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Bushnell Legend Ultra HD: $300 Chinese ED from Bushnell (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Kevin Purcell
- Start date
Darn! I could have sworn you had the i and h out of order! My bad!:h?:
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
They haven't shipped yet ... AFAIK.
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
I'm pretty sure when Eagle Optics have them, everyone will have them ...
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
So EO has pages but no stock (same with the Legend Ultra HD scopes).
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/bushnell/bushnell-legend-ultra-hd-8x42-binocular
I notice initially they were quoting 22mm ER but the speced ER is now 17.2 mm on the 8x and 15.2 mm on the 10x. Hmmm that seems familiar! Enough perhaps on the 8x but I was hoping for more on the 10x. Still 22.5 oz though.
But they're getting closer. Slowly.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/bushnell/bushnell-legend-ultra-hd-8x42-binocular
I notice initially they were quoting 22mm ER but the speced ER is now 17.2 mm on the 8x and 15.2 mm on the 10x. Hmmm that seems familiar! Enough perhaps on the 8x but I was hoping for more on the 10x. Still 22.5 oz though.
But they're getting closer. Slowly.
FrankD
Well-known member
Yeah, we hope they are getting closer. I have yet to hear anything about the order. It would not totally surprise me if they just show up at my door one day but I thought I might have an "update email" at some point. My guess is that I probably won't see them until some time this summer.
Followed the links on Bushnell's site and got the temporary out of stock message on both the 8x and the 10x.
Followed the links to contact customer support and got this email yesterday.
(My Name)
"Unfortunately we do not have a specific date as to when they will be available again."
(Customer Service Reps name)
I will perhaps follow up with another email in a few days. Optics Planet also did not have a release date when i called them a couple days ago. Looking more and more at the Zen-rays.
Anyone else hear anything?
Followed the links to contact customer support and got this email yesterday.
(My Name)
"Unfortunately we do not have a specific date as to when they will be available again."
(Customer Service Reps name)
I will perhaps follow up with another email in a few days. Optics Planet also did not have a release date when i called them a couple days ago. Looking more and more at the Zen-rays.
Anyone else hear anything?
FrankD
Well-known member
Tero,
Thank you for the suggestion. I have never been into "cute" though.
Seriously, compacts never really satisfied me. I just never saw the tradeoff of convenience vs. optical quality worth it for the applications I put my bins into. Typically I can either carry a full size or mid sized bin or I cannot carry a bin at all. Still, if I were to purchase another compact it would probably be the Nikon Prostaff ATB 8x25. The field of view is average at 330 feet but everything else about it appeals to me. I almost pulled the trigger on one today. If I can find a super-deal on one then I am going to grab it.
Thank you for the suggestion. I have never been into "cute" though.
Seriously, compacts never really satisfied me. I just never saw the tradeoff of convenience vs. optical quality worth it for the applications I put my bins into. Typically I can either carry a full size or mid sized bin or I cannot carry a bin at all. Still, if I were to purchase another compact it would probably be the Nikon Prostaff ATB 8x25. The field of view is average at 330 feet but everything else about it appeals to me. I almost pulled the trigger on one today. If I can find a super-deal on one then I am going to grab it.
Just noticed that Astronomics (Christopher's) is having a below cost closeout on 8 x 32 Legends. $189.00 or thereabout.
http://www.astronomics.com/main/cat...tegory_name/KBQKGBCAW1BK9MC3XEDLNL4N57/Page/1
Bob
http://www.astronomics.com/main/cat...tegory_name/KBQKGBCAW1BK9MC3XEDLNL4N57/Page/1
Bob
Tero
Retired
I have the 8x32 Legends, as I was into wide field and compact at the time. I had 8x32 Rangers as well. I never could decide between the two. Sweet spot may be bigger on the Legends, but I never could tell if they were sharper.
I have them around as extras and offer them to family members and guests, I never really use them. But all in all, these two are very similar. They will probably be in the house a long time, as they still offer "real views" instead of compact views. Lots of compacts I have given away.
