Well I finally got to look at the 2 scopes yesterday. I can say it was pretty tough making the decision of which one I liked better. As for clarity they were both excellent, the Leupold was a 50mm obj. however and the 40mm Zeiss was just as clear and bright, I did like the quick focus on the Zeiss however. The crosshairs on the Leupold are a bit nicer since they look somewhat bronze when held against a dark background, but they are a little thinner than the Zeiss. The finish is nice on both, but the Zeiss' seemed a bit more rugged. Nice scope covers with the Conquest too. I guess you can tell which way I' m leaning here. I know the Leupolds warranty is bulletproof but I think I' ll take my chances and try the new Zeiss...it ends up costing a couple bucks extra but I think it' s worth it when it comes to optics. I looked at them both for about an hour and actually had good service at Wholesale (you have to go when thay aren' t too busy). I compared them against a couple others and you could really see the difference in quality. Thanks for all the input fellows...especially woodseye! I' m going to make the purchase when they have their annual sale next month, hopefully it works as good as it looks. JDinAB