Zeiss Conquest 15x45

[CodyB]

Does anyone have any experience with the Zeiss Conquest 15x45 binoculars? I like the price tag of around $1100 or so. The Zeiss Conquest rifle scopes I have shot impressed me but I have no experience with their binoculars. While these binoculars might not compare to the Swarovski 15x56 they are about $2000 cheaper which is very significant. I'm suprised these binoculars are not discussed more often.

 

[bucktaxi]

I have compared them in the store against a resolution chart and the only edge swarovski 15x have over them is the brightness. The zeiss exit pupil is only 3mm and that will affect low light glassing. They have a very sharp, crisp focus and are extremely light weight (21 ounces) but just aren't real bright. I just bought a pair of old Zeiss 15x60 for $900 and they fared quite well against the swaros outside. The swaros still had a slight edge over them on brightness because of modern coatings. They'll get a good test this week on my muzzle loader hunt in CO. There's a pair on ebay right now.

Having said all that, you may want to consider buying a used pair of swarovski 15X56s. You can find them for $1500-$1600 all the time. They are best optics out there for 15X right now and remember they (15x binos) are strictly tripod optics.