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

New scope from Zeiss... (1 Viewer)

The question is, whether Zeiss can maintain the quality at the price?

A top quality movie lens with that many elements might cost £40,000 or more, although consumer photographic lenses with that many elements might be £1,000 or £2,000.
 
The question is, whether Zeiss can maintain the quality at the price?

They have to surely? The Diascope is finished and has not competed with the likes of Swarovski and Kowa for quite a few years now.
Zeiss have spent huge sums in R & D, advertising and now production of the Harpia 95, with assembly, quality control and shipping out from Wetzlar to compete with those firms and gain back a share of the scope market.

I still have reservations whether an 85mm will be forthcoming (see previous), but this new model certainly has raised much interest and attracted favourable comments. Now will be the time to own one whilst the quality is there, and price is competitive.
 
Henry,

That must be a new record for birding scopes?

- Kimmo

Hi Kimmo,

Yes, compared to "normal" spotting scopes. The Kowa 883 with the 25-60x zoom has the most I know of with 16 lenses (11 in the eyepiece) and 22 glass to air surfaces.

To the extent that the lenses and groups can be read in the Photoscope cutaway it looks like it has about the same number of lenses in the visual part of its optics as the Harpia. The objective design of the Photoscope could be interpreted as nearly the same groups in the same order as the Harpia.

Binastro,

The Harpia objective design, 12 elements in 8 groups, is the part that would be analogous to a zoom camera lens, so maybe not quite so elaborate. The eyepiece, 9 elements in 7 groups, looks similar to many astronomical eyepieces designed for wide fields and long eye relief.

Henry
 

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My harpia 95 is now in use for 2 weeks and the scope is stunning!!
I am extremely satisfied with the optimaal performance at highest magnification, the great FOV at lower magnification and colour fidelity
The focus drive with its dual speed is also a joy to |:D||:D||:D|
 
Hi Henry,
Thanks.

Would other eyepieces work with the Harpia?
Is it likely that the zoom objective front end is good enough for a 40x to 120x eyepiece?
 
My harpia 95 is now in use for 2 weeks and the scope is stunning!!
I am extremely satisfied with the optimaal performance at highest magnification, the great FOV at lower magnification and colour fidelity
The focus drive with its dual speed is also a joy to |:D||:D||:D|

Still in intensieve use without any issues !
 
I've noticed that some UK dealers are advertising the Harpia 85mm as in stock or special order. Another states due at the beginning of October.
So, it is in production and units shipped out to the UK.
You were correct Lee.
 
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I've noticed that some UK dealers are advertising the Harpia 85mm as in stock or special order. Another states due at the beginning of October.
So, it is in production and units shipped out to the UK.
You were correct Lee.

Hya Pyrtle
At Bird Fair, so in mid-August, one the guys from Zeiss USA was there and told me they had just received their first shipment of 30 Harpias. Bearing in mind that all the Zeiss dealers around the world will be wanting at least 2, one to sell and one to demo, and many will have pre-orders too, its quite a job to get a new product like this off the ground.

Lee
 
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