Bresser Konig 1.5-6x42 Scope Review
02-28-2013, 08:20 AM
#1
Bresser Konig 1.5-6x42 Scope Review
Initial reaction to these scopes is "Who?" Here's the deal. I just purchased a handful of Bresser Konig scopes before realizing that nobody in the US knows who Bresser is. So I figured this was a perfect opportunity to test some product and show it off. Bresser is a German company with a history going back to the 1950s, but they never managed to build the presence in the US that companies like Zeiss and Swarovski did in recent years.
I chose this particular model because it's the shortest I have (aside from the 1-4x24), and fits comfortably into the container I have for testing. I'll get to that later in this review.
This particular model comes with a set of 30mm rings. The rings aren't stamped with any manufacturer, but they are the same black anodized aluminum as the scope finish. I clamped them onto the pic rail of my office rifle and they are tight, completely free from movement. I can't speak about their ability to hold steady after shooting because I haven't used them. However, I do plan on it, so I'll update with more details as I have them.
Construction
I normally get an initial impression of the quality of a piece of optical equipment by weight, and compare that to other similar products. This has some bulk for its size, and weighs a bit over a pound (about 20 ounces). This is one of the Konig scopes offered with a 30mm tube. All Konig scopes have one piece aluminum construction and are advertised as waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof - two of which I test here.
Another factor I take into consideration is the quality of the moving parts. This particular scope (along with the rest of the Konig scopes) has turrets labeled in 1/4" increments. Each turn results in an audible "click" and affirmative feedback as it clicks into place. A cool feature here is the set screw that allows you to sight in, loosen the set screw, return the turrets back to zero, and tighten the screw, allowing you to adjust the reticle for distance and quickly return to zero. While this does require you to know the ballistics properties of your load, it's a useful feature.
The magnification adjustment ring is tight and doesn't produce too much resistance across the magnification range. There is also a focus ring around the ocular lens that allows the shooter to focus at varying distances. This is also tight, but not too tight.
I feel compelled to point out that to the best of my knowledge, these scopes are German designed and assembled in China. A lot of scope manufacturers are going with overseas manufacturing, and I'm reasonably confident that Bresser is keeping a tight hold on their manufacturing and quality control. All the Konig scopes I've handled have nearly identical construction, and I've found them to be pretty consistently good.
I did have one issue, however. One of the turret covers on the 1.5-6x42 was just a little too tight and it took some elbow grease to remove it. The threads we not stripped and it still fits just fine.
Optics Quality
First of all, one of the reasons I had a lot of faith in these scopes is because I previously purchased some Bressers Everset and Montana binoculars, and was impressed with the quality of glass they sell, moreso when you consider the price. I'm a pretty frugal person in general, and I really try to keep an eye out for optics that appear to be a steal. That being said, I am moderately impressed with the optical quality of the 1.5-6x42.
One of the first things I do when I unbox a new scope is take it outside, jack up the magnification, and point it at a dark object on a light background. This will tell you immediately how much the scope suffers from chromatic aberration, which is the color fringes you see around objects on lower quality optics. All optics suffer from chromatic aberration because of the way light is transmitted and seen by the eye. However, high quality optics can prevent CA by various methods, sometimes to the point where it is not visible by the human eye.
CA is present at 6x magnification on the 1.5-6x42. At low magnfication it's practically invisible, and at 3x you start to see slight ribbons of color around bright objects on dark backgrounds. I have trouble noticing it when looking at anything with the naturual browns of a PA winter. I suppose the issue here is whether CA is a major consideration for you, or if it's something that can be dealt with. I'm willing to look past it, but some will disagree. Avid optics freaks with high-end collections will likely call it trash.
In terms of clarity, the picture is good. Very clear, no fogginess, and I can see a lot of detail when looking at fine objects such as tree branches against the sky, even on 6x and with the CA poking me in the eye.
All the Konig models have an illuminated reticle with 11 brightness settings. This model in particular has what would normally be called a 4A reticle with an illuminated center dot (I say normally because Bresser doesn't name their reticles, at least not that I've seen). The illumination is a nice feature, but I find that scopes at this price point usually either aren't illuminated, or do a poor job of it. The 1.5-6x42 on max brightness isn't really visible in daylight. But in low light, this is actually a plus. I've found that a lot of illuminated scopes under $500 are actually too bright, and illuminate the inside of the scope tube on their highest setting, sacrificing optical clarity. In twilight, the highest 3 settings are just about right - just enough light to spot the center of the reticle without being so bright that it messes with my low-light vision.
I neglected to mention the focusing ring. This allows you to focus on anything from the tip of your gun out to infinity on any magnification setting. I was able to focus down to about 1 yard, but I'm hard-pressed to think of a situation where this would be useful. However, I think this is very useful when sighting in - you can be at maximum magnification at any distance without a blurry sight picture.
