Zeiss & Bignami: In the setting of the Dorfnerhof farm, Bignami invited a group of professionals for the presentation of the latest Zeiss innovations illustrated in great detail by the Marketing Director of the German company.
di Emmanuel Tabasso
At the beginning of July, Zeiss and Bignami gave a sample of the latest innovations created by the great company from Wetzlar which, since the beginning of the partnership with the strong company from Atesina, has continued to offer long, binoculars, aiming optics and more with a drumming cadence and a truly extraordinary address to the market. They are called synergies, but in other words they explain certain ways of acting and the consequent results: the receivers connected directly to the market possess a flair together with a capacity for collecting and filtering, therefore with a credibility inversely proportional to that of our most accredited politicians (but I am?). That the group created by the Berti family, aka Bignami, we will then see why, is made up of many expert exponents and enthusiasts of the items treated, represents a considerable advantage because selling hunting optics and knowing how to try them on the ground is not for everyone and allows precise evaluations and rational.
This credibility was welcomed by the Zeiss with a foresight that would do anyone credit, especially those who produce far-sighted devices. It does not seem like a joke, even if in part it may be, but manufacturing companies do not always have the emotional and passionate drive, then technical and scientific, to follow the advice, desires, indications of those who are outside even with the heart inside the study and production departments. Together with the economic resources of the company, we remind you that it is a Foundation in which profits are continuously invested, they are large, to put it very simplistic and allow the chosen operations ensuring the necessary financial support.
We mentioned the binomial Bignami Berti and we believe it is the right year to talk about it since the 75th anniversary of its foundation was celebrated, even if, strictly speaking, two years before 1939 the company was already operational. A branch of the Berti family had come from Emilia in search of better economic horizons and immediately the sporting arms sector was identified as the sector in which work was not lacking: the original dependence of the progenitor on a state body had prevented to register in his own name the newborn company, thus started with the surname of his wife, Bignami precisely. The story unfolds immediately with the nation's entry into World War II and we leave out the events such as the imprisonment it had to face and everything that can result from such a state of affairs. Jumping to the post-war period, the contacts already initiated with the arms manufacturers of Germany and Austria opened roads which, initially narrow due to the well-known technical and tax limits in force in those areas, later became very interesting trends, especially for short defense weapons. sporting shooting guns, shotguns, both smooth-bore and, and much more, rifled-barrel: a few names for everyone see Walther, Anschütz, Sauer & Sohn, Mauser, Merkel, Heckler & Koch, Franz Sodia . The panorama expands with the acquisition of two brands of excellence from the United States of America, Weatherby and Smith & Wesson, which will develop a history that is still interesting to develop with the Atesina company. Many other prestigious manufacturers will rely on Bignami in the following years, it is worth mentioning one more for all, the latest arrival of the Savage. Together they develop related or similar sectors such as archery, reloading, original bullet and shot ammunition, clothing and so on with the part dedicated to books where volumes stand out that every good lover of weapons and hunting should have in the shelves in your library. Precisely on this last theme we cannot fail to mention the volume written by Dr. Luciano Berti with the memories that we strictly define hunting: it is a compendium of feelings and sensations linked to the hunting world, but interwoven on human relationships with characters. that only those who are close to seventies remember having known in the early years, a reinterpretation of how we were through the eyes and mind of a poet who, with enormous success, lent to a completely different job. The sequel is the story of today, but above all of tomorrow.
The presentation of the Zeiss
Zeiss marketing manager, Stefan Bühring, introduced by Dr. Luciano Berti and translated simultaneously by Andy De Santis, always attentive and helpful, begins the journey with images and verbal explanation starting from the binoculars of the Conquest HD series, the first price corporate. The leap in quality for this series lies in the adoption of HD lenses with excellent results in the measures of the 42 and 32 mm lenses, always with 8 and 10x. Now the field is extended with night vision binoculars with 56 mm lenses: for this purpose the Schmidt-Pecan prisms have been replaced with Abbe-König for better light transmission, in addition a 15 × 56 is added for use. more static and greater definition at long distance. Other improvements are added to increase functionality more and more. We then move on to the Victory series, the highest, equipped with the HT lenses reserved for Zeiss by the Schott glass factory. The new models previewed at the IWA in Nuremberg are now added to the known 8 and 10x42 models, the Victory 8 and 10x54 where the unusual diameter of the lenses derives from a study on the real perception capabilities of the human eye and on what the lenses guarantee. HT. It was thus possible to reduce the classic size from 56 mm by removing 2 mm with a relative reduction in overall dimensions and, above all, in weight. Here then every technical invention is applied: these binoculars are at the top of Zeiss production also for the construction of the magnesium body with double bridge shape and for the ergonomic study that is immediately appreciated at the first test.
We then move on to riflescopes with the new Conquest DL, a natural improvement of the Duralyt, which in these four years has enjoyed the favor of an extraordinary number of customers. In the new product, always with something more, the prerogatives of the previous one are repeated, including a very interesting price: in particular, it is now possible to have the ASV ballistic turret and the 6 or 60 reticle illuminated and very fine. Still in the riflescopes the Victory V8 subtends the highest class and the two products 1,8-14 × 50 and 2,8-20 × 56 mount HT lenses with 92% light transmission along with many other innovations including a reticle where the light point is 0,05 mm, the 36 mm tube on which the ASV Longrange turret is mounted capable of 100 shots for reasoned and precise shots up to 600 m and beyond, the correction of parallax already starting from 50 m. Dimensions and weight are at the top of the category and the study of the external line is very accurate, with no unpleasant protrusions to the eye. A double proposal therefore with optics able to ensure the best in a wide range of use.
We return to binoculars with the absolute novelty, presented on the occasion: the Victory SF in the values 8 and 10x42. Designed to follow the needs of birwatchers, this binoculars add up several records and the comparison with the competition is to be done: size, weight, field of view, focus up to 1,50 m and only 1,8 revolutions of the wheel, special too, to go from here to infinity, these are just some of the prerogatives of this perspective. The aforementioned needs extend to others where visual acuity, sharpness, balance end, favorably, in the quotation. Meanwhile, Zeiss has modified the structure by adopting a triple bridge and then varying the arrangement of the lenses in greater numbers towards the eyepiece and reduced towards the objective, so as to bring back, where the supporting hand is positioned, the center of gravity of the instrument. The Schmidt-Pecan prisms are largely sufficient here and the special lenses offer a complete view over the entire surface and tire the eye less. Robustness is also a particular attention given to the not always polite use that can befall such binoculars. The price around € 2.500,00 is interesting: the brand with the "Z" always has its reasons. From the world of natural observation, the step towards mountain hunting is very short and the binoculars with the acronym that means Smart Focus lend themselves very well to this use. Not for nothing already in the company in Wetzlar, where obviously all the production takes place, the acronym is called Superfernglas in German ... the Super Binoculars.