When you hear the name Zeiss you automatically think premium glass. From camera lenses to spotting scopes, Zeiss makes some of the best consumer optics on the planet. I am fortunate to be on the Zeiss Optics Pro Staff and have put some of their gear through its paces in the field. No matter the conditions that I have faced, my glass has never let me down.
An important piece of that has many different uses is a spotting scope. I personally have the Zeiss DiaScope 65 T* FL in the straight model. Paired with the spotter is the Zeiss Vario D 15-56x eyepiece. This combination allows me to see everything crystal clear no matter the light conditions. Zeiss also makes the DiaScope 85 T* FL which provides a great field of view and increased zoom up to 75x with the same eyepiece. For my applications, the 65 meets my needs.
All spotting scopes aren’t built the same and Zeiss put a lot of features into their design. From the Dual Speed Focus (DSF) system to the noise absorbing rubber armor that surrounds the premium glass, Zeiss has taken spotting scope design to a whole new level. Speaking of the glass, Zeiss uses high-quality fluoride glass (FL) to give the end user bright and razor sharp images. The FL glass allows a full spectrum of color to pass through the scope so that the observer has a more natural feel as to how the subject looks.
As if the FL glass wasn’t already good enough, Zeiss has improved on perfection by adding some of the best lens coatings in the industry. The first coating they use is something Zeiss calls LotuTec. This coating is applied to both 
the eyepiece and the lenses. It allows moisture and dirt to simply roll off of the glass to allow the user to glass more and clean less. I tried the LotuTec coating while elk hunting in Montana last year. We had days of rain and snow and the LotuTec coating proved to be extremely valuable. Another coating Zeiss applies to the scope is called the Carl Zeiss Multi-layer T* coating. This helps to increase light collection and provide high contrast for the user. Again this helps to increase the clarity of the images you are looking at.
The versatility of the Zeiss DiaScope 65 T* FL is what I like the most. It is both small and light enough to take into the backcountry on a hunt yet powerful enough to use at the range when sighting in my rifle. I have used my spotter in the the mountains of Montana, the open plains of South Dakota, and the farm fields of Wisconsin. The 65 is good for birding, digiscoping, and at the rifle range. The 65 excels when used for hiking, backpacking, and mountain hunting. With the high end glass and coating Zeiss uses I am able to scope earlier and later than my hunting partners with lesser expensive and quality spotting scopes.
With high-end glass comes high-end prices. However, this is an example of you get what you pay for. If you want the best on the market you need to pay the premium price. The benefit is a lifetime warranty from Zeiss and some of the clearest glass you will find. The main benefit to buying a premium piece of glass is that it will be a onetime purchase. Check out the various options you have when building your spotting scope setup on the Zeiss Optics website.
http://www.zeiss.com/sports-optics/
Technical data
Victory DiaScope 65 T* FL
