Zeiss Z-Point Red Dot

Carl Zeiss Sport Optics has really turned some heads in the tactical and recreational shooting community with their red dot scope called the  Z-Point. This innovative design was originally designed for the German military and features a body style that’s all about function and reliability, most notably it has no square edges,  no protruding leavers, and no exposed switches. Every thing is simple and smooth, a real advantage when not having your sport optic gear get caught on something is a priority.  We’ve compiled a short list of the big advantages this scope has to offer.

• First the unit has no magnification. This allows the shooter to keep both eyes open for maximum situational awareness and fast target engagement. This is a huge advantage for close range work.
• Without the multiple lens system needed for magnification scopes the unit is remarkably light, about 3.5 ounces, and lack of extra glass makes it extremely bright. Combine this feature with legendary Zeiss lenses and you’ve got a low light scope that’s simply hard to beat.
• Easy on and easy off. The Z Point uses a patented quick connect  system that requires no tools for attachment or dis attachment.  Simply push in the spring loaded retaining clamp and this red dot scope is easily connected or taken off. This is a real plus for shooters wanting to quickly change their optic systems.
• The red dot illumination  system is really impressive. First its  easy to turn on with a momentary push of a flush mount button of the side of the scope, its under the Zeiss logo.  Second, a light sensor built into the front of the unit automatically detects the ambient light available and adjusts the red dots brightness intensity to the perfect setting.  This auto brightness does have a manual override but you wont need it, the auto brightness feature works great. To turn the unit off you simply press the switch down for a moment and its off, and if you forget to turn it off, like I did, it’s no problem the unit shuts down automatically after 4 hours.
• Here’s another really cool feature of the Z-Point. This unit combines battery power, CR 2032, with solar cell technology. This maximizes battery life by utilizing available light as the primary power source when available and dependable battery power when its not.
• Windage and elevation adjustments are easily field adjustable with the use of an Allen wrench.
• The Z Point has huge 56.4 foot field of view at 100 yards, and the red dot covers 3.6″ of a target at this distance.
• Two models are available from Zeiss, one for the Picatinny mount system and one for the slightly smaller Weaver style mount system.
• The unit is completely submersible waterproof and thus will not fog internally when going from one temperature environment to another.

We must admit that the simplicity of the units design and function is a bit disarming, but make no mistake this  Carl Zeiss scope has a bunch to offer. The range of possible applications is huge, AR-15 style guns, turkey guns, deer shot guns, you name it. The company even offers a bow hunting bracket for the Z Point. Come to think of it  I might want to give that application a try this comming October.

Zeiss Victory Compact Binocular Review

Greetings. I wanted to talk about the Zeiss Victory compact binocular today. The Victory series is of course Zeiss’ flagship line. The compact family sports two sizes: the 8×20 and 10×25. The fully coated optics realistically boasts maximum brightness in minimum dimensions. The view is tremendous with crisp sharpness that fits in any pocket. What I really like about these compacts over their little sister line, Zeiss Conquest,  is the single hinge design. It’s asymmetrical design took a few minutes to get over, but it really does makes sense and allows one barrel to fold under the other and therefore compresses the unit to it’s minimum. The single hinge (to me) is better because there is only one axis to adjust the interpupilary distance…with the Conquest’s dual hinge the barrels can float around and be off-set from each other. In my experience, you need a binocular be set up and working in a matter of seconds with minimum adjustments. Mother Nature is not going to sit around wait for me to catch up. I think that a single hinge accomplishes this best. Now I know there are a lot of fine qualities to the Conquest compact and that it has a huge following of satisfied customers, but this is a review of the Zeiss Victory and I’m allowed to be a little biased.

It’s always give and take with binoculars and if I have to give up the benefits of a full size bino then it better take me to multiple places and work perfectly. When I look at buying a compact binocular it has to fit into several environments. I think that the Zeiss Victory compact family does this very well. The Victory compact is a very versatile binocular that can go from the ball game, to nature hike, and opera in one weekend. The simple black housing is stylish enough for the theater and sporty enough to cover all other occasions. It’s truly compact and of course nitorgen purged to protect the internal components from oxidation as well as prevent internal fogging. Compacts are probably the hardest working binoculars out there since they need to perform well with minimum housing, that’s why it’s especially important to choose a well-established authority in optics (like Zeiss) when purchasing one.

As far as the sizes go, if you are either a birder or theater goer, you should consider the 8×20 for the larger field of view. If you are a traveler and want that extra magnification of vistas and far off animals, I’d choose the 10×25’s. Zeiss has designed them to have the same exit pupil so they will work the same in low light. Just make sure that you purchase them from an authorized Zeiss dealer in order to get their USA lifetime warranty.

Zeiss at the 2009 Shot Show

At the 2009 Shot Show Carl Zeiss Sport Optics introduced two premium level optical rangefinders, the Victory PRF Pocket Range Finder and the Victory RF Range Finding Binoculars. The company makes an impressive move into the laser rangefinder market for sportsmen. Both of these models are marvels of design and construction and feature advance features including ballistic compensation assistance.

Additional infomation on each of these range finder products can be found at the Carl Zeiss website.