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Minox 2-10x40 ZA 5 Pro & Con VS. others |
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Seamaster
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/09/2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Status: Offline Points: 84 |
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Posted: January/15/2011 at 16:04 |
First of all, thanks for all the reviews and comments from senoir members that guide me to right direction. I bought Bushnell 4200 3-12x44 tactical (http://swfa.com/Bushnell-3-12x44-Elite-Tactical-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P48268.aspx) for my FNAR .308 semi earlier last year. My friends asked to go hunting with them, I then bought a Tikka T3 SS in .300 WSM. My plan was to save money use one scope for both rifles for now. Soon discover my plan has failed badly. The windage knob on the Bushnell is so big, block the ejection port, no matter how I position it!! After some research, I came across this Minox deal @ competitor New York. I did not want to spend too much money, but also want good quality scope. I was in photography, I already knew Minox make decent glass. So the choice for me was not as hair pulling as other people. I did go to the store to look quite a few times look at Conquest, Monarch, Fullfild II, 3200, VX III, and point each at natural light instead indoor light. I also borrowed my friend's VX II 3-9x50.
All above models, my friend's VXII is at botton of the list. This scope is bright because of 50mm front lens, but contrast is very low, which makes objects such as games in the woods hard to see. Bushnell 4200 resolve much better than 3200, image also much cleaner, as well as color and contrast. Please note use of "much" here. Thank God I did not go 3200. Fullfild II did not impress me on anything, so I did not spend too much time on them, but they are better than VXII for sure. The adjustments on Fullfild II feel very cheap. I had very high hope for Nikon because I use Nikon camera for the longest time from FM-2 to F-3HP. Monarch has no problem with sharpness, but color retention just like every other Japanese lens, little weak compare to Conquest. 4200 offers the most vivid color of all Jap lens I tried. Of course I am not talking about high priced scopes here. Conquest beat all above in image, and built quality.
Now the Minox 2-10x40 ZA 5 @ $349. It is about $50 less than Conquest 3-9x40, but also you can get Minox 3-9x40 even cheaper. I like the x2 and extra field of view on the low end of Minox better than Conquest. I have read a lot people compliant about Minox's eye piece being very restrictive. Well, it is true and also not true. It says 4 inch eye relief on paper. But I feel it is 5 inch or more. If you get too close, the image start to go away. Step back, then everything become sharp again. Barrel distortion on the very edge of the image field maybe a problem for some people. I point it at vertical objects such as buildings, objects bent along with image circle. I would be a mad man if this is a camera lens, but the scope is for hunting. I could careless since barrel distortion only happens at very very edge. Flare is very well controlled on the object lens on Minox, but appears at eye piece when strong ligh source behind you. After I put Bulter Creek eye piece cover on it, which acts like mini lens hood, it fixed the problem. Over all the eye piece is more restrictive than Conquest or 4200, but not as bad as other people say. Leouple's eye piece is very relaxed. Side by side compare with my 4200: 4200 with 44mm front lens is brighter by very small margin, but only noticeable put them side by side. Image is sharper with Minox just like Conquest vs 4200. The most noticeable improvement is color, very vivid with Minox, which I like a lot. Color is the best I have seen to date even compare to Conquest. The contrast of dark/shadow area is also much better with |
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Seamaster
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/09/2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Status: Offline Points: 84 |
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