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opinion on Leica Ultravid 10x25 (1 Viewer)

wachipilotes

Well-known member
Hello,
For a good all round and birding pocket bino, is the Ultravis 10x25 a good candidate ,I did, an excellent and manageable,"friendly" bino ?
I like know if this model have the "insidious" black-out .....¿?
Thank you for opinions..
Wachi
 
Hi i just buy one. No blackout in mine .In a paper test the white paper appear whiter in Leica in comparison with Zeiss Fl 10X56 and Kowa Genesis 10X33 I could see with leica every single detail i saw with the two bigger binoculars which i think is absolutley fantastic for such a small instrument .Of course in good light.
 
The real surprize was the level of the image quality at the border of the field. I briefly own the swaro 10x25 and victory 10x25 and neither of them have had such a clarity at the periphery of the field .
 
How well do they balance?

Nobody here has them in stock, so I can't try them. But I'm curious how they balance and sit in hand - I'd be concerned about wobble at 10x and always assumed 8x was about the limit for a small set of binos. Any comments?

Thanks,
A
 
"Good, all around and birding pocket bino..." The Leica Ultravids would definitely qualify. I think they are probably the best pocket bino on the market today. That being said, I have two recommendations...

1) I MUCH prefer the 8x20's myself. It's the same 2.5mm exit pupil as the 10x25's, but in a more compact package. I have no trouble hand holding larger 10x binoculars, but I do struggle with that power on a compact binocular. The lack of mass makes them harder to hold steady. Please try hand holding some 8x and 10x pocket binoculars somewhere, even if you can't find the Ultravids, to make sure that 10x is really the power you want. If it is, cool.

2) The small exit pupil of all pocket binoculars makes the ergonomics absolutely critical. If you can't quickly bring the binoculars to your eye and have them well centered with a natural fit, you will wind up hating them no matter how good the optical quality. They will just frustrate you. I have no problems quickly acquiring my subject with my 8x20 Ultravids, but not everyone is the same. For example, there are some people who despise the double hinge design on the Ultravids--they find it very difficult to get the interpupilary spacing right. Again, I would recommend trying before you buy. If that isn't possible because they aren't in stock, make sure whoever you get them from has a generous exchange policy.

In general, I find it very easy to position most 8x32 and 8x42 binoculars to my eye. That is not the case with 20mm and 25mm binoculars. They are more finicky. You want to make sure the Ultravids will work for you. They do for me.

- Jared
 
I also prefer the 8x20 Ultravid BL for its smaller size, wider view, less shake and greater DOF. When it comes to 10x pocket bins, the Ultravid is a favorite for its close focus and eye relief. You should also try the Swarovski 10x25 CL.

The 10x25 Ultravid has superb handling in my opinion. The barrel allows a nice wrap-around grip with easy access to the focus knob. Anyone who has trouble with the double hinges probably hasn't learned to open them asymmetrically. Open the hinge on the side of your focusing hand all the way to the stop (maximum amount) first, then open the other side to set IPD.

--AP
 
Thanks for all of the input on the Ultravids and Swarovskis. I've tried the 8x and 10x Swarovskis at our local Cabelas and they both have spectacular clarity. The 8x was definitely easier to get a quick, bright image but I work in the desert where things are typically pretty distant so it's nice to have the extra magnification. I would also like to get my hands on some Ultravids but haven't found anyone that has them on hand locally. Given the price of these bins, I don't want to get it wrong when I buy but the advise about a good return policy is helpful.
 
I also live in Idaho (Twin) and ended up testing all three of the big brands back in 2006. At the time, I was a member of the Twin Falls Search and Rescue team and I decided I wanted small 10x bins for the same thing you mention - distance. I didn't much care for the Leica's ergonomics as I recall or the Swaro ergos either. I recall thinking the Swaros had the best optics but only by a fine hair. The ones I ended up buying were the Zeiss Victory 10x25's. I like their ergos, the optics are amazingly good, and, at the time, the price was better (there might have been a rebate at the time). While I'm no longer in SAR, I still have and use the 10x25's.

All that said, with the small eyecups of all of these little compacts, I would look for some 10x32's instead. As to which, go to Cabelas and look around. I like the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32's I have a lot but haven't viewed their 10x32 model. I've got some Zeiss Terra 10x32's coming tomorrow as Midway has been blowing them out at $170! I've been very pleased with my Terra 8x42's so I decided to give these a flyer.
 
I've got some Zeiss Terra 10x32's coming tomorrow as Midway has been blowing them out at $170! I've been very pleased with my Terra 8x42's so I decided to give these a flyer.

Chris
Me and Troubadoris both haveTerra 8x32s which are nice but not up to Conquest standard, obviously. Let us know what you think of the 10x32s.
Lee
 
I also live in Idaho (Twin) and ended up testing all three of the big brands back in 2006...I didn't much care for the Leica's ergonomics as I recall or the Swaro ergos either. I recall thinking the Swaros had the best optics but only by a fine hair. The ones I ended up buying were the Zeiss Victory 10x25's...

