Hello to Stud Duck and All Bird Forum Members--
I am a brand-new member of BF and very happy to be among you!
Just purchased a few days ago the new Zeiss Conquest 8x40 B T binoculars.
What attracted me to these the most is the Zeiss name plus a substantially lower price than their FL line of bins. These new Conquests--which came out just last month, I believe--have an MSRP of about $1200. These new bins simply "felt right" in my hands when I first picked them up. At 29 ozs., they feel very well balanced.
I handled both the 10X and 8X models and opted for the 8X as perhaps being more
versatile overall for multiple uses.
So far, I have been very pleased with the Conquest 8x40 bins. Clarity, field of view, and focusing are all first rate. I wanted a set of bins that were a cut above a middle price range but not as expensive as a new Leica or Swarovski (or Zeiss FL). I had looked through and considered the Leica Trinovid 8x32, which I thought had an outstanding view, but I liked the looks and feel of the new Zeiss Conquest model enough that I decided to be a "trailblazer" of sorts and took the plunge.
Sorry, Stud Duck, I can't compare the new Zeiss to other Leicas/Swarovskis, since I don't have that experience. I haven't yet used these new Zeiss bins in twilight, etc., so I can't give you an opinion about that. I am aware of such things as collimation, chromatic aberration, e.g., but I am still a novice and can't give you a blow-by-blow analysis--not yet, anyway.
But I thought you would like to know that someone has indeed purchased the new
Zeiss Conquest model. No doubt I am among the first in the U.S.
More info. posted later, as I become more familiar with these bins.
Again, I'm delighted to be here on the Bird Forum.
Jeffer