I have them around as extras and offer them to family members and guests, I never really use them. But all in all, these two are very similar. They will probably be in the house a long time, as they still offer "real views" instead of compact views. Lots of compacts I have given away.
FrankD
Well-known member
So what are your choice of mid-sized bins right now Tero? I had the 8x32 Legends for a time as well and thought they were a very solid, well made 8x32. Not quite as good as the Pentax SP but definitely worth the price.
If Bob's post about them being on sale had come a bit sooner I might have bought them instead of the Pentax XPs.
If Bob's post about them being on sale had come a bit sooner I might have bought them instead of the Pentax XPs.
FrankD
Well-known member
After a month and a half it is time to resurrect this thread as I have now received my Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 8x43 binoculars.
As with most reviews I am going to break this down into the optical and the mechanical/ergonomic. If there are any specific questions then let me know and I will do my best to answer them.
Mechanical/Ergonomic
Mechanically these bins seem well put together for the typical $300 roof (slightly cheaper to significantly cheaper at some retailers). The focusing mechanism has a good amount of tension but is not difficult to move. It feels very similar to the original Legend in this regard (you will hear me say that often). The focusing speed is average in making 1.66 turns from one end of the focus range to just slightly past infinity. The eyecups have three positions...fully collapsed, halfway extended and fully extended. It seems to me, under initial inspection, that they will hold very solidly in either of the two extended positions. Central hinge tension is very good. I cannot imagine it moving accidentally. Much the same could be said for the diopter which is of the pull-up to move, push down to lock variety...nice touch!
Ergonomically I am very fond of this binocular. It has all of the wonderful handling of the original Legend as well as similarities to the other typical $300 roofs (Nikon Monarch, Pentax WP II, etc...) that have sold so well over the last 5 to 6 years. The physical length is well under 6 inches and the weight is in the low 20 oz range...a perfect compromise between compactness and usability for a variety of applications. The heavy "ribbing" in the rubber along the barrels serves to give one a very solid grip though it is not quite as comfortable as some of the smoother designs.
Optical Performance
I know this is what many of you want to know. The big question is going to be whether or not it compares with the recent crop of open-bridge ED roofs that have hit the market over the last 9-10 months. I will leave my impression of the answer to that question for last.
The strong points of the Ultrad HD are fairly straight forward. One, the image is bright. As bright and brighter than any other $300 roof I have owned. Initial impressions make me believe it is close to the other ED glass binocular that have recently hit the market though my comparisons have been limited at this point. Apparent centerfield sharpness is very, very good. It has the same "clean" look to the image that many of the other binoculars that utilize some form of ED glass display. Again, I have not done extensive side by side comparisons at this point but it does appear to be nearly as sharp and as vibrant in color in the center of the field as the other EDs.
The weak points? Well, as referenced in another thread once you get away from the center 50% of the image (yes, you read that correctly...it has a small sweet spot) the image quality drops off. It is not a rapid drop off but the image does exhibit both field curvature and astigmatism in the outer 50% of the image. It is gradual though so the overall quality of the image is not drastically affected by this. I think the easiest way for me to relate this is to imagine the original Bushnell Legend which had reasonably good edge performance but with a narrow (330 foot) field of view. Take that image quality over the 330 feet and then add field curvature and some astigmatism to the remaining 100 feet or so to get a moderately accurate representation of the Legend HD. The 426 listed field of view does produce a very "wide" representation of the area being studied an the amount of distortion in the outer portion of the image is noticeable but only when you look for it directly.
Conclusion:
I believe this binocular is certainly worth the $290 that it is currently selling for. Does it compete directly with the open-bridge ED binocular currently on the market? That depends on your preferences. If you want a more compact 42 mm model with comparable centerfield performance then the Legend Ultra HD would most certainly fit the bill. If you are after the utmost image quality for the price and you don't mind a slightly longer and slightly heavier binocular then the open-bridge ED models would be a better bet.
