Like Woodseye, I have hands-on, side-by-side experience with both scopes. I have used Leupolds for about 25 years, including several Vari-X III's. I have used 2 Zeiss Conquests over the last couple of years, the 3-9X40 and 4.5-14X44. I have come to prefer the Zeiss for the same reasons Woodseye mentioned, the optics are better and the mechanical features are more user friendly. If I were buying another scope right now, it would definitely be another Conquest.