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Trinovid 7x35 (1 Viewer)

Does anyone here have *any* news when the new, old Trinovids are expected to arrive?

I've heard a rumour that they won't come in before mid January. Seems like Leica have some problems to get hold of the optical components needed. If that turns out to be true, I expect the problem are the Uppendahl prisms that aren't exactly common nowadays.

Hermann
 
Does anyone here have *any* news when the new, old Trinovids are expected to arrive?

I've heard a rumour that they won't come in before mid January. Seems like Leica have some problems to get hold of the optical components needed. If that turns out to be true, I expect the problem are the Uppendahl prisms that aren't exactly common nowadays.

Hermann

Even Leica Wetzlar couldn't/wouldn't answer this question last week.

Jan
 
I've been lobbying for a 7x32/35 forever. I was ecstatic the new/old Trinovid 7x35 was released. It was the binocular in the 1970's and 80's I dreamed about owning. I was ready to pull out my wallet, then I read it's only rated as "splashproof!" It's a complete shame Leica didn't see fit to offer these as a "waterproof" model.

Argh... what a dumb move. Another buyer lost.

The why's and wherefore's of my binocular use require a true waterproof rating.
 
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The silver and leather model is very nice. I already have a pair of 7x42 Ultravids, but there's a two millimeter difference in eye relief between the two - 17 v. 15. My 8x20 Silverlines also have 15mm of eye relief, which is enough for me to use my glasses. I assume the 35mm model would have larger eye lenses, although I haven't been able to find a picture of the eyepiece end to confirm it. I can live with a binocular that can't be held underwater, at least until fish watching becomes a hobby, but a small eye lens would be a deal breaker for me.
 
I've been lobbying for a 7x32/35 forever. I was ecstatic the new/old Trinovid 7x35 was released. It was the binocular in the 1970's and 80's I dreamed about owning. I was ready to pull out my wallet, then I read it's only rated as "splashproof!" It's a complete shame Leica didn't see fit to offer these as a "waterproof" model.

Argh... what a dumb move. Another buyer lost.

The why's and wherefore's of my binocular use require a true waterproof rating.

This Snippet from my book might be of interest.:cat:

Bill
 

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Bill, thank you for sharing that. I'm loosely aware of those standards. That's a good resource. Because of how I use my bin's they must have the class 8 rating, which my 8x32 Ultravid's do.

I just would prefer a 7x30/32/35.

My old 7x30 Swaro SLC's were nice, but not up to the 8x32 Ultravid's.
 
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As far as I know Leica only modernized the coatings on the lenses and prisms these Trinovids. Otherwise they are the same as the old Leitz versions.

Bob

The old Leitz Trinovids used uppendahl prisms, thought to be superior but more expensive to make than the Schmidt-Pechan systems later adopted by Leica. The shape of these Trinovids actually looks like they might use uppendahl prisms which, since now phase coated, would make these fantastic glasses.
 
Splash Proof

I sent this question to Leica USA. Here is the response:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My inquiry to Leica USA:

I'm interested in the new Trinovid 7x35 binoculars.

Your brochure says they are "splash proof". What does that mean exactly?
My concerns are if they can tolerate being out in a rain and can they be rinsed off under a faucet?

Thanks

—————————————————————————————————
Their Response:

Kevin,

Since they are not considered water proof or completely water sealed, they’ll tolerate being in the rain but the user should always put the rainguard on over the eyecup end before allowing the unit to hang at their chest where the rain can drum down on the glass and possibly get through the seams.
They cannot be rinsed off under a running faucet.
 
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I sent this question to Leica USA. Here is the response:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My inquiry to Leica USA:

I'm interested in the new Trinovid 7x35 binoculars.

Your brochure says they are "splash proof". What does that mean exactly?
My concerns are if they can tolerate being out in a rain and can they be rinsed off under a faucet?

Thanks

—————————————————————————————————
Their Response:

Kevin,

Since they are not considered water proof or completely water sealed, they’ll tolerate being in the rain but the user should always put the rainguard on over the eyecup end before allowing the unit to hang at their chest where the rain can drum down on the glass and possibly get through the seams.
They cannot be rinsed off under a running faucet.

Really quite unacceptable for equipment that is expected to be used outdoors! Though, maybe it is a Leica marketing ploy to get people to buy the Ultravids.
 
I sent this question to Leica USA. Here is the response:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My inquiry to Leica USA:

I'm interested in the new Trinovid 7x35 binoculars.

Your brochure says they are "splash proof". What does that mean exactly?
My concerns are if they can tolerate being out in a rain and can they be rinsed off under a faucet?

