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W/Express Zeiss 65 offer (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter pduxon
- Start date
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
But be quick.
They only had 30 or so in the offer when I ordered mine last Wednesday, and they were already starting to shift.
Also - pot luck as to what colour scope you get (if that matters to you), but at £599 all in, who cares?
Oh - and Scampo's right - the zoom is a wondrous piece of glass, and this scope/EP combination is the best £600 you'll ever spend.
They only had 30 or so in the offer when I ordered mine last Wednesday, and they were already starting to shift.
Also - pot luck as to what colour scope you get (if that matters to you), but at £599 all in, who cares?
Oh - and Scampo's right - the zoom is a wondrous piece of glass, and this scope/EP combination is the best £600 you'll ever spend.
sideshowandy
New member
my first post!
i ordered a 65 with the zoom last week and i should receive it tomorrow (had to wait to sign the paperwork for the 9 months free credit...)
i was very lucky as i had done a few weeks of research and had decided to order a Zeiss 2 weeks ago but had been too busy so hadn't gotten around to it. hey presto the offer comes along and i save £200! (which was spent on a carbon tripod...)
i think i need a day off work tomorrow to play!
i ordered a 65 with the zoom last week and i should receive it tomorrow (had to wait to sign the paperwork for the 9 months free credit...)
i was very lucky as i had done a few weeks of research and had decided to order a Zeiss 2 weeks ago but had been too busy so hadn't gotten around to it. hey presto the offer comes along and i save £200! (which was spent on a carbon tripod...)
i think i need a day off work tomorrow to play!
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
Much like my situation, Andy - I'd already decided on the scope/eyepiece combo I wanted, and nearly fell off my seat when another forum member posted a throwaway comment about the deal - I'd have missed it otherwise!
Believe me, it's worth the wait for the paperwork to clear!
Believe me, it's worth the wait for the paperwork to clear!
scampo
Steve Campsall
I saw the deal a week or so ago and thought to post on it - but I can see a few lucky people here have got hold of one. What a price for this scope - Warehouse Express really do have some good deals: the Nikon Sporter, the Nikon HG, Nikon ED78, Nikon Fieldscope III, now this from one of the very top optics companies.
£599-00 for this scope is a steal. I know Keith is knocked out with it, already. My son paid over £1000-00 for a Swaro 65HD two years ago and the Zeiss is easily in the same league.
£599-00 for this scope is a steal. I know Keith is knocked out with it, already. My son paid over £1000-00 for a Swaro 65HD two years ago and the Zeiss is easily in the same league.
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
You could tell I like it eh, Steve?
And many thanks to John P for the tip-off - I'd be gutted to have missed this deal.
When I phoned up about it, the guy on the phone did say he'd see if a green scope was available when the order went out, but maybe he just wasn't aware that it wasn't an option.
No matter, it'll be in a case as soon as I can find one that actually fits...
And many thanks to John P for the tip-off - I'd be gutted to have missed this deal.
When I phoned up about it, the guy on the phone did say he'd see if a green scope was available when the order went out, but maybe he just wasn't aware that it wasn't an option.
No matter, it'll be in a case as soon as I can find one that actually fits...
hornet
Well-known member
blythkeith said:
OK, I can see my willpower is about to break here - been trying not to think about a scope upgrade for some time, but this is surely too good an opportunity to miss...
Just one question though - I've just got a Contax SL300 digicam (yup, about a week before the 4.2mp version was announced - harrumph) and currently use it handheld with my Kowa 611 with reasonable results. The adaptor on the Contax is wide enough (30mm give or take) so it sits on the metal surrounding the Kowa lens (rubber removed) without touching the glass - so no real risk of scratching.
Does anyone know whether the same will apply with the Zeiss zoom, or will the glass on that fabulous bucket eyepiece be wider than the Contax adaptor?
If so, I guess I'll need to cost up an adaptor. And then maybe a remote shutter release, and...
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
Hi Hornet,
If it's any help, the overall width of the EP is 52mm, and the lens itself is 14mm - maybe that'll give you a clue as to the compatability with your Contax...
If it's any help, the overall width of the EP is 52mm, and the lens itself is 14mm - maybe that'll give you a clue as to the compatability with your Contax...
hornet
Well-known member
blythkeith said:
Thanks Keith,
I'm sure it will be great with the Contax, and I think I'll probably end up buying an adaptor anyway (the LCE one looks promising - anyone got any thoughts on this with the 15-45 zoom?).
But it would be handy if I could just find out the diameter of the glass in the eyepiece - I've got a feeling from photographs / memory that it must be more than 30mm? Does anyone have one to hand they could measure?
Marc (wish I'd never signed on as hornet - still feels silly)
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
Marc/Hornet,
the diameter of the glass in the zoom eyepiece is 24mm, not 14 - my apologies.
the diameter of the glass in the zoom eyepiece is 24mm, not 14 - my apologies.
hornet
Well-known member
blythkeith said:
Cheers Keith, very much appreciated. Sounds ideal for handheld and adaptor digiscoping then.
