# Optics gurus - has Leupold changed over the years?



## GeauxLSU (Oct 25, 2004)

Most all of my deer rifles have Leupolds on them (VariX-IIs 3-9s) and I've never really noticed this before but opening weekend the low light gathering was atrocious!  Granted it was cloudly but I couldn't see well enough to take a shot AT sunset much less 30 minutes later (which given the cloud cover I wouldn't have expected but nonetheless...).  
My cheap pair of 20mm binos from Nikon were MUCH brighter and this was even with the power turned all the way down on the scope.    
The reason I ask is all my scopes are probably close to, if not over, 20 years old (yard to believe but now that I think about it, I guess it's true   ).  I'm sure there's been advances in glass, gas, etc... over the years even though the model designation has not changed.   : 
I may contact them for their suggestion but I was very disappointed in that particular scope.  Guess I'll have to start checking my others...   
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil


----------



## georgiaboy (Oct 25, 2004)

My Dad has a compact 2x7 about 20 years old and it was probably brighter when it was new.  There have been alot of new coatings and your may not be fully multi coated but I wasn't buying scopes back then to know.  If you called Leupold I bet they could fill you in quickly.  Also, you may have inadvertantly damaged the lens coatings over the years (cleaning solvent spray, wiping them off, all the years in the sun and rain, etc.).  Maybe you could send it back and have it refurbished?


----------



## Ga-Spur (Oct 25, 2004)

Was the glass clean? I have seen some pretty dirty glass on scopes before.


----------



## Buzz (Oct 25, 2004)

Leupold has never been known to make the brightest of scopes. If you compare a Leupold to similar priced or cheaper offerings such as the Nikon Monarch, Weaver Grand Slam, Bushnell Elite 4200, Burris Signature, or Zeiss Conquest - most people would put the Leupold near the bottom , or at the bottom, of that pack for glass.

Leupold is very good at making a nice hunting scope that is lightweight \ compact, rugged, durable, attractive, forgiving, has great eye relief, and a great resale value. Your scope IS different than the current VXI or VXII though. The VXI has the MC4 lens coatings on the external lens surfaces while the VXII has MC4 coatings on all lens surfaces. The MC4 coatings will allow a higher percentage of light transmission and handle flare conditions better than the old Magnesium Fluoride lens coatings your Vari X II and newer Compact scopes have.  You are correct that the old Vari X II scopes do not have impressive optics to say the least. They are still very reliable, durable, and rugged though.

Over the years cleaning your scope with your shirt or other field methods could scratch the coatings possibly degrade scope performance. However, it sounds like you are having worse performance than that. You have mentioned one reason why less and less of my deer hunting rifles currently wear Leupold scopes. At one time that was the only scope I would consider. The last 5 scopes I have bought have been Monarchs, Elite 4200, and Conquests.


----------



## Good Boy (Nov 12, 2004)

I second everything GTBuzz says about the five scopes he mentioned.  They are all quality optics that are well worth their costs.  I have three vari-x II's, one in 50mm and the others in 40mm.  I also have a Nikon Monarch and a Burris Signature, both of which are MUCH brighter than the leupolds, while at the same time costing only slightly more.  I am happy with the leupolds I have, but in the future I plan on getting the same models that GTBuzz mentioned.
Hope this helps.


----------



## georgiaboy (Nov 14, 2004)

I read a reent optics review that showed the NEW Vari-x IIIs being brighter than the Nikons and Zeiss.  That being said, my Nikon Monarch 3.5x10x50 is the brightest scope I own.  The brightest scope I have ever used was without a doubt Nightforce.  They are very pricey but very bright, reliable (from what friends tell me) and the general image is great.  First scope that ever made me feel that my Vari-X III 4.5x14x50 with 30mm was inferior...


----------

