Mine is pretty bright throughout, but someone else's eyes might see it differently or be more sensitive to it. Personally, my eyes like bright scopes, and I have zero complaints about the LRP S3 as far as image brightness goes.
Rifle Scopes Zeiss LRP S3 New First Focal Plane Riflescopes for Long-Range Precision Shooting
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I think it’s pretty bright all the way through. I don’t use 36x a lot except maybe group shooting or at my silhouette match and there those targets are still nice and bright but just bigger. Lol
I will say mine above 30-32x starts to lose some brightness. So do my ZCO. I bet a theta does as well. I don't think this is avoidable.
It is a limitation, but some scopes handle it better than others.
I have a Leupold Mark5 HD 3.6-18 on a hunting rig and every time I take it out along with my Zeiss S3, I realize how much nicer the S3 is to look through…at all power ranges.
Yes, brightness stays the same. To my eyes the S3 has some of the best light transmission of any scope of the market. Zeiss has done an excellent job on its coatings. There is a thread on here that talks aout the S3, I would hope over to that and ask your question. You will get plenty of feedback.
-Marc
I use my 636 at 36X all the time and find it bright with no problems even at 200yds.
I’ll repeat what others have said.
The Zeiss LRP S3 glass is considerably better than my 5-25 ATACR’s. The 7-35 may be a different story. The Ziess is brighter in day and low light.
Also has better resolution.
Phenomenal scope.
Definitely better glass than my 5-25x ATACR F1, as well. Brightness doesn't even compare. The NF is very neutral...Which my eyes are not a huge fan of, unless I'm in direct sunlight enough to brighten up the image through the scope. This is one huge reason I don't like S&B scopes. Their glass is the same neutrality, but some of the PMII models have a vermillion-colored tinting and I don't like it, it messes with my eyes. It looks like you're looking through a periscope in a muddy river.
After spending more time with my Hensoldts and the S3 , I'm convinced Zeiss has taken all the construction, glass, geometry etc, and retubed it into a more modern scope and this is the S3. The similarities are hard to ignore
This is good to hear. I have a 4-25 on the way. Curious to see how it compares to my T6Xi 3-18.
I have the T6Xi in a 2.5-15 and the Zeiss LRP S3 is better in every department. At least my sample is. Good luck.
Hensoldts were amazing scopes back in the day. So, that's a good thing, IMO.
Amazing isn’t the word I’d use to describe the Hensoldts I owned. I had a couple 4-16’s with the multi turn turrets and one with the single turn. Aside from the huge eye box and excellent glass, they were otherwise pretty lacking even in that time. No zero stop on the multi turn was lame as were the clockwise 12 mil turrets. Mine were also pretty mushy and not very clicky at all. There also weren’t any great reticle options and two of mine had standard Mildot and one H59.
Mine didn’t stick around long and I certainly wouldn’t buy one today. There’s reasons why nobody carries them anymore and places were blowing them out for like $1500.
My initial impressions of the S3 are positive however. I haven’t shot with it yet, hopefully tomorrow, but the features and overall build quality is damn nice.
Mine didn’t stick around long and I certainly wouldn’t buy one today. There’s reasons why nobody carries them anymore and places were blowing them out for like $1500.
My initial impressions of the S3 are positive however. I haven’t shot with it yet, hopefully tomorrow, but the features and overall build quality is damn nice.
I just received my S3 two days ago. There's a lot to like about it and it compares nicely with the T6Xi. Several pro's and several con's for what I want it for. I did notice that the eye box was tight but it is not mounted yet, so hopefully it won't become an issue.
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Mount it before calling the eye box "very unforgiving". I have used mine in matches in many different positions and don't find that at all. It's pretty easy to get behind.
I have not found the eyebox to be constricting while mounted on a rifle with a properly consistent cheek weld.
Drawing any kind of conclusion about an optic without it being mounted at least on some facsimile is a waste of breath.
That doesn't mean anything. A forgiving eye box means you don't have to be consistent every time with eye and cheek weld and it's still not constricting, like in out of position shooting, etc.
OK, not to be a nuisance here and apologies if I missed any posts regarding this but here goes:
Aside from magnification range is there any significant advantage that one S3 has over the other? I have read reports that some optics from other manufacturers in the same model line have different optical performance for example the Nightforce NX8 in the 4-32X50 is noted as having a nicer optical performance than the 2.5-20X50.
I am strongly considering the 4-25X50 or the 6-36X56 with the ZF-MRi reticle, but I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. Will be mounted on my newly acquired AT-X which is currently wearing a 6.5mm Creedmoor barrel, weight is not really a concern and the price difference between the two isn't either. I don't expect that I would use 36X all that often, but I've also never owned a scope with that much magnification so I don't know what I don't know.
Any thoughts or guidance here are appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Aside from magnification range is there any significant advantage that one S3 has over the other? I have read reports that some optics from other manufacturers in the same model line have different optical performance for example the Nightforce NX8 in the 4-32X50 is noted as having a nicer optical performance than the 2.5-20X50.
