The first thing to talk about with regards to Zeiss this year is that the optronics division, including the Hensoldt line, is now owned by Cassidian, a division of EADS, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company. Basically, this is a giant aerospace and weapons maker that was formed when a great many European defense contractors were squished together because their governments were looking to cut costs and tired of dealing with a bunch of small independent companies. I suspect in the United States we would call EADS a public-private partnership. The products of EADS include everything from satellites to missiles to drones. Probably the best known product of this conglomerate is the well known Airbus commercial passenger aircraft line. Cassidian, which is the branch of EADS that now owns Hensoldt, has the slogan, "Defending World Security". This brings to mind images of aliens attacking the planet. Defending world security is a tricky thing to say you do when all of the folks you are defending the world against are from the world and most view themselves as doing the very same thing you claim to be doing. I have a better slogan for Cassidian: "We're Watching You". It's a good description of the products they actually make as well as an ominous sounding warning to their competitors. Most of Cassidian's products are remotely operated, partially automated observation systems. They make models for border and facility security, some to mount on tanks, some for aircraft or helicopter, some that are handheld, and, of course, some for drones. Following the Cassidian buyout, the U.S. civilian distribution of Hensoldt optics will continue to be handled by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. All military stuff is to be handled directly through Cassidian.
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp:
So, how about the 3.5-26x56mm ffp scope that you are all probably wondering about? I think that I will first mention that this scope is slated to be available sometime quarter two of this year and that it will run about $6k. At that price point, and with the magnification range it has, it is really only up against the new S&B 3-27x56mm, which will be $5.6k. In the way of features, the Hendsoldt has a zero stop double turn, .1 mil click elevation knob that has a total of 36 mils and requires the user to pull the knob up to go from turn one to two. Windage is 9 mils each way. The parallax focuses from 50 meters on and is integrated with the illumination control, though the battery is a CR123 that is housed separately below the ocular. I should also note that this optic inexplicably has a 36mm main tube. Your mounts are consequently quite limited. Spuhr makes one and I suppose if you are willing to drop $6k on an optic that is the mount you probably going to go with anyway.
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp close up on the parallax and illumination control:
The glass on the Hensoldt, not surprisingly, looked excellent to me at the show. In form, the unit is shorter than the S&B, though also heavier. Lest you wonder, at 1300 grams it is still lighter than a Trijicon TARS. The reticle is a basic mil-hash design. If you're looking for me to make a call between this and the S&B; I really can't do it. Both looked good to me at the show, but without having both side by side and some time using each; I can't say all that much. If S&B offered the 3-27x with the MSR that would make me lean that direction because the Hensoldt reticle is really rather basic, but S&B doesn't offer that combination at this time and I'm not really head over heels about any of their other reticles.
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp at 3.5x (I think) with max illumination:
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp at 26x without illumination:
Let's talk about the rest of Zeiss. You probably gathered that I wasn't too happy about what happened to Hensoldt. I hate public-private partnerships. Basically, you make any risk public, any profit private, and then you go behind the scenes and monkey even more than normal with any public purchasing because you can't really justify buying from somebody else when you kind of, sort of own one of the bidders. Public-private partnerships are where capitalism goes to die. I'm not real happy with the rest of Zeiss either, but at least it is not an insult to the principles of a free market.
What I'm not happy with regarding Zeiss Sports Optics is that they are in the process of phasing out the long running, American assembled Zeiss Conquest line. They are doing this in two ways. First, they are creating a Conquest HD5 line of optics that will be assembled in Germany and have a level up in glass over what the old Conquests had, as well as a bigger magnification range. These will still have the 1" tube, but are dropping the mil-dot as a reticle option. On the other end, they are introducing the Terra line. These are very basic 3x erector ratio scopes with no parallax controls and basic reticles. They will be assembled in Japan. Each product line will also include binoculars.
A selection of the new Zeiss HD5s all lined up:
I took a look though some Terra scopes. My general impression was that they had bulky reticles and terribly limited fields of view, but will probably suit hunters well enough since, if optics companies are correct, hunters really don't require much of anything from their optics. The Conquest HDs looked better, but don't have any reticles that I have the slightest bit of interest in and now only close focus to 50 yds instead of the previous 35 yds. The Conquest HD 8x32mm binoculars looked good, though felt heavy. The Terra binoculars looked like crap. The edge to edge clarity was just dreadful. Honestly, it's been a while since I saw a pair of binoculars that immediately looked this bad to me. In total, I can't say that I really have any interest in any of the Zeiss Sport Optics products at this time from a hunting, bird watching, target shooting, or, obviously, tactical standpoint. How's that for a you-discontinued-what-little-you-made-that-I-liked hissy fit?
The reason for this rearrangement of product lines in Zeiss is not that the Conquest line is not selling. It is selling quite well but they can't make them for what they are charging and come out ahead any more. Some of the models, like the 3-9x and my favorite, the 4.5-14x44mm, are already gone. The rep said that the plan is for others to soon to follow until the entire line has been discontinued. You may have noted that, with the new HD5's being made in Germany, and the Terra's in Japan, there will not be a line assembled in the U.S. when the last of the Conquests are discontinued at some point in the future. I asked the rep about this and he really wasn't sure what the plan for the U.S. facilities and workers is.