The Test
These scopes are supposed to be waterproof and nitrogen purged. Well, a lot of manufacturers claim that and get away with it. And truth be told, I was pretty curious myself. So I devised a test to verify these claims.
Before I continue disclosing my test, I want to clarify that I own the scope in the test. This was not sent as an evaluation unit or demo piece, this was a new in box Konig that I personally own. So I put my investment on the line to test this product and crossed my fingers.
A quick note on waterproofing:
Waterproof is a word that "certain manufacturers" will throw around, hoping to fool fair-weather hunters and shooters into thinking their optics are protected from the elements just because water beads off the lenses. The truth is that any optic marketed as waterproof is only waterproof if it is also nitrogen purged - meaning the air inside has been replaced with dry nitrogen gas. If the inside surfaces of the lenses have ever fogged, it's not waterproof.
Here's the contents of the box. Scope with dust covers, 30mm rings, cleaning cloth, and a spare CR2032 battery.
Close up of the included rings. I did fit these on the pic rail of my office rifle and they're a good fit.
Close up of the illumination dial and Bresser "Quick Focus" ring.
Turrets with covers removed, notice 1/4" markings and set screws.
Close up of the objective, notice the thickness of the scope tube.
Left side view.
Here's where the test starts. The plastic container is filled with enough luke-warm water (about 80 degrees) to completely submerge the scope from top to bottom. Pre-dunk preparation was limited to making sure the turret covers and battery cover were finger-tight. The reticle is turned off. Ambient temperature in my office is around 65 degrees.
I've set a timer for 60 minutes. I feel that 60 minutes is adequate time to test whether or not the waterproof claim is valid. In the real world, wet weather and accidental submersion for a few seconds is more likely.
5 minutes: No bubbles.
30 minutes: No bubbles. This is getting boring. I didn't even take a photo.
55 minutes: Almost there.
60 minutes: Scope removed from the dunk tank.
I shake it off. There is very minimal retained water, and it doesn't appear that anything inside the focus or mangification mechanism got wet. The reticle still works. End of test, right? No.
I immediately put the scope into the freezer, right next to the corn and broccoli. Wait 30 minutes. Sorry, no photos for this part. You all know what the inside of a freezer looks like.
After 30 minutes, I remove the scope from the freezer. Immediately every exterior surface is covered in condensation from the temperature change. I remove both turret caps. There is no water or ice inside and they turn as they should, with the same audible clicks and feedback. It appears they were completely sealed while underwater. The quick focus ring turns freely and so does the mangnification ring. The reticle still works.
The outside of the lenses are fogged from the temperature change. Nothing can stop this from happening on the outside, and every scope in this situation will do it, from the off-the-shelf Tasco to the most expensive Swarovski. What I am worried about is the inside surfaces of the lenses. Any fogging means that either water from the test or water vapor in the air is present in the scope body and all claims of waterproofing and nitrogen purging are null and void. Unfortunately, the scope is still frozen and the outside lens surfaces will continue to fog even if I wipe them off. To prevent undue wear on the lens coatings, I wait for it to come back to room temp.
When temperature returns to normal, I am pleased to see that there is no internal fogging. This means that the claims of nitrogen purging are in fact true, and the scope body is completely sealed from water. The picture is as clear as it ever was, and the entire magnification range looks good. The reticle still works.
I was pleased with this scope before doing the test. Now that I know it will actually stand up to some abuse, I'm even more pleased. I do plan on doing a range test with one of the Konig scopes at some point. If current reviews are any indication, it should do well.
There's a guy on Youtube who does 3 gun and did a review of the 1-4x24 for anybody interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW4dP8ZfHeU
I chose this particular model because it's the shortest I have (aside from the 1-4x24), and fits comfortably into the container I have for testing. I'll get to that later in this review.
This particular model comes with a set of 30mm rings. The rings aren't stamped with any manufacturer, but they are the same black anodized aluminum as the scope finish. I clamped them onto the pic rail of my office rifle and they are tight, completely free from movement. I can't speak about their ability to hold steady after shooting because I haven't used them. However, I do plan on it, so I'll update with more details as I have them.
Construction
I normally get an initial impression of the quality of a piece of optical equipment by weight, and compare that to other similar products. This has some bulk for its size, and weighs a bit over a pound (about 20 ounces). This is one of the Konig scopes offered with a 30mm tube. All Konig scopes have one piece aluminum construction and are advertised as waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof - two of which I test here.
Another factor I take into consideration is the quality of the moving parts. This particular scope (along with the rest of the Konig scopes) has turrets labeled in 1/4" increments. Each turn results in an audible "click" and affirmative feedback as it clicks into place. A cool feature here is the set screw that allows you to sight in, loosen the set screw, return the turrets back to zero, and tighten the screw, allowing you to adjust the reticle for distance and quickly return to zero. While this does require you to know the ballistics properties of your load, it's a useful feature.
