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HD vs HD plus (1 Viewer)

dries1

Member
I have a chance to look at a 8X42 HD 20093 NIB? and wonder if the HD plus is really that much better. It is from an authorized Leica dealer so the warranty is a plus.

A.W.
 
I have a chance to look at a 8X42 HD 20093 NIB? and wonder if the HD plus is really that much better. It is from an authorized Leica dealer so the warranty is a plus.

A.W.

I don't think that I would see the difference but maybe you could.

The information below about the Ultravid HD (not the HD+) is from the "Company 7" website information about Leica Binoculars

"ULTRAVID HD series introduced in 2007 incorporates internal and coatings improvements. The exteriors were unchanged and the basic specifications (magnification, field of view, etc.) similarly remained the same so these appear at first glance identical to the original ULTRAVID models. The improvements provided with the HD address the focusing mechanism. And the optical design of the HD were refined with newly available Fluoride glass technology, and then were treated with advanced contrast and resistance coatings to repel water and dirt with the new AquaDuraTM process.

Leica AquaDuraTM ensures greater visibility in wind and rain

Leica AquaDura (32,870 bytes) It is a cold morning and the lens fogs up - that is not much fun. Fingerprints, dust and rain are also annoying when viewing. The innovative Leica AquaDuraTM coating considerably reduces these disturbing factors. Imitating nature as with the lotus plant, this new water and dirt-resistant protective layer on the outer glass surfaces ensures that dirt and moisture are barely able to take hold on the specially adapted surface structure of the optic."

http://www.company7.com/leica/binoculars.html

There are no comments about the Ultravid HD+ versions.

Bob
 
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Thanks Bob for the info, for me the only way for me to see the difference, I would have to view both, but at the price and with the Leica passport and other warranty perks, I feel it would be wise for me to go with it, as another premium 8X42 glass. I have an old Leitz 7X35 given to me from a older relative I that needs cleaning, I am hoping that it can be done here in the states. This will be my first time spent with a modern Leica glass not including looking through them in a store, I have a few Older Kern Aarau porros also.

A.W.
 
Andy:

There are some Leica threads about the HD+ model when it first came out.

You could go back and do some reading on those. I have the 8x42 HD and it is
a very nice binocular, I wish you were closer I would let you try it out.

Jerry
 
I have a chance to look at a 8X42 HD 20093 NIB? and wonder if the HD plus is really that much better. It is from an authorized Leica dealer so the warranty is a plus.

A.W.

In my experience and for my eyes, the difference is minimal, if any.

A while ago, I even had a group of six people do a „blind study“, comparing the 8x32 HD and 8x32 HD Plus side by side with the „HD“ sign covered so the two binos would look exactly the same. The HD was named the better bino as many times as the HD Plus (I reported the results on a German optics forum).

I also have the Ultravid 7x42 in both HD and HD Plus, and again, the difference is minimal, if recognizable at all.

My personal view: the improvement of the HD Plus over the HD does not show in „normal use“. So you would not regret buying the HD version; as Jerry mentioned, it is a very nice bino.

Canip
 
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Canip,

Now that is a test that can really show accurate results since physically there is no difference, no one could tell the difference beforehand visually or by feel/grip. So it seems the difference is indeed minimal.

A.W.
 
Leica HD

Andy:

There are some Leica threads about the HD+ model when it first came out.

You could go back and do some reading on those. I have the 8x42 HD and it is
a very nice binocular, I wish you were closer I would let you try it out.

Jerry

Jerry,

Thanks for the offer. Monday I will be checking a Brand new sample. Nothing but rain here in the Northeast.

A.W.
 
In my experience and for my eyes, the difference is minimal, if any.

A while ago, I even had a group of six people do a „blind study“, comparing the 8x32 HD and 8x32 HD Plus side by side with the „HD“ sign covered so the two binos would look exactly the same. The HD was named the better bino as many times as the HD Plus (I reported the results on a German optics forum).

I also have the Ultravid 7x42 in both HD and HD Plus, and again, the difference is minimal, if recognizable at all.

My personal view: the improvement of the HD Plus over the HD does not show in „normal use“. So you would not regret buying the HD version; as Jerry mentioned, it is a very nice bino.

