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We got a copy of Passion magazine in the office the other day and in it was a story about
how the guys from Zeiss tried to destruction test one of their conquest HD binoculars.
The kind of thing that might go wrong in the field.
Dropping them from a high seat, running over them with a 4 x 4.
They even shot the binoculars and they still survived.
But can that really be true.
Actually it works, take a look.
These are still crystal clear the focus wheel works, a little bit gritty, but people would
probably consider a procedure optical instrument they are going to think they are actually
not capable of this kind of punishment.
We were surprised as well to be honest.
To shoot at it was our last torture and it was no problem actually.
The shot pellets they got stuck in the rubber surface, but that was it.
So we were surprised as well.
Ok.
You work in marketing.
You are bound to say nice things about your own product.
So we have come over to find out whether or not they really are as tough as you say.
You are absolutely welcome to test it on your own.
So we are prepared and we have got a bino, so go for it.
Yes, this is your victim for the day, so do me one favour, please don't be gentle.
I'll try, I'll try.
I am sure.
So here we are then.
Kid at Christmas time with my factory fresh box, Conquest HD binoculars, worth about 1000
Euros and apparently I have got to try and break them.
Not looking forward to this.
Take it out of the box Dom.
The box is pretty sturdy but apparently I am not going to get away with it that easily.
It just feels so wrong to take something which normally we would be cherishing and looking
after and taking good care of to last us a life time and to treat it like this.
I know what you are thinking, how likely is that you are going to drop your binoculars
from a high seat.
Well actually it is surprisingly easy.
Oh, oh, the things you see.
So test one complete.
I have chucked these things out of the high stand 20 times for various shots and so far
so good.
The eye cups are still working, focus wheel is still working.
I think we will have to try a bit harder.
So we are going to stop for a quick lunch break now and wait for the Zeiss guys to come
and join us.
Give the binoculars a bit of a rest, just put them here out the way and then I think
time for a quick bite to eat.
So we haven't really made much of an impression on these yet.
No not at all.
And to be fair, bit of fun that was, but not a real test because there is some very serious
packaging in there, padding, a big cardboard box, but what kind of scenario are we trying
to recreate now?
You are in a rush, you need to be back home early.
You drop them out of your pocket or just out of the backpack and you keep on going and
you simply drive over it with your 4 x 4.
This is a situation which can happen.
Well let's do so.
If you don't trust us running over it in a box then we do it without.
No worries.
And we have got a 1.7 tonne Isuzu D-Max which is Rudiger's personal vehicle and we are not
on soft mud here.
This is a rock hard track so this is going to be taking the full weight of the vehicle.
Yes.
OK let's do it.
I will get behind the steering wheel and you give me the instructions.
This is going to break my heart to do this but let's find out if it breaks the binoculars.
Keep coming, keep coming, bit more, bit more, stop.
I think it is safe to say they are squashed.
Umm well they were fairly comprehensively crushed by that.
We have got lots of dust, lots of tyre marks, but the hinge still works perfectly, the eye
cups still work perfectly, the focus wheel still works perfectly, there is a little bit
of resistance about there.
Let's see what they look like through the lense.
Crystal.
The only thing I can feel is different to when they were brought out of the box is there
is a slight stiffness in the focus wheel, but other than that pretty much perfect.
One thing putting them on the floor, running them over, what happens if you leave on the
roof of your truck and they get clattered down the road.
We have a few signs of minor physical damage now.
Got a bit of chipping to the metal work here and this little plastic bit on the side which
is where your strap would go, that has been crushed, but still we have got a little bit
of stiffness in that eye cup, but it still works.
That
one feels fine, the optic adjustment fine, focus wheel is fine.
Optics are pin sharp.
Right so now we are going to try and simulate a life time crawling through the undergrowth.
Having it hanging from your neck, dangling from the rock.
We haven't got a life time to do it, but we are going to try and simulate that in about
ten seconds with the help of a rope and a pick up truck.
