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

Leica 62 APO Angled vs. Zeiss Diascope 65 (1 Viewer)

He will be, Gary - they're great scopes.

Anyway, I hope you get as much satisfaction from the baby Zeiss as I've had - it really is hard to imagine how you could want for a better view, isn't it?
 
Thanks Gary and Keith, you have confirmed what I personally thought and stated earlier on in this thread. It is a matter of taste, but to me the Zeiss has the edge with that big wide field of view especially with the zoom eyepiece. :eat:
 
Zeiss 65

Spent a couple hours comparing the Swarovski 65 and 85 HD and the Zeiss 65 T* today, all using their zoom lenses.

I put my credit card on a post about 200 feet away, back side facing me, with the tiny print on the back side.

The Zeiss 65 was *definitely* clearer at picking out the writing and print on the card, even though it could not zoom in as closely. The Swarovski at 45X and 60X could not compete.

I was not able to adequately judge color issues, fringing, etc, but for PURE RESOLUTION the Zeiss won the contest, hands down.

Hope this is helpful.

Shanta
Boston, MA, USA
 
Exhibition query

iporali said:
...says one of the world's best scope testers :h?:
Last weekend I was lucky to visit an optics exhibition with a nice selection of birding scopes (see below). I could have been more specific with my claim but after intensive side-by-side comparisons I still think that for an average birder and in the wild it is not easy to compare the optical quality of the 77/80+mm vs 60+mm scopes. Eg:
1) How to evaluate brightness in bright light (iris stopped down)?
2) What is the effect of the stopped down iris on aberrations?
3) What zoom setting to use in comparison if the magnification is different (same power or same focal length)?
4) How to control the influence of differential vibration on the perceived image
etc. etc.

I like larger scopes, but I am not sure that I could distinguish them from the corresponding smaller versions just by looking through them. If I could use my digital camera - that's another story.

Sorry about thread deviation ;)

Ilkka
Click to expand...

Hi Ilkka
I was interested to see the 'thumbnail' attached with the various scopes for display/viewing over the lake. I am intending to upgrade my Opticron Piccolo scope for a high quality one, and would very much value your opinion by scoring each of the scopes in the thumbnail on a score of 1 to 10, if that is possible please. For a basis of comparison could we say a magnification of 25x or 30x?
We don't have such demonstrations of equipment here in Western Australia, and I would be grateful for your comments.
RichardundefinedA
 
RichardA said:
I am intending to upgrade my Opticron Piccolo scope for a high quality one, and would very much value your opinion by scoring each of the scopes in the thumbnail on a score of 1 to 10, if that is possible please.
Click to expand...
Richard,

Sure I can tell you my opinions but, please, take it for what it is worth - and if you don't mind, I will send it as a PM. I think Kimmo (kabsetz) would be the best person to evaluate these scopes... and fortunately he has done so on several of them :-O. Have you seen these http://www.alula.fi/gb/optics.htm ?

Best regards,

Ilkka
 
Blincodave said:
I think you should consider the zoom eyepiece for the Zeiss carefully - the very wide field of view is at the cost of a lack of definition to the edges.

Dave
Click to expand...
Indeed - but you still get far more sharp view than any other zoom - 50% more view than the Swaro for example. I've never met a disappointed Zeiss owner - I've met more than one Swaro owner who wondered if it was really worth the extra.
 
scampo said:
Indeed - but you still get far more sharp view than any other zoom - 50% more view than the Swaro for example. I've never met a disappointed Zeiss owner - I've met more than one Swaro owner who wondered if it was really worth the extra.
Click to expand...

While the Zeiss is an excellent value, this is one Swaro owner who has not looked back.

It is not my experience that the Zeiss offers 50% more sharp viewing area than the Swaro ATS. In fact, at 15x, the area of sharp viewing through the Zeiss is a relatively small center.

Some perceive that Zeiss's shifted color balance gives an appearance of enhanced contrast and brightness while Swaro actually delivers it, with better rendition of blacks and more useable brightness in declining light (cf. Alula). And with almost complete edge to edge sharpness.

However, it was the actual vs spec'd eye relief of the Zeiss zoom eyepiece that made it a non-starter for me. While using a Zeiss 65 with the zoom EP and wearing glasses, I found that the marked drop off of ER between 15x and 45x turned its famous FOV into a hopelessly small field. Both Swaro's and Leica's zoom lenses offer significantly more useful ER -- and not too shabby a view, to boot.

Bradley
 
Bradley B said:
While the Zeiss is an excellent value, this is one Swaro owner who has not looked back.

It is not my experience that the Zeiss offers 50% more sharp viewing area than the Swaro ATS. In fact, at 15x, the area of sharp viewing through the Zeiss is a relatively small center.

Some perceive that Zeiss's shifted color balance gives an appearance of enhanced contrast and brightness while Swaro actually delivers it, with better rendition of blacks and more useable brightness in declining light (cf. Alula). And with almost complete edge to edge sharpness.