The magnification adjustment ring is tight and doesn't produce too much resistance across the magnification range. There is also a focus ring around the ocular lens that allows the shooter to focus at varying distances. This is also tight, but not too tight.
I feel compelled to point out that to the best of my knowledge, these scopes are German designed and assembled in China. A lot of scope manufacturers are going with overseas manufacturing, and I'm reasonably confident that Bresser is keeping a tight hold on their manufacturing and quality control. All the Konig scopes I've handled have nearly identical construction, and I've found them to be pretty consistently good.
I did have one issue, however. One of the turret covers on the 1.5-6x42 was just a little too tight and it took some elbow grease to remove it. The threads we not stripped and it still fits just fine.
Optics Quality
First of all, one of the reasons I had a lot of faith in these scopes is because I previously purchased some Bressers Everset and Montana binoculars, and was impressed with the quality of glass they sell, moreso when you consider the price. I'm a pretty frugal person in general, and I really try to keep an eye out for optics that appear to be a steal. That being said, I am moderately impressed with the optical quality of the 1.5-6x42.
One of the first things I do when I unbox a new scope is take it outside, jack up the magnification, and point it at a dark object on a light background. This will tell you immediately how much the scope suffers from chromatic aberration, which is the color fringes you see around objects on lower quality optics. All optics suffer from chromatic aberration because of the way light is transmitted and seen by the eye. However, high quality optics can prevent CA by various methods, sometimes to the point where it is not visible by the human eye.
CA is present at 6x magnification on the 1.5-6x42. At low magnfication it's practically invisible, and at 3x you start to see slight ribbons of color around bright objects on dark backgrounds. I have trouble noticing it when looking at anything with the naturual browns of a PA winter. I suppose the issue here is whether CA is a major consideration for you, or if it's something that can be dealt with. I'm willing to look past it, but some will disagree. Avid optics freaks with high-end collections will likely call it trash.
In terms of clarity, the picture is good. Very clear, no fogginess, and I can see a lot of detail when looking at fine objects such as tree branches against the sky, even on 6x and with the CA poking me in the eye.
All the Konig models have an illuminated reticle with 11 brightness settings. This model in particular has what would normally be called a 4A reticle with an illuminated center dot (I say normally because Bresser doesn't name their reticles, at least not that I've seen). The illumination is a nice feature, but I find that scopes at this price point usually either aren't illuminated, or do a poor job of it. The 1.5-6x42 on max brightness isn't really visible in daylight. But in low light, this is actually a plus. I've found that a lot of illuminated scopes under $500 are actually too bright, and illuminate the inside of the scope tube on their highest setting, sacrificing optical clarity. In twilight, the highest 3 settings are just about right - just enough light to spot the center of the reticle without being so bright that it messes with my low-light vision.
I neglected to mention the focusing ring. This allows you to focus on anything from the tip of your gun out to infinity on any magnification setting. I was able to focus down to about 1 yard, but I'm hard-pressed to think of a situation where this would be useful. However, I think this is very useful when sighting in - you can be at maximum magnification at any distance without a blurry sight picture.
The Test
These scopes are supposed to be waterproof and nitrogen purged. Well, a lot of manufacturers claim that and get away with it. And truth be told, I was pretty curious myself. So I devised a test to verify these claims.
Before I continue disclosing my test, I want to clarify that I own the scope in the test. This was not sent as an evaluation unit or demo piece, this was a new in box Konig that I personally own. So I put my investment on the line to test this product and crossed my fingers.
A quick note on waterproofing:
Waterproof is a word that "certain manufacturers" will throw around, hoping to fool fair-weather hunters and shooters into thinking their optics are protected from the elements just because water beads off the lenses. The truth is that any optic marketed as waterproof is only waterproof if it is also nitrogen purged - meaning the air inside has been replaced with dry nitrogen gas. If the inside surfaces of the lenses have ever fogged, it's not waterproof.
Here's the contents of the box. Scope with dust covers, 30mm rings, cleaning cloth, and a spare CR2032 battery.
Close up of the included rings. I did fit these on the pic rail of my office rifle and they're a good fit.
Close up of the illumination dial and Bresser "Quick Focus" ring.
Turrets with covers removed, notice 1/4" markings and set screws.
Close up of the objective, notice the thickness of the scope tube.
Left side view.
Here's where the test starts. The plastic container is filled with enough luke-warm water (about 80 degrees) to completely submerge the scope from top to bottom. Pre-dunk preparation was limited to making sure the turret covers and battery cover were finger-tight. The reticle is turned off. Ambient temperature in my office is around 65 degrees.