I am strongly considering the 4-25X50 or the 6-36X56 with the ZF-MRi reticle, but I'm having a tough time deciding between the two. Will be mounted on my newly acquired AT-X which is currently wearing a 6.5mm Creedmoor barrel, weight is not really a concern and the price difference between the two isn't either. I don't expect that I would use 36X all that often, but I've also never owned a scope with that much magnification so I don't know what I don't know.
Any thoughts or guidance here are appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Wrong. You can tell a lot about an optic before mounting it. Eye box forgiveness will obviously improve when mounted, but when it’s tight it’s easy to spot.
You are right, that was a poor choice of words on my part. I have edited my post to sound less critical. To be clear, I was checking the eye box across varying mag ranges with the scope sitting still on my bag on my tripod, not just holding it in my hands. I fully expect it to be a solid scope from my initial observations. All of my other Zeiss optics have been excellent, especially my Victory bino.
Well I certainly would not call the eyebox forgiving. Compared to my MK5 3.6-18 it’s tighter across the whole mag range as far as side to side/up and down as well as eye relief. Below 16x I don’t find it to be bad, but above 16x it’s definitely pretty tight compared to most optics and pretty tough above 20x. 99% of my use will be below 16x though so for me it’s a non issue.
It does have a great sight picture when you’re within its better range as far as not seeing a bunch of scope body and glass quality.
It does have a great sight picture when you’re within its better range as far as not seeing a bunch of scope body and glass quality.
I run mine on 36x most of the time, and have not noticed any real degradation in optical quality in the upper end of the range. The extra mag is nice, especially during load testing and shooting for groups. When shooting small groups at small targets, the extra magnification allows you to be much more precise in stacking them in there.
I am always going to love ZCO over others, and their only negative is price......that being said, I love my S3 except for the zero stop settings compared to ZCO. S3 are just the best value moneywise I have tried.
Thanks for the input, another question I had that seems to have been discussed elsewhere in this thread or another one is how visible or usable the reticle is a the lowest magnification. I’m guessing the 4X is quite a bit harder to pickup than the 6X given they’re both first focal plane.
It does very good on 4x. The heavy posts draw you to the center and I can make out the 1 mil lines no problem. By 6x the .2mils are starting to become usable. It’s a great reticle IMO. I’ll be buying another S3 before the sale is over.
What is your preference between the 4-25X50 and the 6-36X56? I'm only buying one, if you were to have to choose which one would you go for?
That would all come down to use and what rifle it's going on. For a 6.5 that you will be using either will work as the 6-36 has more than enough elevation for anywhere you will shoot that rifle. Do you want 36x? If so then go that route. If you only think you need 25x then there's the answer.
I have zero experience with the 6-36 and I’ve had the 4-25 for a few days and just too it to the range today.
By design the eyebox on the 6-36 will be even more forgiving and it has 11x more on the top end while only adding a few ounces of weight.
I shot the 4-25 today on 25x the whole time and the eye box was a non issue.
I don’t think you can go wrong with either, I’d just pick whichever mag range you think will be the best for your use. I will say that the 4-25 is very good on 4x. There’s no tunneling, a great FOV and sight picture, and you can actually pick up the reticle unlike most FFP scopes on the bottom end.
This would be a question for @Rob01 as he has both. I’ve never compared both side by side while paying much attention to that on the low-end. I was more worried about the high-end clarity, since that seems to be the largest detractor in high magnification scopes.
Agreed. The reticle on 4x is the most useable of any FFP reticle I’ve had when set on the lowest magnification, and the brightness of the illumination is outstanding. I also like how you don’t see much of the surrounding ocular. It’s a very good eye piece design in that regard. Initially I was thinking of using it on my 22 rimfire but instead i might put it on my lightweight precision rifle thats in the works.
Thanks for the input I really appreciate your help.
Either one will be a big step up over the current stand in Nightforce NXS 3.5-15X50, hell that scope is so old it pre-dates NF offering a zero stop.
Like I said: I haven't used a scope with that much magnification so there is a lot of uncertainty on my part on how much magnification beyond 15X I could realistically use. I know that for the most part I spend virtually zero rounds expended with the NF at 3.5X.... so that might be a clue for me.
The rifle is being used to bang steel targets at the local range out to around 840 yards currently, but I believe there are plans to expand beyond that as funding allows. I'm also able to go set up a target on the national grass lands so I can get about as much distance as I want if I'm willing to drive 20 minutes out of town and set up my own steel. I already have a dedicated big game hunting rifle in .280 AI so more mobile hunting isn't something this rig will need to accomplish.
At some point in the future I would like to add a .22 Creedmoor barrel for prairie dogs, maybe a 6mm Creedmoor, and if I can find a bolt body to get opened up to .535" bolt face diameter some short action magnums.
I am leaning towards the 6-36X56 at this point based on what I am reading about image clarity holding up at higher magnification, although I do worry a bit about the eye box /eye relief / exit pupil diameter. Oh well that is what an adjustable stock is for right? It's not as if I can't set it up to give me a consistent repeatable cheek weld that puts my eye where it needs to be.
