In praise of small scopes (1 Viewer)

[Vespobuteo]

Meopta produced for Zeiss before, so everything is possible

I know the Dialyt scope is made in Japan, but I wanted to know if "made in Japan" is on the scope. I can't find it.

Yes that's correct, I think it was at least some Zeiss scope model made by Meopta.

The new SFL binocular has the marking "Made in Japan" so not sure why they wouldn't mark the Dialyt scope as well.

Maybe the hunting market (for whom it's mostly aimed) is more sensitive to place of origin?

 

[Thotmosis]

Yes that's correct, I think it was at least some Zeiss scope model made by Meopta.

The new SFL binocular has the marking "Made in Japan" so not sure why they wouldn't mark the Dialyt scope as well.

Maybe the hunting market (for whom it's mostly aimed) is more sensitive to place of origin?

Can be, but i really don't, know. Hunters use Conquest a lot and they are also made in Japan. I believe the Terra line is made in China....

 

[dwever]

Went from too big to medium-large and very happy. Swar ATX 115 to 85, and didn’t lose much ground on the exit pupils thanks to a 5X power drop from 30 to 25 (3.83 to 3.4 EP at lowest power).

 

[Hermann]

Went from too big to medium-large and very happy. Swar ATX 115 to 85, and didn’t lose much ground on the exit pupils thanks to a 5X power drop from 30 to 25 (3.83 to 3.4 EP at lowest power).

Well, but even the 85 hardly qualifies as a "small scope" ... These big scopes ARE nice, however, the point of this thread was to point out the very real advantages small scopes have in many situations.

Hermann

 

[Hermann]

There appears to be a rumour that Swarovski  may be releasing a new pocket scope later this year: NL Pures Optically superior?. No details known yet, however, such a small scope - if it ever materialises - may be an interesting product if the specifications are right.

Interesting times.

Hermann

 

[William Lewis]

There appears to be a rumour that Swarovski  may be releasing a new pocket scope later this year: NL Pures Optically superior?. No details known yet, however, such a small scope - if it ever materialises - may be an interesting product if the specifications are right.

Interesting times.

Hermann

I'd have a look if they did, wouldn't want to go far below a 2.5mm exit pupil though.

 

[Hermann]

I'd have a look if they did, wouldn't want to go far below a 2.5mm exit pupil though.

Well, I need more magnification than 20x quite a lot. If this were a 20x50, I'd have to use the Zeiss 3x12 quite a bit. 60x is a bit much for a 50mm scope, but it would allow me to get IDs if the birds are too far away. I've got the Zeiss Mono 20x60S, and I find 20x is often not enough magnification, at least for my purposes.

Hermann

 

[Rufus1401]

I have just learned something very important. The Zeiss Dialyt scope is made in Japan ! I was umming and arring over whether to get the Vortex HD Razor 85mm scope or the Zeiss Dialyt. The Dialyt was winning as I thought it was made in Germany. Now I find it’s made in Japan, probably by the same people who make the Vortex. So for about a £100 extra for the Vortex, I get HD glass, 85mm objective, 60x max and an APO lens system. Sorry Zeiss, and thanks guys 😃👍👍

 

[Rufus1401]

Update on the Vortex Razor HD Scope, I just heard from Vortex customer service in the US. The Razor HD Scope is manufactured in the US using Japanese produced glass etc. I’m sort of impressed now 😊

 

[Peregrine Took]

^^^ If it's made in the USA, I hope you can get your hands on one that is already UK stock - before prices rise due to the fall in sterling. That's not intended as a political point, just fact.
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[Rufus1401]

^^^ If it's made in the USA, I hope you can get your hands on one that is already UK stock - before prices rise due to the fall in sterling. That's not intended as a political point, just fact.
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Yeah, that is a good point ! I would like to try first instead of buying blind, so might have to take a day trip to a shooting/camera store near me. Zeiss is fine, have a dealer close by.

 

[Peregrine Took]

Personally I'd buy Zeiss over Vortex. I bought an Opticron scope over Vortex (and other brands, and to be fair, on budget), but have Zeiss Conquest bins. I've always like Zeiss photographic lenses... not the best technically, but reassuringly solid and beautiful in the hand. If I were to choose a country of manufacture for optical equipment it would be Japan, where my Fuji camera and lenses are made.
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[Rufus1401]

A few people have said they would buy Zeiss over Vortex. Any particular reason ? Or is just something about Zeiss ?

 

[Peregrine Took]

A few people have said they would buy Zeiss over Vortex. Any particular reason ? Or is just something about Zeiss ?

I guess we all have our favourites. Zeiss were established in 1846, Vortex in the 1980s. Zeiss employs 35,000 people worldwide. It's a world leader in optics and medical equipment - you could literally trust the company with your life. I also prefer German or Japanese manufacturing of optical equipment, to just about any other country of origin. Plus, as I said, I own Zeiss binoculars and have owned several Zeiss photographic lenses.

Doesn't mean Vortex is bad (so I hope nobody jumps on me for expressing an opinion), but because Zeiss is a company whose products I've personally come to enjoy over many years, and is a brand I trust, I wouldn't get the same satisfaction from owning a Vortex product (or those of many other brands) as I would a product produced by Zeiss. And I like my Opticron MM4, but the truth is, if I could afford/justify a Zeiss scope I'd buy one.

