Which 8x32: Victory FL or New Conquest HD ? (1 Viewer)

Nick Leech · Sep 15, 2012

I'm going to get some Zeiss 8x32 bins. It was going to be a pair of Victory FLs - maybe a second hand pair. But I just found out about the new Conquest HD 8x32 bins, which are a lot cheaper.

Now I'm wondering whether to buy a good (ie mint) second-hand pair of FLs or a new pair of Conquest HDs.

What would people advise?

I use my bins with my specs, if that makes a difference to things.

Troubador · Sep 15, 2012

Nick Leech said:
I'm going to get some Zeiss 8x32 bins. It was going to be a pair of Victory FLs - maybe a second hand pair. But I just found out about the new Conquest HD 8x32 bins, which are a lot cheaper.

Now I'm wondering whether to buy a good (ie mint) second-hand pair of FLs or a new pair of Conquest HDs.

What would people advise?

I use my bins with my specs, if that makes a difference to things.

Hi Nick

I am an FL user so perhaps am biased. I tried the new Conquests at the Bird Fair and they are brilliant performers. Bear in mind I do not do comparisons on how close to the edge the field of sharpness goes, I found the Conqs to be superb. The only slight downside is that when looking at a tv aerial against a bright sky I could see a bit of chromatic aberration (colour fringing) although I couldnt detect this in normal viewing soon forgot it enjoying the view.
The FLs were priced higher than Conqs for good reasons and amongst those is the FL lens tech that helps to minimise fringing.

Go for a used FL if you can afford it. Be happy with a Conquest and the saving if not.

Good luck.

Lee

Nick Leech · Sep 15, 2012

Thanks Lee. I tried FLs and Conquest HDs in a shop today. I thought the fls edged it optically but not by much. For £500 less money, the Conquest HDs were great. But FLs were slightly smaller and lighter weight.

That said, it was quite sunny when I tested them so not a stiff test of the optics. Maybe on a duller day the quality of the FLs optics might be more in evidence.

I think I might have to try both again on a dull day.

And how do Leica Ultravid 8x32 compare? And Swaro EL Swarovision 8x32s?

Has anyone compared all 4 pairs?

Any more opinions?

Troubador · Sep 16, 2012

Hi Nick

My wife has a pair of Ultravid HD 8x32s and as you might expect they are terrific bins too.

The big difference for me between her UHD and my FL is that the colours through hers are noticeably warmer and I can understand why some find this attractive. I could certainly get used to it. However I think the FLs colour is actually more true to life so I favour FLs.

Sharpness? Its a close run thing. Brightness? FL wins every time.

By the way, just to be clear, I think anyone would be delighted with and proud to own a new Conquest.

Good luck.

Lee

Holger Merlitz · Sep 16, 2012

The new Conquest HD have great optics - perhaps even a bit superior to the Leica Ultravid HD. However, they have a problem with the focuser, which makes a frequent use of the diopter setting a mandatory task - not very convenient. Anyway this focuser is too fast to my taste ...

The 8x32 Swarovision is also not without flaws: There exist side-pupils just outside the exit pupils which can cause stray-light after sun set, when the eye-pupils are expanding. I also find the sharpness-curve slightly irritating (center: sharp, 3/4 toward the edge: slightly soft, edge: sharp again). Also, the focuser is turning very easily, you just touch it and it is out of focus again.

Apart from that, the Swarovision is surely at the top, together with the Nikon EDG, followed by the Zeiss FL, the old Swaro EL, followed by a group made of the new Zeiss Conquest HD together with the Kowa Genesis and the Leica Ultravid HD.

Cheers,
Holger

Troubador · Sep 16, 2012

Holger Merlitz said:
The new Conquest HD have great optics - perhaps even a bit superior to the Leica Ultravid HD. However, they have a problem with the focuser, which makes a frequent use of the diopter setting a mandatory task - not very convenient. Anyway this focuser is too fast to my taste ...

The 8x32 Swarovision is also not without flaws: There exist side-pupils just outside the exit pupils which can cause stray-light after sun set, when the eye-pupils are expanding. I also find the sharpness-curve slightly irritating (center: sharp, 3/4 toward the edge: slightly soft, edge: sharp again). Also, the focuser is turning very easily, you just touch it and it is out of focus again.

Apart from that, the Swarovision is surely at the top, together with the Nikon EDG, followed by the Zeiss FL, the old Swaro EL, followed by a group made of the new Zeiss Conquest HD together with the Kowa Genesis and the Leica Ultravid HD.

Cheers,
Holger

Looks like poor Holger had a bad experience with a ConqHD. To put that in context I tried 2 42mm Conqs at the Focus Optics and both 32 and 42 mm at the Bird Fair and did not experience problems with the focuser on any.

As always, try before you buy is the way to go.

