• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Zeiss Victory 8x32FL Vs Leica Trinovid 8x32BN ramblings (1 Viewer)

Leica Trinovids 8x32 BA on the Bay at the moment Dude,

Rich

PS like others I thoroughly enjoyed your review. Nice to read one which isn't all "techy"
Hi John

I can recommend the Zeiss 100% for colour and brightness. In these values it clearly trumps the Leica. Don't however be fooled by the Lotu-Tec sales claims, it is bogus in my opinion.

The FL do not control flare as well as my Leicas used to, infact I can say this with conviction now and for me it is a serious flaw in the Zeiss and is detracting from my pleasure using them more than I initally thought it would during my initial comparissons. When the light is right the view is truly sublime, but the Zeiss is far less tolerant of difficult lighting situations than the Leica and eye placement for me is more of an effort with the FL where it was natural and automatic with the Leica. For me I'm not getting on with the Zeiss as I thought I would and while I am proud to own them I bitterly regret punting my 8x32BN's. I can now say with hindsight that the Trinovid while not as technically accomplished as the Zeiss were for me more natural in practical use and I miss them.

Hope this helps you

P.S. John you don't have a pair of Leica 8x32BR's and if you do where can I get a pair??:t:
 
Last edited:
Hi John

I can recommend the Zeiss 100% for colour and brightness. In these values it clearly trumps the Leica. Don't however be fooled by the Lotu-Tec sales claims, it is bogus in my opinion.

The FL do not control flare as well as my Leicas used to, infact I can say this with conviction now and for me it is a serious flaw in the Zeiss and is detracting from my pleasure using them more than I initally thought it would during my initial comparissons. When the light is right the view is truly sublime, but the Zeiss is far less tolerant of difficult lighting situations than the Leica and eye placement for me is more of an effort with the FL where it was natural and automatic with the Leica. For me I'm not getting on with the Zeiss as I thought I would and while I am proud to own them I bitterly regret punting my 8x32BN's. I can now say with hindsight that the Trinovid while not as technically accomplished as the Zeiss were for me more natural in practical use and I miss them.

Hope this helps you

P.S. John you don't have a pair of Leica 8x32BR's and if you do where can I get a pair??:t:

Hi Brendan

That's disappointing news about the flare (and the LotuTec). It just shows how you have to evaluate bins over quite a long period and in different lighting conditions.

I've always been a fan of things Zeiss (had the lenses in my specs for many years) and if I can get a second-hand pair at a good price I'd be really happy. A couple have sold recently on eBay for around £800 but I reckon they might come down a bit with the introduction of the new range. I think the same might go for Leicas with the introduction of the new Trinovid range.

Interesting what you say about the eye placement. I wear glasses and I've never had a problem with the short eye relief of either Leica pair, so I'm intrigued about the longer relief in the FLs.

Would you consider BAs? From what I gather, notwithstanding the longer short-focus distance, they outperform BNs. This seller's been trying unsuccessfully to sell these for £500 plus, so you might get a bargain. Mind you, it's collection only, but you might be able to negotiate. And they appear to be immaculate:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221060091583?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648

I bought my BAs for £400 quite recently, and that seems to be about right for a good pair (BNs go for a bit more). I also think there's little difference between BA/BN and BRs. My eyes aren't the best, but I can see no difference (I believe the internals are the same). My very experienced friend, however, says the BRs are 'a tad brighter' - presumably the coating differences. The BAs are very chunky and pleasing to hold and look at, but the lighter, neater BRs have the edge. I'm keeping the BAs to lend to friends and as a backup pair.

BRs (the non-HD) ones come up occasionally and go for around the £550 to £600 mark. Some people say the HDs are a bit brighter, but not enough to justify the massive price gulf.

Would love to hear more as you get acquainted with the FLs. By the way, I completely agree about the economics of all this. If I get a pair of FLs, the BAs will probably have to go!

All the best
John
 
John

Glad to hear I am not the only Zeiss obsessive who has Zeiss spectacle lenses as well as bins!

Recently invested in some 32 mm bins. My wife went for Leica Ultravid HDs and I went for Zeiss FLs. This result was predictable :).

Didn't find any eye positioning issues with either, found both had superb views and would have been happy with either (or both!).

I found the FLs appealed more but I have used an 8x40 FL for eight years so this is no surprise.

We are taking both to North Uist in the Outer Hebrides next week and will let you know how I get on with the baby FLs.

Brendan

After years in the field with a treasured pair of bins it can take a long time to 'bond' with a different pair. I hope you manage to do this with the FLs. Good luck.


