Conquest HD disappointment (1 Viewer)

Amelia1730 is there any chance you could post a picture of the eye cups in the fully extended position so others can compare with their models? As others have said maybe they are not fully extended.

When I first tried out the Conquests at Minsmere (I volunteer there), I found I was getting blackouts until I got the eye cups right out. I found the eye cups unscrewed before I got them to twist up fully so had to screw them on tightly and then I could twist up fully. I still get blackouts with the 8x42 (original eyecups), but not 10x42 or 8x32.

Thanks for the recent comments folks.

Before I update can someone tell me if the eye cups in this photo are the standard or longer length please?

Amelia

Whoops - can someone tell me how to insert the photo!!

Success!

It looks like the right eye-cup [your left] is not fully extended. Try twisting firmly until both sides of your eye-cups sit at equal heights.

amelia1730 said:

View attachment 555956

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Best way to tell, twist the eyecups all the way closed, if they look like they do in the picture below you have the factory eyecups.

The extended relief eyecups do NOT sit flush when closed. There is a gap between the metal around the ocular lens and the rubber eyecups.

http://digichar.com/imgs/a/b/w/n/p/zeiss_conquest_hd_10x32_binoculars_2_lgw.jpg

Thanks for that zzzzzz. Very helpful.

I decided to ask for replacement bins from Uttings, who were very efficient and courteous. I phoned them yesterday afternoon, they sent a courier to pick them up this morning and swapped them on the doorstep for a new pair. How's that for service?
The new ones are much better. No headache. Feel right. They are more like I experienced at Bird Fair BUT it seems the eyecups are also an issue for me, so I think the longer ones must have been fitted to the ones I tried. I will take this pair into Zeiss next week to ask them to fit the longer ones. I am a bit disappointed that the eyecups feel quite sticky when I twist them up. The other pair was the same. Not smooth like my husband's Terras.
Hopefully I will be happy with them eventually

amelia1730 said:

Thanks for that zzzzzz. Very helpful.

I decided to ask for replacement bins from Uttings, who were very efficient and courteous. I phoned them yesterday afternoon, they sent a courier to pick them up this morning and swapped them on the doorstep for a new pair. How's that for service?
The new ones are much better. No headache. Feel right. They are more like I experienced at Bird Fair BUT it seems the eyecups are also an issue for me, so I think the longer ones must have been fitted to the ones I tried. I will take this pair into Zeiss next week to ask them to fit the longer ones. I am a bit disappointed that the eyecups feel quite sticky when I twist them up. The other pair was the same. Not smooth like my husband's Terras.
Hopefully I will be happy with them eventually

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The stickiness will resolve itself (thru normal usage).

I dont know about the 32's but my 42's had very dodgy feeling eye cups for about a month. After they broke in, they are slick with very firm clicks. Hard to fault them right now.

I received my Conquest too and although it is clearly better, I too prefer the Terra accessories, eyecaps, ocular and objective covers and side cords with clips that hold covers in place.

The Conquest objective covers don't stay on, particularly the one that doesn't have a cord (there is one thin cord with a fragile clip for Conquest and two thicker cords with two more solid clips for Terra, Terra wins). I solved that by exchanging cords between them (with extensions because Conquest is a bit longer).

Both covers if the Conquest seem softer, stickier and more elastic. The ocular covers seem less refined after taken out of a mold (with sharp edges). The objective covers are also shallower.

The strap is identical in the neoprene segment but overall shorter (that's not bad). After passing the ocular cover through, it seems that one end is shorter and the binocular isn't exactly balanced on my chest.

The eyecaps seem more fragile and their clicks somewhat vague, but they fit and feel better in front or around my eyes. I need 1mm more extension in both positions (with and without glasses). Are the long eyecaps 1mm longer or more?

They also have different cleaning clothes. The Conquest has a blue one, similar to my favorite Baader Wonder Cloth, while the Terra has a white one.

I missed the velvet pouch also, because I use to carry the Terra in it when I put them in another bag, saving space. But I just used the Terra's pouch on the Conquest and it fits perfectly, I wish I had two though.

But I like the feel of the Conquest's body and focuser better. Not to mention the optics. Conquest's "red" ones look like the coatings of my Televues and Baader Genuine Orthos, while Terra's "green ones" like the ones of Explore Scientific.

It seems that Zeiss tried to fix Conquest's accessories problems I was reading about in their next line (Terra).

So, while I am very happy with the upgrade (until I'm blessed with a Victory) I was a bit disappointed with the accessories. But I guess I will overcome and/or get used to them soon. It's the optics that matter more. And it seems that most of the price difference was spent on optics.

It does not look awful, but eye cups are the most common problem with binoculars. I've had sevral cheap pairs that had to have a rubber band placed to keep them out. Other pairs had assorted problems. But these are Zeiss, send them back.

I no longer have any eye cup problems. I use glasses! Except my 8x25s, the entire cup assembly fell off after two months in a bike bag.

Tero said:

It does not look awful, but eye cups are the most common problem with binoculars. I've had sevral cheap pairs that had to have a rubber band placed to keep them out. Other pairs had assorted problems. But these are Zeiss, send them back.

I no longer have any eye cup problems. I use glasses! Except my 8x25s, the entire cup assembly fell off after two months in a bike bag.

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Welcome back. Same gripe here although not because the eyecups always fail (though I have had eyecups that did), but mostly due to fit issues. I've had trouble with eyecups on Japanese bins in particular, which seem to be designed for Asian faces, not European/Middle Eastern faces.

Only two manufacturers I know satisfy the needs of those of us who have deep set eyes and/or high bridge noses - Swarovski and Doctor.

Note how Doctor's eyecups are inset rather than taken out to the full diameter of the ocular housing like the Nikon SEs and EIIs.

nose pinch-free eyecups

conical shape and low profile eyecups

with these eyecups...

...you end up looking like Petey

Brock

Brock, I've posted in the bird sections. Mostly use Monarch 8x42 these days. I may be shopping for a travel scope, though, once I book the travel. Not that I like anything but my Pentax scope, but the tour is not strictly birding and I only get hours here and there, not holding back the group.

I took my Conquests into Zeiss Cambridge on Wednesday to have the new eyecups fitted. I didn't realise it was so easy - I could have asked them to post out to me had I known. They have made a very slight improvement. I was expecting the difference to be longer than 1.5mm to be honest!

Gary also shortened the ridiculously long straps - thanks Gary!
My husband is 6ft tall and straps for the Terras are the same.

Hopefully I will be happier now!

I am impressed with Zeiss' customer service, I must say. I sent a "cash back" claim in for both pairs a week ago and had a phone call to say my Conquests were not part of the scheme - only 8 x 42
Hubby got lucky but I missed out on £50 ||
Not many companies would bother to pick the phone up to tell you. Probably would just ignore the claim. Interest shown on here from the Rep appreciated too.

Thanks all!

Hi Amelia,

thanks for coming back and telling the end of the story. I hope you'll spend many enjoyable hours with your new bins.
Zeiss service has been quite nice this time - unlike the QC with the first example...

Joachim

Thank you Joachim
Amelia

Nice to have a happy ending! Hopefully now you can just enjoy your birding.

EnjoyTheView said:

Nice to have a happy ending! Hopefully now you can just enjoy your birding.

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Thank you. Can't wait!