Leica Binoculars

[Alessandro Fanchin]

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I am thinking to buy a new Leica binocular, and I am not sure about Ultravid, BR, BL, and then about Ultravid 40 or 50. I am not sure also about 10x, 8x, 12x. Maybe also Duovid.

 

I am aware of all the general reccomendations about magnfiication, aperture, etc.

 

I am only trying to find someone that arleady tried some binoculars that I mention above, that discovered some hidden features...

[enboe]

I purchased my 10x42 Trinovids in 1991, per my memory. They have served me well, and I expect them to last for the rest of my life. My 2 quals can be easily rectified, by buying another pair, of course.

 

I am now considering adding a pair of 8x20's for when I don't need the magnification or the weight. I'm sure they will last a lifetime as well.

 

Enjoy.

 

Eric

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[wizard]

I am now considering adding a pair of 8x20's for when I don't need the magnification or the weight. I'm sure they will last a lifetime as well.

 

Trust me, they will. I bought a Trinovid 8x20 in 1987, it was a present from my Mum for my diploma, and I have used it extensively and continue to do so (just used it yesterday, in fact). Very enjoyable piece of equipment. When I bought it, I thought that 30 years of warranty was a bit over the top, but in the meantime 20 years have already passed...

 

Alessandro, the Ultravid 8x40 is a great all purpose binocular. It is easier to hold steady than the 10x (and of course than the 12x, which is not really suited for hand held use anymore). Also, I would only buy a 8x50 if you use your binocular a lot at night.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[marknorton]

I have a pair of 8-12 Duovids and they are fantastic, highly recommended, also the tripod/monopod mount for more static observation.

[jaapv]

I have the 10x42 and Patricia the 10x 32. for many years.They have seen a lot of heavy use and been in far and exotic places .I have looked through a lot of other make binoculars and I still think the Leica ones resolve the most detail. Zeiss is close, Swarowsky is good as well, and the rest - forget it. Choose the type carefully for the use you will make of them - it is a choice for life. btw the only quality difference between the 32 and 42 is at dusk - and it is small.

[larry]

Forgive me for making a sweeping generalization, but I've tried them all and Leica binoculars are the best. OK, now I've said it and feel much better!

 

My 10x42 Trinovids have served me well without a problem for almost 10 years.

 

Larry

[dspeltz]

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I have had several Leica binocs, however my favorite are two:

 

The Ultravid 8x42 are a superb, medium size, super high resolution and bright instrument. I love using them and cannot imagine anything better at that weight level.

 

When I travel, I finally settled on the Trinovid 8x20. Tiny, near weightless, lots of light and bright, and great resolution. I use them for looking at details in churches, archtitecture, people etc when running around the world. I rarely carry the 8x42 when I travel. This combination works well for me.

 

I have a couple other Leica binocs around but rarely use them. I should sell them. They are all wonderful instruments.

[stuny]

Alessandro –

 

In 1998 or 1999 on a flight home from some place in Asia we read an article in the in flight magazine about high-end, compact binoculars and were surprised to see they were affordable. Not long after returning home we tried most of the recommended ones. In the final shoot-out the Leica BCA 10 x 25 Trinovid beat the similar Zeiss, and both made our compact Nikon binoculars, in comparison, to seem like a toy. Very small, light, bright, and reliable, they always travel with us to foreign lands. My first Leica camera (R8) followed in December 1999. A slightly improved model (nitrogen filled, guaranteed water proof in shallow water) Ultravid is on the market, but is more costly

[ed_oneal]

I recently got an 8 X 42 Ultravid (used) from B&H. Terrific in every way.

[Alessandro Fanchin]

Thanks to all the posters...

[luigi bertolotti]

I am thinking to buy a new Leica binocular, and I am not sure about Ultravid, BR, BL, and then about Ultravid 40 or 50. I am not sure also about 10x, 8x, 12x. Maybe also Duovid.

