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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

New Zeiss Spotting Scopes (1 Viewer)

The FAQ is a quick summary of what you need to know

http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A800347580/ContainerTitel/Victory_DiaScope/$File/frequently-asked-questions.html
 
This is welcome and interesting news.

The concept and specifications look promising. Especially the emphasis on improved stray light control is good, since this has been one of the areas where the old Diascope has trailed the competition.

My favorite, though, is the new Vario eyepiece (which, I guess, is not as parfocal as the old zoom since they have chosen to call it vario instead of a zoom. Probably this was the design compromise they had to make at this point.) I have long maintained that 60x is not a satisfactory top limit for magnification with the current top scopes, and have happily used the 25-75x zoom on the Nikon ED 82 while often wishing for more field of view and sometimes wishing for 20x magnifications. Now this new eyepiece offers both. Although the apparent field of view is not as wide as in the new Leica and Swaro 25-50x zooms, the published 40m/1000m @ 20x for the Vario is only one meter less than Leica's WW Asph at 25x. Of course, until we see the instrument we will not know whether all of the field is usably sharp like it is in the Leica, but if it is, you will not miss many birds because of the "narrower" field.

Although I was hoping to see a 90mm scope to finally come from a major player, I know from my experience with the 82mm Nikon that an 85mm objective is big enough for fine views at 75x. Cherry samples of the old 85mm Diascope have also been plenty sharp enough to benefit from such high magnifications. Hopefully, the new scope will be able to maintain that level of quality consistently.

What leaves me wondering is the dual-speed focusing knob. I guess I won't know until I try, and I should trust Steve Ingraham to have made it right, but I cannot help thinking that it could turn out to be the wrong solution to a problem that did not really exist.

So now there is another reason to wait for Spring to come.

Kimmo
 
All in one Focusing system could be a winner, with practice, rather than the current two knob arrangement.
 
The heliocentric focuser from Swarovski is really good, it´s exact, robust and really functional. (And wont get stuck on stuff in the car).
 
Only downside I see now is increased weight: the new big Zeiss is 68 oz (with the new eyepiece) vs. 61 oz for the current big Zeiss.

Best,
Jim
 
All in one Focusing system could be a winner, with practice, rather than the current two knob arrangement.

This is a system I would very much like to see in binoculars too - a perfect combination of speed and accuracy. This may indeed take a while to master, but surely many users should learn to like it.

Ilkka
 
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what is the price?

Here in the US, Eagle Optics has the costs as follows:

85mm Angled / Straight - $2400
65mm Angled / Straight – $1900

15x56w / 20 x 75 Vario- $750
15 x 45 / 20 x 60 Vario- $600
30x/40x fixed - $450

No availability date is shown at this time on the web site.
 
Ok,
thanks. I like the design. Hope they prove to be good.


Here in the US, Eagle Optics has the costs as follows:

85mm Angled / Straight - $2400
65mm Angled / Straight – $1900

15x56w / 20 x 75 Vario- $750
15 x 45 / 20 x 60 Vario- $600
30x/40x fixed - $450

No availability date is shown at this time on the web site.
 
I posted this on another thread ... there are a lot of questions answers in the FAQ

From the FAQ:

http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A800347580/ContainerTitel/Victory_DiaScope/$File/frequently-asked-questions.html

When will the new DiaScope line be available? From April 2010

What are the main differences to the previous line?
The new DiaScope is a completely new product with significant improvements:

* Better imaging performance under difficult observation conditions thanks to stray light reduction
* New, innovative Dual Speed Focus (DSF)
* Complete rubber armoring
* New design
* Eyepiece lock
* New Vario 15-56x/20-75x eyepiece with high maximum magnification and large field of view

Can I continue using my previous eyepieces? Yes, without the locking function.

Are the old and new DiaScopes and accessories compatible? {essentially, yes except for the locking function}

Old eyepieces: Old eyepieces do not lock on the new DiaScopes.

New eyepieces: New eyepieces do not lock on the old spotting scopes.

{but at least they fit!}

Only the transport case is the right size.

{the EP is bigger}

All existing adapters (Quick camera adapter I+II, photo adapter and astro adapter) can be used with the new DiaScopes.

Are they at the SHOT show?
 
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Ilkka,

Congratulations for having your (first?) patentable idea taken!

So, as the inventor, can you please explain the operating logic. Is it:

a) a quick movement of the wheel from close focus to a farther focus engages the faster gear ratio, after which adjusting back from the "overshoot" is with the slower gear, as are subsequent small adjustments, if necessary, whichever focus direction they are needed in, until the next quick movement towards infinity again engages the faster ratio.

b) all movements, quick or slow, from near focus towards infinity focus are with the faster ratio, and all movements from infinity towards near focus are with the slower ratio.

If it is a), I'm sure I will like it and get used to it (although it rather often happens that I have the scope focused far and suddenly notice something fleeting and fast at a close range). If it is b), however, I'm not so sure.

But even in that case, the focus is likely to work well enough not to prevent me from enjoying the scope if it offers stellar images.

Kimmo
 
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...can you please explain the operating logic. Is it:

a)...
b)...

Thank you Kimmo ;) - I couldn't resist digging out that old post.

Unfortunately I was never contacted by Zeiss (well, I did gave the idea for free, didn't I) and I can't be completely sure how they chose to implement it, but "my" idea was definitely "a)". It may feel like there is some "play" in the focus wheel, but that would actually be the fine focus "sector". I think the critical thing is to find an optimal ratio for the total rotation ranges and the gearing ratios.

Best regards,

Ilkka
 
I suspect they have a slipping clutch in there. The trick is getting a design right that will work reliably both for fast and slow for the life of the scope. The idea is the easy bit ;)

BTW, are these scopes manufactured by Meopta?

I see my 65 FL says "Made by Carl Zeiss" but don't have the country on the optics unlike the Victory bins (Germany) or Conquest (Hungary) bins. I knew this was true of the rifle scopes bit I'd assumed teh Diascope was made in Germany.

e.g. http://libertyoptics.blogspot.com/2010/01/shot-show-day-2.html

If so then that means I own two bits of Meopta made kit ;)

though he clearly hasn't seen the PR for the new scopes to understand their evolution (that's in my comment on his blog).
 
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