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

Conquest HD 8x42 - Zeiss will be providing new eyecups (1 Viewer)

C

CSG

Well-known member
United States
I just got my pair from Eagle Optics today knowing about the issue for many that the eyecups don't extend out quite far enough for those not wearing glasses. I'd experimented with Field Optics winged eyeshields and they help block the stray light coming in from having to hold the bins on your eyebrows. They are usable that way but it's not ideal like the HT's which, for me, I can jam them into my eye sockets and be at one with the image. With the eyeshields you can get pretty close to the HT image circle.

I'd talked to Carol at Zeiss last week and Christi today, and they confirmed that Zeiss Germany is making a set of longer eyecups for the 8x42 HD. With glasses, they're fine as is. Not so much without. I found that if you screw the eyecups outwards until they're just barely threaded, that adds enough additional distance from the image to get the full circle. However, that's not at all ideal, obviously.

If Zeiss does this right, these are going to be very, very hard to beat anywhere near this price point. The optical image in the center field is really stunningly good IMO. If you always wear glasses, this is a non-issue for you. They are just fine with specs.

And yes, even with the 4th stop, it's not enough for my anatomy.

Chris

PS, kudos to Eagle Optics, once again, for their outstanding business model and service. Absolutely the best place to buy optics that I've ever dealt with.
 
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And I hope they're made better than the current ones. Two weeks after receiving these, the eyecup on the diopter side separated from the inner sleeve (the part that screws onto the binocular) and is difficult to adjust to the fully out position and impossible to remove the inner sleeve that's now stuck on the binocular.

Eagle Optics is sending me a new pair and a call tag for this pair but it's a little frustrating to be dealing with this on a *Made* in Germany binocular after two weeks. It's a little disconcerting to say the least.
 
I have no idea but they should be free from Zeiss.

BTW, there is a second, larger problem with the Conquest HD eyecups and, what I believe now, is the real reason for the redesign - the eyecups can get stuck on the binocular and then come apart from the outer section (which has the rubber eye cup) to the inner sleeve which threads onto the binocular.

I had to return the first pair when the right eyecup got stuck and then came apart. Today, I received the replacement Eagle Optics sent out and within 20 minutes, the left eyecup suffered the same fate as the right had on the previous pair! Coincidentally, Zeiss had mistakenly sent out a pair of replacement eyecups when I'd asked for a spare rainguard and they were in today's mail. Rather than return the second set of HD's I was able to tease the stuck inner sleeve of the eyecup off the bin and replace it with one of the spares.

These are just excellent binoculars optically but the eycups are an absolute joke. I understood from Zeiss USA customer service today that the new replacement eyecups are now pushed back to December.

Something to keep in mind if you're considering a pair of these.
 
CSG
Thanks for your reply. I had the same problem with it unscrewing when i first had the binoculars,but i managed to screw it back in and free the eyecup. To be fair im using the binoculars without much problem with the eye relief although i have felt a little bit more would be better, so i will welcome the new eyecups.
Thanks,
Anthony
 
CSG said:
... BTW, there is a second, larger problem with the Conquest HD eyecups and, what I believe now, is the real reason for the redesign - the eyecups can get stuck on the binocular and then come apart from the outer section (which has the rubber eye cup) to the inner sleeve which threads onto the binocular.

I had to return the first pair when the right eyecup got stuck and then came apart. Today, I received the replacement Eagle Optics sent out and within 20 minutes, the left eyecup suffered the same fate as the right had on the previous pair! Coincidentally, Zeiss had mistakenly sent out a pair of replacement eyecups when I'd asked for a spare rainguard and they were in today's mail. Rather than return the second set of HD's I was able to tease the stuck inner sleeve of the eyecup off the bin and replace it with one of the spares.

These are just excellent binoculars optically but the eycups are an absolute joke. I understood from Zeiss USA customer service today that the new replacement eyecups are now pushed back to December.

Something to keep in mind if you're considering a pair of these.
Click to expand...
_

Same happened to mine recently, on the left side.
_
 
ceasar said:
These HDs are made in Germany, right?

So far no problems with the eye cups on my Terra ED.:t:

Bob
Click to expand...

