African Birdlife last conducted a comparative binocular review in the March/April 2013 issue. One of the best models was the Zeiss Conquest, which sits between Zeiss’s top-end Victory and entry-level Terra series.
Costing only half the price of the premium Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss Victory models, the Conquest combined excellent optics with a robust, no-nonsense build and functional design. It was the clear winner in terms of value for money, and tied for first place overall.
In August 2024 Zeiss released the Conquest HDX series, using higher quality glass and a new magnesium alloy body that shaves precious grams off the weight. I was offered the chance to test the 10×42 and 8×42 models, but they also come in the smaller 32mm objective format with 8 and 10x magnification, as well as the massive 56mm objective with 8, 10 and 15x magnification. They all have the option to add a tripod adapter, which is probably a good idea if you opt for a 56mm pair which weigh over 1.2 kilograms.
Listening to users
The new HDX looks very similar to the original Conquest HD. The only obvious difference is the addition of a lock on the individual eye-piece adjuster. It’s great when a manufacturer listens to users – the lack of a lock was the only quibble with the original. The new model is made in Japan, but build quality is excellent. I field tested the 10×42 for several weeks, and they handled impeccably.
Close focus distance is an acceptable 2m in the 42mm objective models and an excellent 1.5m in the smaller 32mm objective models. At 715g they weigh 10% less than the original Conquest 10×42, but the mass saving is less in the smaller 32mm objective models. If mass is a big factor, then you should consider the revolutionary 40mm and 30mm Zeiss SFL models, which are substantially lighter and not much more expensive than the Conquest HDX.
Brightness and clarity
The most striking feature of the HDX is the brightness and clarity of the image. The field of view is slightly narrower than my Zeiss Victory 10×32 (which has an exceptional 130m at 1000m), but the image quality is superior. Admittedly my binoculars are a few years old, but the difference was sufficient to keep me using the Conquest as my binocular of choice for as long as I was able to keep them!
The recommended retail price of the 42mm models is R23,200 for the 8x and R24,200 for the 10x, while the smaller 32mm objective 8x and 10x models are R18,400 and R19,400, respectively. Given that this is similar to the original Conquest HD, and only half the price of the comparative Victory model, I think Zeiss have another winner on their hands. Peter Ryan