I've set a timer for 60 minutes. I feel that 60 minutes is adequate time to test whether or not the waterproof claim is valid. In the real world, wet weather and accidental submersion for a few seconds is more likely.
5 minutes: No bubbles.
30 minutes: No bubbles. This is getting boring. I didn't even take a photo.
55 minutes: Almost there.
60 minutes: Scope removed from the dunk tank.
I shake it off. There is very minimal retained water, and it doesn't appear that anything inside the focus or mangification mechanism got wet. The reticle still works. End of test, right? No.
I immediately put the scope into the freezer, right next to the corn and broccoli. Wait 30 minutes. Sorry, no photos for this part. You all know what the inside of a freezer looks like.
After 30 minutes, I remove the scope from the freezer. Immediately every exterior surface is covered in condensation from the temperature change. I remove both turret caps. There is no water or ice inside and they turn as they should, with the same audible clicks and feedback. It appears they were completely sealed while underwater. The quick focus ring turns freely and so does the mangnification ring. The reticle still works.
The outside of the lenses are fogged from the temperature change. Nothing can stop this from happening on the outside, and every scope in this situation will do it, from the off-the-shelf Tasco to the most expensive Swarovski. What I am worried about is the inside surfaces of the lenses. Any fogging means that either water from the test or water vapor in the air is present in the scope body and all claims of waterproofing and nitrogen purging are null and void. Unfortunately, the scope is still frozen and the outside lens surfaces will continue to fog even if I wipe them off. To prevent undue wear on the lens coatings, I wait for it to come back to room temp.
When temperature returns to normal, I am pleased to see that there is no internal fogging. This means that the claims of nitrogen purging are in fact true, and the scope body is completely sealed from water. The picture is as clear as it ever was, and the entire magnification range looks good. The reticle still works.
I was pleased with this scope before doing the test. Now that I know it will actually stand up to some abuse, I'm even more pleased. I do plan on doing a range test with one of the Konig scopes at some point. If current reviews are any indication, it should do well.
There's a guy on Youtube who does 3 gun and did a review of the 1-4x24 for anybody interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW4dP8ZfHeU
Last edited by OpticsCamp; 03-14-2013 at 08:53 AM.
02-28-2013, 09:24 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Clermont Florida U.S.
Posts: 4,970
Nice review on that scope. It seems short and handy...wonder if it will incur some mounting difficulty on LA rifles (if other than pic rail set-ups) ??? How much does it weigh? Any fixed power offerings? I must confess that when I read "assembled in China" I usually run the other way.
02-28-2013, 09:42 AM
#3
Nice review on that scope. It seems short and handy...wonder if it will incur some mounting difficulty on LA rifles (if other than pic rail set-ups) ??? How much does it weigh? Any fixed power offerings? I must confess that when I read "assembled in China" I usually run the other way.
Weight is about 20 oz. The one inch models hover around the same weight, give or take an oz.
I prefer USA or German made myself, but so many scope manufacturers are moving their lower-end models to overseas manufacturing that it's becoming the norm. Like I said, everything I've had from Bresser has been good quality.
02-28-2013, 10:00 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 1,035
This particular scope is only about 11.25" long, and the main tube is only 5" from the magnification dial to where it begins to increase in size at the front, so I do have that concern as well. Unfortunately I don't have any LA rifles here to test with. Keep in mind this is only a 1.5-6x, the other models are considerably longer and shouldn't be a problem. None of the Konig scopes are fixed power.
Weight is about 20 oz. The one inch models hover around the same weight, give or take an oz.
I prefer USA or German made myself, but so many scope manufacturers are moving their lower-end models to overseas manufacturing that it's becoming the norm. Like I said, everything I've had from Bresser has been good quality.
Weight is about 20 oz. The one inch models hover around the same weight, give or take an oz.
I prefer USA or German made myself, but so many scope manufacturers are moving their lower-end models to overseas manufacturing that it's becoming the norm. Like I said, everything I've had from Bresser has been good quality.
but so many [snip] manufacturers are moving [snip] to overseas manufacturing that it's becoming the norm.
03-06-2013, 06:21 PM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
Not a scope that interests me, but VERY detailed work !
Thank you for posting................................
Could use your insights in Nomercy's "new" addition to this forum.
Found in the "Small Game, Predator and Trapping" section
Last PostThreadsPosts
Predator Hunting Tactics, Strategies and Reference Material (
Thank you for posting................................
Could use your insights in Nomercy's "new" addition to this forum.
Found in the "Small Game, Predator and Trapping" section
Last PostThreadsPosts
Predator Hunting Tactics, Strategies and Reference Material (
Last edited by Sheridan; 03-07-2013 at 08:30 AM.