Lee

Troubador · Sep 16, 2012

Holger Merlitz said:
The new Conquest HD have great optics - perhaps even a bit superior to the Leica Ultravid HD. However, they have a problem with the focuser, which makes a frequent use of the diopter setting a mandatory task - not very convenient. Anyway this focuser is too fast to my taste ...

The 8x32 Swarovision is also not without flaws: There exist side-pupils just outside the exit pupils which can cause stray-light after sun set, when the eye-pupils are expanding. I also find the sharpness-curve slightly irritating (center: sharp, 3/4 toward the edge: slightly soft, edge: sharp again). Also, the focuser is turning very easily, you just touch it and it is out of focus again.

Apart from that, the Swarovision is surely at the top, together with the Nikon EDG, followed by the Zeiss FL, the old Swaro EL, followed by a group made of the new Zeiss Conquest HD together with the Kowa Genesis and the Leica Ultravid HD.

Cheers,
Holger

Looks like poor Holger had a bad experience with a ConqHD. To put that in context I tried 2 42mm Conqs at the Focus Optics Open Day and both 32 and 42 mm at the Bird Fair and did not experience problems with the focuser on any.

As always, try before you buy is the way to go.

Lee

Holger Merlitz · Sep 16, 2012

Troubador said:
Looks like poor Holger had a bad experience with a ConqHD. To put that in context I tried 2 42mm Conqs at the Focus Optics Open Day and both 32 and 42 mm at the Bird Fair and did not experience problems with the focuser on any.

As always, try before you buy is the way to go.

Lee

Yes, try before you buy is a good suggestion. I had the same problem with two samples, however, and have yet to find one without that problem.

Cheers,
Holger

Torview · Sep 16, 2012

I tried the 32mm Conquest last week against my 32mm Victory, I agree the superiority of the Victory is subtle but it is there, and worth the extra if you are willing to pay out, after all the Victory may be the last binocular you`ll ever need.

cycleguy · Sep 17, 2012

I'd like to look thru the Victory FL 8x32 ...

As usual, no retailer carries them in this major metropolitan area.... ???? so no luck here.

I've looked thru the 8x32 - EL wb, Ultravid HD, SE, and Leupold GR HD, but can't check this one off the list....., yet! I did stumble across the 10x Victory FL and found it impressive... but 10x is what I'm migrating away from.

CG

peter kitchener · Sep 17, 2012

Nick

Re. Bins with specs. If you use your bins with specs (as I do) you really need to try them for a while. I don't think it's just a matter of eye relief; I think the size of the eye lens is important too.

I have recently tried the following 8x32s; Swarovski EL & SV, Zeiss Victory and Conquest HD, but was not able to compare them all at the same time. For spec wearers I think the SVs are probably the best with 20mm eye relief and large eye lenses, but I can't justify the price. The eye lenses on the Conquest HD (24mm diameter) are larger than the ELs (21mm) and Victory and I found them much easier to use with specs. I found a lot of stray light (glare/flare) with the ELs, particularly looking against the light. The eye positioning seemed to be crucial with the Victorys and I found the focusing knob kept knocking off my hat!

So, I purchased a pair of Conquest HDs and I thought they were optically brilliant for the price. However, I experienced exactly the problem that Holger has mentioned; there is a problem with the focuser and I had to keep adjusting the diopter setting. After 6 hours in the field the dioptre adjustment had progressively migrated to almost its furthest + limit. So I'm returning the Conquests and reverting to my 8 year old Nikon HGLs with their long eye relief and reasonable sized eye lenses (22mm), despite their weight and rather stiff central focusing knob.

(I think Leicas have the lowest eye relief of "the top four" manufacturers and you may find these are the least suitable if you wear specs)

Hope this helps.
Peter

idaho john · Sep 18, 2012

Nick

I have been following the thread as I am interested in the Conquest HD and plan a future purchase and in this case - either the Vortex Viper HD 8x32 or the Conquest HD in 8x32.

I had an opportunity to demo both the Viper and Conquest HD this evening at our local sporting goods retailer and briefly:

Conquest HD

- the focus wheel is quite rapid compared to the Viper. Easy to overshoot fine focus. A bit of slop.
- to get a good view, eye placement is critical. With my specs on it was a struggle to avoid blackouts (vignetting?). Not intuitive.
- IPD adjustment is critical

however the edges are much better than I thought they were. Compared to the Victory FL, not so good, compared to the Vortex product, the Conquest HD has a superior view. The sweet spot is generous and the edges become a non issue...unless you are hypercritical (maybe a better word is hypersensitive).

