Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics What happened to the Zeiss Terra line?

yes, Chinese

Every single Terra scope I have had or seen has been stamped "Japan"

Me too--and my first one was a VERY early 3-9x that Zeiss sent me for evaluation. I talked to them about at the SHOT Show when they introduced the Terra line, and it showed up at my home within a few weeks.

I ran extensive tests on that scope, comparing it in several ways to a European 3-9x Conquest, also one of the very early models. Everything from optics to adjustments to size was basically the same except eye relief. In the Euro-Conquest the ER only varied about 1/2" from 3x to 9x.. In the Japanese Terra it varied around 1-1/4" from 3x to 9x.

Maybe Zeiss started having later Terra scopes made in China, but the first were definitely from Japan.

They also sent me a 10x42 Terra binocular, which was made in China, and was pretty good.

Those were my findings as well. The rendition of color -- at least to my eyes -- was slightly different, but the resolution in varied lighting conditions fully equaled the original Conquests.

So what happened to the line?

I've got a 4X12, and all it's ever been on are a couple of 223's. Has always worked great for my use. Japan made too.

I dunno about the line but I can tell you about that scope.....

JB sent it to me to try out...I did...

And gave it away as quickly as I could....POS that eye relief thing he mentioned was horrible.

Apparently it didn't sell well.

I have 2 terra 3x9x42 scopes. They are very serviceable for the type of hunting I do. I can honestly say since i mount all my own optics I likely encounter some eye relief issues with all my rifles at some point.

Since the fire is my source for all scope evaluations I guess my terras are my least desirable and would likely top any rifle I would gift to a young hunter looking to get started.

Yeah, me too. But I haven't bought a Terra in a couple years. I was thinking Doug usually knows his chidt.. Hmm. Did they start making them in China?

I have mine on a 300 win mag. Eye relief hasn't been a issue. I'm happy with it. The reticle works perfect. Entered in my loads to an online program Zeiss had. Was right on the money when I tested it

I have a pair of Terra 10 X 42 binoculars and I think highly of them, not best of the best but on par with my old Zeiss Classics.

That was my experience as well.

Binoculars have made a VAST leap in quality versus price in the past 30 years. While a lot of people still insist that a used "Alpha" binocular is a better buy than any newer non-Alpha brand, that has not been my experience. Today there are better $500 to $700 binoculars than any Alpha brand offered 25 years ago.

We were auctioning a pair of Zeiss Terra binos at an RMEF banquet. Bidding went well over $500. The guy who won the bid came to the checkout table and rather loudly proclaimed he was not paying that for China binos. They had been on display out of the box for hours. I think he was preoccupied with barley pops....

I purchased my first terra scope when they were first released, at $399.....years later I found myself needing a cheaper, serviceable scope and the terra had dropped to $239 at SW. That's when I picked up my 2nd terra, apparently zeiss was discontinuing the line. I keep all my scope packaging and both scopes are marked with "Japan".