(Note-I have proofread until I’m cross-eyed…probably a misspelling or three and/or a “cut-n-paste” scar or two in the below text, but here it is!)
Well…what a day I had Saturday!
While I PLANNED to get up before dawn and arrive at the Expo as soon as it opened, we ARE on vacation…and we had a late night Friday (late for us anyway-dinner at 9:00 PM, back at the motel by 11:00 PM, not in bed until about 2:00 AM). So we slept later than we planned. Anyway…on to the important stuff…
As I’ve said the biggest reason I wanted to come to this is there is no where I am aware of within several hours of my home where I can do what the Expo is DESIGNED to do-let a potential customer handle the optics SIDE-BY-SIDE. Sure I realize that many of you live close to stores where this is possible but I don’t. Also, I know that on this forum we have discussed “buy both and return the one you don’t like” but I don’t have the ability to do this and if I did, I had only narrowed my potential choices to EIGHT models! That’s 8…
We arrived around 11:30 AM on a grey, cold, overcast day. We checked in with a very nice lady at the Birdwatcher’s Digest table (Wendy). After this we entered the Expo which was small as “expos” and vendor shows go, but was totally sufficient for my needs.
I first stopped at the Kowa table and spoke with the Kowa guy. Now I know that we AT THIS VERY MOMENT have the thread going on Kowas versus “more expensive” binoculars, but my personal desire to use my personal money to buy a German (or Austrian) made optic. Is it “better”-go to the thread for that back and forth. It may NOT be, but I want a German optic…that’s my cross to bear and to pay for. If you just want a super clear binoc, and don’t care about where it’s made, there are plenty out there that will suit. All this being said to say…the Kowa Genesis is a DANGED impressive binocular! One of many I’d wanted to try today was the Conquest HD and I did (more on that later) but FME (“For My Eyes”-a new abbreviation we NEED on this forum!) the Kowa Genesis certainly came up quicker and cleaner, and I loved the focus interaction on this binoc. The Kowa was perfect for me as far coming up with a perfect circular image and sharp depth of field with very satisfying main image clarity. I would not/cannot make a determination on actual technical resolution between these two as I didn’t spend enough time with them to make THAT call. But I left VERY impressed with the Kowa Genesis.
I then tried to get into the Swarovski table where Joel Simon and Clay Taylor were, but they were busy with customers and I didn’t want to intrude with their business-I knew I had time to get back over there.
I then made it over to the Zeiss table where Steven Ingraham with Zeiss was. I was able to check out the Terras (very briefly-don’t ask for an opinion here) and the Conquests and Victory line. I did this indoors and was very impressed with both, as I had expected to be. Don’t expect a detailed side-by-side here…but I see what several of you say about the Conquest HDs being probably one of the best bargains out there.
(I would bring up the Kowa again, if one could be had at Demo prices as being a similar “potentially the best bargain”-EO has them for $729 right now on the website-did I say I was VERY impressed?)
I then made it over to the Eagle Optics table, which was understandably the largest display since they were showing numerous brands and were a primary sponsor. There I spoke at length with Ben Lizdas (who like most of the reps I’d never met but recognized from videos or images I’d viewed during my years of research.) I was also helped in great detail by Adrian Lesak, Tom Kuenzli, and Joel Simon’s wife (who was assisting with both the main Swarovski table and Eagle Optics table). Although I had viewed Swaros at the Swaro table, Zeiss bins at the Zeiss table, and Leica at the Leica table, I did most of the “hands on” and “side-by-side” comparisons at the EO table, as they had the bins side-by-side and were closest to the windows and the door! Mrs. Simon and the regular EO employees were AWESOME and very accommodating to my need and my research. I made the joke I was going to “wear a hole in the carpet” from the front of the EO table to the door I made the trip so many times (20+!) In fact, Ben said to “go ahead” and noted it wasn’t HIS carpet! :-O
The day and location was not “great” as it was cold and overcast, and the Center borders the edge of the tall buildings of South Columbus. The side the Expo was housed on had a feeder station and overlooked a small pond and walking area, with plenty of grass. When I later decided about 99% for certain on one make and model (wait for it…wait for it….) I asked that rep if I could take it to the OTHER side of the Center where the sun was hitting and the river was. There were several feeders there and about 100 birds. Of course he graciously allowed this.
Overall I eliminated ALL the 8x32 offerings for my needs. While they may be sufficient for many of your own needs, I (unlike most “normal” people) surprisingly DON’T LIKE the small light dimensions (!) and I still have an opinion that is satisfactory to me that a large exit pupil helps with quick image acquisition in binoculars. The 8x42s aren’t OVERLY heavy for me, and in fact are what I am used to. In fact, in these product lines, I was even impressed with how larger binoculars were balanced so well, they didn’t feel awkward (disclaimer-I’m a big guy.) Clay Taylor prompted me to check out the 12x50 Swarovisions and I was amazed at how “light” they felt. I recently sold a pair of 10x42s that were heavier than these and I could hold the Swaro 12 powers just as steady. I also handled briefly the 8x50, 10x50, and 12x50 Leica Ultravid HDs and felt the same about them. Clay said (and I wholly agree) "It's all about ergonomics."
