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zeiss conquest vs. minox za5

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Dyelynn View Drop Down
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    Posted: March/29/2011 at 11:06
rather than resurrect my original thread, I'd like to pare it down a little. 

the minox za5, 3-15x42 with bdc:
http://swfa.com/Minox-3-15x42-ZA5-Riflescope-P48160.aspx
and the zeiss conquest 4.5-14x44 with rapid-z800:
http://swfa.com/Zeiss-45-14x44-Conquest-Rifle-Scope-P8671.aspx
are the 2 scopes i've settled on for my new big game rig.

I'd like to hear from you folks as to why the zeiss is 350$ more?  I understand that's somewhat a question of opinion,  brand-recognition and loyalty, but from the glancing comments i've read on the site dealing with these 2 scopes, they're close enough that it's too much.

So, who's camp are you in?  The weight savings in the minox would be nice, as I'm leaning more and more towards a lighter-weight rifle to drag around hills, but not at the cost of lesser construction.  Budget is a concern, but I could swing the conquest $, although I'd probably get something off the samplelist or the like.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 11:24
There are several Conquest on the samplelist right now.  Thats the route I'd go.  Minox is getting good press but I want more time on them before I test one.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Robertson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 11:33
I have a Conquest with the Z-600 and the ranging system has been quite close/right on with all loads so far from the '06 it's mounted on.
I'm going to test some very reduced loads when I can get to the range again to see how it does just with round nose/heavy  bullets just barely above supersonic (1100 fps area).
Lots of people have spoken highly of Minox scopes, but don't personally have any experience with them..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bricat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 11:40
I had both, traded the Minox in on a Swarovski Z3. As far as low light performance they were VERY close, I give a SLIGHT edge to the Conquest. (for my eyes) Didn't care too much for the Minox reticle but thats because I have always LOVED the Zeiss reticles. (I call 'em sharp, black and sexy). Zeiss is a BIT heavier and "bulkier" but NOT a deal breaker. Hated the oversized Minox turret covers. If I were in your shoes getting ready to choose, I would go with the Zeiss and not look back. The FEW extra ounces of weight in the Zeiss won't shorten your time hiking the hills one bit.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tip69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 11:41
I beleive some of the $$ is for the Rapid-Z.   probably costs more to make.
take em!
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Dyelynn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dyelynn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 11:46
Originally posted by Tip69 Tip69 wrote:

I beleive some of the $$ is for the Rapid-Z.   probably costs more to make.


~75$
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 17:27
If you don't want the large turret covers,go with the Minox Z3.Minox is a better deal than the Conquest,with the savings you can get a great set of rings.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tman1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 17:32
I think I too would have to go with the conquest.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dyelynn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 17:33
Originally posted by stickbow46 stickbow46 wrote:

If you don't want the large turret covers,go with the Minox Z3.  Minox is a better deal than the Conquest, with the savings you can get a great set of rings.


i really like the 5x multiplier and 3-15x is a great mag range :)

if the quality between the 2 scopes is similar, than the minox is definitely a better deal... but from what i've read and the couple of comments on here so far suggest that it's in question.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bricat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 17:35
The Minox is the one with the large turret covers. Did you mean "if you don't MIND the large..."
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 17:42
I own both & the glass is a toss up,that's what makes it a beter deal + 5x mag on the Z5.Again this all subject to personal taste.Hopefully you can get to see them side by side.
 
If your into it for just the glass,Swaro Z3 is the way to go,the other 2 scopes look pale in comparrison to the Swaro.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WYcoyote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/29/2011 at 18:32
I have a Minox 3-15x-42 and if you want a light weight mountain rifle scope you have GOT to check this one out.
Great eye relief, a good thing for light guns. 
I have heard some question their durability but no one has seen a failure that I know of. Plus the way I read the warranty it is similar to Vortex"s. Any problem, even your fault they will honor. You can't beat that.
Bang for buck is awesome.
If your heart is set on AO it's not for you. But it is lighter and more compact without it, and it's one less thing to mess with when you should be pulling the trigger.


Edited by WYcoyote - March/29/2011 at 18:35
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Dyelynn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dyelynn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/30/2011 at 10:30
ya, the way i read the warranty  on the site, they'll repair anything but intensional damage (minox)... they also have a north american service center, and i understand that's not the case with zeiss?

my heart is definitely not set on AO, mostly i wanted a good scope with decent low end and nice zoom.  and my budget is definitely a consideration.  i've found a "factory refurb"  4.5-14X44 #20 Z-Plex Stainless $579.99... which is only 50$ more than the minox... unless i can find a minox on the samplelist or like site.... like the one you just sold on another site coyote? 

