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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Zeiss Conquest HD abbreviations specifics and most recent model. (1 Viewer)

ksmit123

Well-known member
Hi all,

Could some please clarify a few questions I have regarding the Zeiss Conquest HD binoculars. I'm interested in the 10x42 option.

I'm presuming the specific abbreviations have to do with either improvements or changes to the Conquest model since 2012 but could someone please elaborate on the difference and if it's simply a case of certain retailers not stating the exact Conquest model they have in stock.

I've read the following abbreviations list from Zeiss.


Meaning of the abbreviations

FL
Binoculars or spotting scopes with glasses that contain fluoride (FL) for sharper, higher contrast images with significantly reduced chromatic aberrations; Fluoride Lenses; a special, high-quality sub-category of the ED lenses

GA
Previously used to designate Dialyt binoculars with rubber armour

T*
ZEISS T* multi-layer coating for extremely high transmission and low reflex susceptibility

MC
ZEISS multi-layer coating (multi coating)

P / P*
Phase correction coating on the roof prisms, which provide a higher resolution of the finest detail structures. All ZEISS binoculars with roof prisms use this coating

B
Previously used to designate binoculars that can be worn by people who wear glasses.
Now all ZEISS binoculars and spotting scope eyepieces are suitable for people who wear glasses, so the "B" designation is no longer used

S
Binoculars with mechanical image stabilisation

M
Riflescope models with ZEISS mounting rail.

iC
Riflescope with illumination control

ED
Extra low Dispersion = low chromatic aberrations

HD
High Definition. HD is not a type of lens. Instead it describes the result of the ED lenses: very good resolution

HT
High Transmission = lenses by SCHOTT with very good transmission properties.



I've seen the Conquest labeled as Conquest HD 10x42, Conquest HD T 10x42 and Conquest HD T LT 10x42.

Could someone please specify which of the above models is the most recent production model, and if I don't have the most recent model listed could someone please list it for me.


Regards.
 
I've seen the Conquest labeled as Conquest HD 10x42, Conquest HD T 10x42 and Conquest HD T LT 10x42.

Could someone please specify which of the above models is the most recent production model, and if I don't have the most recent model listed could someone please list it for me.

Regards.

the official model name is simply "Conquest HD",
but some stores add LT ant T* etc. in marketing,
all "Conquest HD" models have the same optical features,
and all of them have HD-glass, T* anti-reflective coatings and LT (LotuTec) coatings,

(the suffix "HD" distinguish the current series from the previous "Conquest" series,
that were Zeiss first budget binoculars)
 
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Hi,

some remarks:

T: Single coating as opposed to T* multi coating - usually seen on bins from the 70s and older

MC or multi coated: does not really fit in this collection of Zeiss West (which is todays ZEISS AG) abbreviations as it was used by Carl Zeiss Jena (the binocular section has been reorganised as Docter Optics).

P/P* is in fact the same - phase coating - both versions have been seen on Zeiss bins and/or boxes. This one is tricky - there's certainly older roof bins by Zeiss West without phase coating - these don't have P/P*. Current roof bins by Zeiss indeed all have phase coating and unfortunately this is the reason why some modern examples come without the P/P* designation but do have phase coating.
TLDR: if it says P or P* it's phase coated, if it doesn't and it's a modern one (Victory, Conquest, Terra series and later) it's phase coated too, if it doesn't say P/P* and it's an older model, it has no phase coating.

Joachim
 
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ksmit 123,
HD=High Definition does not say anything unless the binocular producer has specified what he means with it. It can be the quality of the used optical components, but it may also refer to specific construction properties.
Gijs
 
the official model name is simply "Conquest HD",
but some stores add LT ant T* etc. in marketing,
all "Conquest HD" models have the same optical features,
and all of them have HD-glass, T* anti-reflective coatings and LT (LotuTec) coatings,

(the suffix "HD" distinguish the current series from the previous "Conquest" series,
that were Zeiss first budget binoculars)

VB
HD is not a glass type but is how Zeiss terms the optical system in the Conquest HDs. It seems clear that Zeiss are using this in the same way as High Definition is used to describe tv screens and by doing so that the view through the Conquests is a step up from some undefined level of definition, presumably that of the competition.

One could criticise the use of HD as meaningless and in a way it is while it remains undefined. However it is probably as harmless as car makers badging a car as 'S' or 'RS' and hinting at sportiness or raciness. The real trouble with marketing labels like this is when they are applied to products that are actually unremarkable. Can you remember back in the 80's and 90's when everything from cars to mens' razors and ladies' deodorant were all labelled 'Turbo'. :-O

Lee

Lee
 
3:) You would be Turbador then yourself back in the '80s!