It is safe to say that they are now showing signs of wear, but then they have just done
about a kilometre up this tarmac forest track up to speeds of about 40 km an hour which
is pretty serious let's be honest.
Like I say this is not a mud track.
We have got some issues now with the eye cups, they are feeling a little bit stiff.
The optic adjustment is still working, the focus wheel is still working and I have got
a little dust on the lense, but I can still see ok through them.
They are still sharp.
I can still focus.
I can't actually believe that.
Do you treat your binoculars like this?
It is very nice, very good.
Oy.
A
bit of slobber.
I think we need to check their water proofing capabilities a little more seriously than
just a bit of spit.
We have found this lovely tranquil fishing lake in the forest.
Apparently it is very good there is carp, zander, pike in here.
Sadly we haven't brought any fishing gear, but we are going to give the Conquest a swim.
See if we can clean them up a bit and find out whether they still retain their water
proof properties.
So here we go.
Not liking how much gas is coming up.
Let's see if we have got a bite.
I reckon they have survived that.
Try again.
No water inside.
Clear picture, focus wheel is working.
Works.
They are cleaner now.
Now they are clean actually.
That is good.
Another test passed with flying colours.
Amazing.
Absolutely amazing.
So we have put these binoculars through a right hammering today.
When the Zeiss guys originally did the story they found as we have found today that even
though they have punished them incredibly hard the binoculars still survived.
They thought what can we do that is above and beyond the call of duty so they actually
decided to shoot the binocular.
It is not something we would recommend you try at home, but we have got a selection of
hunting cartridges here.
We have got our trusted binoculars here which are still going strong and we are going to
blast them.
Let's go, have fun.
Ear protection, safety glasses ... check, talent.
We are going to start with a Rottweil steel game number four and move our way up from
there.
If it was a pigeon it would be looking a bit second hand.
No broken glass The focus wheel still works despite having a pellet in it.
Right let's shoot it again.
Take two.
We are going to step up to a pokier cartridge this is a number three Weihlmans high velocity
traditional German hunting cartridge.
This packs a fair bit of umpgh apparently.
The number four steel wasn't gutsy enough so hopefully this one will do the business.
Ok so here is the wad.
That made it to the target.
The binoculars have been blown off the stump.
Well so we have had a direct hit on the hinge here, no sign of breakage on the glass but
a lot more shots ... I think we are actually going to have to go for something even more
heavy duty than this.
Hann have you got any explosives.
When you did this, this isn't part of your normal test programme is it?
No.
You didn't know what the result was going to be.
No definitely not.
The testing got worse and worse.
We ended up shooting on it because we had no clue what to do.
You had taken everything you thought could happen in the real world
Exactly
And survived.
So you had to get more extreme and creative to try and destroy the product.
That was the idea.
So I guess the idea for you guys is to make people understand the level of engineering
that goes into a Zeiss product and how tough they are in the real world.
Especially in comparison with other low priced binoculars.
So this product for a 1000 Euros more or less can stand way more than any thing else in
that price range.
So we are very proud of it.
It is good to know that we survive once again.
So it is the question of people reassessing what they are actually buying here.
They are not buying it for this year, next year ...
They are buying it for generations.
I do have one question though.
If somebody brings in a binocular to the customer services department with shot gun pellets
on what do you say?
Well the clear message of all that happened today is don't try this at home.
So don't try this at home.
As shooting journalists we get sent an awful lot of kit during the course of the year and
we do test it in the field.
We do take it out shooting, we do get it wet, we get it muddy, but ultimately we have to
show it a bit of respect and we have to send it back.
So it has been a fairly unique experience to be given a top end binocular and told to
go out and try to destroy it and obviously there is a serious message in there somewhere
about their faith in the product to the level of engineering that goes into one of these
bits of kit.
But let's also be honest it was a lot of fun.
Bring on the bang.