Just wondering if I could get some opinions on different spotting scopes. I am told that the Zeiss is better than the Leica and the Swarovski. I am looking at the 85 mm objective, and going with the 20x60 variable. I am told that the Zeiss is cheaper by a little and will out perform in the field. Any opinions would be great.
Thank you

congrats and welcome to our forum,all 3 are the best of the Best!!!!Leica is comming out with a new model check it out.
if you can''t waite buy what you like they are all Awesome you can't go wrong!!! one thing you need to consider is weight your gonna carry it. i own a old style Leica 77 telavid apo 45% eyepiece 20-60. and i'm still thrilled with its performance and yes i pack it hunting....regards

From a technical standpoint all three are higher quality optics than our eyes are. The reality is what looks best to your eyes. There are subtle differences in color shading, not so much in sharpness. Some people prefer the warmer tones of the Zeiss optic and some prefer the starker color rendition of the Swarovski (meaning no exaggeration of shades of color) There is no "right or wrong" choice. if you have the chance to look thru all three you'll know which you prefer almost immediately. The "best" for me may not be the "best" for you. The new seris that leica is coming out with should be available near the middle to end of the Fall.

The first question is what are you intending to do with it?

I have a Zeiss 85 with the 20-60 ocular and it's a superb scope for a lot of things and sometimes it's just too much. For 100 yard bench work with a rifle I am more likely to use my Leupy even though the Zeiss at 20 is much better than the Leupy at 45.

If you intend to use it for other than target work the Zeiss is really nice. For just target work at 100 yards it's way more than you need.

like doug says - it depends on your eyes. i don't think there is 2 cents worth of difference between zeiss, leica, and swaro. I prefer the swaro because of their warranty reactions. Like miles58 says however what are you using it for. the 85mm spotter is one big animal. great for the range or PD shootin, but way to big for hunting

I totally disagree. I compared all 3 side by side at Bass Pro Shops. Set side by side looking at the darkest, furthest corners (60 + yards) in the ceiling, I found the Swarovski to be noticeably brighter. I was disappointed that the Lieca was very dark and was not even close; especially considering that it was $400 more than either the Swarovski or Ziess. The Swarovski was brighter and focused to a more crisp picture.

As a suggestion only, might want to check out Kowa scopes. Generally considered as one of the better ones on the market and dominate long range shooting for their performance and durability. Try looking at them at SWFA.com

Thank you all for the help and info. I am using the scope for hunting and bench rest but only past 300 at the range. I have the 300 with the nightforce nxs, and have just started taking my shooting to the next level the past 3 years. With getting tips all the time from people like you all it has been awesome! The scope is just basically for spotting the mulies in the long coulees at long range, I want to be able to get a good idea at the caliber of the deer. I have an older smaller scope that I pack with me when making the stock or what ever the case may be.
Thanks again and if there are more opinions that would be great.
Happy shooting.
CS

I recently bought a Swarovski HD 20x60 w/ 65mm objective for hunting and range work. I'm real happy with it. I ended up getting two different tripods: one for hunting and one for the shooting bench.

Personally, I think the 85mm objective scopes are a little too big for hunting purposes....at least I don't want to be packing it around.