Not to hijack the thread, how in your opinion would this Swarovski compare to the Rapid Z Conquest line??
In terms of optical performance, design, weight and overall fit and finish, the Z3 trumps the Conquest line.
As a recent example, an instore customer was interested in purchasing a Conquest 3-9x50 as he was desirious of a larger objective size for improved low-light performance. Noting the attractive sticker price of the Z3 scopes, he asked how the 42mm objective of the Z3 compared to the 50mm objective of the Conquest, in terms of brightness. I told him to take them outside and have a look. Although over $300 more, he took the Z3 without hesitation, noting that the Z3 was brighter, sharper, yet lighter and with a lower profile.
And this should be no suprise given that the price of a base Z3 model is normally $1,400 while a base Conquest model is priced at around $500. When you consider that there is nothing differentiating a 3-9x40 Conquest ($499) from a 6.5-20x50 Conquest ($1,299) in terms of the quality of the optics system, the differentiation between the Z3 and Conquest lines should really come into focus.
What the Conquest line offers that the Z3 line does not are mag ranges above 12 power, and the rapid-z system, which is superior to the Swaro brx/brh system (in my opinion).
Now, when you step into a Z3 4-12x50 with the ballistic turret, you have a brighter, sharper, lighter, scope with a higher quality fit and finish that brings you the best user configurable turret system on the market...at under $1,200.
