Carl Zeiss stops scope and binoc production 2026

[steve white]

Hard to believe it was not profitable given the PRICES...

 

[Safari Dave]

I have 2 Zeiss scopes and my favorite binoculars.

Hopefully, I will have no need to replace them anytime soon.



I use one Zeiss scope in competition long range shooting. No other scope in my collection, responded as precisely to adjustments, as did Zeiss.

 

[FlyGuy]

Hard to believe it was not profitable given the PRICES...

Keep in mind that basically every person that touches the scope or binocular in Wetzlar has a university degree. It's not some high school dropout, or a mass production line in a country with cheap labor.
You can literally eat off the floor anywhere in that facility. From the machine shop, right through to the clean rooms where the optics are assembled. It was really something to see. The attention to detail in every step of production is insane.
E.g... Between every step in production before the final lens coatings are applied, the lenses are coated with a special coating to prevent atmospheric corrosion of the glass. Those extra steps cost money.

The Carl Zeiss Foundation which owns Zeiss, Schott and many other optics related companies demands that 10% of global turnover is ploughed straight back into optical research. So, if Zeiss do decide to end production of "manual" scopes and bino's, the entire sport optics industry will be poorer for it.

You like the glass in your Swaro, Leica, S&B, Razor, ATAC-R, VX6 etc?
Zeiss used that glass 10 - 30 years ago.
The concept of lens coatings to improve glass quality? Zeiss.
Those amazing Abbe Konig prisms in your top end binocular? Zeiss.
Your centered reticle with windage and elevation adjustment? Zeiss.
Your illuminated reticle? Zeiss.
Adjustable diopter or magnification? Same
The lenses for the periscope in your Virginia class submarines? Same

 

[Jaybuck99]

Zeiss has great glass. Biggest thing they’re fighting is the “lower” end scopes like Vortex,Athlon,Hawke aren’t really lower end anymore. They drastically improved their quality and offer the same lifetime warranty for a fraction of the cost. Hard to justify the extra 1000’s when you can get a lifetime warranty no questions asked and pretty decent glass for way less.

 

[FlyGuy]

Zeiss has great glass. Biggest thing they’re fighting is the “lower” end scopes like Vortex,Athlon,Hawke aren’t really lower end anymore. They drastically improved their quality and offer the same lifetime warranty for a fraction of the cost. Hard to justify the extra 1000’s when you can get a lifetime warranty no questions asked and pretty decent glass for way less.

True.
But as someone that comes from an optics manufacturing background, Lifetime No Questions Asked Warranty to me means “We build them so cheap, we can afford to give you another one without hurting the bottom line.”

 

[ZG47]

True.
But as someone that comes from an optics manufacturing background, Lifetime No Questions Asked Warranty to me means “We build them so cheap, we can afford to give you another one without hurting the bottom line.”

Plus … how useful is that warranty when you are hunting and your optic(s) die?

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Keep in mind that basically every person that touches the scope or binocular in Wetzlar has a university degree. It's not some high school dropout, or a mass production line in a country with cheap labor.
You can literally eat off the floor anywhere in that facility. From the machine shop, right through to the clean rooms where the optics are assembled. It was really something to see. The attention to detail in every step of production is insane.
E.g... Between every step in production before the final lens coatings are applied, the lenses are coated with a special coating to prevent atmospheric corrosion of the glass. Those extra steps cost money.

The Carl Zeiss Foundation which owns Zeiss, Schott and many other optics related companies demands that 10% of global turnover is ploughed straight back into optical research. So, if Zeiss do decide to end production of "manual" scopes and bino's, the entire sport optics industry will be poorer for it.

You like the glass in your Swaro, Leica, S&B, Razor, ATAC-R, VX6 etc?
Zeiss used that glass 10 - 30 years ago.
The concept of lens coatings to improve glass quality? Zeiss.
Those amazing Abbe Konig prisms in your top end binocular? Zeiss.
Your centered reticle with windage and elevation adjustment? Zeiss.
Your illuminated reticle? Zeiss.
Adjustable diopter or magnification? Same
The lenses for the periscope in your Virginia class submarines? Same

This is sad news. I own several Zeiss scopes and they are THE BEST hands down for hunting in low light. Maybe MAYBE the S&B Polar T96 is right there with them but Zeiss makes incredible scopes.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

True.
But as someone that comes from an optics manufacturing background, Lifetime No Questions Asked Warranty to me means “We build them so cheap, we can afford to give you another one without hurting the bottom line.”