Steve - I'll let you know how I get on with digiscoping on the zoom at 15x. I must admit I'm really looking forward to it - I've only had the camera a few weeks and I'm pretty hooked.
Even with a non-ED Kowa 611 I'm getting really satisfying results. I'm really excited about what the Zeiss might do.
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
Aye, me too - even though I'm not really thinking of digiscoping yet, I'll be interested to see how you get on, Marc.
I was out again last night in far poorer conditions than Sunday, when I christened the scope in brilliant sunny weather - when it was frankly staggering to look through.
Last night - from about 16:30 onwards - it was grey, drizzly, dark and 'orrible.
I was blown away by the fact that I could clearly see the eyestripe under the eye of a velvet scoter which was about 300+ yards distant on the sea, even at 15x - it actually seemed brighter looking through the scope than it did to my naked eyes!
And I could still usefully use the 45x magnification too for a really good look.
This scope is better than it has any right to be for its size, and its ability to resolve detail at 15x that wasn't even visible on my mate's (perfectly usable) Opticron HR66 + 27x HDF, is honestly breathtaking.
I am so impressed!
I was out again last night in far poorer conditions than Sunday, when I christened the scope in brilliant sunny weather - when it was frankly staggering to look through.
Last night - from about 16:30 onwards - it was grey, drizzly, dark and 'orrible.
I was blown away by the fact that I could clearly see the eyestripe under the eye of a velvet scoter which was about 300+ yards distant on the sea, even at 15x - it actually seemed brighter looking through the scope than it did to my naked eyes!
And I could still usefully use the 45x magnification too for a really good look.
This scope is better than it has any right to be for its size, and its ability to resolve detail at 15x that wasn't even visible on my mate's (perfectly usable) Opticron HR66 + 27x HDF, is honestly breathtaking.
I am so impressed!
hornet
Well-known member
blythkeith said:
OK, now I'm REALLY excited about this scope.
Ordered it today, should get it next week (a short delay for the paperwork on Warehouse Express's extremely generous credit terms).
You'll be the first to find out how I get on, viewing and digiscoping.
Now, to the For Sale forum. Anyone interested in an extremely reasonable Kowa 611 with a cracking TSN 30ww eyepiece, perfect first scope / Xmas present, details to be posted next week...
hornet
Well-known member
Sorry it's taken so long for me to report back - work keeps getting in the way of my birding.
I've had the scope for a few weeks now and frankly, it is superb. To have bought it for just £600 feels like I've robbed them - still, such a good deal just adds to the pleasure every time I look through it.
The zoom is wide, bright and pin sharp. The 'soft' edging at 15x takes about 10 minutes to get used to, and then you can start to see why Zeiss have left it there. It is a fabulous way to track and locate birds before zooming into 20 or 25x by which time the softness has gone. Wouldn't be without it now.
As for digiscoping - well, I could do with a some sunlight now please.
I've waiting patiently for nearly a month and all I've had is cloud, rain and mizzle. Despite this, I've knocked up a quick home-made adaptor (sawn-off pill pot, some elastic bands and good-old Duck Tape) and managed a few very quick sessions in horrible conditions.
I've attached a few examples, none of which do the Zeiss any justice at all. First, I'm a complete beginner. Second, the light was always lousy. Third, some of them were handheld before I made the adaptor / bought the shutter release. Still, things can only get better, and I know I've got a great bit of kit to work with now.
Has anyone found a decent case for this btw? SWOptics have got a Skua case which they reckon is OK at £89 - any thoughts?
I've had the scope for a few weeks now and frankly, it is superb. To have bought it for just £600 feels like I've robbed them - still, such a good deal just adds to the pleasure every time I look through it.
The zoom is wide, bright and pin sharp. The 'soft' edging at 15x takes about 10 minutes to get used to, and then you can start to see why Zeiss have left it there. It is a fabulous way to track and locate birds before zooming into 20 or 25x by which time the softness has gone. Wouldn't be without it now.
As for digiscoping - well, I could do with a some sunlight now please.
I've waiting patiently for nearly a month and all I've had is cloud, rain and mizzle. Despite this, I've knocked up a quick home-made adaptor (sawn-off pill pot, some elastic bands and good-old Duck Tape) and managed a few very quick sessions in horrible conditions.
I've attached a few examples, none of which do the Zeiss any justice at all. First, I'm a complete beginner. Second, the light was always lousy. Third, some of them were handheld before I made the adaptor / bought the shutter release. Still, things can only get better, and I know I've got a great bit of kit to work with now.
Has anyone found a decent case for this btw? SWOptics have got a Skua case which they reckon is OK at £89 - any thoughts?