Bottom line is that Conquest HD is a more recent version than plain Conquest and that's all you need to know. ED glass and such are technical details that don't say much about the quality of glass, the quality of grinding (or whatever they do to form a lens), the combined performance of glass curves and grouping of elements, the quality of multicoating job etc.
My Chinese Petzval refractor is designated as an ED. They use ED and they have the right to call it so but the ED element is one out of four, the smallest one in fact and it doesn't belong to the objective but rather to the field flattener. The SD model has better color correction. There the ED element is for one of the doublet lenses. Still, this SD has more field curvature. The Triplet ED has almost no residual color, but it has the worst transmission of the three (acccording to reports, I only own the ED). Still, similar refractors made in Japan or the US cost 10 times as much and often they aren't even called EDs or FLs.
So it doesn't mean much how it is called but how it performs. And if you need that performance or not. It might be irrelevant to you, or just no cost effective, or not guaranteed (because of specimen variation), or have undesirable byproducts. For example you might find eye placement in the Conquest HD difficult. I needed time to get used to it and avoid blackouts. I never get blackouts with the Terra or other, cheaper binoculars I used. But its color correction is better from any other I used and thaqt does it for me.
 
Thank you and .

Another question I have relating to the Conquest HD, is it tripod mountable? Specifically where a tripod adaptor can be screwed into the hinge and then attached to the tripod.

Regards.

56mm Conquests are tripod mountable in the way you describe and have a threaded port behind a plastic cover on the 'front' (as you look at the objectives end) of the hinge. They also come with a neat tripod adapter as standard. Other Conquests could be mounted on a tripod using adaptors with a rubber strap such as the Zeiss Binofix Tripod Adaptor.

Lee
 
I heard some say they drilled through the plastic end on early conquest HD models and the threads were there. I hear the newer models that the plastic cap is locktite on but will screw loose to expose tripod threads.
 
Adaptors that support the full weight of the binocular with an extented surface of contact and particularly the wooden Berlebach with antislip ruber that suppresses vibrations further are much better than L shape adaptors that support the bin outside the center of gravity.
 
VB
HD is not a glass type but is how Zeiss terms the optical system in the Conquest HDs. It seems clear that Zeiss are using this in the same way as High Definition is used to describe tv screens and by doing so that the view through the Conquests is a step up from some undefined level of definition, presumably that of the competition.

One could criticise the use of HD as meaningless and in a way it is while it remains undefined. However it is probably as harmless as car makers badging a car as 'S' or 'RS' and hinting at sportiness or raciness. The real trouble with marketing labels like this is when they are applied to products that are actually unremarkable. Can you remember back in the 80's and 90's when everything from cars to mens' razors and ladies' deodorant were all labelled 'Turbo'. :-O

Lee

Lee


Lee-Lee,

I didn't mean to confuse anyone but sometimes you have to keep it simple,
I don't think anyone doubts that the "Conquest HD" have some kind of "ED-glass".

Zeiss explains it in their own quirky way:
"HD = High Definition. HD is not a type of lens. Instead it describes the result of the ED lenses: very good resolution"

And it's the result that counts, right?
;)
 
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Lee-Lee,

I didn't mean to confuse anyone but sometimes you have to keep it simple,
I dont't think anyone doubts that the "Conquest HD" have some kind of "ED-glass".

Zeiss explains it in their own quirky way:
"HD = High Definition. HD is not a type of lens. Instead it describes the result of the ED lenses: very good resolution"

And it's the result that counts, right?
;)

VB

Since Terra 32 and 42 have Schott ED glass it would make sense that Conquest HD has it too although I can't find any statement from Zeiss about it. My only point is that HD is not a type of glass, but as you point out is an acronym for the result of the Conquest's optical system.

Conquest HD 8x32 is actually one of my all-time favourite bins.

Lee
 
Hi all,

HD
High Definition. HD is not a type of lens. Instead it describes the result of the ED lenses: very good resolution

Regards.

???

I have yet to see anywhere on the Zeiss website that the HD models have ED lenses.
In fact they advertise about colour fidelity and light transmission which is not specifically the result of ED lenses. Zeiss obviously expect some people to fall into the trap just as you did.

On the other hand, the FL and HT are clearly advertised as having lenses which reduce chromatic aberrations.

If the Conquest HD had ED lenses, Zeiss would shout it clear and loud!

I own a Conquest HD 15x56, it is a very good achromat, but by no means in the ED league as far as chromatic aberration is concerned.
 