 

I am aware of all the general reccomendations about magnfiication, aperture, etc.

 

I am only trying to find someone that arleady tried some binoculars that I mention above, that discovered some hidden features...

 

Ciao Alessandro,

there seems to me difficult to find "hidden features"... I can say that, being a binocular user for 90%=mountaineering, smaller are ALWAYS better (I have a 8x20) : you never leave it home : when I used a 10x42 it of course happened that I'd say "mmhhh... today it does not fit well..." : difference in luminosity is appreciable, but You have so a strong color "separation" that you appreciate views even, say, into woods at evening.

[jaapv]

That is true, Luigi, that is why I said to consider the use carefully. I use mine mainly for wildlife spotting in African national parks. As one is often in a vehicle the weight is of less consideration. Anyway, for my use dusk and night obeservation is quite common. A number of animals have incredible camouflage in the daytime as well. Then the 10*42 are a blessing and I gladly carry them when hiking in the bush as well. After all, they are still less weight than my guide's rifle ;)However my wife's 10*32 are a nice compromise in portability and "leistung"

[luigi bertolotti]

That is true, Luigi, that is why I said to consider the use carefully. I use mine mainly for wildlife spotting in African national parks. As one is often in a vehicle the weight is of less consideration. Anyway, for my use dusk and night obeservation is quite common. A number of animals have incredible camouflage in the daytime as well. Then the 10*42 are a blessing and I gladly carry them when hiking in the bush as well. After all, they are still less weight than my guide's rifle ;)However my wife's 10*32 are a nice compromise in portability and "leistung"

 

Just for we have found themselves in this thread : have You ever used the Leica big spotting scopes (Televid) ? Frankly, they are SO NICE... do you think they shall make some kind of adapter for M8 ? Could be fine, I think... M8 is very limited in strong Teles... unless You jump to the impressive number of posts about Visoflexes on M8 in this forum...

[jaapv]

Actually I am one of the Visomaniacs. Look out for M8-s in Zambia coming October- with long teles on.

[luigi bertolotti]

LONG LIFE TO LONG TELYTs!

[gylee]

I have a pair of the rubber armoured Ultravid 10*25s and I love them. I was amazed at the clarity and detail when I used them at the HK Rugby 7s a couple of weeks ago and everyone else in the box was amazed as well. I know some people find 10* binoculars (particularly small ones) a bit difficult because of stability issues but I find them fine, particularly for moving subjects like sports, or for a quick look at something for detail. If you were focusing on a single object for a while, they might be a bit "sick-making".

 

I have them with me now in my office on the 39th floor of the Cheung Kong Center, overlooking Victoria Harbour on what is a glorious sunny day in Hong Kong (we get about 2 a year) and there is so much to see, it is amazing.

 

 

Buy 'em - you'll love 'em. (Actually at the risk of being lynched, if you are thinking of something other than Leica, as well as the Zeiss and the Swarovskis, the top of the line Nikon Premier LX 10*25s are very good - nearly bought them instead in fact)

[Guest adlerw]

I am thinking to buy a new Leica binocular, and I am not sure about Ultravid, BR, BL, and then about Ultravid 40 or 50. I am not sure also about 10x, 8x, 12x. Maybe also Duovid.

 

I am aware of all the general reccomendations about magnfiication, aperture, etc.

 

I am only trying to find someone that arleady tried some binoculars that I mention above, that discovered some hidden features...

Alessandro,

I also am very content with my Leica Trinovids 8x42 BA and 10x25 BC.

But now that you've heard that people love their Leica binos I think it's time to come to your model of choice. I would prefer an Ultravid over the Trinovid, the Ultras are lighter, more flare-resisitant and some say even sharper. And I would prefer rubberized over leather-covered models - the leathered ones are sleeker, lighter and better suited for social events like concerts etc. but they suffer severely in harsh surroundings. OK: Ultravid BA. And now magnification and aperture. (you said that you are aware of that but I wonder whether you have to ask then the way you do.) It depends - horses for courses - on your major interests:

 

General use: 8x32, 8x42,

birding: 10x32, 10x42,

hunting: 8x50, 10x50, 12x50

travelling: 8x20, 10x25.