Lee
 
Last edited:
Hello all

The weather is wet today so I will start the comparison with the overall package you get when you buy them and give some opinions on ‘what’s in the box’ and presentation etc. I suppose some of these observations are just boring details so sorry about that but hay ho.

I will save the binocular handling, build and optical performance (the real juicy comparisons) for another category(s) I think. Here is today’s category.

Category 1: Overall package and what’s included.

What is striking first of all is that the Leica box is about half the size of the Zeiss box, the Leica box is made from a glossier, thicker cardboard while the Zeiss box is of a cheaper grade paper. Everything is packed away tightly in an efficient manner inside the Leica box with a hard cardboard carcass design within that all the accessories fit into like a Puzzle. The ocular rain guard and strap also have their own individual small boxes that looks just like the design of the main box. In the Zeiss box there is much more fresh air space with the Bins, case and literature contained within an internal square central chamber and the rain guard / strap / objective covers in the outer hollow space. The Zeiss has a dedicated lens cloth wiper of high quality and the literature is contained within a high tech electric blue plastic bag whereas the Leica does not have a cloth lens wiper. Winner in the packaging stakes for me is Leica. It feels much more classy, better designed and expensive. The Leica should have a lens wipe though.

This size difference also applies to the protective carry cases. The Leica being much smaller, unpadded and made of Leather with a zip closure. It has more rigid sections in the base, rear and top to maintain its shape and rigidity. The Leica also has a neat solution for threading your binocular strap through a flap on the top rear of the case, the flap being secured by two metal pop studs. This allows you to use the Binocular strap to double as the case carrying strap. It is all a very neat and compact and well thought out design, ideal for travelling. The Zeiss case a good deal larger and made of padded Nylon with a plastic clasp closure. It has D-rings on the sides, belt loops on the back and a mesh pouch with zip closure inside. It also has a black nylon carry strap that can be removed at will with a clasp. Overall it is a well made case. This is a hard one to call and depends on your take on things. Again the Leica case looks and feels more classy and expensive and must have been more expensive to produce, but for a field binocular the Zeiss has more protection for the optics, it has more practical applications with the belt loops and D-rings. I personally do not use cases as I feel they are too cumbersome. So I will say if you’re looking for original design and class it would be the Leica but if you’re looking for real protection and wider carrying options it would be the Zeiss.

In addition to a case both binoculars have an ocular rain guard made of rubber and a neck strap. As far as the rain guards go I rate them equally in function and quality but the Zeiss has more options. To me the Trinovid rain guard was always the best I had used but after using the Victory yesterday for 3 hours I can say it works just as good. Both have just the right amount of snug fit to be easy to apply and remove while being secure at the same time. The Zeiss are round with a flexible bridge and the option of attaching the neck strap to both sides of the rain guard if desired. The Leica rain guard can only be attached on the left to the neck strap and is a more teardrop shape again with flexible bridge. I always attach the rain guard on the left anyway. The original Leica neck strap has leather tethers where it fits onto the binoculars rounded metal lugs, again all very classy, these are secured by a cufflink stud like design which is very neat and original. The majority of the strap is nylon and the neck support section a thick rubber part with Leica insignia and hard dimples on the inside for grip (not very comfy on naked skin). The Zeiss is a contoured to fit the neck neoprene strap 4cm wide with grippy warm rubber on the inside, Zeiss insignias where the neoprene section meets the nylon strap. It has Carl Zeiss written on it in silver script. Standard nylon buckle fastening to lugs on sides of binocular. For me the Zeiss strap wins this one for comfort and practicality although the Leica is well designed and made and very original and unusual (and probably more expensive to manufacture). I fitted the aftermarket Leica Neoprene strap to the Trinovids for increased comfort (although this is expensive £30 odd I believe). Where the Zeiss again trumps the Leica is its inclusion of tethered rubber objective covers as standard. These fit well and work well and add sensible protection to the objectives. I am a fan of objective covers as I get into bramble thickets and other unlikely places and I think it was a flaw that the Trinovids never came with a pair. (The Swarovski 8x30SLC tethered rubber objective covers fit the Trinovid 8x32BN, work well and I have them fitted to mine, they are cheap and readily available at around £6 odd delivered).