And thats why I will never buy one because that use to happen with me. I don't want a new scope, I want a scope that's not going to malfunction in the first place.

 

[FlyGuy]

This is sad news. I own several Zeiss scopes and they are THE BEST hands down for hunting in low light. Maybe MAYBE the S&B Polar T96 is right there with them but Zeiss makes incredible scopes.

I rate the Zeiss Victory HT 2.5-10x50, as the best hunting scope ever made.
Followed by the S&B T96 and the Swaro Z6.

 

[Arni's]

While I understand those lower end Yukon Jaeger, Burris, Vortex, Athlon and whatnot are both cheap and offer clear glass during good weather broad day light, as soon as the conditions toughen, issues starts happening. Friend during hunting trip couldn't take his shot, lenses where foggy from the inside.
Zero retention with lower end scopes if anything happens, such as a small hit due to slipping while stalking or something like that is usually pretty bad, however my friends's Zeiss as well as mines do not budge (Swaro I've heard mixed review though on hit zero retention).
Wild boar hunt from blinds, shoot often happen at the limit of legal hours (here, 1 hour before sunrise till 2 hours after sunset if visibility is sufficient) - not many lower end scope are taking those shots, they are mostly taken by higher end ones.
Same for red deer hunts, 1 hour before sunrise till 1 hour after sunset there, but quite often in naturally darker areas (valleys, forest, etc): same conclusion, majority of shots taken near the limit of legal hours, giving a clear advantage to those higher end scopes.
Keeping in mind, thermal / night vision scopes are strictly forbidden for hunting in my country.
Then there's turret tracking for those who uses fast balistic ones (though even for zeroing it's not great if the turrets don't track correctly), illuminated reticle being too bright for low light condition in several lower end scopes, general build meaning a much more durable and reliable scope, etc, etc, etc.
As well, sure tactical scope might look cool, and that sweet "christmas tree" reticle feel interesting (it sure did for me). But once in the field, especially on lower light condition, this christmas tree reticle is unlikely to be a positive experience. It sure wasn't for me, and when I spoke about it with others, it wasn't for them either.

And here's to another take: I've read a lot of blame being put on "gen whatever" (I really couldn't care less what gen one is) or new hunters, not willing to spend money on those higher end scopes because "good weather broad day light clarity" is identical to higher end scopes. But let's ask ourselves: how many gun stores actually let the customer know about all those differences between high and low end scope, differences which are pretty hard to see at the shop? How many of those gun stores are located in place where a vendor or gunsmith can step outside the shop with you, or organise events with zeiss and/or swaro representatives, and let you try and compare scopes in lower light condition so you can actually what the difference is (and realise the difference, if you take a 44mm or 50mm objective lower end vs a 56mm objective high end, is actually much more than 5 minutes)?
Well, I know only the answer for my country, and that answer is: very few. It's actually quite exceptional if the store doesn't try to first sell you a 200-300 bucks Yukon or Burris despite having the higher end Zeiss, Swaro, etc, scopes on the shelves. Many new hunters I know regret their initial lower end cheap purchase, and would have gone for something better (without necessarily going for the V8 or Z8i ranges) had the gun store at the very least told them what the difference between the lower and higher end scope be and how it would impact their hunting.
So IMO, yes there is a generational change or a "what people want" change, but it's also largely due to poor advice from gun stores.
People forget that no matter how much training one has, a gun is only ever as good as its aiming system, and that if the target can't be seen in the aiming system, shooting it is at best non-ethical and very dangerous endhavour.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I bought a pair of Carl Zeiss rubber armored 10 X 40 binos at an optics shop in Munich back in the early 80s. Lost them overboard on a duck hunt years later. Immediately bought another (identical) pair, which I still have and use. Quality product.

I guess this leaves Swarovski as the leader (or Leitz maybe). I have a pair of Swaro 15 x 56 for spotting on a tripod. High quality also. I am getting old and my eyes need the best glass I can buy.

 

[ZG47]

I bought a pair of Carl Zeiss rubber armored 10 X 40 binos at an optics shop in Munich back in the early 80s. Lost them overboard on a duck hunt years later. Immediately bought another (identical) pair, which I still have and use. Quality product.

I guess this leaves Swarovski as the leader (or Leitz maybe). I have a pair of Swaro 15 x 56 for spotting on a tripod. High quality also. I am getting old and my eyes need the best glass I can buy.

Never forget Kowa, a brand old Fujinon.