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A list of Leica's most iconic/significant binoculars for each decade (1 Viewer)

Rathaus

Rathaus

Well-known member
As a binocular enthusiast, one thing I do know is that I don't know much about Leica. My knowledge about the various models throughout Leica's history is undesirably scant. I feel they've been underrepresented in my part of the world, and so my attention was directed elsewhere...and then I ceased to be the slightest bit interested in Leica (that's my attributional rant), but now I am interested. I've only had the pleasure of briefly handling a couple of leica and one old Leitz and they seemed to be lovely instruments.

Can some from the Leica forum please give me a brief rundown of, in their own opinions of course, the more iconic/significant models throughout the history of Leica...perhaps one or more from each decade? (Ie: Not just the latest greatest)

I'm looking forward to reading up on the details. I thought this would be the best place to ask.

Warm Regards,
Rathaus
 
Leitz binoculars

Hello Rathaus,

Here is a list of all Leitz models. That should get you started.

I would write that two very popular models were the IF Binux 8x30 and its centre focus counterpart, the Binuxit. Of that binocular Dr. Merlitz wrote:

Among a couple of other aspects, this review has proven two points: First, the Leitz Binuxit was superior to its Zeiss competition from 1927 onwards, the year of its introduction, until 1954, the year when Zeiss Oberkochen introduced its new binocular. It also proves that the engineers of that period were well aware of the competition and their performance levels, and always eager to strive for improvements. This old Binuxit of the 1950s was beating its competitors of the 1970s (Deltrentis), 1980s (B8x30) and the currently made 8WYJ, not a bad result for such a grandpa model. Again, if equipped with a modern multi-coating, this binocular were still able to compete on todays medium range market-
In his review..

However, it is not eyeglass friendly, but magnesium flouride coated versions are respectable.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Is there any comparative chronological list of the big three German speaking brands?
 
Hello Konstantinos,

Check this web page. Scroll down under binoculars, you will find links for Goerz, Zeiss, Hensoldt, as well as Leitz, mentioned above. Aside from Leitz/Leica and Zeiss, what was third German firm of which you were thinking?


Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hello:
 
The Trinovid BA (at first introduction called the Ultra BA, which they really should have stuck with to distinguish it from the original Leitz/Leica Trinovid) was not the first roof prism binocular with phase coated prisms. That honor goes to Zeiss, a few months earlier. Its list of non-firsts ends about there.

It was first with mechanical up/down adjusting eyecups, the first waterproof roof prism binocular, the first binocular with internal focusing, and the first with left/right "diopter" adjustment integrated with the focusing knob. (That mechanism, with a split focusing knob whose two halves, when pulled apart, independently operate the left and right barrels, remains a unique, and in my opinion superior, Leica design.)

Although I am inclined to overstatement, I don't think it's an overstatement to say that it defined the modern roof prism binocular. All modern roofers have those features, and design wise, none have progressed significantly since. Leica itself seems curiously hung on its own act of genius, and by all measures apparent to the user, the mechanical and optical design have not changed at all since. Later Leicas have lighter materials, sleeker housings, and better coatings and glass, but unchanged functions, length, eye relief, field correction, and field of view.

No household should be without one. I'd like to have a frog green 7x42.

Ron
 
Pinewood said:
Hello Konstantinos,

Check this web page. Scroll down under binoculars, you will find links for Goerz, Zeiss, Hensoldt, as well as Leitz, mentioned above. Aside from Leitz/Leica and Zeiss, what was third German firm of which you were thinking?


Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hello:
Click to expand...

That's a thesaurus of information! Thank you very much!

I said "German speaking", including Austria. I was thinking Svarowski.
 
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kkokkolis said:
That's a thesaurus of information! Thank you very much!

I said "German speaking", including Austria. I was thinking Svarowski.
Click to expand...

Hello Konstantinos,

Did Kern, of Switzerland, count as German speaking? Their military glasses were first rate, but others, like the 7x50 Alpin, had deficiencies?