Probably the last thing to cover when discussing ‘what’s in the box’ is the Guarantee. Zeiss is 10 years Leica is 30 years. Winner is Leica. (when I bought my 10x32BN Trinovids from new they were covered by a 30 year Leica unconditional ‘passport’ warranty that guaranteed to repair any defect even if it was user abuse that caused the fault...and no matter how many previous owners as long as you had the passport certificate....now beat that!) I wonder if these 8x32BN are covered under this too because in their box its just the standard 30yr warranty (maybe someone can give me advice on this?)

So to sum up this first (somewhat strange) category I would say that the Leica package leaves me with the impression, the ‘feel’, of a classier more expensive product out of the box, better packaging, original exclusive designs and quality materials and solid manufacture, it wouldn’t be out of place on the Orient Express!. It also has a 3x longer guarantee. Certainly there is nothing obvious here to suggest why the Zeiss is so much more expensive. But for me the Zeiss package has the more practical options in the field in my opinion. The comfy neoprene strap / the tethered objective covers / the thickly padded protective case with different carry options / the option to fit the rain guard on both straps, the lens cloth etc are more suited to the serious field user in my opinion. The material quality and manufacture is also very high. Bear in mind that as described above the Leica can get the neoprene strap and objective tethers as aftermarket extras.

So it depends on what you value. For me I would have to call the Zeiss the overall winner in this category for its practicality and extra features.

I will get round to the serious comparisons soon...
I have had them both and the Nikon 8x32 EDG is better than both. The Zeiss FL is better than the Leica BN and the EDG is better than the Zeiss. The BN is a good retro binocular but it is outdated now and is beated by the SV and EDG but you can get then cheap.
 
Last edited:
Leica Trinovids 8x32 BA on the Bay at the moment Dude,

Rich

PS like others I thoroughly enjoyed your review. Nice to read one which isn't all "techy"


Hi Rich

Glad you liked my review and thanks for saying so. I do wish now I had held onto my Trinovid for a while longer but I aint rich and the bills don't stop comming in eh! The chap who bought them is very happy so I get some happiness from that.

At the end of the day for me it's all about being outside and getting a good look at the birds. In all honesty I can't say I am getting any more pleasure in that pursuit with the Zeiss than I was with the Leica.

Thanks for the tip on the BA's but I drive a gas guzzling 4x4 and it would cost me more to pick the damned things up in diesel than the price I would pay! Ha.

Anyway i'm saving my pennies for the Nikon 8x42 EDG, I may be able to afford them by 2020.B :)
 
Last edited:
Hi Brendan

That's disappointing news about the flare (and the LotuTec). It just shows how you have to evaluate bins over quite a long period and in different lighting conditions.

I've always been a fan of things Zeiss (had the lenses in my specs for many years) and if I can get a second-hand pair at a good price I'd be really happy. A couple have sold recently on eBay for around £800 but I reckon they might come down a bit with the introduction of the new range. I think the same might go for Leicas with the introduction of the new Trinovid range.

Interesting what you say about the eye placement. I wear glasses and I've never had a problem with the short eye relief of either Leica pair, so I'm intrigued about the longer relief in the FLs.

Would you consider BAs? From what I gather, notwithstanding the longer short-focus distance, they outperform BNs. This seller's been trying unsuccessfully to sell these for £500 plus, so you might get a bargain. Mind you, it's collection only, but you might be able to negotiate. And they appear to be immaculate:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221060091583?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648

I bought my BAs for £400 quite recently, and that seems to be about right for a good pair (BNs go for a bit more). I also think there's little difference between BA/BN and BRs. My eyes aren't the best, but I can see no difference (I believe the internals are the same). My very experienced friend, however, says the BRs are 'a tad brighter' - presumably the coating differences. The BAs are very chunky and pleasing to hold and look at, but the lighter, neater BRs have the edge. I'm keeping the BAs to lend to friends and as a backup pair.

BRs (the non-HD) ones come up occasionally and go for around the £550 to £600 mark. Some people say the HDs are a bit brighter, but not enough to justify the massive price gulf.

Would love to hear more as you get acquainted with the FLs. By the way, I completely agree about the economics of all this. If I get a pair of FLs, the BAs will probably have to go!

All the best
John

Hello again John

First of all I must appologise as I thought you meant BN's when you said BR's. But then I realised a while later that Leica do indeed do BR's (the range 0f 32x by Leica is confusing eh?). So my P.S. in my last message makes no sense. (beer & posting dont mix!) Tit that I am.

Wise words you post when you say 'It just shows how you have to evaluate bins over quite a long period and in different lighting conditions.' The thing is John that because I am having problems with my Zeiss doesn't mean you will, but it is telling that both you & I (you a glasses wearer and me not) find the Leica ideal. That must say something about the optical design of the Leica and why so many birders love them.