Vortex Viper HD

- the focus wheel is solid, no slop and it seems easier for me to get it into and stay in focus.
- the eye relief is quite forgiving. As I wear glasses, I appreciated that eye placement was easier for me and I did not feel like I had to move the binocular around so much to get a good view.
- IPD feels less critical

however on the Viper the edges are not as clear as the Conquest HD. The sweet spot however is very close to the Conquest HD in terms of clarity/exhibiting a sharp view, but it is not as wide/generous as the Zeiss.

For me it is a toss up and may come down more to cost than anything else. I want an 8 power for the little bit of brush and forest birding that I do...a wider field for seeing warblers, chickadees and other LBJs.

I have no idea which one I will end up with. Still a bit overwhelmed by the Zeiss brand name (Zeiss has great propaganda and I have a Victory FL), so I am waiting a bit in hopes that some fresh air will stimulate some common sense if not a bit of financial reason.

John

Troubador · Sep 18, 2012

peter kitchener said:
Nick

Re. Bins with specs. If you use your bins with specs (as I do) you really need to try them for a while. I don't think it's just a matter of eye relief; I think the size of the eye lens is important too.

I have recently tried the following 8x32s; Swarovski EL & SV, Zeiss Victory and Conquest HD, but was not able to compare them all at the same time. For spec wearers I think the SVs are probably the best with 20mm eye relief and large eye lenses, but I can't justify the price. The eye lenses on the Conquest HD (24mm diameter) are larger than the ELs (21mm) and Victory and I found them much easier to use with specs. I found a lot of stray light (glare/flare) with the ELs, particularly looking against the light. The eye positioning seemed to be crucial with the Victorys and I found the focusing knob kept knocking off my hat!

So, I purchased a pair of Conquest HDs and I thought they were optically brilliant for the price. However, I experienced exactly the problem that Holger has mentioned; there is a problem with the focuser and I had to keep adjusting the diopter setting. After 6 hours in the field the dioptre adjustment had progressively migrated to almost its furthest + limit. So I'm returning the Conquests and reverting to my 8 year old Nikon HGLs with their long eye relief and reasonable sized eye lenses (22mm), despite their weight and rather stiff central focusing knob.

(I think Leicas have the lowest eye relief of "the top four" manufacturers and you may find these are the least suitable if you wear specs)

Hope this helps.
Peter

Its always best to try bins out first especially with regard to eye relief. Swaro measures this differently from Zeiss and Leica so 15.5 / 16 mm quoted by them is easily equivalent to 18 mm quoted by Swaro.

Lee

ceasar · Sep 18, 2012

peter kitchener said:
Nick

............................................
......................................................................................

So, I purchased a pair of Conquest HDs and I thought they were optically brilliant for the price. However, I experienced exactly the problem that Holger has mentioned; there is a problem with the focuser and I had to keep adjusting the diopter setting. After 6 hours in the field the dioptre adjustment had progressively migrated to almost its furthest + limit. So I'm returning the Conquests and reverting to my 8 year old Nikon HGLs ..........
Peter

Hokey Smokes!

Zeiss has a diopter problem!:eek!::eek!:

Will it turn out to be as bad as the one the Nikon EDG I allegedly had?:C:C This problem sounds even worse!:eek!: I don't recall anyone complaining about a "wandering" diopter on the Nikon. This Zeiss seems to have a "galloping" diopter!:eek!: Much like the one that old Vortex 6.5 x 32 Fury had. Is it possible they were made in the same factory as the Vortex?

The Nikon diopter (?)problem(?) was the subject of dozens of threads here for a dozen months or so! It still comes up when one talks of possibly purchasing an EDG.

Will the Zeiss Conquest be immune from this? Does one dare purchase one now? Will Zeiss come out with a "Conquest II" and discount and sell the "Conquest I?" Hopefully with an SLR camera thrown in?:king:

Will we ever be able to trust the Zeiss Conquest again?:-C:-C:-C

Bob

looksharp65 · Sep 18, 2012

It has been mentioned before, probably before I did, but here's my contribution:
(post #1):
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2473265#post2473265

Three diopter arrangements and three levels of reliability.
What annoys me the most with the FL is the fact that it's very difficult to fine-tune the diopter and that the act of lifting the focus knob does take some time.

//L

idaho john · Sep 19, 2012

ceasar said:
Hokey Smokes!

Zeiss has a diopter problem!:eek!:

Will it turn out to be as bad as the one the Nikon EDG I allegedly had?:C This problem sounds even worse!:eek!: I don't recall anyone complaining about a "wandering" diopter on the Nikon. This Zeiss seems to have a "galloping" diopter!:eek!: Much like the one that old Vortex 6.5 x 32 Fury had. Is it possible they were made in the same factory as the Vortex?

The Nikon diopter (?)problem(?) was the subject of dozens of threads here for a dozen months or so! It still comes up when one talks of possibly purchasing an EDG.

