Hi:
I was surprised when I have looked througth a new biggest-best Swarovski ATS HD 80 scope and my Diascope 85 T*FL (during the last hungarian birders championship at Hortobgy-Halast, in 31 aug.- 2 sept. 2007) Both scopes had zoom oculars and angled bodies.
The realization of the image is more comfortable on my Zeiss telescope, because the image is bigger, wider and closer to my eye, than on the Swaro scope. Looking througth the Swaro, the "tunnel view" was very strong and unconfortable.
On the Zeiss Diascope, the image was virtually more closer to my eye; and in all zoom option (20x, 40x and 60x) the image was wider than on the Swaro. And not for last: at the 60x magnification, the Zeiss was very, really very sharp.
The critical voices often say the blurry edge of the view on the Zeiss, but the really wide FOV need compromises.
The last and very strong surprise for me was the difference between the colors of the images. The Swaro offered a very neutral, little bit blueish, but much more colorless and cold image(I have said: ":eek!: "It has no colours!"), very sharp at 20x and 40x magnification; but the Zeiss offered a very colour-rich, warm, more vivid and natural coloured image. (Swaro owners said: "Oh my god, it is yellow!!!"
)
O.K., choosing a scope is very big excercise, depending on the wallet, but at the end of the test I was very happy and relaxed to choose this scope, I think that in the price-and-value competition the Zeiss should win much more better position that the Swarovski.
The only problem at Zeiss the image quality difference between telescope specimens. Often impossible to tell by naked eye but the digiscoped photos don't lie. I am absolute content with mine but I have to confess that it should be better than it is. Some astigmatism was detected in mine:eek!:.
I think that it worths its price because of its building quality and confortability.