Bob

Some components are made by Kamakura and the bins are assembled in Germany, where I believe the coatings are applied to the 'glassware' as well. The laws on country of origin in Europe are not very demanding but the laws that the USA applies to imports with regard to their origin are much more so. When is comes to USA imports I understand that most of the added value has to be added in the declared country of origin.

Don't know where the eyecups are made, but this could be either a design issue or poor mould design, or both.

Lee
 
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Whatever the problem is, the bottom line is that as great as the optics are and as solidly as these are, otherwise, built, the eyecups absolutely suck and Zeiss should have sorted this long before they released the bins for sale.

Where's the Zeiss guy who wanted our take on what we wanted from Zeiss?

These are not unlike the software people who send out product hoping for free beta testing from an unsuspecting public.

As I'd said, I'll stick with these until the end of the year as Eagle Optics has extended their return policy for me to wait until Zeiss has the replacement eyecups. But if they don't get this fixed, as wonderful as these are in every other manner, I will return them.
 
If I was going to purchase a second pair of binos to compliment my 10 x 42 HT's....I would go with the Conquest. Solid binocular....solid...about as good as the Zeiss or Swaro Alpha...
 
Has anyone got confirmation about this in EU? Have contacted Zeiss about it but nothing so far.

Would be buying a pair of Conquests if I only knew that would be fixed in the nearish future.
 
Orthas said:
Has anyone got confirmation about this in EU? Have contacted Zeiss about it but nothing so far.

Would be buying a pair of Conquests if I only knew that would be fixed in the nearish future.
Click to expand...

I would not have a worry. My Conquest 10x42 HD has been very good
and I do not find any issues with the eyecups at all.

I do not wear glasses and they fit me just fine.

I am not sure about those that have posted issues. I would
just go ahead with a purchase of the Conquest, they are a very fine
binocular.

Swarovski had a different eyecup that was available after startup
with the Swarovision, and I also enjoy this model. I had to have
both eyecups, and Swaro. sent the replacements upon request.

And now I could not tell you which ones I have on my 8.5x42.
I have used both of them.

Companies like Zeiss and Swarovski have tested the eyecups in
many ways in development, so consider that.

I would not be concerned about a single nitpick from any poster on this
forum that has made an issue that probably is not any concern
for 90% of users.

Jerry
 
And yet Zeiss saw the issue too which is why they are redesigning the eyecups for this line. Last I heard, beginning of the year and I suspect they'd be available to European customers at the same time.
 
CSG said:
And yet Zeiss saw the issue too which is why they are redesigning the eyecups for this line. Last I heard, beginning of the year and I suspect they'd be available to European customers at the same time.
Click to expand...


You may be in the 10% who may prefer a different eyecup
and that is just fine with me. With many binoculars finding the right
eyecup setting is a trial and error, and often a compromise.
I have not found a binocular yet that I cannot use with ease.

I am just telling most here, to not let this be an issue with the
new Conquest.

Jerry
 
In common with some other users I've found the eye relief on the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 to be just a fraction too little ; no reason not to buy them but a fraction more relief would be comfortable.

I use binos both with and without glasses and for me this is just a minor customer service issue rather than a fault.

Today I received a friendly email from ZEISS UK saying that " the new eyecups have been ordered with Germany and as soon as we receive them I will send two out to you ", so all good so far. I bought my set as preowned.

No indication of how long it will take but no doubt it will all work out OK in the end ( don't forget if it hasn't worked out yet ... it's not the end yet !! )

I've just spent a very pleasant half-hour or so using these binos from just before dusk to well after watching a sparrowhawk eating his dinner in a tall tree silhouetted against the skyline about 30 metres from the house ; a nice bright view, worth every penny.

It's worth getting out and enjoying the view !
 
Akltsang, it is super easy. Just screw them out, takes 1 minute and anyone can do it.

Glad to hear they are getting new eyecups, sadly just a little too late for me as I bought another bino (used FL).

Hope I won't have any issues with these since the Zeiss Finland customer service was substandard.
 
Thanks a lot. I bought my Conquest HD from eBay (new from a online company). Should I contact Zeiss or the eBay company for a pair? Are they free of charge?
 
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