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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Leica Ultravid 8x20 BR (1 Viewer)

I was thinking more about objective covers as none are supplied.

D

It would be pretty hard to design a one-piece objective cover to stay on your folding pocket bins when both unfolded and folded, and a two piece design with tethers so you don't lose them starts to over-complicate the concept of a convenient pair of bins in your pocket. And therein lies the probable solution to your bins-protection issue: fold them up and put them in your pocket.

Lee
 
What annoys me when I use my Swarovski 8x25 CL Compact is that it has no ocular covers. I'm always smudging mine when I remove it from my shirt pocket.

Bob
 
What annoys me when I use my Swarovski 8x25 CL Compact is that it has no ocular covers. I'm always smudging mine when I remove it from my shirt pocket.

Bob

This true about my Zeiss Compacts too Bob. Best way I have found is to have the lanyard around my neck and the bins in the shirt pocket and pull them out using the lanyard, but this doesn't work with every kind of shirt pocket.

Mostly the Compacts sit on my work station, as they are doing right now, with no strap, ready for a quick look through the window.

Lee
 
BOB, POST 23,
The ocular cover of the Habicht 8x30 fits perfectly on the 8x25 CL Compact, I have used it for quite some time now already and I am happy with it.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
BOB, POST 23,
The ocular cover of the Habicht 8x30 fits perfectly on the 8x25 CL Compact, I have used it for quite some time now already and I am happy with it.
Gijs van Ginkel

That might be an option Gijs! I could order an 8x30 Habicht and switch its ocular cover back and forth with the CL Compact; :-O:-O which reminds me that my 2nd peeve about the 8x25 CL Compact is that the oculars are too small although I realize that is the nature of the beast.

Bob
 
Bob, post 26,
You do not have to order an 8x30 Habicht, the ocular covers can be obtained by themselves and they even may not cost you a penny, if you have a good dealer.
Gijs
 
Bob, post 26,
You do not have to order an 8x30 Habicht, the ocular covers can be obtained by themselves and they even may not cost you a penny, if you have a good dealer.
Gijs

Gijs

I think Bob was having a light-hearted joke here: buying another pair of binoculars to get the ocular covers is a bit like buying a new car when the windscreen gets dirty on your 'old' one. And of course any excuse to buy a new pair of bins is a good one.

Lee
 
Gijs

I think Bob was having a light-hearted joke here: buying another pair of binoculars to get the ocular covers is a bit like buying a new car when the windscreen gets dirty on your 'old' one. And of course any excuse to buy a new pair of bins is a good one.

Lee

Actually it isn't all that out of line here. I think that both binoculars cost about the same.

Hmm? Now I'm thinking and that ain't good!B :) Must have a beer at my Legion Post and mull this over. Our Legion Post (and the bar in it) overlooks a lake where a pair of Bald Eagles have a nest. I have seen them often with the little CL Compact.

Now, if I got an 8x30 Habicht I could compare them! Hmmm. B :) Have another beer? Sure, why not!:king:

Bob
 
Fair enough re: objective covers/case for the Ultravid compact.

Now, I hate to come across as obsessive, but here I go... I did something I knew I would regret with my new binocular: I looked through each barrel the wrong way at a light and noticed several specs of fine dust on each side... this does not affect the view at all. I also checked my 8 year old Ultravid 8x32, and sure enough, it also has dust specks. Is this really an issue? Personally, I think not. Whilst it's not ideal, it doesn't affect the view.

Also, on the Ultravid compacts, the eyecup plastic tubes rotate freely by design, I am guessing so that fussy users can make sure that the LEICA CAMERA and 8x20 designations can be perfectly aligned in use no matter what IPD is selected. The left tube rotates much more freely than the right. The left is smooth and free, but the right is more stiffly held in place. Again, I feel I am being obsessive here as neither issue affects the use or view of the binoculars. But what do you guys think?

I try to remind myself that nothing in this life is perfect, and that the binoculars do have that little certificate in the box which assure that the item has been inspected so presumably meets the Leica tolerances - Leica's tolerances, not mine - and that some variation in individual components might lead to none-functionally-affecting variations in different product samples. I also hate messing around dealers with these kinds of seemingly anal concerns!

Edit: Reading the archive, this is obviously an issue that has come up before. I just looked at a bright white cloudy sky, and saw no effects of any dust, but did notice those moving 'floaters' in my own eyes! But I can't send myself back for inspection or repair, so I am thinking I should just let this go and not obsess.
 
