Anyone have a set of these? How do they compare with the Leica 10x42s? I'm looking to buy a pair of binoculars for my brown bear hunt.

Have them. Love them. Could not get me to sell them. Have not compared them.

Alan

Have had the 10x40 Classics and presently the Leica's.

The Classics are wonderful bins IMO.Hunted a pair of 10x40's for 20 years,and would do so again.

But IMHO they are outclassed by todays glass.May be my aging eyes but they just cannot stay with today's Leica 10x42 HD.

I bought one of the last NEW pair of Zeiss 10x40 Classics ever sold. Cabelas had the very last lot. I compared them extensively to the Leica Ultravids during the time that I owned them.

My opinion is that they are very close in optical quality, the edge going to the Leicas. The Leicas had slightly better color rendition, less flare(light pollution),but resolution and brightness was a wash.

The Zeiss Classic was superior to the Ultravid in ergonomics, compactness, focus mechanism, and are just plain cooler. Ultravids have a dreadful, ratchedy focus mechanism.

I wish I would never have sold the Zeiss but was I cash strapped at the time.

I highly recommend them.

I noticed the same thing on a brand new pair of Ultravid HD's and thought maybe it was just one sample. That would bug the crap outta me, especially considering their price tag.

The Zeiss 10x40's are pretty tough to beat- but they don't hold up optically in low-light conditions to the Leica glass.
I own the Geovid 10x42's, and after I got them, I compared them side by side to my Zeiss.
In bright light, the two are pretty comparable. It is only in very dim light that the differences become apparent.

That said, the Zeiss can be had for far less coin than the Leicas. If just the bear hunt is your objective, then spring for the Zeiss. If you want a lifetime binocular that you will use for everything, especially in low light conditions, then go with Leica. You won't be sorry.

Funny how we all notice different things.....I've had the exact same bins and thought the optics were just plane better on the HD's.

Never noticed the superior ergo's,nor the ratchety focus either......

I must be getting old.. either that or I don't give a shidt anymore..about nuanced stuff

You have your eyes on a pair? I know they haven't been made in a few years, maybe you found a hidden stash?

Thanks!

Saw a pair in the classified here today for something like $375..

Yep, I bought those. I can't wait to get them. They are some nice glass and I wont have to worry about banging them up.

The classics do fine for me. Knowing where and when to look is much more important than having the latest and greatest glass.

You do realize that pair is not even phase corrected, right? Just about as old school as you can get in a roof prism bino.

The pair I ran for 19-20 years were not phase coated,and for years worked fine...but toward the end I compared them with a phase coated model and the differences were apparent.

Eyes change over time as we age,and before I picked up the Leica's, I had one of the Cabela's Zeiss Classics 10x40, so had them both to compare.

For me, and my eyes, they were still simply not in the same class with the Leica's. Were they good? Sure they were...just not as good as the Leica's...for me that is.

Exactly - couldn't agree more.

I did have a set of these however and I'm thinking that these continue to sell well in the used market based on name alone. A Pentax SP is better optically and honestly I think they are middle of the road at best. Start talking some of the new makers, ProMaster/Zen's, etc. they'll eat up a pair of "classics" in the optics department.

Everyone's different however.

Alot of their popularity here was due to them being on Big Stick's preferred equipment list.

The reality doesn't match the hype... most overrated bin I've ever used.

That's what I mean. Guys jump at this "as new in box" for 500 when there are new 200 bins that are better, not to mention newer Zeiss, Leica and Swaro.

Amen to that, I totally concur.

Dober

The reality is that Classics have found a lot of guys a lot of good animals. No hype about that.

I'm just calling it how "my eyes" have seen it. Not saying anything to the effect nor would I ever say it that people haven't found game with them.

They didn't make my eyes happy, could I find game with them well yes but then again I can do that with a lot of glass. I want to use glass that make my eyes happy and the Classic didn't do it for them/me.

I have a lot of buds that used them back in the day and they seemed to like them just fine.

Dober

All I know is that Zeiss started phase correcting ClassiC's in 1989 or so, so that particular pair is AT LEAST 22 years old and are about as far behind the times as one could ever find in a roof prism bino.

IMO, there are far better choices out there for equal or even less $$$, and I'm a fan of Zeiss ClassiC's (T*P/T*P*).

I've glassed mountain tops with guys having just about every brand of bino out there, with the exception of the new chi com stuff. We all found game, and we all needed a spotter to get a better look at the game. If I honestly thought I'd kill bigger/better game with any particular brand of glass, I'd have my wallet out in an instant.

I've gotta agree.

Texans talkin' glass?!?

Now that sorta humor will be tough to top!

A Cough Silencer critique,being both apt and plausible...............

I have had mine for at least 12 years & used all over NA, Africa, & Europe. I have no doubt there are better optics, but Classics have served me well. I see no reason to upgrade. I have an old Nikon range finder that is at least 15 years old & has been used on 3 continents & submerged (interesting story)that does everything I need. I'm old so I guess I will continue with old equipment because it works.

Good to hear, I just bought a pair in excellent condition, looking forward to getting them.

nostalgia is why people still drive them. awesome in their time but cant hang with modern top 3.

And cost, mine cost a third of a new pair of the top 3. It's not clear my old eyes can tell the difference and I don't do enough trophy hunting to make it worthwhile.

Zeiss Classic's worked Ok ...

Anybody know what a pair of "New In Box" Zeiss Classics 10x40 B/GA T*P* binoculars would go for these days? I have a set that was given to me about 8-10 years ago but I never used them and really have no use for them these days. I've opened the box and looked at the binoculars, but they've never been used and the case/accessories have never been removed from the box. Used to do a lot of hunting when I was young about 30 years ago and had another pair back then (not sure which model, they were green with a rubber coating and end caps), but I don't hunt anymore and have no need for a set of high end binoculars. Thanks in advance.

its too bad they don't make an updated zeiss classic with the latest lenses. they are compact and handy binocular. but IMO they are too expensive on the used market for what you get. I think JAP glass from nikon or pentax or maybe even some vortex stuff will give a lot more bank for the buck.