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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

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  1. S

    Kowa scope sale

    It is still in effect but, isn't enforced due to not having any way to collect and process the payment on the packages people had already ordered. Enforcement action "to collect" the tariffs starts again May 2nd. How many weeks it will take to process those packages that didn't make the...
  2. S

    Kowa scope sale

    Wow, that's a big price difference for the UK! I would have thought spotting scopes and related optics would be much closer in price for similar quality out of Europe.
  3. S

    Kowa scope sale

    I'm curious about this. Is 10% off really that much for a spotting scope? I get the EU region has VAT and import duties and other stuff but, Europe has a lot of good spotting scopes in the same general size and weight with awesome glass for similar money don't they? Asian-sourced optics can...
  4. S

    General spotting scope differences between brands and price points? Kowa, Pentax, Zeiss, Swarovski, etc.

    I own a couple of small Athlon spotting scopes but, nothing large or what I would call premium. I will use whatever I get in Overcast skies in addition to bright Sunshine. Most ranges are going to be 300 to 500 yards though, I occasionally go to the coast and would like to do some ship...
  5. S

    Larger Pentax spotting scope choice? PF-100 or PF-85?

    I have two small Athlon spotting scopes so, a PF-65 would be redundant for me and closer range needs. I wear glasses so, reasonable eye relief is needed as well. I realize the eyepiece is a critical part of the "system" so, I am not overlooking this system element! I need visibility in...
  6. S

    New Zeiss Victory HT 8x54 review from Allbinos

    Arm chair engineers can argue any topic to death and often totally miss the mark of the original topic. Vision combined with environmental and bilogical differences makes it easy to shop on technical specifications only to get a pair of bins that simply don't work for the user. Add to that...
  7. S

    New Zeiss Victory HT 8x54 review from Allbinos

    The vast majority of people buying bins in the $2K and up range are relying on "word of mouth" and random reviews because they are not optical engineers, or engineers generally, and don't have a frame of reference to compare two premium binoculars except maybe inside a building which tells me...
  8. S

    New Zeiss Victory HT 8x54 review from Allbinos

    In addition to all this, there are BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE IN OUR INDIVIDUAL EYES to further complicate things. I am very sensitive to eye relief so, that has a huge effect on some bins that are too short for my facial and eye structure! Specifically, I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with Leica...
  9. S

    Reviews and comparisons to Victory HT 10x54's vs 10x42's?

    I'm a bit pickier about eye relief than FOV. I wear glasses so some binoculars that may have more apparent FOV are ACTUALLY LESS for me because of eye relief restrictions. Then add some loss around the edges to fuzziness with some bins and, the "best" option for me sometimes is the one without...
  10. S

    Zeiss - Try it for 48hours

    Sounds almost like a Thanksgiving/Black Friday issue. Over here, a lot of stores and services are closed on Thanksgiving Thursday. I hope it's due to a good holiday shopping period in the UK!
  11. S

    New Zeiss Victory HT 8x54 review from Allbinos

    What is the scoop on VICTORY HT's in today's market? Do the HT's still compete with the "field flatner" models well in field of view, color or lack of color, and similar performance measures? Or, have something like the Zeiss SF moved up in their relative position to other competitors and the...
  12. S

    Zeiss - Try it for 48hours

    This sounds like a really good program for Zeiss. A program like that in the USA would likely see me add a pair or two of Zeiss "alpha's" to my lineup. Heck, even without a discount coupon, I would likely see a pair of HT's sitting on my desk right now!!!
  13. S

    Zeiss - Try it for 48hours

    That's the way the program in the EU/UK is based on what I have read. You get a demo pair to try and if you like them, you send them back and get a fresh sealed factory pair in return. In terms of "used", I have purchased from a vendor in the USA that does this sort of buy two, keep the best...
  14. S

    Zeiss - Try it for 48hours

    I don't know about Australia but, but it isn't unheard of to "buy" two binoculars, and then return one with prior communication in my part of the world. With Australia's population largely in a few large cities, I would think you would have some good "try before you buy" stores locally. I did...
  15. S

    ~6.5 power binoculars?

    Looking forward to your review! Getting close to the end of September too! :) Shipping is 55 Euros on these 164 Euro bins to me in the USA! :mad: ~220 Euro puts the price pretty close to the Kowa's at $350.
  16. S

    ~6.5 power binoculars?

    I am thinking about the Maven B.3 6x30's and the Kowa XD II 6x32's right now. Maven's run $500 versus the Kowa at $350. Are the Mavens worth $150 more? What are the major differences between the two since you have both in hand at the same time?
  17. S

    Let's talk PORROS!

    I have a pair of Steiner 8x30's and if they were sold in a 6X with a descent FOV, I'd be all over them for a similar price, in my case, the 8x30's were ~$230USD to my door and a bargain for what I got. They are one of my most used pairs of bins as well. They are bulky by "small" bin standards...
  18. S

    Reviews and comparisons to Victory HT 10x54's vs 10x42's?

    Thanks! That is certainly helpful.
  19. S

    Reviews and comparisons to Victory HT 10x54's vs 10x42's?

    I'm on a quest to get a pair of 10 power bins and I have wanted to try some Zeiss HT's for a long time. How do the 42's compare to the 54's? My uses will primarily be at dusk looking at cattle about 200 yards away and going to the ocean to watch ships and birds primarily. I live in a high...
  20. S

    Comparisons and differences in the current "Alpha" bins?

    Sounds similar to my SLC feelings. Great optics but, just not a good fit for my facial features. Sometimes, even though you have a really high-quality product, it just doesn't work out even when you really want it to. I really wanted an AGV K6 helmet but, like the SLC's, it just didn't fit...
  21. S

    Comparisons and differences in the current "Alpha" bins?

    Thanks! The Zeiss HT's have their 'issues' like almost all (or all) bins. The one I see most often is the "bowling ball" comment for soft-focus on the outer edges of the view. The 10x42 HT is sort of my "unicorn" binocular! Though, the 10x54 version is a close competitor and probably not...
  22. S

    Comparisons and differences in the current "Alpha" bins?

    I don't have a lot of experience with SLC bins but, the few I held and tried briefly didn't "fit" me terribly well. Optically there were very good but the ergonomics and fit seemed a bit off for my facial features. The UVHD+ are ones I don't recall ever handling but, the NV's suggest they may...
  23. S

    Comparisons and differences in the current "Alpha" bins?

    If I opt for 10x, I would want to check out a pair of Zeiss Victory HT 10x54. Those prisms and the Schott glass are attractive to me. Regarding the actual viewing experience though, I need to put them up to my eyes first before I spend that much money. The Swarovski NL Pure 8x42's I tried...
  24. S

    Comparisons and differences in the current "Alpha" bins?

    One of these days, I'll probably pick up a pair of 12x50 bins. I have a tripod for my spotting scope I could use but, to be honest, it isn't really practical to pack it up and haul it around. Generally, I have to go out and walk around to see past the ground contours, behind out buildings...
  25. S

    Comparisons and differences in the current "Alpha" bins?

    Right now, my Steiner 8x56 bins get picked up the most but, I have some 8x30's that are really good too. Some 10x or 12x would be better for daytime use. Whether I benefit from the pupil dilation benefits of an 8x56 is debatable but, the image I get is really nice at night. That is offset by...
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