I've been leaning towards the zeiss all along, but having read how closely compared the minox is, at a cheaper price, i wanted to fish for some experience and opinions here.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/30/2011 at 12:51
Conquests are assembled in the US.  So I am pretty sure they are serviced here as well.
Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dyelynn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/01/2011 at 21:29
so.... i finally made it to my local major outdoors retailer and had the opportunity to look through some of the scopes i've read about here and am interested in, and figured i'd offer up my (admitedly amatuer) opinions on what i saw.

i looked through:
zeiss conquest 4.5-16x40
zeiss conquest 3-9x40
bushnell elite 4200 3-9x40
nikon monark 2.5-10x40
and... sadly  swaro z3 3-9x40

mainly i wanted to have an in person look at all these scopes to get a feel of how they looked (a picture can only tell so much), and try to judge for myself what the differences were in clarity throughout the zoom range.  the only 2 that i looked through outside was the zeiss 3-9 and the bushnell, mostly because i was kinda in a hurry, and my wife gets nervous when i spend too much time in this particular store :P

my initial impression of all the scopes was how much longer the zeiss is than the others (i didn't do a side by side with the swaro).  without looking at actual figures i think they're all within 1.5 inches... and on paper that doesn't seem like all that much.  but mounted on the little thumbhole stock they use, it's slap-you-in-the-face apparent.  it was pronounced enough that i'm now a little bit worried about how a scope will look on a rifle, depending on each's size.  i'm a bit worried that proportions will look awkward... i know i shouldn't be quite so worried about appearances as function, but i do have a bit of vanity when it comes to elk camp :)

looking through the scopes, starting with the zeiss and bushnell... i saw how small the optics difference is.... but there is definitely a difference.  perhaps i'm not as attuned to such, since i'm only beginning my journey into this hobby, but it didn't seem huge.  it was noticeable, but not overwhelming.  if the ~200$ separating these 2 scopes was a major factor for me, i would have no compunction about buying the bushnell and enjoying it thoroughly... this is not, however, the case.  My budget allows for the 400$ for the zeiss and the difference is enough that i feel it's worth it... but that's a conclusion best discussed at the end of this post :)

the extra zoom gained on the 4.5x16 would largely be wasted for the applications i have in mind.  so i won't bother with too much commentary on that particular scope.  i did feel like the lowest end and the highest end were crisper in the 3x9 than the 4.5-16, that could be simply due to focus issues and my not playing with parralax, but as i said, i was somewhat hurried.

the clerk suggested i check the nikon.  he was selling me a little when he told me it's "all he shoots now", even though he professed a 7k$ custom rig with a nightforce on it, but he was earnest enough that i decided i'd accede to his suggestion.  I was honestly very surprised.  the price was the same as the zeiss 3x9, but the range is obviously a little different, at 2.5-10.  it was really pretty difficult to see any image difference between the 2 scopes.  not having done any research on the nikon scopes... and really having discounted them all together, it quite took me by surprise how good the scope looked.  it was a bit odd in that the zoom dial twisted opposite than the others, higher to the left, rather than the right, but i only mention it as anecdotal evidence of difference.  i'm now adding the nikon to my list of probable scope purchases for my new hunting rig, and will have to do some serious research on them, and compare them on paper to the zeiss.

sadly, this retailer did not carry any minox scopes... and the clerk who helped me suggested that they're somewhat rare to find on a floor, where you can pick them up and sight through them.  one of the reasons i went was to do a side by side with the zeiss and the minox, but sadly i could not.  i live in south-western washington state, and if anyone knows of a retailer that has some minox scopes in stock, i would greatly appreciate a nudge in the right direction.  i really want to look through one of these before i make my final decision... but the possibility is looking slimmer and slimmer.

finally... the swaro.
when the clerk handed it to me, he said "be careful, and don't blink, because you might cut your eyelid"... i thought it somewhat an odd comment and didn't really understand it, until i pulled it up to my face. 

Damn. 

I currently own 2 of the new redfield scopes.  i just got rid of an old redfield widefield scope.  I've detailed above the other scopes i looked through today, and i have, on occasion, sighted through a few others.  i know i'm very new to the optics game, but nothing else has even come close.  I know there are several other scope manufacturers out there that are "on par" or perhaps even better than the swaro... but i was honestly astounded at how sharp and clear the image quality was.  I'd assumed that beyond the 800$ range you paid a lot more money for very small improvements.  I was completely wrong.

the swaro i looked through was leaps and bounds better than anything else i looked through.  the image was so clear and sharp, it really brought into focus (pardon the pun) what i was missing in the other scopes.
sadly, the swaro is out of my budge range for this build... but someday :)


