.........................
Bushnell Elites were my next consideration. There isn't too much information about them here on birdforum. Under $450 brand new on eBay. I'm curious how they stand against the Zen Rays.
........................ While at Cabela's I viewed through a Vortex Viper, but they didn't do much for me. They seem a bit expensive for the view offered.
...................
I enjoyed you well thought out post. I have had experiences with some of the models you mentioned and have had many of the same thoughts and questions.
I have a Zen-Ray 10X43 ED and a Bushnell Elite 10X43 ED, which is a prior version of the current Elite 10X42 ED. My brother owns the current Elite ED and I have used it off and on.
The Zen-Ray does offer a nice bright view with good contrast along with a fairly neutral color balance, and a wide field. Technically, the eye-relief is fine, but for me, the short length of the eye cup is not well matched to the eye relief. This is not that uncommon as you noticed in the Zeiss Conquest. Zen-Ray quality has varied from unit to unit but they are very good about getting the problems resolved and Charles has posted about their efforts to improve in that area. The focus mechanism, which is a priority item for me, is not in the same class as Nikon, but Charles has always been able to find one that is acceptable.
The Elite seems to be good quality with a smooth focus, but there is a slight spongy feel when trying to get that razor sharp focus. The view of the Elite of today is very much like the older highly regarded 10X43 but is a little bit brighter in certain lighting conditions. However the Zen-Ray view has a little more sparkle to the view and a much better FOV (340 ft vs 314 ft).
Bottom line, I am able to adjust to the somewhat short Zen-Ray eye cup length, so I would easily take the Zen-Ray over the Elite ED because of the brighter view, a little more contrast and the wider FOV. The Elite is a nice binocular, but I think it is an old design that has fallen behind compared to what is out there today. Bushnell has new ownership and my hope is they will bring the Elite line back to its former high end standards.
The Vortex Viper 10x42HD has always left me with a good impression, but I agree, it is to expensive for what you get. A $600 10X binocular should have a FOV larger than 319 ft. The narrow FOV may be why it did not do anything for you. It has been awhile since I looked through one, but I am thinking the center could have been a little larger for that price class.
Your 10X EII provides one of the best overall views available, so it sets a high bar for all the others to reach.