I have seen the FL 8x32 non Lotu-tec go mint boxed on the bay for £680, In hindsight I would have went for them, especially as they were in green which I wanted, although there is evidence on here that the green armour is of a lesser specification than the black? If I were you I would go for the non lotu-tec and save £100 or £200.

Thanks for the heads up on the BA's John. But I have been hearing good things about the Nikon 8x42 EDG and I'm now saving for them, I think I need an 8x42 again (don't ask why, I just do ha ha). I got £517 for my BN's although they were 100% complete and all original. I felt that was the max they could fetch nowadays and the buyer was very happy (although to me they were worth more and I wish I didn't have to sell them, but financially I had to)

That is interesting what you say about the Leica BA's/BN's/BR's vs HD's,(keep up readers) to me that smells of blatant cashing in on the FL/HD etc glass craze by the manufacturer for essentially the same binocular with only a chassis change and a new coating (can the HD glass really cost so much to produce? must we pay so much for it?). I don't think either the new Trinovid or new Zeiss is offered in 8x32 yet although it may be. From what I have read about the BR and in my own comparisson against the BN you will certainly see a large difference in brightness if you go for the Zeiss FL over the BR and I do recommend the FL, at the end of the day it is superb. I will force myself to get used to them eventually.

All the best

Brendan
 
Last edited:
Denco
Yeah I'm lusting after the 8x42 EDG now. Any shoes the wife has not worn in the last 3 months that look new are being sold to add to the EDG fund!
 
John

Glad to hear I am not the only Zeiss obsessive who has Zeiss spectacle lenses as well as bins!

Recently invested in some 32 mm bins. My wife went for Leica Ultravid HDs and I went for Zeiss FLs. This result was predictable :).

Didn't find any eye positioning issues with either, found both had superb views and would have been happy with either (or both!).

I found the FLs appealed more but I have used an 8x40 FL for eight years so this is no surprise.

We are taking both to North Uist in the Outer Hebrides next week and will let you know how I get on with the baby FLs.

Brendan

After years in the field with a treasured pair of bins it can take a long time to 'bond' with a different pair. I hope you manage to do this with the FLs. Good luck.


Lee

Hi Lee

Thanks for the advice and good wishes. I am determined to 'bond' with my FL. Like you say I am new to the FL after a long time with the Leica and I must have patience (although I don't recall having to get used to the Trinovid, it was bang on right out the box). I am looking forward to the Autumn / Winter to see if they perform better or worse with a low Sun.

I would be very excited if I was off to North Uist, I've never been, I bet you get a real treat up there. I have however been to Islay a few times. The amount of Bird species on Islay for the size of the Island is genuinely amazing. I've seen Short Eared Owl, Hen Harrier, Sea Eagle, Golden Eagle, Merlin chasing Meadow Pipit, Twite, Chough, Brent Geese, Golden Plover, Scaup, Shoveler, Jack Snipe & Bar Tailed Godwit and the rest over 2 days there. The 'Oystercatcher' B&B in Port Ellen is very nice. Queen of the Hebrides indeed! What a place, a scope is essential (Nikon ED82 30X Wide sublime). Let us know what you see up in Uist.

I have noticed that the included Zeiss lense cloth seems to deposit static particles onto the lenses instead of removing them. I have since reverted to using my old brand of Lense cloth (that has been in the washing machine several times) and this clears the lenses much better. Another observation I made the other day was that I purposely misted up one of the occcular lenses indoors with my breath and it was 1 minute and 20 seconds before the mist cleared to the same state as the unmisted one. That's a long time, longer than other bins ive owned. Lotu-tec is overstated in my opinon.

Happy Birding

Brendan
 
Last edited:
I have seen the FL 8x32 non Lotu-tec go mint boxed on the bay for £680, In hindsight I would have went for them, especially as they were in green which I wanted, although there is evidence on here that the green armour is of a lesser specification than the black? If I were you I would go for the non lotu-tec and save £100 or £200.

It's maybe worth mentioning that many (all?) pre-LotuTec FLs have a different eyecup design than the current FLs. Alexis Powell says here that he greatly prefers the new eyecup design. I have no experience on this, though, so take it up with Alexis if you want more info!

You can see the difference here (old-style eyecups on left).

I enjoyed your review, Brendan. Your many photographs were very useful too.
 