Thanks

—————————————————————————————————
Their Response:

Kevin,

Since they are not considered water proof or completely water sealed, they’ll tolerate being in the rain but the user should always put the rainguard on over the eyecup end before allowing the unit to hang at their chest where the rain can drum down on the glass and possibly get through the seams.
They cannot be rinsed off under a running faucet.

Funny, iirc even the old Trinovid 8x32 was waterproof and it is difficult to see what savings would be achieved by making a new product less capable.
Plus if Nikon can afford to waterproof the 7x35 Action EX porro, selling for $120 on Amazon, it cannot be ruinous for Leica to seal the near $1000 7x35 Trinovid.
 
Really quite unacceptable for equipment that is expected to be used outdoors! Though, maybe it is a Leica marketing ploy to get people to buy the Ultravids.

It isn't a marketing ploy to get people to buy the Ultravids.

The original Leitz Trinovids, except for a few rubber armored versions like the 7x42 Trinovid BA (according to Allbinos), were not water proof and were widely used outdoors. Many are still in use.

The new Leica versions won't be waterproof either (and I believe that will include the rubber armored versions) and they still will be used outdoors. The people who will buy them know the differences between them and the Ultravids. The Leitz Trinovids are by now a "Cult Classic" and the new versions with their modern eye cups and coatings will make them even more desirable.

Except for the eye cups and the up to date coatings, they will be nearly exact replicas of the old Leitz Trinovids which were replaced by the Leica Trinovid BA binoculars around 1990. Allbinos has pictures of the old ones here:

https://www.allbinos.com/116-Leitz-binoculars.html

Allbinos also has the 3 new Leica Trinovid versions pictured here in the top row:

https://www.allbinos.com/42-Leica-binoculars.html

Prices for them are also quite competitive, not to mention their classic design!

Bob
 
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Though I would have liked to have read from Leica that rain is no problem, and easy faucet rinsing is OK, just don't submerge them... or something like that, I'm not discounting them for purchase.

FWIW I had Leitz Trinovid 10x25s from the early '80s and in 21 years of use never had a problem. And they did get wet now and then.

Still, I wish they had updated the weather resistance a bit on these.
 
Funny, iirc even the old Trinovid 8x32 was waterproof and it is difficult to see what savings would be achieved by making a new product less capable.
Plus if Nikon can afford to waterproof the 7x35 Action EX porro, selling for $120 on Amazon, it cannot be ruinous for Leica to seal the near $1000 7x35 Trinovid.



B&H price for the Black Rubber Armored 7x35 Trinovid is $1349.00. The Black Leather and Black and Silver Versions cost more.

Bob
 
My wife's original model Trinovids were used for decades and often in the most foul conditions: driving heavy rain, wind-swept sea-spray, and they never, ever fogged up.

Shame the revival models don't have modern close-focus distances to make them more useful for general nature observation.

Lee
 
Funny, iirc even the old Trinovid 8x32 was waterproof and it is difficult to see what savings would be achieved by making a new product less capable.

No, they weren't, and Leitz/leica never claimed they were.

However, Î only now of a couple of cases where one of the old Trinovids actually leaked; and back in the 1970s und 1980s they were, along with the Zeiss Dialyt 10x40 in its various incarnations, by far the most common roof.

I know of more cases of leaking Zeiss Dialyts than of Trinovids. Not really surprising I'd say, since the Zeiss had focussing objective lenses.

Hermann
 
No, they weren't, and Leitz/leica never claimed they were.

However, Î only now of a couple of cases where one of the old Trinovids actually leaked; and back in the 1970s und 1980s they were, along with the Zeiss Dialyt 10x40 in its various incarnations, by far the most common roof.

I know of more cases of leaking Zeiss Dialyts than of Trinovids. Not really surprising I'd say, since the Zeiss had focussing objective lenses.

Hermann

I've never encountered or heard of a Leitz Trinovid leaking or even having tarnished (silver) prisms but I knew two people with Dialyts from that era where the prisms tarnished.

The atmosphere within a binocular will want to equalize with the outside air. If a binocular isn't well sealed, and under certain conditions, stuff might happen. Living at 7000' and then flying to a humid climate and low altitude I suspect won't be good for your silver plated prisms.

Of course these days most new (good) bins have dielectric coatings on their prisms.
 
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It is interesting to read what a Leitz coworker wrote about the 7x35B Trinovid introduced in 1965 and the other Trinovid models:" The internal focussing meant that the binocular was better protected against the ingresss of moisture, did not suck dust into its interior due to external moving focussing parts and was more resistant to damage". That may be the reason that there were so few complaints about water entering the Trinovids. I have used my 10x40B Trinovid under all sorts of circumstances and it never got any water in it.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
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