Sorry guys, don't know how to post with multiple quotes so had to copy and paste for CSG and ZDHart comments.
The new cups are exactly the same as the old ones except the additional ER is a fraction over 1mm.
by CSG: To follow-up, I got the new eyecups from Zeiss for my 8x32 HD's. They are a bit longer and when fully extended have solved the minor blackout issues I had with those binoculars. The 8x32's were better than the 8x42's but the new, longer length eyecups have eliminated the issue.
HOWEVER, they are still the absolutely horrible design of the originals and rotating them to the various detent positions remains quite difficult.
Friday 4th April 2014 18:43
by ZDHart: The feel of the eyecups against the eye sockets is excellent, but the mechanical design of the extension feature is sticky, jerky, and feels cheap. "The eyecup extension mechanism is the single fly in the ointment with these, otherwise, magnificent bins."
I would not give up these bins over this issue, but Zeiss really needs to step up to the plate and change the design of the extension mechanism on the Conquest HD line-up. By doing so, the Conquest HD line of bins would arguably be the best choice in quasi/near-alpha bins.
I now keep the eyecups on my 8x32 and 10x42 Conquest HD's extended all the time, only retracting them when needed... which is not often.
Friday 6th June 2014 04:56
All,
I recently received the second generation eyecups for my Conquest HD 8x32 from Zeiss. It was a quick call to Zeiss CS and they arrived a week later at my door. They are slightly elongated but otherwise the same as far as I can tell. With the original and replacement eyecup fully extended sitting side by side on my desktop, I laid a straight edge across the two and measured the gap above the original eyecup, which amounted to 1.25mm (this is not an exact measurement, but eyeballing the ruler while next to the gap).
The items I mentioned in my review of the 8x32 Conquest HD, fiddling to get the binoculars situated to the face and some blackening at the edges when not correctly situated to the face, have been eliminated with the new eyecup. I can now pull the bin to my face and find an immediate fit and experience none of the blackening at the edges.
I'm not an eyeglass user and I leave my eyecups in the fully extended position.
As the others reported, the eyecups are not smooth when adjusting between stops; but they do lock-in solidly to the position they are set to.
I completely agree with the comments listed above and found dealing with Zeiss to be simple and pleasant.
CG