Better than Leica

[yulplo]

I just purchased a pair of 10x25 ultravids at a nearby camera store after trying all types. They are super clear and so bright for their size-as well as a work of art I also have a Nikon 8x30E which is so incredible. Its not any sharper than the leica to me but the depth of field is inspiring. I would suggest anyone on a limited budget wanting leica's incredible optics to save the money of 1300 for a large pair of leicas and get the ultravids for 549 and the nikon e for 299 (maybe less) . Then for less than one 8x42 leica you have 2 superlative bins-a leica 10x25 with truly awesome leica optics (just as good but less bright than the bigger ones and far less) plus the Nikon 8x30E which to me is as good as its gets when you need a bigger bin=849 you cover all the bases!!!!

[xenophobe]

I was a Zeiss guy with my 10x40Bs, and then bought my 10x25 Trinovids for a pair to always have with me. In normal daylight, they resolve long distance objects better for my viewing. They're what got me hooked to Leica as a matter of fact, and led me to buying my 12x50 Trinovids and my 10x42 Ultravids.

[salty]

in my opinion, you cant get better than leica optics, they are supreme.

yes, it is close at the top, zeiss and swaro etc, but all round optic and design perfection, id still choose leica.

i have used all the bins you can think of, but i choose to own leica binoculars, currently the ultravid 10x42br.

my previous binoculars were the trinovid 10x42bn model.

if i was going to get another binocular tomorrow, it would be the ultravid 7x42br - the brightest bino i have ever used, very impressive.

yes, i have used bins that were £200 and have been very impressed, manufacturers are producing real quality bins thesedays, but as long as i can afford them, i would still go for leica.

i need the very best from a binocular, i use mine more often than most people. sometimes a full day with my bins out in the field, in all conditions - and they have never let me down. that is what i need and expect from a £1,000 pair of optics of course.

i am however not biased or one company minded, i do own a zeiss spotting scope, and could go on all day about that - but in a different thread prehaps!

[Robert Ellis]

I have stopped using the E2. I can't get over the feeling of standing on top of a globe that the very wide angle eyepiece gives. As far as compact roofs, the Leicas are the trimmest, which makes them the leader in my book whether one thinks their optics tops or not, and if they are not tops it is surely by a very thin margin.

I have a relative who recenlt got setup for travel with one heckuva kit. For $1000 he got a Leica bin, new, and an ED spotting scope, also new! The bin is the 8x20 Ultravid and the scope is the Kowa 500ED, which comes with its own monopod to boot. Can't beat that price for a top binocular and a top scope, even if they are small they are fabulous and far more useful than you'd think.