SHOT Show: optics info

[BigSurArcher]

Vortex 15x56's... saweeeet! Thanks again for showing us all this stuff Robby and crew.

 

[Whisky]

I can appreciate good glass and good gear as much as the next guy. My spotting scope costs me 3 grand. But my binos I'm currently running cost my about $500. My RF costs more than my binos. Everybody has different priorities and for me, glass in my binos just needs to be "good enough". I don't do much spotting with my binos. They are used primarily for quick glassing into a new draw at short to med distances, or if I kick something up and want to take a quick look. I absolutely hate having to carry both a PRF and a pair of binos around my neck. Had Lecia accommodated us bow hunters with less than 100yd angle comp, I'd have been all over them. But they didn't and it looks like Bushnell has the specs that most bow hunters require.

I've learned that there will only be a few stores carrying these new Bushnell Fushions. They want a little price protection and therefore will only be selling to Cabelas, Amazon, Gander, Sportsmans, and one other I didnt' get a name on. So no deals for us on these. But at $1200 for the 10x42's, I'll probably give them a chance. And I'll be the first to admit if the glass is shit and hinders my hunting in any way.

 

[robby denning]

Thanks Whiskey, let us know how the Fusions turn out

 

[robby denning]

James from Rokslide interviews Reinhard Seipp from Meopta as he demonstrates their high-end glass.

The iphone adapter IS INCLUDED in purchase and fits the 4 and 5 versions. He's pretty confident in that mate between scope and tripod as he treats it like a baton!

[video=vimeo;57747409]http://vimeo.com/57747409[/video]
http://www.vimeo.com/57747409

 

[robby denning]

ZEISS! All we got was a picture

I got to their booth and did a great review on their HT's and Terra binos. Got back to the hotel to edit and upload and the darn camera cut off at 21 seconds- arrrrggggg! I'm so disappointed as this was one of the better video reviews we did. We met with Joel Harris and it was enlightening to say the least. I've got his email address if you have some questions that you can't get answered. Post them up and I'll do what I can in the next few days/weeks.

Some points I remember from the video:

1) Zeiss makes their own glass (called SCHOTT) in both the Victory and Terra lines, no farming it out, so Quality Control is better
2) They are 95% light transmission which is highest in industry and as high as the human eye can practically go
3) The HT is their premium line and competes strongly against the Leica and Swaro
4) The Terra binos are a really really good value for the money (me talking, not them), The 8x42 is $350 and the 10x42 is $399. If you want good glass on a budget, this would be a top choice to consider.

 

[couesbitten]

Hey Robby, thanks for the video on the Vanguard Endeavor spotter, sounds pretty nice. Did you actually get to put your eye to the lens, and if so, what was your impression of the quality,clarity, etc.?

 

[robby denning]

Talking with Rokslider's at the show, we found out more than a few of us own the Vanguard tripods (mine is the carbon fiber and I like it, especially for the money) Here's a video interview James did with Vanguard. They were very low on inventory by the last day of the Show (most manufacturers were as they try to sell it so they don't have to pack it home) so we couldn't preview some of their smaller Carbon Fiber lightweight stuff for backcountry hunting, but it does exist.

[video=vimeo;57748450]http://vimeo.com/57748450[/video]

 

[robby denning]

couesbitten, yes, it is a nice glass for the money. I wish they could set these booths up where we had an outside window view so we could really get a good test in. As I've written in other posts, for the money, stuff like this will suffice if you can't afford to get in the top 3. I thought the Vanguard was a good value for the money.

If you are interested in buying one, I'd try and find one you can look through, outside. I went to Bass Pro shops a few years ago and when I asked for an outside view, the guy accompanied me to an upstairs floor with huge baywindows. I could glass the Phoenix landscape for miles and got a way better feel for the optics than looking a hundred yards across a big store. If I was a big store, I'd build a planeterium on the roof for my optics department with an outside view. I know hunters would flock to it.

 

[couesbitten]

Thanks Robby, I'm looking to get a 65mm spotter, and was thinking the new Vortex Razor until I saw your video. Now, providing that the Vanguard is near equal in quality/clarity, I can get what I'm wanting for approximately $400 less than the Vortex. Sounds like the folks at Vanguard understand the value of a quality product warranty as well, which is always a plus. The Razor and Endeavor appear to have some similar styling characteristics (probably just a coincidence).

 

[couesbitten]

On a side note, am I the only one that looked at Joel Harris from Zeiss and thought "that guy looks just like Dennis Quaid"

 

[robby denning]

That is funny stuff and I was thinking that Joel had some star appeal.
Coues, if there was a way to do a side-by-side on the Vanguard/Vortex, that would be great. I can tell you they are both good glass and for the price point, you should be happy.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I have had the Meopta S2 spotter for a couple months and it is truly a great piece of equipment. My full comparative review with the Diascope 85tFL should be up on Rokslide soon.


The foot of the spotter doesn't just fit Meopta's tripod heads, but any standard Manfrotto head that takes the 200PL-14 quick release plate.

iScoping is awesome!

 

[couesbitten]

Agreed on the side-by-side comparison. Perhaps I will have to pick up both, do my own comparison, and return the one that loses out.

 

[bobhunts]

Next year if you need someone to check out some of the booths and do a video for rokslide let me know.I'll take a week off and do the stuff you didn't have time to do. Bob.