On a side note, the accessories and packaging of the Legend HDs are excellent. They come with a hard case similar to that of the original Legends and or several of the Vortex models I have recently owned. They also come with a section of the straps factory-attached to the binocular itself. This "quick detach" section can be used either with a standard, heavily padded Bushnell neckstrap or a standard shoulder harness also provided as part of the original package deal. Nicely done!
As with most reviews I am going to break this down into the optical and the mechanical/ergonomic. If there are any specific questions then let me know and I will do my best to answer them.
Mechanical/Ergonomic
Mechanically these bins seem well put together for the typical $300 roof (slightly cheaper to significantly cheaper at some retailers). The focusing mechanism has a good amount of tension but is not difficult to move. It feels very similar to the original Legend in this regard (you will hear me say that often). The focusing speed is average in making 1.66 turns from one end of the focus range to just slightly past infinity. The eyecups have three positions...fully collapsed, halfway extended and fully extended. It seems to me, under initial inspection, that they will hold very solidly in either of the two extended positions. Central hinge tension is very good. I cannot imagine it moving accidentally. Much the same could be said for the diopter which is of the pull-up to move, push down to lock variety...nice touch!
Ergonomically I am very fond of this binocular. It has all of the wonderful handling of the original Legend as well as similarities to the other typical $300 roofs (Nikon Monarch, Pentax WP II, etc...) that have sold so well over the last 5 to 6 years. The physical length is well under 6 inches and the weight is in the low 20 oz range...a perfect compromise between compactness and usability for a variety of applications. The heavy "ribbing" in the rubber along the barrels serves to give one a very solid grip though it is not quite as comfortable as some of the smoother designs.
Optical Performance
I know this is what many of you want to know. The big question is going to be whether or not it compares with the recent crop of open-bridge ED roofs that have hit the market over the last 9-10 months. I will leave my impression of the answer to that question for last.
The strong points of the Ultrad HD are fairly straight forward. One, the image is bright. As bright and brighter than any other $300 roof I have owned. Initial impressions make me believe it is close to the other ED glass binocular that have recently hit the market though my comparisons have been limited at this point. Apparent centerfield sharpness is very, very good. It has the same "clean" look to the image that many of the other binoculars that utilize some form of ED glass display. Again, I have not done extensive side by side comparisons at this point but it does appear to be nearly as sharp and as vibrant in color in the center of the field as the other EDs.
The weak points? Well, as referenced in another thread once you get away from the center 50% of the image (yes, you read that correctly...it has a small sweet spot) the image quality drops off. It is not a rapid drop off but the image does exhibit both field curvature and astigmatism in the outer 50% of the image. It is gradual though so the overall quality of the image is not drastically affected by this. I think the easiest way for me to relate this is to imagine the original Bushnell Legend which had reasonably good edge performance but with a narrow (330 foot) field of view. Take that image quality over the 330 feet and then add field curvature and some astigmatism to the remaining 100 feet or so to get a moderately accurate representation of the Legend HD. The 426 listed field of view does produce a very "wide" representation of the area being studied an the amount of distortion in the outer portion of the image is noticeable but only when you look for it directly.
Conclusion:
I believe this binocular is certainly worth the $290 that it is currently selling for. Does it compete directly with the open-bridge ED binocular currently on the market? That depends on your preferences. If you want a more compact 42 mm model with comparable centerfield performance then the Legend Ultra HD would most certainly fit the bill. If you are after the utmost image quality for the price and you don't mind a slightly longer and slightly heavier binocular then the open-bridge ED models would be a better bet.
On a side note, the accessories and packaging of the Legend HDs are excellent. They come with a hard case similar to that of the original Legends and or several of the Vortex models I have recently owned. They also come with a section of the straps factory-attached to the binocular itself. This "quick detach" section can be used either with a standard, heavily padded Bushnell neckstrap or a standard shoulder harness also provided as part of the original package deal. Nicely done!
