I have an older Vari-x lll 1.5-5 and two Nixon African 1-4s. I've shot them side by side in good light a fair amount and can't tell any difference optically. I haven't compared them in poor light. As has been said, the Nikon has a longer tube - that and the Euro eyepiece make it a noticeably larger scope. The Nikon has 1/2" clicks rather than 1/4", if that matters. I do like the straight tube scopes on No. 1s - it makes scope positioning easier as some have difficulty getting the scope back far enough w/out using offset rings.
I'd expect the new 1.5-5s to be better optically but I'd probably buy another Nikon for the price difference - I really like that scope.