It's maybe worth mentioning that many (all?) pre-LotuTec FLs have a different eyecup design than the current FLs. Alexis Powell says here that he greatly prefers the new eyecup design. I have no experience on this, though, so take it up with Alexis if you want more info!

You can see the difference here (old-style eyecups on left).

I enjoyed your review, Brendan. Your many photographs were very useful too.

Hi Dorian

For all the readers of this thread this must be very important information that Dorian supplies. It could be cruical so follow his advice and check it out. I had no idea there was a design difference in the eyecups between the models. This is fascinating and maybe someone else can give more detail on this? As I keep saying, the Leica was ideal for me eyecup wise and even though the FL has more options none fit me right! Maybe the older non lotutec Zeiss would suit me better?

Just on pure visuals via the link supplied I automatically think the older FL eyecups look like the Leica and I bet they would suit me better than the modern offering.

Now readers may or may not know that it is very simple to remove the eyepiece from the FL. Just turn it again beyond the 3rd stop and it comes off after a few rotations giving excellent and easy access to the occular glass for cleaning. I seem to have overlooked this particularly useful feature in my comparisons.

I have decided I now want a MINT fully boxed older 8x32 Victory (non-Lotutec) in Green and I will Swap for mine if anyone wants to.

Thanks again
Brendan
 
Last edited:
why not just ask Zeiss to send you some of the "old" eyecups to fit onto your binocular ??

Hey! Man! simple eh?? Just goes to show the power of the forum. I hadn't gotten round to that yet! I would have got there in the end (about 6 months away!) So thank you for that ingenious advice. I will ask them this week and let you know how I get on.

:t:
 
... I had no idea there was a design difference in the eyecups between the models. This is fascinating and maybe someone else can give more detail on this? As I keep saying, the Leica was ideal for me eyecup wise and even though the FL has more options none fit me right! Maybe the older non lotutec Zeiss would suit me better?

Just on pure visuals via the link supplied I automatically think the older FL eyecups look like the Leica and I bet they would suit me better than the modern offering...

Not wanting to dampen your enthusiasm, but what is it that you are hoping the old Zeiss eyecups will do for you? If the issue is eye placement, I don't think they are going to help. I think it is just an inescapable fact that eye positioning is more sensitive with the FL than it is with the Leica 8x32 models. You really have to have the eye-relief and IPD just right, and the pupils properly centered, to get the best view (especially with respect to astigmatism intruding on the sweet spot) through the FL. It took me a long time to make the adjustment from the Leica BA, which is much more forgiving. I love the BA, but the 5 foot close focus of the FL makes it more useful to me, and as a one-and-only bin for travel, it delivers more than the BA (brighter, better views of very distant birds due to lower CA, better color rendition) except with some types of backlighting (and even then, the performance is quite good as binoculars go). The 8x32 FL is my most used binocular, but I've had a love-hate relationship with it from the beginning which continues to this day, though I don't post on it like I did in the past (years ago).

--AP
 
Last edited:
The FL is obviously the more advanced and superior instrument. Unquestionably. WAY!

But I cannot leave my memories behind (why try?), and will not be without a Trinovid. I get much enjoyment now from a 12x50 Trinovid BN. It easily shows more detail than my 8x42 FL due to its magnification. The well corrected and easily viewed 68.4 deg apparent field hits your eye like a big pizza pie. Although a Leica, it has a really smooth and easy focus knob!! I have not seen such nice star images nor such snap in the focus of any other binocular either. And that, for me, is how a BN beats an FL.

Heavy? Shaky? I don't worry about that. A few percent dimmer, sure that bugs me sometimes, that is what drove me to the FL in the first place. But I have some perspective now and count myself lucky to still enjoy the Trinovids.

Not advice, just reporting. Don't be like me. Use state of the art binoculars, okay? It's just the right thing to do. I, however, am so screwed up...

Ron
 
Brendan

Don't loose heart son, lots of people have no issues with eye placement and Zeiss FLs.

1 Make sure both eyecup assemblies are firmly and equally screwed into the body. If one is a bit looser than the other this can cause no end of problems with eye placement. And of course make sure both cups are in an identical full down position.
2 Do get the old cups to try out. The dimensions and shape of the cups decide how they interface with your spectacle lenses and this is one of the major factors in where your pupils end up in relation to the exit pupil of the bins. Plus if you change your specs lenses it gives you an alternative to try and its an easy and reversibile mod.
3 Also don't overlook one aspect of all this that is not discussed much. A few pints of beer the night before can mean smaller pupils the next day!
4 Do you have some not too old specs with different lenses / frames? If so try these out. Either lens shape or frames or both can affect the success of the pupil / exit pupil alignment.