In 2006, the Swarovski 10x25 CL didn't exist. You must have tried the entirely different (discontinued) pocket model.

When it comes to Leica, did you try the 10x25 Trinovid or the much much better 10x25 Ultravid? Both are still available.

As for Zeiss, an entirely new version of the 10x25 Victory will be released soon.
https://www.zeiss.com/sports-optics...lars/victory-pocket/victory-pocket-10x25.html

--AP
 
Didn't Swarovski make 10x25 compact binoculars to complement the 8x20s they were making in 2006? They weren't CLs of course.

Incidentally, I use a case from a Nikon 10x25 LXL to carry my Swarovski 8x25 CL Compact in; rather than carry it in Swarovski's bulky standard case.

Bob
 
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Alexis, the Swaros were not the CL's and I don't recall which Leicas I looked at - it was 11 years ago!

Troubador, I'm skeptical of of the 10x32 Terras. I only ordered them because they were $170 from Midway. There's an excellent chance they'll be returned. Taht said, I love the 8x42 Terras and keep them in my vehicle. Using them yesterday for a canyon walk, I didn't curse myself for not having the Conquest HD 8x32 instead. The reason I spontaneously ordered the Terra 10x32 is I thought they might be nice for desert walks where the extra 2x might be an advantage. I would expect them to be comparable to other $300ish class optics of the same size.
 
In 2006, the Swarovski 10x25 CL didn't exist. You must have tried the entirely different (discontinued) pocket model.

When it comes to Leica, did you try the 10x25 Trinovid or the much much better 10x25 Ultravid? Both are still available.

As for Zeiss, an entirely new version of the 10x25 Victory will be released soon.
https://www.zeiss.com/sports-optics...lars/victory-pocket/victory-pocket-10x25.html

--AP

Alexis, thank you so much for sharing this! I was about to purchase the Kowa Genesis 8X22 but now I think I'll hold off, as I'd prefer checking out the 8X25 much more!
 
Alexis, thank you so much for sharing this! I was about to purchase the Kowa Genesis 8X22 but now I think I'll hold off, as I'd prefer checking out the 8X25 much more!

Be sure to check out the Zeiss Terra 8x25, it has very good marks
by most users, and compares well to the best.

I like mine, it is made in Japan, very nice handling and optics.

There are some reviews on here. Easily the best value in a small
pocket binocular available today.

Jerry
 
I have had both the 10x25 and 8x20 Ultravids for many years. I second the comments about the preference of the 8x20s. For me they are much easier to use, steadier and much smaller. When I use the 10x25s I try to hold them with both hands folded over the top and that does seem to be able to hold them steadier. But I always go back to the 8x20s. The glass in these small binoculars is just amazing. They are very clear and bright for their size. I do find them both to be fiddly regarding interpupilary distance and eyecup adjustment, but once you get it right, they are amazing and you can take them anywhere.

I also have had the 8x25 Terra's from Zeiss. I like them for their utility. They are less fiddly than the Leicas. Very easy to handle. Comfortable. That is what I like the most about them. Not as small as the Leica 8x20s, but still small enough. The glass in the Zeiss is very good but not as good as the Leicas which I think are best in class. But I am happy with them and they are much cheaper. I also like the twist up eyecups on the Zeiss. On the Leicas they are the pull out type that do not lock, but they are tight enough to use in any position for glasses. The Zeiss pair did develop the "floppy hinge" syndrome and I had to send them back. I spoke to Zeiss this week and they will replace them. No complaint about that. I still like them for a lot of stuff I do around locally but when I travel I take the Leica 8x20s.

Bottom line. Take the 8x20 Ultravids unless you have steady hands. Then take the 10x25s. Then take the Zeiss 8x25 Terras.
 
I also live in Idaho (Twin) and ended up testing all three of the big brands back in 2006. At the time, I was a member of the Twin Falls Search and Rescue team and I decided I wanted small 10x bins for the same thing you mention - distance. I didn't much care for the Leica's ergonomics as I recall or the Swaro ergos either. I recall thinking the Swaros had the best optics but only by a fine hair. The ones I ended up buying were the Zeiss Victory 10x25's. I like their ergos, the optics are amazingly good, and, at the time, the price was better (there might have been a rebate at the time). While I'm no longer in SAR, I still have and use the 10x25's.

All that said, with the small eyecups of all of these little compacts, I would look for some 10x32's instead. As to which, go to Cabelas and look around. I like the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32's I have a lot but haven't viewed their 10x32 model. I've got some Zeiss Terra 10x32's coming tomorrow as Midway has been blowing them out at $170! I've been very pleased with my Terra 8x42's so I decided to give these a flyer.
Thanks for the recommendation on the 10x32s. I currently have the Nikon Venturer 10x42s and love the clarity and edge-to-edge sharpness of the glass but I don't tend to have them with me very often due to their size. I'm planning to get some compacts to complement my inventory. Besides a compact, I may even look at swapping out the full size for a 32 mm objective. I figure that if you don't have them with you, you may as well not have them at all!
 
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