At this point... i'm back where i started.  I'm leaning towards the Zeiss... again.  I no longer think i need higher mag than a 3-9, which narrows it down somewhat.  I still want to find a minox and look through it... If the glass is the same quality as the swaro (both use schott glass?) or better than the zeiss, i'll consider the 5x erector a happy extra and purchase away.  I know there are a couple folks with direct experience with both, and i appreciate your comments and any other information you'd like to convey.  i've also added the nikon to the mix, and would also appreciate info on that.

thanks again, and sorry for the book, lol.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scopysmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/19/2011 at 23:30
Originally posted by Dyelynn Dyelynn wrote:

rather than resurrect my original thread, I'd like to pare it down a little. 

the minox za5, 3-15x42 with bdc:
http://swfa.com/Minox-3-15x42-ZA5-Riflescope-P48160.aspx
and the zeiss conquest 4.5-14x44 with rapid-z800:
http://swfa.com/Zeiss-45-14x44-Conquest-Rifle-Scope-P8671.aspx
are the 2 scopes i've settled on for my new big game rig.

I'd like to hear from you folks as to why the zeiss is 350$ more?  I understand that's somewhat a question of opinion,  brand-recognition and loyalty, but from the glancing comments i've read on the site dealing with these 2 scopes, they're close enough that it's too much.

So, who's camp are you in?  The weight savings in the minox would be nice, as I'm leaning more and more towards a lighter-weight rifle to drag around hills, but not at the cost of lesser construction.  Budget is a concern, but I could swing the conquest $, although I'd probably get something off the samplelist or the like.


In my opinion, the Zeiss is worth the extra money.  I think it's more durable and the quality is better.  Some say the quality between Zeiss and Minox are the same but I give a slight nod to the Zeiss.  I love the reticles on the Conquest but that's a personal preference.  In regards to weight, the Zeissis only marginally heavier, that shouldn't make much of a difference.  I found a site which is actually selling it cheaper than the link you posted, <competitor link deleted>

Edited by koshkin - April/20/2011 at 00:01
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/20/2011 at 00:02
Originally posted by scopysmith scopysmith wrote:

Originally posted by Dyelynn Dyelynn wrote:

rather than resurrect my original thread, I'd like to pare it down a little. 

the minox za5, 3-15x42 with bdc:
http://swfa.com/Minox-3-15x42-ZA5-Riflescope-P48160.aspx
and the zeiss conquest 4.5-14x44 with rapid-z800:
http://swfa.com/Zeiss-45-14x44-Conquest-Rifle-Scope-P8671.aspx
are the 2 scopes i've settled on for my new big game rig.

I'd like to hear from you folks as to why the zeiss is 350$ more?  I understand that's somewhat a question of opinion,  brand-recognition and loyalty, but from the glancing comments i've read on the site dealing with these 2 scopes, they're close enough that it's too much.

So, who's camp are you in?  The weight savings in the minox would be nice, as I'm leaning more and more towards a lighter-weight rifle to drag around hills, but not at the cost of lesser construction.  Budget is a concern, but I could swing the conquest $, although I'd probably get something off the samplelist or the like.


In my opinion, the Zeiss is worth the extra money.  I think it's more durable and the quality is better.  Some say the quality between Zeiss and Minox are the same but I give a slight nod to the Zeiss.  I love the reticles on the Conquest but that's a personal preference.  In regards to weight, the Zeissis only marginally heavier, that shouldn't make much of a difference.  I found a site which is actually selling it cheaper than the link you posted, <competitor link deleted>

Scopysmith, please read the rules of the forum.  Specifically, rule #3.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kivela Outdoor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/12/2011 at 04:42
OBSERVE THE FORUM RULES:  THE OT FORUM IS HOSTED BY SWFA.  DO NOT POST LINKS TO OTHER SALES ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION FROM SWFA. 

There are one fast test and I put it here also: 

I compared the Minox ZA 3-9x50 to Duralyt Zeiss 3-12x50. 
The result was that Minox was better or at least similar image quality. 
Test print was a multi-color magazine page 20m away. 
Minox show details, such as diagonal lines more accurate. 
Color reproduction was pretty close. 
Duralyt shows some distortion especially at lower magnifications. 
With Minox there was no distortion.

A comparison of low-light situation between Duralyt and Minox.
The time was 22.30 and it was moderate dark. 
Scopes were equally well for a long time, but I do not anymore been able to detect an image map of the islands in the pond with Duralyt when it was able to distinguish yet with Minox


Edited by Kickboxer - September/07/2011 at 06:33
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/12/2011 at 13:04
Welcome to the OT!
 
Thanks for your report Kivela.
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