???

I have yet to see anywhere on the Zeiss website that the HD models have ED lenses.
In fact they advertise about colour fidelity and light transmission which is not specifically the result of ED lenses. Zeiss obviously expect some people to fall into the trap just as you did.

On the other hand, the FL and HT are clearly advertised as having lenses which reduce chromatic aberrations.

If the Conquest HD had ED lenses, Zeiss would shout it clear and loud!

I own a Conquest HD 15x56, it is a very good achromat, but by no means in the ED league as far as chromatic aberration is concerned.


"ED" is an old Nikon trademark, much related to Nikon,
and ED is not equal to "top-of-the-line" any more,
nowadays Nikon uses super-ED and FL-glass in their best lenses.

Zeiss use the term "ED" in their cheapest model, Terra ED
but they don't actually tell us that it has ED-glass.
Putting ED in their higher end models product names does not seem obvious
with that in mind.

HD seem to be a popular term to use to define "high end" optics,
swaro, leica and meopta use it, and now Zeiss.

I suspect that "Conquest HD" have some kind of (extra)low-dispersion glass,
otherwise the longitudinal CA (purple fringing) would have been higher,
but one can't be sure of course.

Your 15x56mm have both large aperture(lens diameter) and big magnification,
so it's not easy to make it CA-free.
Perhaps the lens quality at this price level is not quite up to the task for the bigger bins?
Meopta claim they use extra low dispersion fluorite glass in their 15x56 but it still have residual CA.
 
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Zeiss use the term "ED" in their cheapest model, Terra ED
but they don't actually tell us that it has ED-glass.

QUOTE]

VB

When the Terra line was first introduced 2 or 3 years ago with the 42mm models the brochures told us that they had Schott ED glass and you can find this same statement in the 2015 Nature catalogue referring to both 32mm and 42mm models.

Go to: http://applications.zeiss.com/C1257996004D33D2/0/C166E72281CE200CC12579A6004C9281/$FILE/ZEISS-nature-catalog-main-2015_EN.pdf

On page 76/77 it states: "the multicoated lenses from SCHOTT meet the highest optical standards" and also carries a SCHOTT ED glass logo.

Lee
 
I suspect that "Conquest HD" have some kind of (extra)low-dispersion glass,
otherwise the longitudinal CA (purple fringing) would have been higher,
but one can't be sure of course.

Your 15x56mm have both large aperture(lens diameter) and big magnification,
so it's not easy to make it CA-free.
Perhaps the lens quality at this price level is not quite up to the task for the bigger bins?
Meopta claim they use extra low dispersion fluorite glass in their 15x56 but it still have residual CA.

My background is optics for astronomy and I can assure you that the conquest HD does not have low dispersion glass in it, let alone extra low one.
The 15x magnification is actually still ridiculously small in comparison to the 56mm diameter which should be able to go to 60x without suffering too much, it is no excuse for showing CA. The problem is elsewhere, I suspect is has a small F/D ratio, perhaps 5 or 6 which makes it CA prone.

If a 56mm instrument with fluorite glass shows ANY trace of CA at 15x, there must be something really wrong elsewhere in the design!
 
Zeiss use the term "ED" in their cheapest model, Terra ED
but they don't actually tell us that it has ED-glass.

QUOTE]

VB

When the Terra line was first introduced 2 or 3 years ago with the 42mm models the brochures told us that they had Schott ED glass and you can find this same statement in the 2015 Nature catalogue referring to both 32mm and 42mm models.

Go to: http://applications.zeiss.com/C1257996004D33D2/0/C166E72281CE200CC12579A6004C9281/$FILE/ZEISS-nature-catalog-main-2015_EN.pdf

On page 76/77 it states: "the multicoated lenses from SCHOTT meet the highest optical standards" and also carries a SCHOTT ED glass logo.

Lee

ok, thanks, didn't find that info on the web-site,
seems that Extra low dispersion glass comes in many different flavors.
 
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My background is optics for astronomy and I can assure you that the conquest HD does not have low dispersion glass in it, let alone extra low one.
The 15x magnification is actually still ridiculously small in comparison to the 56mm diameter which should be able to go to 60x without suffering too much, it is no excuse for showing CA. The problem is elsewhere, I suspect is has a small F/D ratio, perhaps 5 or 6 which makes it CA prone.

If a 56mm instrument with fluorite glass shows ANY trace of CA at 15x, there must be something really wrong elsewhere in the design!


Most binoculars are f4 to keep their size manageable and FOV's reasonably wide.

Bob
 
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