tddeangelo
Handloader
- May 18, 2011
- 2,023
- 20
OK, here's what I did. If it's not up to par for some, I guess I'll just have to live with my failures... lol.
Scopes in play are a 2.5-10x45 VX7, 3-9x40 Zeiss Conquest, and 3-9x40 Minox ZA-3.
I put a USAF optical resolution chart (found here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/1951usaf_test_target.jpg) on a makeshift cardboard stand at about 25 yards.
I began the "test" at 4:45, which is close to sunset. Weather is mostly sunny, some clouds, and normal temps (highs in the low 30's). Obviously all scopes had no trouble resolving the chart at that time. I checked them on 3x and 9x (had to estimate 9x on the Leupold).
In this light, I felt the Minox gave the best overall picture. Eye relief and FOV are good on all three, but the Minox had a clear, crisp picture that just gave me a slightly better overall impression than the others.
5:00- Now we're seeing a shift. Minox no longer looks best, all look roughly equal, with maybe a slight edge going to the VX7.
5:20- VX7 pulls ahead, allowing me to resolve the black bars between the white bars in the upper left corner of the res chart I linked in this post. All could do this, but the VX7 seemed to produce, to my eye, more detailed resolution. At this point, I have all scopes on 9x.
5:30- VX7 somewhat ahead, Conquest and Minox dead heat, and nipping on the VX7's heals.
5:45- All three are so close, that it's almost silly to pick a winner, but if I had to, it would be the VX7.
That's optical resolution.
If asked to make a shot, the Minox was the first to lose that ability, by virtue of it's reticle (BDC in the one I got). The BDC marks vanished at about 5:30, but the reticle was just not heavy enough to center my eye and help me find the reticle. The Zeiss was done at about 5:35 or so. The VX7 retained the ability to shoot until I halted the "test" at 5:45. This is because of the very heavy duplex the VX7 sports.
The Leupold had a more "yellow" or "warm" look to the picture it generated. The ZA-3 and Conquest were almost identical in color fidelity.
The sun was behind me (I was facing east), so I did not yet get to test lens flair.
So far, I'm super-impressed with the Minox. Great optics, doesn't weigh much, and I noted nothing at all of the finnicky eyebox some describe on the Minox. Going between the VX7, Conquest, and ZA-3 was seamless.
I clicked through some adjustments on the turrets, and I feel what others described. To me, it was simply a hair less resistance when reversing direction, and only for 2-3 clicks. For example, if I put 10 clicks up on the scope and then changed direction and went down, the first 2-3 clicks would have less resistance, but clicked just the same. Once past 2-3 clicks, all was the same. Easy fix if it bothers someone....if I need to make 3 clicks adjustment, I can go 6, then back 3. Or just go the 3 and not think any more about it.
Obviously I have not shot the rifle with it yet.
I did get to very, very briefly compare the Leupold VariX II 3-9 it replaced with the Minox side by side before I had to run out to meet the buyer for the Leupold. The Minox S-M-O-K-E-D it. Not even a question. It man-handled the Leupold.
I also had the Meopta 7x42 binos alongside the Conquest 8x30's. The Meopta's beat up the Zeiss pretty bad from about 5PM on.
More interestingly, the Meopta glasses beat all the scopes, hands down, right out to 5:45. Not even a question. Makes me curious about a Meostar scope now.
Scopes in play are a 2.5-10x45 VX7, 3-9x40 Zeiss Conquest, and 3-9x40 Minox ZA-3.
I put a USAF optical resolution chart (found here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/1951usaf_test_target.jpg) on a makeshift cardboard stand at about 25 yards.
I began the "test" at 4:45, which is close to sunset. Weather is mostly sunny, some clouds, and normal temps (highs in the low 30's). Obviously all scopes had no trouble resolving the chart at that time. I checked them on 3x and 9x (had to estimate 9x on the Leupold).
In this light, I felt the Minox gave the best overall picture. Eye relief and FOV are good on all three, but the Minox had a clear, crisp picture that just gave me a slightly better overall impression than the others.
5:00- Now we're seeing a shift. Minox no longer looks best, all look roughly equal, with maybe a slight edge going to the VX7.
5:20- VX7 pulls ahead, allowing me to resolve the black bars between the white bars in the upper left corner of the res chart I linked in this post. All could do this, but the VX7 seemed to produce, to my eye, more detailed resolution. At this point, I have all scopes on 9x.
5:30- VX7 somewhat ahead, Conquest and Minox dead heat, and nipping on the VX7's heals.
5:45- All three are so close, that it's almost silly to pick a winner, but if I had to, it would be the VX7.
That's optical resolution.
If asked to make a shot, the Minox was the first to lose that ability, by virtue of it's reticle (BDC in the one I got). The BDC marks vanished at about 5:30, but the reticle was just not heavy enough to center my eye and help me find the reticle. The Zeiss was done at about 5:35 or so. The VX7 retained the ability to shoot until I halted the "test" at 5:45. This is because of the very heavy duplex the VX7 sports.
The Leupold had a more "yellow" or "warm" look to the picture it generated. The ZA-3 and Conquest were almost identical in color fidelity.
The sun was behind me (I was facing east), so I did not yet get to test lens flair.
So far, I'm super-impressed with the Minox. Great optics, doesn't weigh much, and I noted nothing at all of the finnicky eyebox some describe on the Minox. Going between the VX7, Conquest, and ZA-3 was seamless.
I clicked through some adjustments on the turrets, and I feel what others described. To me, it was simply a hair less resistance when reversing direction, and only for 2-3 clicks. For example, if I put 10 clicks up on the scope and then changed direction and went down, the first 2-3 clicks would have less resistance, but clicked just the same. Once past 2-3 clicks, all was the same. Easy fix if it bothers someone....if I need to make 3 clicks adjustment, I can go 6, then back 3. Or just go the 3 and not think any more about it.
Obviously I have not shot the rifle with it yet.
I did get to very, very briefly compare the Leupold VariX II 3-9 it replaced with the Minox side by side before I had to run out to meet the buyer for the Leupold. The Minox S-M-O-K-E-D it. Not even a question. It man-handled the Leupold.
I also had the Meopta 7x42 binos alongside the Conquest 8x30's. The Meopta's beat up the Zeiss pretty bad from about 5PM on.
More interestingly, the Meopta glasses beat all the scopes, hands down, right out to 5:45. Not even a question. Makes me curious about a Meostar scope now.
