Ultravid centre drive limit?

[etc]

I have a problem with the Trinovid, which is a great unit, but I cannot use it without glasses as the centre drive limit is only -4 and I need more like 5.5 or 6 past infinity.

The diopter compensation is fine, but it's hard to use for someone myopic in both eyes without eyeware, which is difficult for extended periods of time.

Question, has the Ultravid 8x42 increased the centre drive limit any beyond what Trinovid has?

[kabsetz]

I cannot answer for the difference, if any, between the Trinovid and Ultravid, but when testing Ultravids against Zeiss FLs, a friend of mine who needs about -5 was struggling with the Leica but had room to spare with the Zeiss. We are yet to see if the range has changed in the new HD-line of Ultravids.

Kimmo

[Robert / Seattle]

Just checked my Ultravid 8x42 BR on your behalf and can confirm a +/- 4 diopter scale. If you otherwise prefer Leica to Zeiss, you can probably have their service department shift the diopter setting to one direction or the other to accommodate your particular sight requirements.

Robert / Seattle

[etc]

Robert,

I don't mean the diopter scale, which is the difference between eyes, I mean adjusting both well past infinity. My vision is such that I want to scroll well past the limit of center drive limit.

[Alexis Powell]

Robert,
I don't mean the diopter scale, which is the difference between eyes, I mean adjusting both well past infinity. My vision is such that I want to scroll well past the limit of center drive limit.

Yes, but because of the way the diopter is integrated into the center drive in these binoculars, his answer applies.
--AP

[etc]

... . If you otherwise prefer Leica to Zeiss, you can probably have their service department shift the diopter setting to one direction or the other to accommodate your particular sight requirements.

Robert / Seattle

Is that really possible? If so, that would be great as I have no issues otherwise. I need to talk to a Leica customer rep.

Is that a big repair technically wise?

[Robert / Seattle]

Is that really possible? If so, that would be great as I have no issues otherwise. I need to talk to a Leica customer rep.

Is that a big repair technically wise?

Based on a focussing knob replacement that they did for me, I would guess the procedure to be about 250.00 USD.

[andrew_s]

I looked at 8x42 Ultravid about 6 months ago, and can confirm that the centre drive limit is about -4.
Swaro EL 8.5x42 are about -6, Zeiss 8x42 FL are about -7

(I'm -6 in both eyes)

[etc]

Hm, I don't know if it's cost-efficient to convert it. It's just a Trinovid. Nice optics, but there are nicer ones I would think.

Any link about Swaro EL 8.5x42 specs, where they state this limit? If it's indeed -6, that's great. Thanks for the info.

[kabsetz]

Etc,

I have also heard that Swarovski has sometimes adjusted the focus travel of EL's to suit customers who need more than the -6 (?) they normally have. It is worth asking about that from the retailer or the importer.

Kimmo

[iporali]

I have a problem with the Trinovid, which is a great unit, but I cannot use it without glasses as the centre drive limit is only -4 and I need more like 5.5 or 6 past infinity.

Etc,

Modern binoculars seem to be designed to be used with glasses on. This and the purpose to improve close-focusing properties may be why they don't always focus as far beyond infinity as they possibly could. I think the Trinovid BNs gained some close focus (compared to the BAs) at the expense of infinity range.

BTW, Is there a reason why you would prefer not to use your glasses? My myopia is about the same as yours and I really like to use the binoculars without the need to lift the glasses off - like I always used to do with my earlier short eye-relief binos.

Best regards,

Ilkka

[etc]

iporali,

I agree that it can be useful to be able to use binos with the glasses on. You can quickly lower the binos, and still see with a normal vision.

However, I found out that for extended periods, it's much easier to hold the binos against your face. The Trinovid has eye cups that extend and are much more comfortable being pressed against your face than glasses.

One additional bonus is that it's easier to maintain a perfect image without blackouts that happen if your slightly misalign glasses/binoculars relationship. There is no way to perfectly know precisely where to hold the binos against your glasses, as your only feedback is the picture.

One option is to use contact lenses during outdoor activities, but that is not always posssible.

I would gladly sacrifice a bit of close distance focusing to gain more focus past infinity.

[andrew_s]

The -6 for the EL 8.5x42 was just based on my prescription, and that I was on the limit stop at infinity.

I prefer not to use my glasses because...
a) it's easier to position the eyecups so as to avoid blackouts
b) my glasses are photochromic and make the view rather dim
c) it's another 2 surfaces to keep clean

[etc]

From Leica, when asked if I could increase the overdrive enough for -5.5D: (8x42 Trinovid BA, made circa 1999)


I am just reread your email in advance of contacting our service people and see that your binocular is a "BA" version. Unfortunately there is no way to gain more diopter over travel on this model as it is already adjusted to the maximum length of travel. However, my recollection is that the BAs did offer +/- 5 diopters of correction. I am sorry we can't meet your request.

[Dorian Gray]

I would gladly sacrifice a bit of close distance focusing to gain more focus past infinity.
Myopia normally shifts the entire focus range of the eye closer, i.e., someone with myopia can normally focus closer than someone with good uncorrected vision. So by adjusting a binocular's far-focus point to suit your myopia, you would indeed reduce your personal close-focus distance with that binocular, but it would still be roughly equal to the close-focus distance achieved by a person with good uncorrected vision using an unmodified binocular. So you wouldn't be giving up close-focus distance compared to someone for whom the unmodified design works fine.

But it's possible that a large modification to accommodate strong myopia would place the optical system of the binocular outside its optimised range, leading to reduced image quality.

[etc]

Interesting. Maybe that's why the far focus point is what it is.

[Swissboy]

That is exactly what happened. Leica, with the BA Trinovids, often had complaints about the lousy close focus distance. Something in the order of 5+ meters for a 8x42 model. So, for the BN version, they reduced the "past infinity" part, accepting a worsening for some potential users with less than optimal vision. Apparently, the way these binoculars are built, it is the only way (or maybe just the easiest way?), to allow for closer focus. The fact that they kept it that way for the Ultravids would indicate to me that they would have had to redo the whole optical system and not just to adjust the housing? It is well known that the original Ultravids have the same optics as the Trinovids, with the exception of coatings.

Among the BA Trinovids, the ones with the closest focus were the 8x32s, which was the reason I bought those at the time. There were not that many excellent alternatives more than eleven years ago.