Zeiss Conquest HD binoculars

A little chunky for a day on the hill but a lifetime investment that’s perfect for high-seat

These are a big, chunky lump of optic. Not first choice for a day on the hill, maybe, or to tuck away in a pocket. But for high seat work or where weight and transportation are less of an issue, they are a terrific choice. German high seat hunters love the big, night-eating 56mm objectives for wild boar hunting and such like.

For hand-holding, the 8x and 10x models will be first choice, but if you want extra reach and have either a steady hand or can rest on a vehicle, high seat bar or set of stalking sticks, the 15×56 starts to bridge the gap between binocular and spotting scope. This model even includes a tripod adaptor for birding.

The Conquest is not the prettiest or most high-tech optic on the market but it has good ergonomics, a nice, soft-touch, rubberised outer coating and a brilliantly smooth and precise focus wheel. I also know from personal experience how tough the Conquest HD range is, having dropped, dragged, sunk, shot and finally blown up a pair to try and get them to stop working!

With a price tag around the £1,000 mark, these binos have to be considered as a ‘big investment’. But what you are buying is a quality optic that will last you a lifetime.

www.zeiss.co.uk