Will the Zeiss Conquest be immune from this? Does one dare purchase one now? Will Zeiss come out with a "Conquest II" and discount and sell the "Conquest I?" Hopefully with an SLR camera thrown in?:king:

Will we ever be able to trust the Zeiss Conquest again?:-C:-C:-C

Bob

I am not sure...but I believe this is sarcasm. :eek!: Almost makes me want to go...poopy!

john

peter kitchener · Sep 19, 2012

Troubador said:
Its always best to try bins out first especially with regard to eye relief. Swaro measures this differently from Zeiss and Leica so 15.5 / 16 mm quoted by them is easily equivalent to 18 mm quoted by Swaro.

Lee

Lee, An interesting point; maybe I should reconsider Leica? Where did you obtain this information?
Peter

brocknroller · Sep 19, 2012

Troubador said:
Hi Nick

My wife has a pair of Ultravid HD 8x32s and as you might expect they are terrific bins too.

The big difference for me between her UHD and my FL is that the colours through hers are noticeably warmer and I can understand why some find this attractive. I could certainly get used to it. However I think the FLs colour is actually more true to life so I favour FLs.

Sharpness? Its a close run thing. Brightness? FL wins every time.

By the way, just to be clear, I think anyone would be delighted with and proud to own a new Conquest.

Good luck.

Lee

But could you get used to the dimunitive size of the 8x32 Ultravids or would you need hand reducation surgery?

<B>

brocknroller · Sep 19, 2012

ceasar said:
Hokey Smokes!

Zeiss has a diopter problem!:eek!::eek!:

Will it turn out to be as bad as the one the Nikon EDG I allegedly had?:C:C This problem sounds even worse!:eek!: This Zeiss seems to have a "galloping" diopter!:eek!:
...
Will we ever be able to trust the Zeiss Conquest again?:-C:-C:-C

"I don't recall anyone complaining about a "wandering" diopter on the Nikon"

"Selective Memory" Bob,

There were several members who returned their EDG Is because of diopter problems. Not as common as the loose focus knobs, which was epidemic proportioned and were getting returned by the truckload.

I think Jerry might have had an 8x32 EDG I with a drifting diopter. Nikon replaced it with the EDG II version, which might still be or sale at SWFA for $700 off the now inflated new price!

They have one for $1,499.95, which is what his was selling for, but this was quite a while ago, not sure if it's the same unit. I wonder why they just don't put them on the bay instead of letting them sit unsold on the Sample List for six months or more? 8x32s don't seem to be very popular with hunters.

http://www.samplelist.com/Nikon-8x32-EDG-Binocular-DEMO-B-P54712.aspx

<B>

ceasar · Sep 20, 2012

brocknroller said:
There were several members who returned their EDG Is because of diopter problems. Not as common as the loose focus knobs, which was epidemic proportioned and were getting returned by the truckload.

I think Jerry might have had an 8x32 EDG I with a drifting diopter. Nikon replaced it with the EDG II version, which might still be or sale at SWFA for $700 off the now inflated new price!

They have one for $1,499.95, which is what his was selling for, but this was quite a while ago, not sure if it's the same unit. I wonder why they just don't put them on the bay instead of letting them sit unsold on the Sample List for six months or more? 8x32s don't seem to be very popular with hunters.

http://www.samplelist.com/Nikon-8x32-EDG-Binocular-DEMO-B-P54712.aspx

<B>

Brock,

If you please? If you are going to quote me, quote me, don't change my post. There is a place below the quotation for any editorial comments about my selective memory.

As I read the complaints about the EDG most of them were concerned with a problem about the cover closing completely after the diopter was set or with not staying closed. If some had wandering diopters that is not surprising because it seems to happen occasionally with diopters which are integrated with the focus wheel. Which was the point of my "sarcasm" about the Zeiss Conquest. The 6.5 x 32 Vortex was perhaps the worst of them and they were recalled. I have read here that it also happened with Leica. It doesn't seem to have happened with Swarovski but based on what we read in this forum they also have an "epidemic" of focus wheel problems described being harder to turn in one direction than the other and they are being returned by the "truckload." (I apologize here for plagiarizing from you.)

To date, there is no evidence that the EDGs were recalled simply because of diopter problems. We have also heard rumors about the open frame design violating a patent held by another manufacturer.

There was a new EDG I for sale at the Hawk Mountain Store last week. I didn't ask what it's price was, but there is a 10% discount for members. I think it is a 10 x 42.

They did not have an EDG II which I could compare with mine although I have been told on good authority that the ridged rubber cover surrounding the focus wheel on it has been improved so that it is not susceptible to stretching after long use. AFAIK nothing else has been done to the focus wheel. I will know more when I finally get to see a new EDG II.

Bob

Which 8x32: Victory FL or New Conquest HD ? (1 Viewer)

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