Carl Zeiss Spotting Scopes

The baby of the Zeiss range of scopes are their 65mm scopes that pack all the quality of the larger scopes into a smaller and lighter body that makes them far easier to carry out in the field - ideal for tougher terrain or if indeed you don't want to carry around a larger scope.

The whole scope without eyepieces weighs 39oz / 1.1 kg and they are about 11.1in / 28.2cm long.

The new focusing mechanism is also interesting as they use what Zeiss call their Dual Speed Focus (DSF) system. A single knob automatically adapts the precision and fast focus to your needs. This enables you to focus faster and achieve a far more accurate fine focus all with one wheel. For more information on this take a look below on my section on the Dual Speed Focus (DSF) system.

Quality optical coatings and components include anti-reflective multi-layer coatings that have been added to all air-to-glass surfaces. This ensures that you get a brighter and better contrasting images. All Zeiss spotting scopes use quality Bak-4 porro prisms and come with what they like to call their FL Concept optical system that includes thinner Fluoride glass lenses to correct color aberration.

On top of this the 65mm objective lenses on these scopes are also covered with their proprietary LotuTec coating that helps to repel water as well as dirt. This may sound a little trivial, but apart from making sure your lens has no water on it, it also helps keep your lenses cleaner, meaning that you have to clean them less often and when you do clean them, you don't have to rub as hard. This makes it far easier to keep the lens free from scratches, which is VERY important.

On this page I have just written a summary of what Zeiss offer, for more information and further reading including in-depth reviews,take a look at the links below:

• Carl Zeiss Spotting Scopes on the Best Spotting Scope Reviews Website


• Carl Zeiss Binoculars on the Best Binoculars & Binocular Reviews Website

The optical components and coating as exactly the same in the larger Zeiss Scope except fot the larger diameter 85mm objective lenses, so I won't go over them all again.

Whilst this scope is bigger (Length (without eyepiece): approx 13.6 in / 34.5cm) and heavier (52oz / 1.45 kg) than the 65mm version it does have the advantage in that the larger lens will let more light into the system meaning that you end up with an ever brighter and better quality image. Whilst this may not be very noticeable in bright daylight it is when the light is poorer, these really come into their own. So if weight and size are not an issue or if you plan to do most of your birdwatching or wildlife observation very early in the morning or possible at sunset you may opt for this version.

If you are also planning to use your scope for digiscoping, I would also recommend getting the Zeiss 85 DiaScope over the 65mm version as ensuring that as much light gets to your camera as possible, especially at very high magnifications is vitally important.

Although they are sometimes sold as a package, Zeiss Scopes usually come as body only and you purchase your required eyepiece separately. This may see odd at first, but it does offer you the flexibility of getting the right eyepiece(s) for your particular requirements.

Zeiss currently make 3 eyepieces that are all compatible with all Victory DiaScope models. The D 30 x / 40 is a fixed magnification eyepiece and as the name suggests has either a 30x magnification if you are using the 56mm scope or a 40x magnification if using the 85 Diascope.

Then they have 2 variable eyepieces called Vario eyepieces: the Zeiss Vario D 15-56x / 20-75x Eyepiece and the Zeiss 15-45/20-60x Vario Eyepiece.

For more take a look at my section on Zeiss Eyepieces on my spotting scope reviews website.