Thoughts on Zeiss 15x56 binos please?

Anybody use or have any experience with Zeiss 15x56 HD binoculars! My Vortex 15x56 fell woefully short on my Coues deer hunt this year.
I run them and some swaros - they will make a difference. The low light performance is much better and the clarity at extreme distance is too. Edge to edge clarity is a bit better.
I love Vortex and the guys who run it but you get what you pay for. I am leaving for my Coues hunt tomorrow and am bringing my Zeiss 85 Diascope which is amazing - better than any other I have ever used.
 
Huge Zeiss fan and Swaro too. Have 5 different Conquest Scopes and their 10x54 RF binos (they are flippin awesome - spotted mule deer at 3177 and ranged some at 2891 yds last week and they are only rated to 2500. I was considering getting a pair of the 15x56s as they are sweet too, but the 10x54RF sold me that if I can't see it well enough, break out the Swaro spotter. Just one man's opinion, but I have personally never seen any Vortex anything that even remotely compares with the clarity, field of view or low light performance of the Zeiss or Swaro products.
 
Anybody use or have any experience with Zeiss 15x56 HD binoculars! My Vortex 15x56 fell woefully short on my Coues deer hunt this year.
I have compared the Zeiss Conquest, Swaro HD SLCs, Leica Geovids, and Meopta MeoStars. They all cut haze from sun really well allowing glassing in directions where the is casting glare like west in the afternoon. The Swaro HDs basically have the full package, crystal clear edge to edge clarity, very long depth of field, glare cut, color fringing suppressed. The depth of field for the Zeiss and Leica's were close to my eyes. The edge clarity was very close between the Leicas and the Swaros. The Zeiss and Meoptas were very close in edge clarity but the lens coatings are different so the color is different. The Zeiss are cooler and the Meoptas are more amber. Out of the 4 the depth of field was the narrowest in the Meoptas. My eyes felt the most relaxed looking through the Swaros but that's my perception. The others were all very good on my eyes as well.

I'd go and look through some glasses before locking on some. Last I checked the Meopta B1.1 Plus $1599, Zeiss Conquest $1799
Leica Geovids $2199, Swaro HD 15x56 SLCs $2299. Any of these take a lot of cash to be put into you backpack.

There are other high powered binos in this price range that I have not checked out like the Mavens and the new Vortex UHDs. If you are in AZ Ross Archery in Phoenix rents some of these glasses. That would give you a chance to really drill into them for yourself.
 
Heard lots about the Meopta Meostars
I recently traded emails with them on the 1.1 Plus and the the supposed 2.0 coming soon. He wouldn't divulge much on the 2.0s but the 1.1 Plus has an additional coating from their scope line that improves light transmission. I have a pair of the older B1s that I kept as a loaner\back up pair. The edge clarity is very good but they are not 100% edge clear, but very close. Their ability to crush haze/glare is very good because they have Fluoride elements. The depth of field is good and wouldn't be noticed to lack unless you compare to the SLCs. They have a more amber coating. It reminds me of looking through a Leupold scope a lot. Its not a negative or positive just a difference. The right eye diopter setting is a little different. The newer MeoStars have a better one. The SLCs have a more standard diopter control and much easier to use. Maybe Meopta will change this in the 2.0? You wouldn't be a huge disadvantage using the Meopta's. One thing to understand is they are built on the Koruna not the Euro so their relative value is much higher than $1599. I think people judge them based on priced to often. They are really more equivalent to the $1800 or $2000.
 
Glenn,

What happened to your vortex?

I have been looking at four different ones as well:

Swarovski SLC 15x56
Zeiss Conquest 15x56
Meopta B1 Plus 15x56
Vortex UHD 12x50

This guy seems knowledgeable:
 
Glenn,

What happened to your vortex?

I have been looking at four different ones as well:

Swarovski SLC 15x56
Zeiss Conquest 15x56
Meopta B1 Plus 15x56
Vortex UHD 12x50

This guy seems knowledgeable:

This guy said the Steiner 15X56 were good. They were the most horrible optics I've looked through. Cost me $45 to try them and return them.
 
Cameraland has a good deal on the Zeiss right now,

 
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been using Zeiss 15 X 56 since 1986 great leather Case was purchased from Dunn ..I think they are out of business now . I have taken real good care of em They R the best Outside was showing wear after 30 years Rubber on big cover lens was about to dry rot . So I sent off to Zeiss ... What I got back I swear it was a brand new pair They are heavy ... You need to learn how to use em
Need something to prop yourself on
Never had ground shrinkage .
 
Can't vouch for the Zeiss 15x56, but I bought the 10x54 RF. For my eyes, it was better than the Leica, and the controls were easier to use and switchable if you are left handed. For me the defaults worked perfect. If you can go "put your eyes" to them, the Swaro's, or any of the others you are going to drop that kind of coin on, do it and see what looks best to you.
 
The Zeiss 15x56 Conquest's are almost top of the line. I just don't understand why they're not offered the in the Victory line. That being said, you might want to check out the 10x54 Victory HT's if low light use is your concern. If it's range, then go with the 15's. BTW, the 10x54 RF's are amazing.
 
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