Leica Ultravid 10x32 HD-Plus, yeah baby! (1 Viewer)

Alaska4me · Aug 21, 2015

Well, finally the Ultravid 10x32 HD-Plus is out. After 15 years of the Trini 10x32 BN I am more than ready to upgrade, and was waiting for the Plus to come out - good times indeed.

It seems many of you are 8x32 fans, I however am hooked on the 10x32 for my go-to binocular, it works very well for me.

Things are looking good; very good :t:

CloseFocus · Aug 22, 2015

It may be time for me to upgrade.

winwinbino · Sep 6, 2015

I hate Leica didn't improve the ER.

Vespobuteo · Sep 6, 2015

winwinbino said:
I hate Leica didn't improve the ER.

some people actually prefer a bit shorter ER,
for them Leicas are perfect,

don't think Leica will update ER even in their next
model,

short ER is their market segment,

EnjoyTheView · Sep 7, 2015

I'm looking forward to some reviews. I'm definitely liking 10x30mm/10x32mm format and looking for a top quality one. To me these compact models with great performance really represent something new in binoculars.

tenex · Nov 11, 2015

I used the 10x32 BN nearly as long. It worked remarkably well and felt like having my cake (10x) and eating it too (compact). Do let us know how the new Plus compares, besides being a bit lighter.

Now somehow my taste is changing and I've switched to the Trinovid 42. Brighter, bigger EP, easier view (the 32 was a bit effortful). Maybe I'm getting old. My father used to lug around a Zeiss 7x50, and I never understood why... but that's the sort of thing he would say to explain it, too.

Hermann · Nov 11, 2015

Vespobuteo said:
some people actually prefer a bit shorter ER,
for them Leicas are perfect,

don't think Leica will update ER even in their next
model,

short ER is their market segment,

Sort eye relief is their segment of the market? I don't think so. However, in order to get a larger eye relief they'd have to use eyepieces with a longer focal length. And that would make the binoculars larger. Compact roofs, that's their segment of the market.

Hermann

Troubador · Nov 11, 2015

Hermann said:
Sort eye relief is their segment of the market? I don't think so. However, in order to get a larger eye relief they'd have to use eyepieces with a longer focal length. And that would make the binoculars larger. Compact roofs, that's their segment of the market.

Hermann

Hermann

That is exactly right and is one of Leica's great strengths.

Lee

Alaska4me · Dec 10, 2015

After 100's and 100's and 100's of hours looking through my trusty old 10x32BN I now will have to give the new Ultravid 8x32 HD Plus first dibs - small in size, large in performance, a super replacement for the BN; I love this thing. If only Swarovski could build a focusing mechanism like Leica does...

Despite being a "10x32" guy, this time around I had second thoughts and opted for the 8x32 version; so far no regrets.

cycleguy · Dec 12, 2015

Alaska4me,

Allbinos reports the distortion on the 8x32 HD at 36%. Do you think this changed/remained the same for the HD+ model? Where would you say the distortion shows up on the 8x32 HD+.

Nice choice... back when I purchased my Swaro EL WB I thought the 8x32 Ultravid HD was a bit better, but there was a noticable price spread between the two and I couldn't justify passing up the EL for the UVHD. Nowadays, this doesn't appear to be the case with the current models.

CG

arran · Dec 18, 2015

On a local birdfair ,I could compare this bin with the Kite lynx and it was very hard to see a difference , if any!!

Hermann · Dec 18, 2015

arran said:
On a local birdfair ,I could compare this bin with the Kite lynx and it was very hard to see a difference , if any!!

That's surprising. The Kite Lynx I had a chance to try out some time ago wasn't anywhere close to the Leica.

Hermann

pimpelmees · Dec 19, 2015

arran said:
On a local birdfair ,I could compare this bin with the Kite lynx and it was very hard to see a difference , if any!!

i have compared also the kite's and some other bino's from swaro and leica, the thing is ; when its sunny and nice clear weather , all bino's are nice to look trough !

But when its cloudy and dark , you could see the difference between the Kite's and the top brands , the kite's let me down !

james holdsworth · Dec 20, 2015

Amazing that Zeiss, compared to Leica, has been so slow to replace their top-tier 8x32, considering the amount of effort they have expended on fleshing out their new product lines lately.

