New Zeiss APO Binoculars (1 Viewer)

scampo · Jan 31, 2004

10/10 for your grammatically correct (and increasingly unusual) use of the gender neutral personal pronoun "he" there - but you hedge your bets with the "politically correct" yet grammatically incorrect plural "they"...

Hope you don't mind me commenting - it's rare to see it used these days and I'm an English teacher as well as a birder!

I think your point concerning mail order is a good one, indeed!

Art Thorn · Jan 31, 2004

scampo said:
10/10 for your grammatically correct (and increasingly unusual) use of the gender neutral personal pronoun "he" there - but you hedge your bets with the "politically correct" yet grammatically incorrect plural "they"...

Hope you don't mind me commenting - it's rare to see it used these days and I'm an English teacher as well as a birder!

I think your point concerning mail order is a good one, indeed!

Uh, oh! An english teacher. I'll have to watch myself from now on. Should have been 'his product' instead of 'their product' also.

In addition to avoiding mail order, we should avoid basing judgement of product after looking at one sample (I'm as guilty as anyone else).

scampo · Jan 31, 2004

Well - I would be thoroughly disappointed if a Swarovski, Nikon, Leica or Zeiss product differed between samples; in fact, I'm fairly certain they won't.

I have been told that Kowa are more variable, and my own experience tells me that Opticron (a UK brand) are definitely variable. Interestingly, that variability represents a descending order of price, too (although at the moment, for some reason, Nikon binos are a steal in the UK).

So... just maybe it is genuinely expensive to produce top quality binos and scopes that are consistently of the highest quality? There is no question that is why professional photographers have always preferred a very few makes such as Nikon.

marcus · Jan 31, 2004

Art, I said 'low' because all of you can afford the highest priced binoculars and scopes. I can just imagine how good they are by reading most of the comments that you guys give. I really like it! Please continue.
Scampo, how do you judge my grammar?

scampo · Jan 31, 2004

Generally speaking, American writers have - in my experience - a better grasp of grammar when compared to their English counterparts. Your teachers must spend longer teaching the basics or do it better!

Swissboy · Feb 27, 2004

Andy Bright said:
Sounds extremely unlikely to me....maybe some crossed wires from stories about the impending release of the Conquest series in N. America.

Andy, I hope you noticed the new thread on Zeiss Victory FL's. There is a saying "Where there is smoke, there is fire", so I guess those rumors were correct, after all.

Andy Bright · Feb 28, 2004

Swissboy said:
Andy, I hope you noticed the new thread on Zeiss Victory FL's. There is a saying "Where there is smoke, there is fire", so I guess those rumors were correct, after all.

Egg on my face, I think. I'll endeavour to not look an idiot in the future.
Did have a look at new thread, obviously my source of info isn't as up to date as some others...but as 'APO' isn't used by Zeiss, that threw me to some extent. I don't believe the new binos are 'APO' nor marketed using that name.

Leif · Feb 28, 2004

scampo said:
Well - I would be thoroughly disappointed if a Swarovski, Nikon, Leica or Zeiss product differed between samples; in fact, I'm fairly certain they won't.

So... just maybe it is genuinely expensive to produce top quality binos and scopes that are consistently of the highest quality? There is no question that is why professional photographers have always preferred a very few makes such as Nikon.

Steve: Almost 30 years ago one of my father's friends was a semi-pro sports photographer. When he wanted a new lens, he would go to a small camera shop - in Loughborough I think - and walk off with 5 samples of a lens. He then tested them all, and kept the best one. There is often quite a bit of variation in 35mm lenses, especially zooms. Misalignment is not uncommon. One well known photographer in Norway recounts receiving several mis-aligned versions of a lens from Nikon before a good one arrived. I think primes are less variable (less elements, less moving parts).

Like you I do not expect many 'dud' - e.g. slightly mis-aligned - spotting scopes from Leica et al.

I think you are right about the mechanical quality of Nikon lenses and cameras.

scampo · Feb 28, 2004

My word - it's just likely that the small camera shop your father used was the one I still use regularly - Paul Moffat's Cameras. The owner died several years ago, but his wife still runs it. The only other small camera shop we had was called Camera Thorpe - but they were not really an enthusiast's shop.

My first camera, when I was thirteen or so, was a s/h Ilford Sportsman; it was a bit unreliable so I quickly moved on from that to a Kodak Retinette - and what a lovely camera that was.

