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New Leica HD Ultravid PLUS (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter binomania
- Start date
Kammerdiner
Well-known member
But does it include sandwiches and a couple of cold beers?
Lee
Sadly, no. But that bag costs a whopping $248 dollars over here. I say we've reached the realm of "increasing costs and diminishing returns" in field bags, too.
A2GG
Beth
Yes those Filson bags are super expensive. I have the small wool field bag, but I got it on clearance for $90 last year. It's a very nice bag.
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Kammerdiner
Well-known member
Bob, I don't doubt it. Quality costs, counts, and lasts.
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Mac308
Well-known member
That would be the case for me... I prefer the current "warm view" of the Leica HD over the "cool view" (to me) of the Zeiss.
Also for me, I prefer the diminutive size of the current 8x32 Ultravid over the FL and SV... the point of a 32mm bin is its smaller size/weight.
Granted, Leica had to lose a tiny bit of eye relief to achieve that smaller size, but not enough to bother me. Alas in the optics world there is no free lunch.
And all optics are a compromise weighted in one direction or another based on design goals. Rest assured, the flat field of the SV and new SF are a compromise... one that many of us can't live with.
As to Leica's new HD... obviously a miniscule change at a more than miniscule price increase. Seems to me it's a way for Leica to raise its prices without sinking an inordinate amount of money into a total redesign, while maintaining competitiveness with Zeiss and Swarovski.
Frankly, I prefer the slow, thorough, thoughtful way Leica approaches its binocular line, unlike the more Detroit-auto-approach Zeiss and Swarovski take.
I recently "upgraded" from an 8x32BR to an 8x32HD... got a deal I couldn't pass up.
The primary reason for the change for me was:
no.1 the Aquadura coating on the HD
no.2 the finer focus mechanism of the HD.
I can see a very slight advantage of the HD over the BR only in the most borderline light, but not enough of a difference alone over the other 2 reasons to have made the switch on that basis alone switch.
I can say almost certainly the "new" HD's will not have enough difference for me to switch again.
However, were I in the market for a new 42mm binocular, I'd still buy an Ultravid HD or the new Ultravid PL over the Zeiss FL,HT,SF or Swarovski SV.
The only 42mm binocular I'd consider over Leica is the latest generation Swarovski SLC... for the money, I doubt there's a finer bin and I prefer it over the SV.
Mac308
Well-known member
Hmmm... something more expensive than the HD+ or cheaper than the Trinovids?
I can't fathom how much longer the march towards $3,000 for a pair of binoculars can go on...
ticl2184
Well-known member
I agree Mac. The price of Alpha bino's is now ludicrous.
I can't realisticly justify spending 2 grand on a pair of binos.
Apparently open bridge Leica's should be with us next year from what was said at the fair...Not sure if there goin be the flagship models or not though
Cheers Tim
I can't realisticly justify spending 2 grand on a pair of binos.
Apparently open bridge Leica's should be with us next year from what was said at the fair...Not sure if there goin be the flagship models or not though
Cheers Tim
Mac308
Well-known member
Thanks for the head's-up Tim... that would make sense. Something with the Red Leica Dot to compete with Swaro and Zeiss, perhaps with a flat field?
While undoubtedly smart for Leica in order to retain its reputation and competitiveness, I'll pass. I don't want a flat field and don't need an open bridge.
I like my svelt 8x32 HD's very well thank you!
dalat
...
I said the same until now. But the significantly wider field of the SF would seriously tempt me.
So for any potential Ultravid succesor, I hope Leica aims on wide fields as well. And I'm pretty sure they will try to keep them as compact as they are now, this is still the UVs greatest distinction compared to Swaro and Zeiss.
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ticl2184
Well-known member
I must say a Ultravid Plus was a unexpected move by Leica.
I assumed a "New Ultravid" would be released with a open bridge and flat field...
It seems a peculiar thing to do to enhance just the optics in the old Ultravid body, I assume there goin stick with same pincushion optical design as well....
Who knows, might be some cunning marketing strategy???
Cheers Tim
I assumed a "New Ultravid" would be released with a open bridge and flat field...
It seems a peculiar thing to do to enhance just the optics in the old Ultravid body, I assume there goin stick with same pincushion optical design as well....
Who knows, might be some cunning marketing strategy???
Cheers Tim
Kammerdiner
Well-known member
Maybe a two-tiered line-up is in the works like SV and SLC? SF and HT? If so, I'd hate to see the price on the twin-bridge flat field. Brock's magic number of $3k is mighty close it seems.
Here's what Leica says about the new coatings and HT glass:
"The significantly increased light transmission, particularly in the blue-violet band, ensures not only higher image brightness, but also better colour transmission and considerably improved twilight vision."
Almost sounds like that mellow Leica view, which I and others have always liked just fine, might be imperiled.
Here's what Leica says about the new coatings and HT glass:
"The significantly increased light transmission, particularly in the blue-violet band, ensures not only higher image brightness, but also better colour transmission and considerably improved twilight vision."
Almost sounds like that mellow Leica view, which I and others have always liked just fine, might be imperiled.
jan van daalen
Well-known member
I've spoken to the Leica rep and he told me that the transmission is now 92%, which was 83 and 86% at 500 and 550nm with the HD model.
Let's wait and see!!!
Jan
brocknroller
porromaniac
As Jimmy used to say... now just....just....just....just hold on a minute, there. When I suggested that Zeiss's announcement about new products this year could include a 32mm HT, a well known optics expert chimed in and said that couldn't happen because HT glass could only be used in Abbe-Konig prisms and NOT Schmidt–Pechan prisms, and A-K prisms would be too bulky for a Zeiss HT since the 32FLs compactness, as someone mentioned above, was one of its biggest selling points.
There's a .001% chance that I misremembered what he said, but if true, and I see no reference to an A-K prism update in Leica's PR, just a follow-the-leader HT glass upgrade, which means that HT glass can be used to make S-P prisms. There's some 'splainin' someone needs to do. And if true, where the heck is the 8x32/10x32 Zeiss HT already????
Zeiss has come out with two different lines of bins - the 56 Conquest HDs and the 54 HTs - while neglecting to update their 32mm FLs, which surely would lead in sales vs. the oversized HDs and HTs.
Well, at least the Leica UV HT is not supposed to cost much more than the UV HT, otherwise, we'd be looking at more increasing price$ for incremental change$. I'm also glad to see that Leica has not dropped the 7x42 model from its new "UV Plus" line-up.
Users and reviewers have been moaning about the UV's light transmission being behind the other top bananas, so this might quell those complaints. Thanks for that update, Pier.
Brock
There's a .001% chance that I misremembered what he said, but if true, and I see no reference to an A-K prism update in Leica's PR, just a follow-the-leader HT glass upgrade, which means that HT glass can be used to make S-P prisms. There's some 'splainin' someone needs to do. And if true, where the heck is the 8x32/10x32 Zeiss HT already????
Zeiss has come out with two different lines of bins - the 56 Conquest HDs and the 54 HTs - while neglecting to update their 32mm FLs, which surely would lead in sales vs. the oversized HDs and HTs.
Well, at least the Leica UV HT is not supposed to cost much more than the UV HT, otherwise, we'd be looking at more increasing price$ for incremental change$. I'm also glad to see that Leica has not dropped the 7x42 model from its new "UV Plus" line-up.
Users and reviewers have been moaning about the UV's light transmission being behind the other top bananas, so this might quell those complaints. Thanks for that update, Pier.
Brock
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Vespobuteo
Well-known member
wow! quite a revolution, ten years ago...
Brock,
I once said about what you just did, thinking that the only prism quality glass made in HT version was BK-7, which is appropriate for AKs, but not refractive enough for SPs. But Henry Link corrected me, and indeed the Zeiss glass chart shows BAK-4, the common SP glass, in an HT version. Not that this whopping claimed transmission increase comes mostly from that--that has to be the coatings.
There might really be a niche for the new Leica if 92% pans out. Leica was never one to falsely tout their transmission. Is should come almost imperceptibly close to the transmission of the Zeiss HT, deliver similar field correction with some motion-calming pincushion distortion, in the small sweet Leica package. The edge sharpness will probably look better than the HT's to some eyes, as in my experience Leica's edge is more dominated by field curvature than astigmatism, which young observers' eyesight can deal with quite well through focus accommodation.
I try to resist speculation but there I go.
Ron
I once said about what you just did, thinking that the only prism quality glass made in HT version was BK-7, which is appropriate for AKs, but not refractive enough for SPs. But Henry Link corrected me, and indeed the Zeiss glass chart shows BAK-4, the common SP glass, in an HT version. Not that this whopping claimed transmission increase comes mostly from that--that has to be the coatings.
There might really be a niche for the new Leica if 92% pans out. Leica was never one to falsely tout their transmission. Is should come almost imperceptibly close to the transmission of the Zeiss HT, deliver similar field correction with some motion-calming pincushion distortion, in the small sweet Leica package. The edge sharpness will probably look better than the HT's to some eyes, as in my experience Leica's edge is more dominated by field curvature than astigmatism, which young observers' eyesight can deal with quite well through focus accommodation.
I try to resist speculation but there I go.
Ron
jan van daalen
Well-known member
Tim,
The Dutch rep was given the "workbook" for the Photokina which contained about 120 pages, of which 119 contained novelties in the camera field and only one page involving optics about the HD plus.
No news what so ever about any new model in 2015.
This sunday I'll be on the Photokina myself and will ask them and I am sure a deadly silence will be coming my way.
Jan
The Dutch rep was given the "workbook" for the Photokina which contained about 120 pages, of which 119 contained novelties in the camera field and only one page involving optics about the HD plus.
No news what so ever about any new model in 2015.
This sunday I'll be on the Photokina myself and will ask them and I am sure a deadly silence will be coming my way.
Jan
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