They [Zeiss] had an 8x32 Terra ready shortly after the 42 versions were released but the HT has been out for two years and still nadda.

NDhunter · Dec 20, 2015

james holdsworth said:
Amazing that Zeiss, compared to Leica, has been so slow to replace their top-tier 8x32, considering the amount of effort they have expended on fleshing out their new product lines lately.

They [Zeiss] had an 8x32 Terra ready shortly after the 42 versions were released but the HT has been out for two years and still nadda.

James:

Remember back, "The Zeiss HT, made by Hunters, for Hunters" was
the first blurb of the most recent update from Zeiss, since the FL.
The Terra was hired out, faster and simpler.

Hunters usually require 42mm, or larger.

The 42mm size is the main seller by all makes, so it makes sense.

Leica, Nikon and Swarovski are more organized, and have released model sizes within a year or two.

Sorry to digress, as this is a Leica thread.

Jerry

CloseFocus · Dec 20, 2015

NDhunter said:
James:

Remember back, "The Zeiss HT, made by Hunters, for Hunters" was
the first blurb of the most recent update from Zeiss, since the FL.
The Terra was hired out, faster and simpler.

Hunters usually require 42mm, or larger.

The 42mm size is the main seller by all makes, so it makes sense.

Leica, Nikon and Swarovski are more organized, and have released model sizes within a year or two.

Sorry to digress, as this is a Leica thread.

Jerry

My 10x42 Zeiss HT is a world class binocular, but for the kind of birding I do, its a little too big to carry around. I know a hunter who is interested in buying them, and I will probably sell them eventually. But my 10x32 Ultravids are light enough that I can carry them anywhere, and they go with me on every vacation. They are good for everything except woodland birding, where their narrow field of view and dimmer images can't compete with lower power binoculars.

Tobias Mennle · Dec 26, 2015

arran said:
On a local birdfair ,I could compare this bin with the Kite lynx and it was very hard to see a difference , if any!!

The Kite is a horrible design, ridiculously wide field of view in a basically pocket binocular design, so full of aberrations, 100% eyestrain guarantee. The Leica is not flawless, but a really superb binocular with some compromises due to small size.

arran · Dec 28, 2015

Tobias Mennle said:
The Kite is a horrible design, ridiculously wide field of view in a basically pocket binocular design, so full of aberrations, 100% eyestrain guarantee. The Leica is not flawless, but a really superb binocular with some compromises due to small size.

So many people appreciated the ridiculous FOV of the Lynx on the fair!!
I have the Leica plus myself and the Lynx is better corrected for CA , which was confirmed by 3 other people!
Only my Kowa prominent and zeiss SF have less CA.
Moreover , the Lynx has better minimal focus and eye relief as well, and this for a price that is 1/4 of the Leica.
Now I understand why Leica brings a cheap trinovid with 200€ cash-backs!
And we haven't spoken yet about after sales and service (eg bad guarantee on Portugal made telescopes with coatings that come off,...)
Kite gives a real 30 years guarantee and has its own service and technicians!!

For the rest no affiliation with kite
I am just a Belgian birdwatcher who uses bins for more than 40 years in the field.
It will be hard to find a similar compact bin with lots of pros in a 450€ package.
Proud to be Belgian!!

Torview · Dec 28, 2015

Tobias Mennle said:
The Kite is a horrible design, ridiculously wide field of view in a basically pocket binocular design, so full of aberrations, 100% eyestrain guarantee. T

I really liked it.

Hermann · Dec 28, 2015

arran said:
And we haven't spoken yet about after sales and service (eg bad guarantee on Portugal made telescopes with coatings that come off,...)

That was on the original Apo-Televid that came out in the early 1990s. Only 25 years ago, right? And I know a couple of people who had the objective lenses swapped by Leica no problem at all after the coatings peeled off.

BTW, I'm not even sure the Apo-Televids were made in Portugal.

arran said:
Kite gives a real 30 years guarantee and has its own service and technicians!!

If they're still around in 30 years time ... Who knows?

As to the Kite Lynx - I've only looked through the 8x30, and I didn't like it. Too much glare.

Hermann

Leica Ultravid 10x32 HD-Plus, yeah baby! (1 Viewer)

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