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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Leica Ultravid 8x20, Nikon 8x30 E II or 8x30 Habicht? (1 Viewer)

I do need a Zeiss Oberkochen 8x30 one day however. I wonder how those compare to the Hartmanns.

Try to find the last wider field version of the 8x30B. That's the real gem of the whole Oberkochen line, much better than the other two 8x30s, mostly I think because it's the only Oberkochen Porro that doesn't use the widely air-spaced tele-objective design.
 
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Try to find the last wider field version of the 8x30B. That's the real gem of the whole Oberkochen line, much better than the other two 8x30s, mostly I think because it's the only Oberkochen Porro that doesn't use the widely air-spaced tele-objective design.
Every so often I get the urge to go find one. They're about as high on the lust meter (for me anyway) as binoculars can go. But then I think ... wait, if you look at it rationally, it's a single-coated binocular with a decent, but not outstanding 130m at 1000m field of view, and I have an 8x32 FL which ticks the usability with glasses box very capably indeed, as well as the 8x30 non-B that offers 150m...

If the 8x30B had made it into the T* era I suppose I'd look harder; but then they'd be priced at even crazier levels.

Then again, I suppose, binoculars like that are not purchased for utility. And, without a doubt, few things ooze more Zeiss-ness than an old Zeiss West.

I also have a Zeiss Jena 8x30 from the 50's (pre-multicoating) -- it might not be a fair comparison as my Hartmanns are all a bit younger (so they have newer coatings) but I prefer the "Porlerim" over the Zeiss Jena 8x30. I do need a Zeiss Oberkochen 8x30 one day however. I wonder how those compare to the Hartmanns.

I've never seen a Hartmann (would like to look through the last multi-coated version - Bernina? - some day) but preferred the Zeiss West 8x30 non-B to the multi-coated Jenoptem 8x30W, mainly because of its outstanding build quality and compactness, but also its larger sweet spot. Some comments from 2017, which I mostly still agree with today: Zeiss-ness: 60 hours with the Oberkochen 8x30
 
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