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Dialyt, post 30,
At Dutch Bird faires I have seen people who investigated binoculars the way you describe: they took a flashlight, directed the light through the eypiece and lookd through the objectives. Many binoculars showed a kind of particles/specles inside.
The only thing you can do about it is: take it outside, put it on a concrete road and drive over it a few times, but be sure that you take a very heavy car, so that not much remains from the binocular under investigation. That way you will never see particles again in that instrument.
The floating particles in your eye, however, I would not treat the same way, they come with the owner and you have to live with it, but it can be distracting sometimes.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Dialyt, post 30,
At Dutch Bird faires I have seen people who investigated binoculars the way you describe: they took a flashlight, directed the light through the eypiece and lookd through the objectives. Many binoculars showed a kind of particles/specles inside.
The only thing you can do about it is: take it outside, put it on a concrete road and drive over it a few times, but be sure that you take a very heavy car, so that not much remains from the binocular under investigation. That way you will never see particles again in that instrument.
The floating particles in your eye, however, I would not treat the same way, they come with the owner and you have to live with it, but it can be distracting sometimes.
Gijs van Ginkel
Thank you Gijs. Would a hammer do the job just as well?

I take your point though - not to obsess about unimportant things.
 
Dialyt,

Specs of dust inside the binocular matter if they come to focus while viewing. Otherwise, assuming that there's just a few and not a whole lot (which could be an indication of some surface inside shedding its paint or such) you can let them be there as they do not affect the image.

In spotting scope eyepieces, there are sometimes dust or paint specs on an internal lens surface that do come to focus, and these are seen as a "fly" or a "bird" that is always in the same spot in the field of view. They are most easily spotted when viewing against a cloudy sky or some other rather uniformly lit surface, and can be most bothersome. Often they are seen only in some part of the zoom range.

If you have these kinds of particles, it is in my view definitely worth it to return the binocular or have it serviced, but otherwise not.

Kimmo
 
Dialyt,

Specs of dust inside the binocular matter if they come to focus while viewing. Otherwise, assuming that there's just a few and not a whole lot (which could be an indication of some surface inside shedding its paint or such) you can let them be there as they do not affect the image.

In spotting scope eyepieces, there are sometimes dust or paint specs on an internal lens surface that do come to focus, and these are seen as a "fly" or a "bird" that is always in the same spot in the field of view. They are most easily spotted when viewing against a cloudy sky or some other rather uniformly lit surface, and can be most bothersome. Often they are seen only in some part of the zoom range.

If you have these kinds of particles, it is in my view definitely worth it to return the binocular or have it serviced, but otherwise not.

Kimmo
Hi Kimmo,

I just looked again, and the flecks are very small and there are not a great number of them.

Do you think the rotating plastic eyecup sleeve discrepancy issue is irrelevant?
 
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Some eyepieces, such as some Kelners, can have dust on the field lens in focus. This is distracting.
But if the dust is not seen I would forget about it.

The old 10x25 Docter that I have used almost daily for years, always stays exactly where I open it. I don't know of any other double hinged binocular that would do this thousands of times.

Banging ones head to reduce floaters probably doesn't work. But you might see stars.
 
It is a design flaw of all the tiny pocket roof models. Eyecups should fit the eye, not the binocular ocular, but no model that I know of comes with large (flaring out) eyecups, presumably because consumers would find the look of it strange. I've no trouble with pocket roofs because I wear glasses and so don't use the eyecups.

Alex:

I know you are happy with your Leica 8x20 but if you ever want to try another compact then I would recommend Vixen Atrek 8x25 (first generation). Its eyecups fit the eyes well (if you want even bigger eyecups then the rubber eyecups of the DB 32mm are a tight fit), the optics are good, it has a single hinge and it weighs a mere 350g (like the CL).

Peter
 
I recently got a pair for when I go on work trips and can only carry something small. Does anyone have an aftermarket suggestion for a better neck strap - maybe something a little sturdier and more comfortable?
 
I recently got a pair for when I go on work trips and can only carry something small. Does anyone have an aftermarket suggestion for a better neck strap - maybe something a little sturdier and more comfortable?

Look at the products from Op/Tech. They have neckstraps of different sizes, along with connector buckles that allow you to instantly change or detach the straps.
 
Switched out straps on my Victory 8X20 and Swaro 8X25 for Op-Tech mini QD plus extenders per PhilR.'s recommendation.........perfect.
 
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