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Better than Zeiss Conquest HD? (1 Viewer)

P

PJPro

Well-known member
I'm looking for a new pair of binoculars. My wife has a pair of Zeiss Conquest HDs, so I need to get something better than hers (obviously). ;)

When I bought my wife her Conquests (8x42) I did a lot of research and felt that these were the best (sub alpha) option available, so I expect it will be difficult to get something "better" for me.

I'm looking to spend less than £1k (no grey imports). I don't wear glasses but I do have eyes which are relatively close together. I would prefer something which is not too heavy.

Any thoughts?

(I'm currently using a pair of Leica Ultravid 8x20 which are great but a bit small for use as a main pair)
 
Minox MIG HG line....I would say they beat the Conquest....Great build quality, nice optics [could use updating] , smooth focus...can be found at closeout prices if you look around.......
 
I know exactly what you want. It is lighter, smaller and more compact than the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 or 8x42 and better optically. It is the new Swarovski CL 8x30. I had them both and decided to keep one so I compared them for several weeks. The CL definitely has better ergonomics than the Conquest and it is smaller and lighter. It also has much better eye cups. The Zeiss Conquest HD I had had cheap rough moving eye cups. The Swaro's are smooth and solidly built and they have infinite adjustment positions. The Conquest has a slightly bigger FOV than the CL but the Swarovski view is better. The CL has sharper edges and better contrast. For me it was an easy decision to keep the CL. If you want to stay with an 8x32 or above the Zeiss FL, Zeiss SF, Zeiss HT, Swarovski SV or the Swarovski SLC, Leica Ultravid HD, Leica Noctivid and Nikon EDG are all better than the Conquest. The Zeiss 8x32 FL or Swarovski 8x32 SV would be a good choice also if you want a smaller more compact binocular. A lot of people will recommend Meopta and they are good optically for the price point. I have had three of them over the last few years and I had quality issues with all of them which is not good but your luck with them may be different than mine.
 
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Aside from the known eye-cup issues, you won't find much better full-size optical glass at the $1000 mark than the Conquests, however one other optic I like real well that may be pretty close or even just a bit better is the Monarch HG. Construction and design are pretty nice. The HG's have a bit better FOV and are a bit lighter.

If I was shopping at the $1000 price point, The HG's would get my money over the Conquests. I'd look at the Maven's as well.
 
I would also check out the Styrka S9 which is built in Japan. Steve C wrote a good review on them here. I’ve only checked them out briefly but was very impressed. I do have a pair of the S5 model and the optics and build quality are great for the price. I also had a pair of Conquests. They were nice but I had a focus issue with them that other viwers have noticed. I had a very hard time keeping objects in focus and was always making adjustments. Some have suggested that is because they have a very fast focus. However I thought it was due in part to lack of depth of field because when I got an object perfectly focused it didn’t have much depth either in front or behind. Obviously you’ve had yours for awhile and haven’t mentioned this so perhaps I had a faulty pair. Would definitely check out the Styrkas if you want to cover all your bases. Good luck and let us know what you decide on!
 
PJpro, post 1,
Buy your wife a Meopta Meostar B1 8x32 or a Meopta Meopro 8x32, in both cases you will have even money left to buy a beautiful necklace for your wife or, if she is not into jewelry, a few tickets for fascinating operas.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
I'll be interested to see what you purchase to "one up" the Conquest HD.

I recently sold some Meopta B1 HDs, mostly because I'm a picky viewer. They have a great view, but I wanted a little more from my glass. I imagine that I'm about to learn a lesson that many others already know...making that jump in slightly better glass is going to come at a cost.
 
Spent some time down at Pennington Marshes today. Chiffchaff, Golden Plover, Spoon Bill, Marsh Harrer, Ruff, Pereginne but no Bearded Reedlings (for us).

Anyway, I suggested to my wife that we swap binoculars for the day, so she had the Ultravids and I had the Conquests. I have to say they were very good. There were some minor niggles (lens covers mainly), which did intrude on the viewing a little but not much else....a wee bit heavy maybe? I'm guessing, in terms of bang for buck, they are going to be very difficult to beat.
 
I second Xlr8n's post. Monarch HG. I bought a pair in 10x42 and I'm seriously impressed. Today I had them out with my SE 8x32 (the binocular of the Optics God) and there's no perceivable difference that I can see, hand-held, that can't be accounted for by the difference in magnification. Prices vary but they can be found for less than a thousand euro.
 
We’ll for those who like the Conquest now is the time to buy. Zeiss is running its spring promotion of 10% off and Optics Planet has an additional 12% off. Price for the 8x42 is $768!
 
I have tried several of the current mid-range models, and the Zeiss Conquest HD still rises to the top,
compared to those I will mention.

Those include the Nikon Monarch HG, and Leica Trinovid HD.

The Conquest does excel, in centerfield sharpness and brightness. It handles very nice, quality armor,
finish, and a smooth focuser.

I don't play favorites.

Jerry
 
8x42

The Best value to me hands down is the Monarch HG 8X42, never tried the 10X but the 8X provides a great view at 8.3 degrees, is a bright glass and weighs 660 grams, and the size is not much bigger than some 8X32s. See below.

A.W.
 
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