Through the Glass: A Review of the Swarovski Optik Z6

I have always admired SWAROVSKI OPTIK scopes; not only are they beautifully engineered, but the lenses within them are market leading. They are therefore, quite rightly, priced as a premium optic. Despite my adoration for SWAROVSKI OPTIK it was only during the summer of 2025 that I ‘bit the bullet’ and bought myself a set of EL Range binoculars and two Z6i rifle scopes.

Part of my motivation for doing so was because I wanted to be equipped with the best equipment possible for the upcoming Fallow season, but also because a number of retailers had started offering attractive discounts on the Z6i range of scopes.

The reason for the flurry of discounts was that retailers were clearing out their stock of the MK2 Z6i scopes to make space for the new and improved MK3 Z6 scope. Despite the threat of a new iteration of the Z6i I took the plunge on the MK2, knowing what a good optic it was. Fast forward nine months and I’m sat here with my two MK2 Z6i’s but also a loan MK3 Z6i in a 4-24x56 configuration. So, have I made a mistake?

To the uninitiated the MK3 looks very similar to the MK2 – it still has controls for the illuminated reticle on the top of the eyebox, it still has a shark fin on top of the silky smooth magnification adjustment wheel, and it still has three turrets on the saddle (one for adjusting windage, one for adjusting parallax and one ballistic turret for elevation). It is only when you delve into some of these features more closely that you notice the changes.

Let’s start with the illuminated reticle controls. On the old MK2 Z6i there was a switch to toggle between ‘day’ and ‘night’ modes, two buttons to increase and decrease brightness and an internal memory so that the scope knew what brightness you last left it on. The new MK3 Z6i still has the internal memory, which is great, but no longer has the day and night toggle switch. The buttons have also been relocated onto the top of the control (rather than the side) to make them more intuitive to find without having to look.

Whilst we’re discussing the eye box it would be remiss of me not to mention that it has been re-designed to make it ‘less fussy’. In short, your eye relief and head position are much less important as you’ll get a perfect full image through the scope every time.

Moving further forwards on the MK3 Z6i is the ballistic turret, which is where another significant change has occurred. The only criticism I will ever levy against the MK2 Z6i is that the ‘click’s on the ballistic turret can be a bit spongey, which means I do find myself double checking the number of clicks I've dialed.

I clearly am not the only one to have raised this as the MK3 Z6i now has very defined clicks that you can feel even when wearing gloves and without having to look at the turret. The locking ring, designed to prevent you from making accidental adjustments to elevation, has been carried forward from the MK2 to the MK3, but now only needs partial rotation (possibly 45 degrees) to lock and unlock whereas the MK2 needed 90 degrees of rotation.

Z6i scopes with ballistic turrets have always featured the iconic red, yellow and green markings. These markings can be set at pre-determined intervals to allow you to quickly adjust elevation to known settings for certain distances. For example, on my Z6i the green mark represents 150 meters, the yellow is 200 meters and the red is 250 meters. The MK3 still has the red, yellow and green markings, but now also has a fourth white marking to allow another distance to be added to your arsenal.

The MK3 has lost the spare battery for the illuminated reticle that was previously housed in the top of the windage turret cap, but if I'm honest I don’t know that many people who would have wanted to change the battery in the field, so I don’t think it is a great loss.

The actual internal working and lenses are unchanged from the MK2 to the MK3, but the line up of models has changed quite significantly:

It is clear that SWAROVSKI OPTIK are following the market trend for higher levels of magnification, but have still retained some of the smaller and lighter models, such as the 1.7-10x42, that some will want for dangerous game or mountain rifles. Pricing ranges from £1,620 to £1,980.

So, did I make a mistake buying a MK2 Z6i? Should I have waited for the MK3? There’s no doubt that the MK3 represents progress, but like any product from a premium brand the MK2 is still a market leader and will be serviceable for many years, if not a lifetime.

If you are thinking of trading in your MK2 for a MK3 then personally I wouldn’t worry, but if you’re thinking of joining the Z6i club then be rest assured that the MK3 represents a step forwards for the brand, ensuring it keeps pace with what we are asking for in the industry.