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Recent content by forent

  1. forent

    Choosing pocket binoculars

    15 years ago I tested the Nikon HGL 10x25 against the Leica UV 10x25 and chose the latter only for ergonomic reasons: I couldn't get used to the front focuser and I also found the gaps between the lens tubes and the middle bridge (resulting from my narrow eye distance) to be haptically annoying...
  2. forent

    New TGA 75 PLUS coming

    Exactly. The specification "Body: Dual hinge" is also rubbish. I guess they have copied some technical data unchecked from one of their binos to fill the specs list.
  3. forent

    swarovski ctc 30x75 vs meopta tga 75

    I agree with you. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether they want to fill the niche. For me it's a welcome addition and worth its moderate price. But I would never consider a drawscope as the only spotting scope for bird watching. The situation is completely different for hunters, at...
  4. forent

    swarovski ctc 30x75 vs meopta tga 75

    These two scopes are quite similar in their performance and practical use. However, in view of enthusiastic user reports, I suspect that the Swarovski CTC could be slightly ahead in terms of optical quality. But the Meopta TGA I own is really very satisfying although not quite up to the level of...
  5. forent

    swarovski ctc 30x75 vs meopta tga 75

    I see your point: Draw scopes are not waterproof and hence prone to condensation, dust and fungus. The mechanics of the draw tube could wear out. The pull-push procedure might annoy the impatient. No angled versions available. Traditional constructions without technical progress. Modern 60mm...
  6. forent

    Trying different scopes and how to compare them.

    You speak from my soul: 😉
  7. forent

    Lightweight & budget tripod for Opticron MM4 60mm scope

    Even top brands like Gitzo and Really Right Stuff aren't able to overcome the laws of physics, so I have to answer: yes, it would be too light as long as you plan to stand upright behind your tripod. (Meanwhile, low-weight tabletop tripods can be very sturdy, but that's a different story.) An...
  8. forent

    Lightweight & budget tripod for Opticron MM4 60mm scope

    There are three desirable properties of a tripod: light, cheap, rigid. Unfortunately, you can have only two at once. That's the way it is, really. The low weight of your set-up is of some importance but much more important is the highest magnification, 45x in your case. That's roughly...
  9. forent

    One head to do them all? Need suggestions!

    Been there, done that: I have owned and tested literally dozens of tripod heads in the past decades, always searching for the "one for all". Until recently I would have said: It doesn't exist. Buy a 2-way fluid head for scope use and a ball head for your camera, period. And by all means buy...
  10. forent

    Swarovski and Gitzo tripods

    This swedish shop tells us that the Swaro CCT and PCT tripods are not exactly identical to their Gitzo counterparts: https://www.naturbutiken.se/en/articles/2.153.8810/swarovski-cct-carbon-fiber-tripod https://www.naturbutiken.se/en/articles/2.153.8809/swarovski-pct-carbon-fiber-tripod
  11. forent

    Focus wheel at bottom of bridge: does it work?

    Its focus wheel at the bottom of the bridge was the reason I sold my otherwise great Nikon 10x25 HG-L DCF. I just couldn't get accustomed to it.
  12. forent

    Trinovid 8x20. Tiny and timeless, the classic lives.

    You are right and I stand corrected. Sorry, I can't explain why I misread those passages. Anyway, now I'm curious enough to write an extensive letter to Leica. And then I will hope for a more authoritative reader in Wetzlar.
  13. forent

    Trinovid 8x20. Tiny and timeless, the classic lives.

    Addendum: This morning, I phoned with Leica in Wetzlar again and asked how the Trinovids are coated. Their technician told me that Leica changed their coating procedure for binoculars sometime in late 2021 or early 2022 - he could neither tell the exact date nor the respective serial numbers...
  14. forent

    Trinovid 8x20. Tiny and timeless, the classic lives.

    I'm afraid that could have been a typo in the catalogue. On the Leica website providing the technical data sheets Downloads | Leica Camera UK one can find the information about the Ultravid compacts (as of October 2017)...
  15. forent

    Trinovid 8x20. Tiny and timeless, the classic lives.

    I guess you mentioned this posting: That's interesting indeed! I'm a happy owner of the Leica Trinovid 10x25 BCA (bought new in 2021) and wanted to know whether there have been made any improvements in this classic line (existing since 1979, I think). The German Leica website is less than...
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