ZEISS United Kingdom

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics.

www.zeiss.co.uk

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[Rufus1401]

I guess we all have our favourites. Zeiss were established in 1846, Vortex in the 1980s. Zeiss employs 35,000 people worldwide. It's a world leader in optics and medical equipment - you could literally trust the company with your life. I also prefer German or Japanese manufacturing of optical equipment, to just about any other country of origin. Plus, as I said, I own Zeiss binoculars and have owned several Zeiss photographic lenses.

Doesn't mean Vortex is bad (so I hope nobody jumps on me for expressing an opinion), but because Zeiss is a company whose products I've personally come to enjoy over many years, and is a brand I trust, I wouldn't get the same satisfaction from owning a Vortex product (or those of many other brands) as I would a product produced by Zeiss. And I like my Opticron MM4, but the truth is, if I could afford/justify a Zeiss scope I'd buy one.

ZEISS United Kingdom

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics.

www.zeiss.co.uk

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Thanks for this. This is the type of personal recommendations and advice I find really valuable, before I spend a large quantity of cash my missus will kill me for.

 

[Peregrine Took]

Thanks for this. This is the type of personal recommendations and advice I find really valuable, before I spend a large quantity of cash my missus will kill me for.

That's okay. It's only my opinion and I know Vortex is popular on the other side of the pond. One final thing. I think if I bought a Vortex, on the basis that it was better value than a comparable Zeiss product, I'd be left thinking I should have bought the Zeiss. Whereas if it were the other way around, I'd buy the Zeiss and not look back.

That's exactly what happened when I was looking at bins. I started out wanting to love the Nikon Monarch (which suited my original budget), and bought a pair, but then realised what I really wanted were the Zeiss Conquests, so I upped my budget and swapped them. That was a year ago and I've not for one moment regretted it. I think bins are little more 'intimate' than scopes, because you 'wear' them and handle them more, and in my case I use them a lot more too.

I guess I'm coming across as a fanboy for Zeiss.
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[fazalmajid]

FWIW, Zeiss and Schott are owned by a charitable foundation established by Ernst Abbe, the Carl Zeiss Stiftung, that promotes scientific research:

Welcome | Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung

We create an open environment for scientific breakthroughs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We provide funding in the areas Artificial Intelligence, Resource Efficiency and STEM.

www.carl-zeiss-stiftung.de

 

[MiddleRiver]

Velbon Ultra 655 legs - they are aluminum and not the lightest in the world but high quality and sturdy for 4-section legs, and, crucially for me, one spin of the foot unlocks all 4 sections so that unlocking, extending, and relocking the leg requires three motions and is doable in 3-4 seconds per leg, making the whole thing so much more convenient and faster than any other tripod I've owned. There may be other clever tripods in this realm, but this is the one I found. So far it's holding up well and I greatly prefer it to my theoretically superior and certainly more expensive carbon tripod.

The head is an Oben MBH-11. It's dual action (you can lock the tilt but still unlock the pan). It has a good, smooth action, and works well. Very happy with it for the price.

I'm shopping for a scope and have this head on my tripod. I'm trying to keep things light and compact. But do scope users feel that a head with an adjusting arm are a requirement? I'll admit sometimes with camera on tripod, I do miss the handles sticking out, even tho the ball works pretty well (and of course I LOVE not having handles when packing or toting it).

 

[Will K]

A few people have said they would buy Zeiss over Vortex. Any particular reason ? Or is just something about Zeiss ?

When I was researching for a new scope last year, the two front-runners for me were the Vortex Razor and Zeiss Gavia. These were both 'compromise' options, really, because I was (and remain) very curious about the Zeiss Harpia, but the price is still too high for me, at my current income.

In the end, I went for the Vortex because their second hand prices are excellent, their warranty is very comforting, and I find the Razor Gen II to be very characterful and pleasant to use. (Much better than the old Gen I. I was also rather disappointed with the Viper and Diamondback scopes.)

Not that there is anything wrong with the Zeiss Gavia, however, which seems, in my eyes, to be ever so slightly better than the Razor. Nevertheless, I still plan to upgrade to a Harpia 95 when I get a new job. (The modular Swaro ATX is attractive, obviously - especially due to that gorgeous 115mm objective module - but I've heard a few too many negative experiences from users who complain about optical imperfections. The Harpia might suffer from those, too, as far as I am aware, but very few people seem to own one or have used it enough to comment.)

In the meantime, the Razor is a wonderful companion on all my outdoor adventures.

 

[Will K]

I'm shopping for a scope and have this head on my tripod. I'm trying to keep things light and compact. But do scope users feel that a head with an adjusting arm are a requirement? I'll admit sometimes with camera on tripod, I do miss the handles sticking out, even tho the ball works pretty well (and of course I LOVE not having handles when packing or toting it).

I use a Gitzo ball head myself, and don't feel any need to upgrade to a fluid or two way head, at this stage. Like you, I appreciate the compactness and portability of smaller setups, even if there is a bit of wobble in a strong wind.