I purchased a pair of these one year ago and have used them heavily for birding. They are excellent binoculars. You cannot beat the optics (clarity, light transmission, etc.) for the money. They are also quite durable. I have used them in many outdoor situations and really beat on them. They still clean up like new after each use. The eyecups area little more rigid than on some other binoculars, but I have heard both pros and cons on this topic. I use the binoculars with eyeglasses so I keep the eyecups down all the way, all the time. I recently compared these to Swarovski 8x42s and the Swarovskis feel like a boat anchor. They are very heavy compared to Zeiss, and the Zeiss focus wheel is very smooth. I highly recommend these. My wife also has a pair of Zeiss Conquest 10x30 and she loves them. She is buying a second backup pair of exactly the same binoculars. These are so affordable that you can afford to buy 2. I watch for sale prices and will probably buy a second ...
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The Zeiss 8x30 Conquest provides excellent sharpness, nearly no distortion, and remarkably fine edge of field sharpness. Although it was not advertised as an "ED" glass, it has practically no chromatic aberration. I find it has excellent light transmission, contrast, excellent optical and mechanical qualities. Highly recommended