I think years ago that was the case, but I am sure that makers such as Nikon and Zeiss test to much tighter tolerances these days. That said, theey cannot know what happens in transit, I suppose.

Swissboy · Feb 29, 2004

Andy Bright said:
.but as 'APO' isn't used by Zeiss, that threw me to some extent. I don't believe the new binos are 'APO' nor marketed using that name.

Sure, but APO, ED, FL ,or whatever, it's all meant to do the same thing. That is, to create a clearer picture for us to enjoy.

Andy Bright · Feb 29, 2004

Swissboy said:
Sure, but APO, ED, FL ,or whatever, it's all meant to do the same thing. That is, to create a clearer picture for us to enjoy.

What do you want mate, blood? I cocked up after recieving iffy info, that person will be castigated, or something sounding very similar to that (which involves a sharp metal shear-like instrument)

Swissboy · Feb 29, 2004

Leif said:
Steve: ).

Like you I do not expect many 'dud' - e.g. slightly mis-aligned - spotting scopes from Leica et al.

I think you are right about the mechanical quality of Nikon lenses and cameras.

I am afraid this topic is still an issue. Just remember those reports in the alula tests

http://www.alula.fi/GB/

Here is a small portion quoted from one of those reports: "Among the scopes tested here and in ALULA 1/2002, four units exhibited optical defects that noticeably compromised their performance at high magnifications. I later obtained other units for testing, and their performance also varied to the extent that the relative ranking, with respect to resolution and contrast of the models, depended on the particular units tested. Since I found such variations in all of the manufacturer’s scopes, I have reluctantly decided to leave open the question that is perhaps the most interesting for the reader, namely which of the tested scopes has the best optics."

It should be noted that Leica was among those suspected to have provided a dud. (unintentionally, of course)

Leif · Mar 1, 2004

Swissboy said:
I am afraid this topic is still an issue. Just remember those reports in the alula tests

http://www.alula.fi/GB/

Here is a small portion quoted from one of those reports: "Among the scopes tested here and in ALULA 1/2002, four units exhibited optical defects that noticeably compromised their performance at high magnifications. I later obtained other units for testing, and their performance also varied to the extent that the relative ranking, with respect to resolution and contrast of the models, depended on the particular units tested. Since I found such variations in all of the manufacturer’s scopes, I have reluctantly decided to leave open the question that is perhaps the most interesting for the reader, namely which of the tested scopes has the best optics."

It should be noted that Leica was among those suspected to have provided a dud. (unintentionally, of course)

Fair point. That Alula article is rather shocking. I wonder how many birders have a mis-aligned scope without knowing it?

Given that the Alula tests were with a zoom eyepiece, I wonder if the problem in each case was with the scope or the eyepiece, and whether the problem occurred between the factory and the Alula testers?

scampo · Mar 1, 2004

There you are, Leif - and you bought a Leica Apo Televid, and all. O-o-o-h, I do hope it's one of the better ones they churn out from their Oporto factory.

Rumour has it that unlike Nikon's, Leica's Eco-glass is uniquely crafted from the base of recycled Port bottles. Might not be true, though.

BTW - now you are a bona-fide, died-in-the-wool member of the red-spot brigade, you might find this web page interesting:

http://www.kbcamera.com/timelineliecahistory.htm

Leif · Mar 1, 2004

LOL

I'm not sure us Leica snobs stoop so low as to talk to mere Nikon users ... 8-P

Eco-glass eh? If anyone calls me Swampy I'll clobber 'em.

scampo · Mar 1, 2004

"I'll clobber 'em..."

But not with that weighty object, I trust!

(-:

pduxon · Mar 1, 2004

Leif said:
LOL

I'm not sure us Leica snobs stoop so low as to talk to mere Nikon users ... 8-P

Eco-glass eh? If anyone calls me Swampy I'll clobber 'em.

I'm not sure us roof snobs should stoop to talking to you porro users

New Zeiss APO Binoculars (1 Viewer)

More options

scampo

Steve Campsall

Art Thorn

Well-known member

scampo

Steve Campsall

marcus

Well-known member

scampo

Steve Campsall

Swissboy

Sempach, Switzerland

Andy Bright

Administrator

Leif

Well-known member

scampo

Steve Campsall

Swissboy

Sempach, Switzerland

Andy Bright

Administrator

Swissboy

Sempach, Switzerland

Leif

Well-known member

scampo

Steve Campsall

Leif

Well-known member

scampo

Steve Campsall

pduxon

Quacked up Member

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread