Leupold: Whats new ? (1 Viewer)

This forum subthread has not had much action lately, so I thought I would
just add to it. I do have the Yosemite 6x30, and had an 8x30 that I gave
to my nephew. I do appreciate the nice view through the little 6x30, and
it has been well known as a nice pick in the lower range.
It seems that Leupold is doing a redesign, with many of their optics, and
someone posted a new factory (china). Many of the designs, have a more aztec pattern to the armor. There are some new porro designs, and I have
been wondering if they are worth a look.
I did find the GR HD in a large sporting goods store, and the 8x32 for around $499. discounted. I have gathered a new version may be coming later this year.

Jerry

NDhunter said:

This forum subthread has not had much action lately, so I thought I would
just add to it. I do have the Yosemite 6x30, and had an 8x30 that I gave
to my nephew. I do appreciate the nice view through the little 6x30, and
it has been well known as a nice pick in the lower range.
It seems that Leupold is doing a redesign, with many of their optics, and
someone posted a new factory (china). Many of the designs, have a more aztec pattern to the armor. There are some new porro designs, and I have
been wondering if they are worth a look.
I did find the GR HD in a large sporting goods store, and the 8x32 for around $499. discounted. I have gathered a new version may be coming later this year.

Jerry

Click to expand...

Re the new Aztec Yosemite - Yosemite Sam was a cowboy, not an Indian. Too gaudy, IMO. I prefer the smooth lines of the original, which was "grippy" enough.

My guess is that Leupold is trying to lower the weight of the GR HD, that's been the chief complaint, just as it was with the original HG.

They already had a magnesium frame and I'm sure they don't want to undersize the prisms, so what can they cut? Well, the HGL still has an aluminum frame and Nikon did the Jenny and dropped 7 oz. on the HGL. So there must be a way.

I'd like to see a GR HD2 open bridge design. That might shave off a couple oz. and make for better handling if done right so they will feel even lighter.

Or they could go to a polycarbonate body, but then we will probably hear about its "plasticy feel". I suspect that has more to do with the surface texture of the FLs than the material itself, because the Pentax NV has a polycarbonate body, and it didn't feel "plasticy" to me.

Hopefully, Leupold will also redesign the floppy eyecups and reposition the meat hooks (strap lugs) by incorporating them into the body like the Nikon HG, which would better accommodate big handed users like moi.

Aside from the weight and those two issues, the GR HD seemed to have been the best bargains in roofs to come along since the Nikon HG.

I hope they do NOT apply their Aztec styling theme to the new GRs! I liked the "plain jane" GR's smooth lines.

One more recommendation. Change the color from fecal brown to forest green or midnight black. If not, then at least throw in a pair of matching brown socks. -

What would I really like to see new from Leupold? I'm glad you asked.

A high quality porro like their much touted IF GR porro series, but with center focusing.

Brock

I was thinking getting a GR HD model and now they are gone. Sigh.
I also thought a 8x30 Yosemite would be fun for the price. But minimum focus of 16 feet? Nyet.

jaymoynihan said:

I was thinking getting a GR HD model and now they are gone. Sigh.
I also thought a 8x30 Yosemite would be fun for the price. But minimum focus of 16 feet? Nyet.

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http://www.samplelist.com/Leupold-8x42-Golden-Ring-DEMO-A-P158.aspx . Here is s mint GR. All the Yoseemites I have owned, seen, have focused much nearer than the listed specs. The focus is stiff enough that that might be a close in use issue.

brocknroller said:

....the weight of the GR HD...reposition the meat hooks (strap lugs).... Change the color from fecal brown....

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Have had a pair for about a week, and have used them every day. Very satisfied, exspecially for the price paid, $400.

The weight is a bit retro. In the hand, they feel kind of like the my old Leica BA, but those are 10x42

The strap lug are well positioned for me, being i have medium size hands. The hold for me is just in front of the lugs. Big focus wheel, usable by index fingers from above and thumbs from below.

The color is unusual. 'In person" it is not an unpleasant brown. But it is different for binoculars and spotting scopes. That color though I think is brand-iconic for them in the hunting market.

I was thinking about a 30mm class bino that was waterproof, to fill in for my 8x SE at times. I already have the splendid Zeiss 8x30 BGATP, but being the optiholic i am, wanted a "modern" pair.
As i have written elsewhere, they are not optically SE's but close. They do share a very flat field. I think it would be interesting to compare them to the Zeiss 8x32 FL. They are less than 1 point below them in the Allbino ranking, Their findings do match my experience with with the GR, and I wonder if they would have been higher without the weight penalty. I have not had the pleasure of ever even looking trough the FL, so cannot say on that.
I do think though that the GR beating out the SE on Allbino is not optically supported. I think the SE suffered a not-waterproof penalty.

Another thing about the GR. Zero color bias. Also, colors do not "pop" or "jump out" either. Colors look well, like they look without binos. I have also noted exceptional flare control.

If the GR's come back, and are engineered and assembled in the U.S. (Leupold gets optical parts from Asia and Europe), i would be tempted to try a 8x42 or 10x42.

if the depth of field were not so shallow, and slow under 20 yards, and focusing (for me) at about 26"-28", they could have been the uberglass for dragonfly/butterfly watching.

Also, The market failure on these HD's could be an interesting study for a marketing student re brand perception and other stuff. Given the optical quality, there was more at play here than weight.

jaymoynihan said:

Also, The market failure on these HD's could be an interesting study for a marketing student re brand perception and other stuff. Given the optical quality, there was more at play here than weight.

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I think it might have been the brown color. People generally don't like to handle brown stuff unless it's chocolate No, I think it was the weight. Reviewers complained about the weight of Nikon HGs when they came out and then we got the "L". Didn't make much difference in the midsized models' weight, though.

Why do you think the GRs were a market failure?

Three more questions.

First, reviewers have complained about the eyecups not staying put and flopping down. Any issues with your GR HDs? Also, are the eyecups comfortable? They look big and are very flat on top rather than beveled.

Second, describe the size, depth and orientation of the thumb indents. Can't see them in the ad photos. Do they work for your medium sized hands? Think they would work for the big handed? (I'm thinking here of a full sized version).

Third, do they taste like chocolate?

Brock

The Eyecups on the 10x42 HD I bought used hit my nose somewhat. They are wider than the eyecups on the Minox HG by maybe 1/4th inch. I can always pull them off, though...

The Leupy's image is very bright... So doubt they can improve that more so.

brocknroller said:

... the brown color.... the weight...Why do you think the GRs were a market failure?

First, reviewers have complained about the eyecups not staying put and flopping down. Any issues with your GR HDs? Also, are the eyecups comfortable? They look big and are very flat on top rather than beveled.

Second, describe the size, depth and orientation of the thumb indents. Can't see them in the ad photos. Do they work for your medium sized hands? Think they would work for the big handed? (I'm thinking here of a full sized version).

Third, do they taste like chocolate?

Click to expand...

The last three questions first.
I have not tasted them
I wear my eyeglasses when i use binoculars. Therefore, cannot really answer some of the eye cup questions.
But i have for this post extended a eye cup to each of its presets (3) and then pressed down on the eye cup. It would not collapse.

The eye cup edge. outer edge is rounded, inner edge has a slight bevel.
They are very nice for me as an eyeglass wearer. Also the eye lense is just short of 1 inch in diameter.

Thumb indents. They are comfortable when used, and facilitate a one - handed hold. They measure 2.25" long and 1.25" wide. They are shaped like a rectangle with rounded corners. The front end of the indent begins (surface starts to round downward) 1 5/8" from the front end of the barrel, and ends about 3/8" of an inch from the inside edge of a fully collapsed eye cup.
I seem to not use them all the time when focusing, since i can access the large focus knob from both above and below (fore fingers and thumbs).
I do not know how the thumb indents would perform for other hand/thumb sizes.

Why do i think they failed in the market? My speculation.

1. Given that their regular market is hunters, I think their introductory price ($1500-$1600?) was perceived as high in that market, given that the company was not a Germanic brand. The rapid discounting both undercut perceived value and exhausted the production run(s) before sufficient praise arose
2. For birders: Intro price is not only too high for Non-Germanic or Nikon brands, but also too low to match the claims of early users or the Allbino ranking. The initial claims and reports would require, in the birding market for roofs, a price only asked by those brands with cojones the size of church bells.:t:
Also, they are both heavy and large for an 8x32 roof. And, of course, the big problem for birders, they are brown :eek!:
3. As they discounted, they fell into the mix of more reliable Chinese sourced binos. And, i mean, they are brown :eek!:

If Leupold takes a second run at the birder market, they may lighten them , use smaller prisms, and source the optical elements from other than Japan or Europe. Also, they may not be brown :t: If they do that, they could charge more than they did this time to cover the cost of the smaller but high quality prisms, and have maybe still have a wider wider margin to play with while attempting to get market share.

I am just glad I got one of this model.

jaymoynihan said:

I am just glad I got one of this model.

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Me too (mine is an 8 x 42). I'm still looking for a 10 x 42 and continue to regret that I didn't buy one at the end of the model run.

chartwell99 said:

Me too (mine is an 8 x 42). I'm still looking for a 10 x 42 and continue to regret that I didn't buy one at the end of the model run.

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Part of my reaction was to look on line at the specs for the 10x42 version. Sigh.