanese. There was a post some time ago on a thread in the Leupold sub-forum from the fellow who was the product manager for the Gold Ring and Yosemite. He is no longer with Leupold. There was some discussion about the CaFl glass and I put the question to him if Kowa was the Japanese company Leupold worked with. He did not affirm or deny anything, but I took it from the way he phrased the answer, was , "Yes it was Kowa". That was just about the same time as the Kowa genesis showed up. Look at the two binoculars and they look and feel just alike. They have different specifications, but that is to be expected.

Went and found the thread;

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=93910&highlight=Leupold+Gold+Ring