Frequently asked questions:
What can you tell me about Schmidt & Bender's construction? What can you tell me about Schmidt and Bender's lenses and coatings? What does the term "Twilight Factor" refer to?
All of the fixed power scopes are made with a lacquered steel tube and have mechanical reticles, with the exception of the #9, which is etched on glass. All of the variable power scopes consist of a one-piece aluminum tube with an anodized matte black finish. Each of the reticles is etched onto the glass and lies in the first focal plane. The parallax is set for 109 yards (100 meters) and the 4-16x50 is equipped with a third turret parallax control. The scopes are waterproof and tested within temperature ranges of +158F down to -68F. All carry a 30 year warranty. Schmidt & Bender starts with a more expensive camera quality glass, which they then grind and polish to the industries highest standards at their lens facility in Hungary. Due to very subtle differences in each batch of glass the resulting lenses receive a specific coating tailored to provide the highest level of blue light transmission for that particular lens. These lens coatings are designed to work well in "day light" (red, yellow and green) as well as "night light" (blue light), which is the first light you see in the morning when eveything has a bluish gray tint and colors are not yet discernable. Likewise, they perform well in the evening as the colors begin to fade just before true darkness sets in. The Schmidt & Bender factory states that their scopes have a total "day light" transmission rating of +90%, but they strive for a rating of 92-94%. A goof test to determine whether a particular scope is coated as precisely as a Schmidt & Bender is to look directly into the objective lens, as you would into a mirror. You should not see yourself. If you can, then at least some light is being reflected back at you rather than being allowed through the lens. The term "twilight factor" refers to a mathematical calculation devised by Schmidt & Bender that results in a number that can be used to compare different models in their line to see which will be brighter. The higher the number, the brighter the scope. As an example the 2.5-10x56 has a twilight factor number of 23.6 when set on 10 power and the 3-12x50 has a number of 24.5 when set on 12 power. Therefore, the 3-12x50 is actually brighter than the 2.5-10x56. This difference cannot be detected in daylight with the naked eye, but later in the evening as the light fades you will notice that the 2.5-10x56's center crosshairs will fade only minutes before the 3-12x50. Parallax occurs if the distance between the objective and the reticle has not been properly adjusted, resulting in movement of the reticle over the target when the shooter moves his eye. On Schmidt & Bender scopes the parallax has been factory adjusted to a distance of 109 yards (100 meters). For distances greater than 109 yards, no parallax will occur if the shooter's eye is carefully centered in the exit pupil. For extreme long-range and precision shooting the 4-16x50 should be considered, due to its third turret parallax control. |