However, it was the actual vs spec'd eye relief of the Zeiss zoom eyepiece that made it a non-starter for me. While using a Zeiss 65 with the zoom EP and wearing glasses, I found that the marked drop off of ER between 15x and 45x turned its famous FOV into a hopelessly small field. Both Swaro's and Leica's zoom lenses offer significantly more useful ER -- and not too shabby a view, to boot.

Bradley
Click to expand...
I am long sighted and find no zoom ideal throughout its range - I have access to Swaro and Zeiss and can say I prefer the Zeiss but accept your comments.

Regarding FOV, I can't agree - the Zeiss knocks the spots of the Swaro as many here have noted. But there we are! The Swaro is colder and the Zeiss is warmer. For a really naturalistic view, Nikon is the man!
 
Got to have my two pennyworth!

I have the Zeiss 65 + zoom and LOVE it. The soft edges at the lower power are un-noticable IMHO, but the fov is a terrific help in locating birds, ready to zoom in.

I also had the chance to look through a Leica 77 APO and 'non' APO at the weekend and frankly thought my Zeiss was well up to par and a lot lighter to lug around!! The thought of lugging a heavier scope over the Cumbrian Fells for 10 miles for at best very marginal benefits doesn't seem worth the extra effort

Enjoy your landmark birthday Gary and you'l love the zoom!!!

Cheers


B
 
barry robson said:
Got to have my two pennyworth!

I have the Zeiss 65 + zoom and LOVE it. The soft edges at the lower power are un-noticable IMHO, but the fov is a terrific help in locating birds, ready to zoom in.

I also had the chance to look through a Leica 77 APO and 'non' APO at the weekend and frankly thought my Zeiss was well up to par and a lot lighter to lug around!! The thought of lugging a heavier scope over the Cumbrian Fells for 10 miles for at best very marginal benefits doesn't seem worth the extra effort

Enjoy your landmark birthday Gary and you'l love the zoom!!!

Cheers


B
Click to expand...
For a ten mile walk over the fells... the new Nikon ED50 is the choice, I'd say. But that little Zeiss is a gem.
 
Well maybe Scampo, but I've only had the beautiful baby Zeiss 9 months and convincing the team leader that I need a change would be impossible! Any new kit would be an upgrade of my bins (Minox 10x52) and the chances of that happening are pretty remote - still, it doesn't stop me reading all the reviews and dreaming - would it be the new Zeiss FL or the Swaros, but then new Nikons seem pretty good, and of course there are the Ultravids…
Ho hum

B
 
barry robson said:
Well maybe Scampo, but I've only had the beautiful baby Zeiss 9 months and convincing the team leader that I need a change would be impossible! Any new kit would be an upgrade of my bins (Minox 10x52) and the chances of that happening are pretty remote - still, it doesn't stop me reading all the reviews and dreaming - would it be the new Zeiss FL or the Swaros, but then new Nikons seem pretty good, and of course there are the Ultravids…
Ho hum

B
Click to expand...
The 10x32 Nikon HGs from WE at half price are the ones at the moment - while stocks last!
 
Last year I decided to step down to a smaller scope and after extensive testing went for the Leica. The much talked about soft edges on the Zeiss zoom was an issue for me, as was the colour. I personally felt that the Leica delivered the truest colours of any of the scopes.

However after two months I got rid of the Leica - I still feel it's the best of the bunch, but the set down form a bigger scope was too much. The light gathering in really tough situations just wasn't upto scratch. Did some testing of it seawatching at dawn along site the big Leica and Swaros and realsied I'd have to change back... an expensive mistake to make, so make sure you try in as many different conditions as you can beofre buying.
 
scampo said:
The 10x32 Nikon HGs from WE at half price are the ones at the moment - while stocks last!
Click to expand...

Can't argue with that - those HG's have to be one of the best binoculars deals of all time. If it wasn't for the trouble I'd get in with my wife I'd be very tempted to a pair myself...
 
postcardcv said:
Last year I decided to step down to a smaller scope and after extensive testing went for the Leica. The much talked about soft edges on the Zeiss zoom was an issue for me, as was the colour. I personally felt that the Leica delivered the truest colours of any of the scopes.

However after two months I got rid of the Leica - I still feel it's the best of the bunch, but the set down form a bigger scope was too much. The light gathering in really tough situations just wasn't upto scratch. Did some testing of it seawatching at dawn along site the big Leica and Swaros and realsied I'd have to change back... an expensive mistake to make, so make sure you try in as many different conditions as you can beofre buying.
Click to expand...
That's an interesting experience. I have used the Swaro 60 + zoom many, many times (but never for sea watching, it must be said) and I cannot say I have noticed this effect in an important way, even though it is predictable objectively. Certainly when digiscoping, the 60mm provides a somewhat less bright image, but for viewing the difference seems very slight and non-existent in daily use. I think the eye can easily adjust to differing light levels whereas, of course, a camera cannot.

Thinking about what differences I have noted, I would say it would have to be very, very dull indeed. Certainly for watching a gull roost at dusk, the Swaro works well. It remains a good point, though - it would be an expensive thing to swap over if your own eyes were more sensitive toi the differences - as must be the case with you.

Out of interest the scopes I compare the Swaro 60 with are the Zeiss 85 and Nikon 82 - both very bright indeed, if not the brightest available.
 
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