Are they still in business?

What is their quality like ?

Thanks, Aleko

...I guess they are still in business...they were about to build new facility in may 2005...I have a 1-4x24 mounted on my 9,3x62 and my friend has the same on his double .375 H&H flanged...we are quite satisfied with...compared to Swaro or big "Z" its just there...

How about eye relief?

Thanks, Aleko

I have one of the 1.5x6 30mm on a Ruger #1 375. It's a heavy scope but optically very good. I just bought one of their 10x42 binos based on the recommendation of the birders. It's as good at twilight as my Zeiss and the price was right.
I read on the net that the founder had died and the company was in liquidation. May or may not be true. It was a British site.

eye relief is 8 cm - 3.15 "

Don't think they're in the same league as the other German scopes - I replaced my Doctor 6x42 with a beat up old swaro nova that is much better.

I used one on a 338 for a while before I sold it. I liked the 3-9 it was $350 and 3 times the scope a Leuopold VXIII was.

The eye relief is a bit of concern, I was thinking of trying one out. Most of the fixed scopes all seem shallow on eyerelief. The weight is a bit of concern too

So is the company in liquidation?

Aleko

I just looked at 2 of the company web pages and they are representing thmseves as the major supplier of large format lenses. The are the old Zeiss-Jena plant but updated.
They have sporting events scheduled into 2006.
The page I got the earlier info from was a 2004 review of the binos.
CDNN right now is selling a huge lot of Docter stuff: "We bought it all" type ad. Good prices on some of it.

I bought a 1,5x6x42 to try it out

Aleko

let us know how it went...

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Duc:
I just looked at 2 of the company web pages and they are representing thmseves as the major supplier of large format lenses. The are the old Zeiss-Jena plant but updated.

Docter Optik were incorporated into the Zeiss group after the reunification of Germany. In the years before that they were an independent company and specialised in aspherical lenses and specialised reflectors for different purposes. Their products were excellent but now that the name has gone to Zeiss, and Zeiss have shown their penchant for buying up plants like the old Humphrey plant in the USA and selling cheaper products in their own name, who knows what they would continue to offer?

My father's business in India used to represent several East European optical goods manufacturers including Carl Zeiss of Jena, Metro Optical (Meopta) of Czechoslovakia, BC Rubin of Lytkarino of Russia etc and all of their products from the Soviet era were crudely finished but the lens quality was superb. I haven't seen the latest offerings from these companies but those under the Zeiss brand are uneven in quality with their German scopes superior to the US made, low priced rebadged Humphreys.

If I remember right, the only rifle scope with Docter's Aspheric lens technology was an 8x56mm with a 30mm dia tube. I did not find it on the Docter USA website. While I have not used a scope for hunting, the Aspheric 8x56 that I saw in 91 or 92 was superbly clear. Maybe the new Docters are made at the Humphrey plant as well?

I have two pair of Docter binoculars---the 15 x 60 Nobilem armored glass and the 10 x 42 armored glass.

I liked both very much. The 10 x 42 is perhaps not "state of the art" and has that military ambience to it. The eye pieces focus individually. It is very rugged. The lenses are supposed to be exceptionally hard. I have compared it side by side with my Swarovski 8 x 30 SLC with swarobright and I have a very hard time saying the Swarovski is superior.

That said, the Docter is definitely a notch below the Swarovski EL and similar glasses from Zeiss and Nikon. The EL is noticeably brighter than my Swarovski 8 x 30 SLC. Ergo, it is also noticeably brighter than the Docter, though I have not actually compared side by side.

My .02 worth.

Jordan