Thread: Swaro Z8i vs Z6/Z6i

Originally Posted by planenutz

Hey @Frodo

I have a Z6i and so far I've had nothing but great service from it. The scope is coming up 2 years old so I admit we're not talking the 5+ years experience you're looking for, but in this time I've had it in all manner of extremes and as you'd expect, it performs flawlessly.

I don't see environmental factors as being a concern - for a start Swarovski have good products that are well proven... and secondly I believe they will stand behind their warranty in the unlikely event of problems.

Operation of the illumination is actually very basic. You turn it on either in Night mode or Daylight mode. It doesn't get any simpler. Once you have the brightness set for each of those modes, you're unlikely to change them. I have never needed to adjust my Daylight setting but I do change my night setting sometimes depending on what I'm doing. I find that when I'm spotlighting I need a little more ilumination so I bump it up a couple of clicks but when I'm stalking in moonlight I could do with a little less so button it down. The range is quite large and seems to cover everything I could ever imagine me needing. Additionaly, in case you're not aware, the ilumination turns off if you lay the rifle down or put it over your shoulder. As such I've never had to replace the battery. In the unlikely event I did run the battery flat a spare is held under the windage cap.

In terms of the extremes, I've used it from sea level to 8000 feet and from those exhausting hot summer days to "this snow is so cold, I can't feel my legs!" This April I tested its waterproofness in Fiordland rain and again in the hills around West Canterbury during sleet. I can tell you the scope is definitely more waterproof than these stupid waterproof gloves I bought.

Hope that helps.

Oh, and if you do decide to go that way and then don't like it, let me know as I could do with a cheap Z8i.

Is your z6i a 1-6x24? Any pictures of it on a rifle