 

Duovids are too heavy in my opinion. For normal users, the 42 mm Ultravids are absolutely bright enough. You really don't need the 50's if your main field of interest is not viewing in early dawn or late dusk. Otherwise, the 32's are extremely versatile and considerably lighter and smaller. And in most cases they are also bright enough. So I would happily choose an Ultravid BA 8x32 or 10x32, depending on how steady I could hold a 10x bino. They deliver the goods in nearly every situation and are small and light enough to be taken anywhere. By the way, the green armor gets a little less hot in direct sunlight than the black variant.

 

Regards, W.

[spydrxx]

If you are a sailor, 8x50 or 10x50 is de rigeur...as you'll be using them for navigational purposes in less than ideal light. I gave it up years ago and live happily with a light pair of Nikon 9x25s for general nature work.

[Alessandro Fanchin]

Alessandro,

I also am very content with my Leica Trinovids 8x42 BA and 10x25 BC.

But now that you've heard that people love their Leica binos I think it's time to come to your model of choice. I would prefer an Ultravid over the Trinovid, the Ultras are lighter, more flare-resisitant and some say even sharper. And I would prefer rubberized over leather-covered models - the leathered ones are sleeker, lighter and better suited for social events like concerts etc. but they suffer severely in harsh surroundings. OK: Ultravid BA. And now magnification and aperture. (you said that you are aware of that but I wonder whether you have to ask then the way you do.) It depends - horses for courses - on your major interests:

 

General use: 8x32, 8x42,

birding: 10x32, 10x42,

hunting: 8x50, 10x50, 12x50

travelling: 8x20, 10x25.

 

Duovids are too heavy in my opinion. For normal users, the 42 mm Ultravids are absolutely bright enough. You really don't need the 50's if your main field of interest is not viewing in early dawn or late dusk. Otherwise, the 32's are extremely versatile and considerably lighter and smaller. And in most cases they are also bright enough. So I would happily choose an Ultravid BA 8x32 or 10x32, depending on how steady I could hold a 10x bino. They deliver the goods in nearly every situation and are small and light enough to be taken anywhere. By the way, the green armor gets a little less hot in direct sunlight than the black variant.

 

Regards, W.

 

Thank you very much for the suggestions on weight, rubber and rubber colour, BL/BR, Ultravid/Trinovid.

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[lars_bergquist]

Alessandro, there are two matters that haven'tbeen touched on here yet.

 

The EXIT PUPIL of the binocs is those two bright discs of light you see if you hold the instrument before you. You get the exit pupil (i.e. its diameter in millimeters) by dividing the front lens diameter (e.g. 42, in '10 x 42') by the magnification, in this case 10, making 4.2 mm. This is the measure of the instrument's brightness. The maximum 'entrance pupil' of your eye is about 7 mm. This means that an exit pupil diameter above 7 mm is wasteful, you cannot take in all that light. 7 x 7 = 49, wich is why 7x50 binoculars are so popular among nightly sailors. I agree however that 4 mm (as in 10x42) is perfectly adequate for daytime use.

 

However, a small exit pupil means that you have to position the binoculars very exactly in front of both your eyes in order to see with both of them. They must be very well aligned. So a 8x20 is of necessity a bit slow and can in fact be a bit irritating before you get it right. So 4 mm (8x32, 10x42) is recommended for those events when you know that a bit of binocular work will occur. Such an instrument is less tiring than a compact. Still, I wouldn't be without my 8x20 Ultravid. It can go anywhere.

 

BTW I think the collapsing eyepice rims are a boon for people who may want to use the binocs sometimes with specs (quick work) or without (long watches).

 

The old man from th Age of Pull-out Spyglasses