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My Noctivid are Back !!!!!!.......... (1 Viewer)

GLOBETROTTER

Well-known member
Today the NV arrive from Germany.

According with Leica the complete focus system has been change also the rubber armour, is true smells like new.

Still play in the diopter when turning the focus wheel, one milimiter of play.

I can not believe it........is frustrating.

When new the binocular has the same amount of play and finish with a big play what can i expect now ?

I am very sad with leica i still thinking why they dint replace this unit for another one.
 
I dont think the play you se when moving the diopter would matter. I have seen it in a noctivid also, dont think it moves on the inside even if it looks that way.
 
I dont think the play you se when moving the diopter would matter. I have seen it in a noctivid also, dont think it moves on the inside even if it looks that way.

Exactly. Can it be seen optically when viewing and focusing.
 
I’d like to think the Op’ recognises the movement of the external adjustment ring by 1mm is not transferred to the next stage of internal gearing as this is the very definition of slop, over-travel or whatever you wish to call it.

While I accept this is unlikely to impact the overall performance of the instrument it is just such less than perfect mechanical engineering from a manufacturer whose reputation was established on exquisitely engineered product that makes this so frustrating and frankly unacceptable in a piece of kit costing circa £2.5K

LGM
 
I'm not sure I fully understand the problem here. My Noctivids diopter gauge display moves slightly with the focus wheel, but it doesn't affect the focusing or the diopter setting; i.e. the focus has no delay or slack, and the diopter setting doesn't move. To be honest I hadn't even noticed this very small movement until I read Globetrotters original thread. When I read that thread I thought that he had a much bigger problem than the gauge moving slightly when the focus wheel is turned, but now I'm not sure. Globetrotter?
 
I dont think the play you se when moving the diopter would matter. I have seen it in a noctivid also, dont think it moves on the inside even if it looks that way.

My Leica 8x42 Ultravid Blackline has this minute "jiggling" feeling when I start to focus. I never noticed it until yesterday when I checked it after reading the complaints on this thread. I have to focus very slowly and concentrate to "feel" it. I'm not concerned about it because I never noticed it in normal use.

I read somewhere that Leica doesn't use grease in its focusing units. They are metal on metal. I don't know if that could cause it.

Bob
 
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I've checked all three brandnew NV's and all have a miniscule visible play/movement on the diopter. I was under the impression that Jesus diopter had free play when extracted, which none of my models have. Following Ceasar's example I checked all UV's (8 of them) and they all "suffer" also from this (according to Jesus) mailfunctioning. Never noticed it before and AFAIK nobody did.

Untill now.

Jan
 
For what it's worth.... this problem is old and, apparently, continues to be ignored by Leica (whether by way of incompetence or arrogance I do not know). in 2005 I purchased an Ultravid 10x42. Within months there developed a "null spot" in the focusing mechanism - small at first, but increasing as time went on. It became a distraction with every turn of the focus wheel. It got so great that when adjusting the diopter, I had to make sure to rotate the focussing wheel in the same direction for both barrels so as not to introduce and error by the amount of freeplay. Leica got them and returned them with the same amount of freeplay and a diopter (perfect before) that was two points off. I was informed Leica was aware of the problem and it would be resolved when the next generation of Ultravids (the Ultravid HD) were introduced. I didn't wait and am glad I didn't. The UV's were replaced with a Carl Zeiss Victory FL 8x42.
 
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For what it's worth.... this problem is old and, apparently, continues to be ignored by Leica (whether by way of incompetence or arrogance I do not know). in 2005 I purchased an Ultravid 10x42. Within months there developed a "null spot" in the focusing mechanism - small at first, but increasing as time went on. It became a distraction with every turn of the focus wheel. It got so great that when adjusting the diopter, I had to make sure to rotate the focussing wheel in the same direction for both barrels so as not to introduce and error by the amount of freeplay. Leica got them and returned them with the same amount of freeplay and a diopter (perfect before) that was two points off. I was informed Leica was aware of the problem and it would be resolved when the next generation of Ultravids (the Ultravid HD) were introduced. I didn't wait and am glad I didn't. The UV's were replaced with a Carl Zeiss Victory FL 8x42.

Going by the accounts I've read on here Leica DID improve the mechanism on the UVHD, but that point aside I wanted to make it clear that the 'problem' (which is not a problem according to me and several other posters here) with the NV is not the small amount of slack or play in the focus which is present in all UV's (see Jan's post above), but that the diopter display moves very slightly when changing focus direction. There is absolutely no play in the focus wheel on the NV which also happens to be much smoother than the UV, but more important, the movement in the diopter display (which is so small that I hadn't noticed until Globetrotter pointed it out) is not transferred to the actual mechanism.