I will say that I thought (going in) I’d PROBABLY ultimately decide Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss, in that order. For the life of me, I couldn’t nail down one image over the other in any short time.
My unscientific but deeply personal needs, I feel the Zeiss HT NAILED it with the focus. It had the perfect tension/resistance, the best speed/gearing, and was the quickest to NAIL the focus on when looking at a new target. This meant so much to me, for a while I thought the Zeiss HT was the one I’d decide on as my overall choice. I did find that I preferred the “Leica View” over the others (I know this has been the opinion of some others here also when attending optics shows) but the Victory HT (after a few minutes) was almost like an autofocus camera lens! It was just ‘there” once you rolled the focus wheel and stopped where the view looked like it was perfect.
In focus speed, I felt (FME!) that it was Zeiss by a noticeable margin, then Leica, Swaro (who were close together) in that order.
As to two controversial (and maybe overblown, in my humble opinion) points about Swarovski:
Rolling Ball- I did not see it with the 8.5x. I TRIED. I panned slow. I panned fast. I went back in and got a 10x and tried. I could not see it. I asked Adrian and Ben and they explained it to me again. I tried again… I couldn’t see it. I noticed “something” with the edges, but it wasn’t rolling, it wasn’t a ball, and it didn’t make me queasy. It was kind of like a light shifting at the edges but nothing more, and THAT might even be an overstatement.
Swaro focusers- While I will say that both Zeiss and Leica felt better to me, I didn’t think the Swaros were terrible. The most that I can say was that I would have liked them to feel “better” at this price point, but they weren’t “oh my God” terrible. I DEFINITELY didn’t feel any “grit” or sloppiness. The tension on two samples were ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLY more in one direction than the other (at least to me) but again this wasn’t a single deal killer. Now don't read "into" this that I don't believe those of you who DID encounter this-maybe Swarovski got the word and put some "cherry" pairs in their show demo lineup!
As to Leica’s only serious issue-the preponderance of testimonies that Leica isn’t up to snuff on customer service and warranty issues-I think they are trying to change this. The Leica rep was David La Puma and he stated that they are aware of the value of excellent customer service and trying to make this happen. In his defense he says this has always been a priority and wasn’t aware of some of the forum threads. He acknowledged what has been referenced here and on other forums as far as Leica being a camera company first and a sport optics company second, and he also acknowledged that the two fields are different.
As to their wares, I think the Trinovid is an AWESOME binoc. I could easily live with one forever and be happy. I was THAT impressed with it. I see why the Porters (birdwatching.com) said they strived to TRY to see a difference in the Ultravid HD and the Trinovid and couldn’t even with tripods and doublers. Annabeth…I now “know”… This was the only binoc I settled on that I could have afforded to purchase right then, and this one fact caused me to nearly go with it.
I did like the Ultravid HD immensely however. While it was slower to “pop” into sharp focus than the Victory HT, I found that if I played with it and got intimate with it, I could focus ALMOST as fast as with the HT. I also liked the two finger width focus on the Leicas with the focus knob/diopter knob. This helped with the speed. The Uvid felt just a tad better in my hands than the Trinnie, but again, I will go on record as saying a Trinovid owner IS an “alpha” owner (this is my thread and my opinion only…please go to the “What Constitutes An Alpha” thread to debate that!)
My ranking for “feel in the hand” was Ultravid HT, Trinovid, Victory HT, and Swaro.
After about 3 hours, I could NOT narrow down any further from the Ultravid 8x42 and the Victory HT 8x42. I actually was going to leave but my wife had taken school work (she is in a Master’s program and didn’t get a vacation from that!) in and was in the middle of a project while sitting in the lobby area of the Center. I told her it was a “hung jury” and I couldn’t decide any further, having started with EIGHT possibilities. She was not at a stopping point and she encouraged me to go spend more time and “not come back until you have decided!”
I did go back and spend about an hour with the HT and the Uvid HD outside. Some of the reps laughed at me, knowing/thinking I’d already left, but was now back comparing again.
In closing I want to say AGAIN that I for one am GRATEFUL to Eagle Optics and Birdwatcher’s Digest for making this Expo happen. I am a perfect example of the type buyer this is aimed at-looking to purchase soon, but unable to compare side-by-side.
I want to say a general “Thank You” to all the people I spoke to and to all those that helped me, even though I can’t recall everyone’s names. I feel a deep internal need to rave about how helpful and how “nice” everyone was. Now the cynic would say, “Of course they are nice-they are trying to sell you their product!” To counter this, I would say that I REALIZE that, but everyone I spoke to today came across as 100% sincere, and as a career cop, I have a pretty good “BS Detector.” Further, NOT ONE rep or employee told me or implied in any way that their product was totally superior to another product, instead focusing on the known strong points of each. TO A MAN (AND WOMAN) they were consummate professionals, and agreed that in the upper echelons of these products that INDIVIDUAL FIT and PERCEIVED IMAGE BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL DYNAMICS should be the main deciding factor, even if it was a competitor’s product (!)
And I would be remiss if I didn’t say that “Michela” from Opticron has an absolutely luscious British accent! :t:
My final choice, when the slush fund hits the appropriate amount, will be the Leica Ultravid HD 8x42.
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