Canip

Depends on who the 6 people are...my wife can't tell the difference between a Terra and an HT ;)
 
not to mention the HD+ might have qualities that only show themselves better than original HD in unique situations...like backlit, lowight, ect....what improved qualities does Leica claim for the + model???
 
Hd /hd+

Depends on who the 6 people are...my wife can't tell the difference between a Terra and an HT ;)

James,

Good point, my wife is the same. The other day she asks me what are all those boxes on the shelf in your office (stashed binos), I say they are parts to my pickup truck.

A.W.
 
not to mention the HD+ might have qualities that only show themselves better than original HD in unique situations...like backlit, lowight, ect....what improved qualities does Leica claim for the + model???

The testresults from Gijs show an improvement of 2-3% of the lighttransmission over the full spectrum, probably caused by the use of HT glass in the prisms of the HD+.
Leica mentions an improved Aquadura plasma coating, something which can't be checked.

Only personal preferences decides wether the price difference between the HD and the current HD+ is worth the buy.
Again: try before you buyB :)

Jan
 
The testresults from Gijs show an improvement of 2-3% of the lighttransmission over the full spectrum, probably caused by the use of HT glass in the prisms of the HD+.
Leica mentions an improved Aquadura plasma coating, something which can't be checked.

Only personal preferences decides wether the price difference between the HD and the current HD+ is worth the buy.
Again: try before you buyB :)

Jan

As far as I remember Gijs did NOT find a significant difference in transmission between HD and HD+... much to my dismay. Any links to that publication, Jan?

Anyway the HD+ coatings are magical.

I found the 8x32HD+ to differ from the 8x42HD+ in color and brightness even in bright daylight. 8x32 redder and much darker. Maybe they just relabeled an existing batch of 8x32 HDs...:-O ... a bit of extra red colour was all that was needed.
 
Tobias,
I measured a transmission difference between the HD and the HD plus of 2-3% for the 8x32 and the 8x42. It is published on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Tobias,
I measured a transmission difference between the HD and the HD plus of 2-3% for the 8x32 and the 8x42. It is published on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor.
Gijs van Ginkel

Thanks Gijs, found it. For those interested: http://www.houseofoutdoor.com/verrekijkers/verrekijkers-testen-en-vergelijken/

Very valuable transmission analyses.

- Generally, what would the margin of error be in those measurements?

The HD+ is probably significantly brighter in the 8x42, but I very much doubt it´s a real let alone visible difference in the 8x32s which is disappointing and fits well with my observation and also Canip´s which he published in a German forum.
 
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The HD+ is probably significantly brighter in the 8x42, but I very much doubt it´s a real let alone visible difference in the 8x32s which is disappointing and fits well with my observation and also Canip´s which he published in a German forum.

I have been wondering about that for some time. In the 7x42, the difference appears also minimal for my eyes.

If you anticipate the difference in the 8x42 to be more significant, could that indicate that the combination of higher magnification AND larger objective diameter makes the difference more visible ?
Why ?
If yes, it would mean that in the format 8x50 (Leica is one of tha last ones selling this size), the difference should be quite clearly recognizable (I have the HD in that size and have been thinking about comparing it to an HD + for some time, but then left the issue alone because of the experience with the 8x32).

Canip
 
canip, post 18,
The transmission increase is slighly higher for the HD-plus 8x42 as it is for the HD-plus 8x32, which can be explained by the slightly smaller increase in measured transmission for the 8x32 HD-plus. I do not know how Leica managed to realise this tranbsmission increase for the HD-plus compared to the HD.
It has been stated that the use of HT optical glass in the HD-plus could be responsible for this transmission rise. If that is the case the difference in optical pathlength between the 8x32HD-plus and the 8x42HD-plus may be responsible for the differences in transmission increase between the 8x42HD-plus and the 8x32HD-plus. This is speculation but I am open for other explanations.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
I have compared, side by side for several hours, all three of the BR/HD/HD+ and found the view practically identical and, if asked to differentiate them without seeing the logos, I'm not sure my eyes could have done this.
 
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