ZEISS Conquest HD Binoculars Waterproof, Compact with LotuTec T HD Coated Glass for Optimal Clarity in All Weather Conditions for Bird Watching, Hunting, Sightseeing, Black

These 10x42 Conquests are a VERY bright binocular, and you notice it as soon as you place it to your eyes. A crystalline quality to the brightness, indicative of top optics, that bely the price at which Zeiss sells them. I also purchased the 10x56 Conquest HDs, with the intent to keep one of them. The 10x56s use Abbé-Koenig prisms, which in theory should let in more light, in addition to their larger 56mm objectives.Taken in isolation, the 10x56s are impressive too. But for the added size and bulk, they were not adding anything substantial for my use case, vis-a-vis the 10x42 Conquests. If I am buying a binocular with a 56mm objective, I might as well go for the 15x56, for the added bulk. In really low-light conditions (near pitch-dark to the naked eye), both of these binoculars exhibited a light-intensification effect, and to my eyes, both of them looked comparable, with a very slight edge to the 10x56.The eye-cups are a bit gritty and I am not a big fan of the diopter ring on the oculars, but I am willing to overlook that, for the high-quality optics. The Zeiss SFs and the Swarovski ELs and the NL Pures are of course a notch better in every way, but they cost over double and triple the cost of these Conquests, and I could not justify the additional cash outlay for the incremental improvement in performance.I returned the 10x56s and kept the 10x42s.

The best pair of binoculars I've gotten. Crisp images and quick adjusting between near and far. Highly recommend.

I tried a slug of $1K roof-prism binoculars simultaneously, and I think the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 is still the best for the money! I have been in the market for a good mid-range roof at about the $1K mark in either 8x32 or 8x42, so I ordered a bunch of them and compared them all together. To cut to the chase, I liked the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 the best overall. When I would compare them side by side, I would consistently be struck with the almost ungodly on-axis sharpness of the Zeiss and the overall brightness. The awesome optics combined with the best smoothest fastest focuser that you can use with one finger and the ergonomics and compact shape helped me make my decision to keep the Zeiss over all the other excellent binoculars. The Leica Trinovid 8x32 had beautiful saturated colors, but the FOV was narrower than any of the other binoculars and the eye cups were not long enough for the eye relief with my shallow eye sockets. The Vortex Viper HD 8x42 deserves "Honorable Mention" because it was the best binocular at its price point of $500, but it wasn't quite as sharp or as bright as the Zeiss and the focuser wasn't as smooth. The Vortex Viper HD 8x42 is a better binocular than the newer Nikon M7 8x42 or the Fujinon HC 8x42. If you can only spend $500, and you want a roof binocular, I would highly recommend it. The Fujinon HC 8x42 has terrible ergonomics with its square shape and almost all metal eye cups which are cold against your face on a cold day. The Meopta Meostar and Nikon MHG were middle of the pack. Good, but not as sharp as the Zeiss, especially on-axis. Of all the other binoculars I tried the Maven B1.2 8x42 was probably the closest optically to the Zeiss, but it wasn't quite as sharp on-axis, and it was heavy even for a 42 mm at 31 oz. and the focuser was tighter and not as smooth. Every time I went back to the Zeiss it would WOW me with its big bright FOV and extremely sharp, clear on-axis view. The Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 is fairly light at 22 oz. and it is pretty small and compact in your hands, and the armour feels very comfy and warm. The eye cups are still stiff when you extend them, but if you leave them in one position it is not a problem. The objective covers work good, the rain guard fits well and works good, the case is one of the best and the strap is great. The Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 looks tough, and it is. The build quality is excellent. It is an exceptional birding tool for $1K. I have had the Zeiss FL 8x32 and the Zeiss SF 8x32 and I don't feel they are worth twice the price of the Conquest HD for maybe 5% more performance. For $1K, the Zeiss Conquest HD IMO can't be beat. Here is a list of the binoculars I tried. I also have the Nikon E2 8x30 porro-prism and I think it is one of the best porro's you can buy, but that is another story!Kowa Genesis Prominar 8x33Leica Trinovid HD 8x32Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32Vortex Viper HD 8x42Nikon M7 8x42Fujinon HC 8x42Maven B1.2 8x42Meopta Meostar B1 Plus 8x32Nikon Monarch HG 8x42

These binoculars are really nice optics. The clarity and brightness are great! I am not impressed with the eye-relief, though, which somehow make them uncomfortable and slow for me to use. After weeks of regular use, I still have a hard time quickly getting them oriented and focussed when birding. Not getting used to it very fast. I have kind of learned where to cram them into the top of my eye-socket to try to stabilize them since I can't just put them all the way into my eyes more evenly do to the minimal eye relief. Weird. I replaced my old Monarch 5s with these. I have to say that the Nikon Monarchs are really good bang for the buck. The quality differences with these are definitely noticeable but not profound when compared to my friend's new Monarch 5, which are about 1/3 the price. Still, I am not disappointed with these and look forward to many fine years of birding with them, as they feel very well made.

I bought these after returning the ***pold 12 x50 roof prism binoculars which were horrible to use and made my eyes hurt. Amazon prime took care of that lickety split. Thanks amazon! Look folks, I am an avid 40 year old outdoorsman/birdwatcher. I started using binoculars 30 years ago and these Zeiss 10x42's are amazing. The clarity is absolutely phenomenal!!!! The low light visibility looks better than what you can see with your own eyes. The close focus distance is closer than what they state in the tech specs. They are powerful, light-weight, and compact. Everything I was looking for in a pair of binoculars. The price tag was hefty. But as with all quality, precision German manufactured products, you get what you pay for. Thank you Zeiss. This will probably be the last pair of binoculars I will ever buy!

What a good optics. Viewing nature through them especially with a tripod helping me observe natural beauty in crisp vibrant fashion. Had other high end optics but could see slight CA. This doesn't. For couple of extra hundred it made quite a difference. The other one had more FOV but this serves my purpose especially as I use it on a lightweight travel tripod. Got their tripod adapter too which is ridiculously expensive but completely worth it and perfect fit. Overall as an avid outdiirsman and nature enthusiast, happy to have this in outdoor gear.The eye cups cause trouble when twisting then holding tightly. Hold them lightly and twist is ok. Not a problem for me.