If I am wandering off in the wrong direction here feel free to offer corrections.
Thanks again.
Yeah get the 6-36x as the 2x difference at the bottom won't make any difference as you don't by a 25x or 36x scope to use the lowest power a majority of the time or even any time except to maybe get a wider FOV to find a target. With the reticle design as mentioned you can see the reticle pretty good and with the illumination on it's like a red dot almost as you have a mil sized square box aiming point. Play with using the illumination as it does help at time when getting on target to take a quick shot.
I might have posted this before but in case you didn't see it it's a size comparison between the two. 6-36 on left and 4-25 on right. Both have sunshades on them.
The reticle is at its best in the single digit and teens power wise. Over 20x it's like crowded, above 25 like fish net. I just received my 4th gen3 razor(EO special black edition) so the 6-36 will be up for sale very soon. Good bright glass, but mediocre turrets & zero stop, too heavy of reticle for high mag, crap markers on parallax wheel, not best eyebox. Sorry in my experience of 4 samples VS 2 zeiss, vortex is a better scope, to my eyes. @Rob01 will say different.
The Vortex is a very good scope too. I think the glass is a little better in the S3 though but as always different eyes see different things. All the rest are personal preferences.
I do disagree with the reticle assessment though. The S3 reticle is one of the best I have ever used in matches. I don't see crowded or fish nets anywhere but again depends on preferences and eyes.
I think the turrets are better on my S3 than on my RG3 EO Black Edition… Just my opinion. The locking mechs on my RG3 are kind of janky and require wiggling them to get them to completely lock and unlock. Not really impressed for a $2,500 ($3,999 MSRP) scope. I haven’t had a chance to shoot the RG3 yet, as I’m still waiting on the barrel for that rifle, but once I do, I can do a true side-by-side comparison on glass quality. First impressions, the scope is nice, but the turrets leave a lot to be desired…JMO.
I have a USA-built (recent production) ATACR F1 5-25x56…. The turrets are amazing, but the parallax is way off. Sitting on ~60 yards when shooting at 100…Now imagine what Nightforce ships for $3K.
I handled the Zeiss for the first time this evening, and I have owned 4 Razor Gen III's and none have had the same turret feel. Razors went mushy to woodpecker hard. I do feel that most of the razors had a more distinct feel but I had to use a spacer or o-ring to keep them from locking. 2 of my 4 Razors had to go back and of course Vortex were class acts on the repairs. I LOVE the reticle on the Zeiss and thought hard about getting one before I found a used ZCO on my way home.
I bought another S3 at the low price Euro had them for. Just going to let it sit for now. Too good not to stash one for a rainy day
I wanted one too, but couldn't justify spending almost 2k for a scope. However I did went to the local Scheels to look at them. I tried the Zeiss, Mark 5 HD and Viper PST gen II, and the Zeiss clearly is the king of the hill. Maybe I will consider it next year when it goes on sale again, or waiting for one of you guys to sell it here....
Just ordered a Zeiss LRP S3 6-36X56 from Eurooptic and promptly forgot to order a 34mm mount from them, so I just had to make a second order.
*Sigh*
I'm a genius...... left them a note to toss it in the same box with the scope and sunshade order if they catch it in time so they can save themselves some postage.
Hopefully the MDT 34mm High single piece mount I ordered is indeed in stock, I was going to order an Area 419 unitized mount but they want to tack on a $100 shipping charge, seriously what the hell?
*Sigh*
I'm a genius...... left them a note to toss it in the same box with the scope and sunshade order if they catch it in time so they can save themselves some postage.
Hopefully the MDT 34mm High single piece mount I ordered is indeed in stock, I was going to order an Area 419 unitized mount but they want to tack on a $100 shipping charge, seriously what the hell?
FWIW A419 is showing normal shipping to my zip code.
What kind of mounts you after? I’ve got some Badger C1 Max to move…
Already ordered the MDT from Eurooptic.
It was a debate between those two since no Spuhr stuff was in stock that isn’t QD and I’m not interested in QD mounts.
It was a debate between those two since no Spuhr stuff was in stock that isn’t QD and I’m not interested in QD mounts.
I'm afraid, like all manufacturers seem to do with a popular product, they're going to blow them out now, discontinue them, release an "updated" version at about $3100, and try and sell them based on their popularity now. Call it a hunch.
So your theory is that they’re going to increase the price to a couple hundred $$ short of the S5’s? That would be incredibly stupid.
They could have just ran a sale to entice people to buy them to gain some traction with the line since they don’t seem overly popular in the market that they were designed for. That’s far more likely.
Well Zeiss got me, I had planned getting a high power scope for my Vudoo and with Eurooptics 25%off , no tax and free shipping in was a no brainer to get one. So the Vudoo will have the Zeiss S 3 6-36X56 and I also have a CZ 457MTR that will now get the Tract Toric 4.5-30X56.
It has shipped so I will see it Wednesday so I can get it mounted up for next weekend.
It has shipped so I will see it Wednesday so I can get it mounted up for next weekend.