And now for the big tangent. I find it interesting that the new lines replacing the U.S. assembled Conquest will be made in Germany and Japan. Workers in those countries do not cost less than U.S. worker. Both actually cost more, in the case of Germany, much more. I think that knowing the precise reasons for the shift in production would be very enlightening case study from a public policy point of view. It is easy to see why companies might shift production to 3rd world countries with labor that is a fraction of U.S. cost. Little can be done to compete with labor costs in these countries without completely dismantling all workplace safety standards, employer liability, environmental standards, educational systems, and general societal well-being. However, when you are loosing manufacturing to Germany and Japan, both of which better the U.S. in most of those measures, somebody has really screwed the pooch policy wise.
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp:
So, how about the 3.5-26x56mm ffp scope that you are all probably wondering about? I think that I will first mention that this scope is slated to be available sometime quarter two of this year and that it will run about $6k. At that price point, and with the magnification range it has, it is really only up against the new S&B 3-27x56mm, which will be $5.6k. In the way of features, the Hendsoldt has a zero stop double turn, .1 mil click elevation knob that has a total of 36 mils and requires the user to pull the knob up to go from turn one to two. Windage is 9 mils each way. The parallax focuses from 50 meters on and is integrated with the illumination control, though the battery is a CR123 that is housed separately below the ocular. I should also note that this optic inexplicably has a 36mm main tube. Your mounts are consequently quite limited. Spuhr makes one and I suppose if you are willing to drop $6k on an optic that is the mount you probably going to go with anyway.
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp close up on the parallax and illumination control:
The glass on the Hensoldt, not surprisingly, looked excellent to me at the show. In form, the unit is shorter than the S&B, though also heavier. Lest you wonder, at 1300 grams it is still lighter than a Trijicon TARS. The reticle is a basic mil-hash design. If you're looking for me to make a call between this and the S&B; I really can't do it. Both looked good to me at the show, but without having both side by side and some time using each; I can't say all that much. If S&B offered the 3-27x with the MSR that would make me lean that direction because the Hensoldt reticle is really rather basic, but S&B doesn't offer that combination at this time and I'm not really head over heels about any of their other reticles.
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp at 3.5x (I think) with max illumination:
Hensoldt 3.5-26x56mm ffp at 26x without illumination:
Let's talk about the rest of Zeiss. You probably gathered that I wasn't too happy about what happened to Hensoldt. I hate public-private partnerships. Basically, you make any risk public, any profit private, and then you go behind the scenes and monkey even more than normal with any public purchasing because you can't really justify buying from somebody else when you kind of, sort of own one of the bidders. Public-private partnerships are where capitalism goes to die. I'm not real happy with the rest of Zeiss either, but at least it is not an insult to the principles of a free market.
What I'm not happy with regarding Zeiss Sports Optics is that they are in the process of phasing out the long running, American assembled Zeiss Conquest line. They are doing this in two ways. First, they are creating a Conquest HD5 line of optics that will be assembled in Germany and have a level up in glass over what the old Conquests had, as well as a bigger magnification range. These will still have the 1" tube, but are dropping the mil-dot as a reticle option. On the other end, they are introducing the Terra line. These are very basic 3x erector ratio scopes with no parallax controls and basic reticles. They will be assembled in Japan. Each product line will also include binoculars.
A selection of the new Zeiss HD5s all lined up:
I took a look though some Terra scopes. My general impression was that they had bulky reticles and terribly limited fields of view, but will probably suit hunters well enough since, if optics companies are correct, hunters really don't require much of anything from their optics. The Conquest HDs looked better, but don't have any reticles that I have the slightest bit of interest in and now only close focus to 50 yds instead of the previous 35 yds. The Conquest HD 8x32mm binoculars looked good, though felt heavy. The Terra binoculars looked like crap. The edge to edge clarity was just dreadful. Honestly, it's been a while since I saw a pair of binoculars that immediately looked this bad to me. In total, I can't say that I really have any interest in any of the Zeiss Sport Optics products at this time from a hunting, bird watching, target shooting, or, obviously, tactical standpoint. How's that for a you-discontinued-what-little-you-made-that-I-liked hissy fit?
The reason for this rearrangement of product lines in Zeiss is not that the Conquest line is not selling. It is selling quite well but they can't make them for what they are charging and come out ahead any more. Some of the models, like the 3-9x and my favorite, the 4.5-14x44mm, are already gone. The rep said that the plan is for others to soon to follow until the entire line has been discontinued. You may have noted that, with the new HD5's being made in Germany, and the Terra's in Japan, there will not be a line assembled in the U.S. when the last of the Conquests are discontinued at some point in the future. I asked the rep about this and he really wasn't sure what the plan for the U.S. facilities and workers is.
And now for the big tangent. I find it interesting that the new lines replacing the U.S. assembled Conquest will be made in Germany and Japan. Workers in those countries do not cost less than U.S. worker. Both actually cost more, in the case of Germany, much more. I think that knowing the precise reasons for the shift in production would be very enlightening case study from a public policy point of view. It is easy to see why companies might shift production to 3rd world countries with labor that is a fraction of U.S. cost. Little can be done to compete with labor costs in these countries without completely dismantling all workplace safety standards, employer liability, environmental standards, educational systems, and general societal well-being. However, when you are loosing manufacturing to Germany and Japan, both of which better the U.S. in most of those measures, somebody has really screwed the pooch policy wise.