Good luck

Lee
 
Hey! Man! simple eh?? Just goes to show the power of the forum. I hadn't gotten round to that yet! I would have got there in the end (about 6 months away!) So thank you for that ingenious advice. I will ask them this week and let you know how I get on.

:t:

I sent Carl Zeiss an email today asking where I could get a pair of the old style eyecups. I got an email back about half an hour later telling me that they had popped a pair in the post free of charge and that if I needed anything else just to ask!

Now that is first class customer service!!!:t:

I will update this thread when I've fitted them to see if there is any difference in the view.
 
Brendan

Don't loose heart son, lots of people have no issues with eye placement and Zeiss FLs.

1 Make sure both eyecup assemblies are firmly and equally screwed into the body. If one is a bit looser than the other this can cause no end of problems with eye placement. And of course make sure both cups are in an identical full down position.
2 Do get the old cups to try out. The dimensions and shape of the cups decide how they interface with your spectacle lenses and this is one of the major factors in where your pupils end up in relation to the exit pupil of the bins. Plus if you change your specs lenses it gives you an alternative to try and its an easy and reversibile mod.
3 Also don't overlook one aspect of all this that is not discussed much. A few pints of beer the night before can mean smaller pupils the next day!
4 Do you have some not too old specs with different lenses / frames? If so try these out. Either lens shape or frames or both can affect the success of the pupil / exit pupil alignment.

Good luck

Lee

Hi Lee

Thanks for the advice much appreciated. I don't wear specs though Lee, sorry if I gave you the impression I did.

On point 2 I have today contacted Zeiss and they are sending me out the old style cups free toady! Amazing customer service here from Zeiss!

Point 3 is very interesting and I had no idea about that. I will factor that into my test when I get the new cups delivered and avoid the beer the night before.

Will let you know how I get on.

All the best

Brendan
 
Not wanting to dampen your enthusiasm, but what is it that you are hoping the old Zeiss eyecups will do for you? If the issue is eye placement, I don't think they are going to help. I think it is just an inescapable fact that eye positioning is more sensitive with the FL than it is with the Leica 8x32 models. You really have to have the eye-relief and IPD just right, and the pupils properly centered, to get the best view (especially with respect to astigmatism intruding on the sweet spot) through the FL. It took me a long time to make the adjustment from the Leica BA, which is much more forgiving. I love the BA, but the 5 foot close focus of the FL makes it more useful to me, and as a one-and-only bin for travel, it delivers more than the BA (brighter, better views of very distant birds due to lower CA, better color rendition) except with some types of backlighting (and even then, the performance is quite good as binoculars go). The 8x32 FL is my most used binocular, but I've had a love-hate relationship with it from the beginning which continues to this day, though I don't post on it like I did in the past (years ago).

--AP

Hello Alexis

Im just hoping that the old cups may just make the difference somehow. Zeiss have put an pair of the old cups in the post for me today free of charge (amazing customer service) so no harm in doing the experiment just to see. As you say I will just have to take the time to get used to FL. Thanks for your opinions they are very interesting, it is heartening to know you have given the Zeiss the most use despite the eye placement issues. I will conquer the Victory in the end! Ha ha
 
The FL is obviously the more advanced and superior instrument. Unquestionably. WAY!

But I cannot leave my memories behind (why try?), and will not be without a Trinovid. I get much enjoyment now from a 12x50 Trinovid BN. It easily shows more detail than my 8x42 FL due to its magnification. The well corrected and easily viewed 68.4 deg apparent field hits your eye like a big pizza pie. Although a Leica, it has a really smooth and easy focus knob!! I have not seen such nice star images nor such snap in the focus of any other binocular either. And that, for me, is how a BN beats an FL.

Heavy? Shaky? I don't worry about that. A few percent dimmer, sure that bugs me sometimes, that is what drove me to the FL in the first place. But I have some perspective now and count myself lucky to still enjoy the Trinovids.

Not advice, just reporting. Don't be like me. Use state of the art binoculars, okay? It's just the right thing to do. I, however, am so screwed up...

Ron

Hi Ron

Ha ha! You must have arms like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime man! 12x50? You must have a neck like a bull. Bins like that can't be a serious proposition for birding Ron. Although I bet you can see the man in the moon with em. It would be a lot of fun to have a look through those bigboys though I must admit!

Take it easy

Brendan

Cheers
 
Warning! This thread is more than 6 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top