It's worth pointing out, I feel, that the diopter display DOES move with the focus wheel on the UV's, but Leica have chosen to keep the diopter display upright when moving the focus wheel on the NV. It's only a gauge display, and the minuscule movement isn't affecting the actual adjustment at all.
 
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On my UVid + I notice perhaps a mm of free play when starting to focus. I noticed this a while back, but I don't notice in use when birding. It's way too minor to notice or care. The focus is smooth with even tension in both directions.
I find the focus overall just fine. Diopter when locked in place moves perfectly along with focus; both wheels move together. The minuscule free play when starting to focus is a non-issue for me. Can't find any real flaws in this bin.

Definitely get a different binocular if it's something you're unable to get past. There's no perfect binocular and you may find some flaw in the next one.
 
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The problem is if this 1mm of free play gets worse and worse with use as happen before.

As they change the focus system the focus asymmetry problem is resolve, now the binocular is sharp at any distance.

Let wait to see what happen after some time using the NV extensively.
 
As Mike F. points out, the key: "The movement in the diopter display is not transferred to the actual mechanism." It is within the display only. Thing is, I have zero movement in my diopter display as far as I can tell. Like Chuck reports in a separate thread: "It [NV] has performed without fail or flaw . . ."

Mike F. reports that there is, "the small amount of slack or play in the focus which is present in all UV's." My original UVHD+ 8x42's had enough to be irritating, but was generally much smaller than my depth of field so it didn't hurt function, but nonetheless, the company in Long Island swapped them out for a pair where whatever slack there may be, it is imperceptible to this day. My old 7x42 UVHD+ maybe had a minuscule amount, can't remember now. My 10x50 UVHD+ had enough for a return; but again more irritating than compromising.

Thing is, back in my LE days when I always had a wonderful and apparently indestructible pair of 7x50 Zeiss Marines along; like the Zeiss, I would of thought any of these were perfect and never noticed a bit of it unless someone had pointed it out. They were getting the job done, mostly at night in low light. Funny how exacting we can become when tools go from professional use to hobbyist.
 

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As Mike F. points out, the key: The movement in the diopter display is not transferred to the actual mechanism. It is within the display only. Thing is, I have zero movement in my diopter display.


Bubbs & Egrets Ivadafewtoomany, we're not trolling over to the Nikon sub-forum, so maybe how about not littering over here?

I checked mine again today. At first I thought I could see no movement at all (it really is that minimal) but then I looked at the sn whilst moving the focus wheel side to side and noticed a very small amount of movement. I would never have noticed anything if it wasn't for GT's problem because previously I'd only been moving the focus wheel whilst looking through the bins (having set the diopter) ............. ;)3:)
 
I checked mine again today. At first I thought I could see no movement at all (it really is that minimal) but then I looked at the sn whilst moving the focus wheel side to side and noticed a very small amount of movement. I would never have noticed anything if it wasn't for GT's problem because previously I'd only been moving the focus wheel whilst looking through the bins (having set the diopter) ............. ;)3:)

Same here, I would have never noticed it had I not read this topic. It has no effect as far as I know on the performance of my Noctivid but I’ll keep an eye on it. It seems a bit of a shame to disassemble an otherwhise perfectly functioning pair of binoculars for a bit of play that is part of the design... (apparently)
 
Same here, I would have never noticed it had I not read this topic. It has no effect as far as I know on the performance of my Noctivid but I’ll keep an eye on it. It seems a bit of a shame to disassemble an otherwhise perfectly functioning pair of binoculars for a bit of play that is part of the design... (apparently)

"I was happy until I read about someone else who wasn't happy .......... so now I'm unhappy too."

The way of the world.
 
I had two UV`s and never noticed any movement of the diopter scale, (although I never actively looked for it), surely if this is just the scale moving/rocking under the clear window and the diopter gearing is disengaged so as to remain unaffected there is zero need for concern.
 
I had two UV`s and never noticed any movement of the diopter scale, (although I never actively looked for it), surely if this is just the scale moving/rocking under the clear window and the diopter gearing is disengaged so as to remain unaffected there is zero need for concern.

Spot on! My comment about the UV diopter gauge moving was just to state the fact clearly that the diopter gauge is locked and therefore rotates with the focus wheel, whereas the NV the diopter gauge is disengaged from the focus wheel when the diopter has been set.
 
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