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Hello Ron,

I will not argue about the Leica BA/BN 8x32 but I found the the 7x42 BA no match, against the Zeiss Classic Dialyt 7x42. I will allow that the Leica is waterproof and focuses more closely but the Zeiss has a better FOV and a huge sweet spot.


Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Arthur,

I don't doubt what you say about the optical comparison. I think as a rule Zeiss has beat Leica optically, but my points were about design features.

I will add another first for the Leica Ultra BA: first use of Schmidt-Pechan prisms in a binocular. One could argue that Zeiss's Abbe-Konigs are better, but it was the SPs that caught on.

Ron
 
I've been perusing the amplivid, and it's successor, the internal focus trinivid 6x24. I looked through some once and was amazed at the quality and fov. What a great sized bin.
 
Rathaus said:
I've been perusing the amplivid, and it's successor, the internal focus trinivid 6x24. I looked through some once and was amazed at the quality and fov. What a great sized bin.
Click to expand...

Only shortcoming was the minuscule eye relief, so the full field was withheld from those wearing glasses. :(
More generally, Leica used to build super handy, very compact binoculars, such as the Amplivid, the 6x24 or the 7x35. Since then, their offerings have fattened up, along with everyone else's. There must be a reason for this unfortunate trend, but surprisingly it has not drawn much attention or market pushback.
 
etudiant said:
Only shortcoming was the minuscule eye relief, so the full field was withheld from those wearing glasses. :(
More generally, Leica used to build super handy, very compact binoculars, such as the Amplivid, the 6x24 or the 7x35. Since then, their offerings have fattened up, along with everyone else's. There must be a reason for this unfortunate trend, but surprisingly it has not drawn much attention or market pushback.
Click to expand...



The reason must be the universal use of S-P prisms. For some reason or other the industry has settled on using them.

Someone mentioned here earlier that the bodies of the Leitz binoculars using Uppendahl prisms were the same size. The objective tubes and oculars changed.
 
Pinewood said:
Hello Ron,

I will not argue about the Leica BA/BN 8x32 but I found the the 7x42 BA no match, against the Zeiss Classic Dialyt 7x42. I will allow that the Leica is waterproof and focuses more closely but the Zeiss has a better FOV and a huge sweet spot.


Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
Click to expand...

Does anybody have experience of the 8x32 trinovid with the 150/1000 fov?

Rathaus
 
Ron, post 11 and before,
You give Leica a lot of credits it does not deserve. It was not the first with up and down eyecups, that was already used by Kern in the 1930's, Schmidt-Pechan prisms were for the first time used in the very compact Zeiss binoculars 6x20, 8x20, 10x25. Binoculars with roof prisms were certainly made popular since around 1900 and later years by the Hensoldt Dialyts. Phase correction coatings were already described in the 1940's by Zeiss coworkers and for the first time appliedin Zeiss roof prism binoculars around 1988. Leitz/Leica binoculars undoubtedly have their merits, but it is not necessary to give them a special status on incorrect grounds.
Gijs
 
Gijs van Ginkel said:
Ron, post 11 and before,
You give Leica a lot of credits it does not deserve. It was not the first with up and down eyecups, that was already used by Kern in the 1930's, Schmidt-Pechan prisms were for the first time used in the very compact Zeiss binoculars 6x20, 8x20, 10x25. Binoculars with roof prisms were certainly made popular since around 1900 and later years by the Hensoldt Dialyts. Phase correction coatings were already described in the 1940's by Zeiss coworkers and for the first time appliedin Zeiss roof prism binoculars around 1988. Leitz/Leica binoculars undoubtedly have their merits, but it is not necessary to give them a special status on incorrect grounds.
Gijs
Click to expand...

Gijs,

Columbus Day was yesterday and it is kind of like the argument that Columbus did not really discover America; which is true. The Vikings and the Portuguese were in North America many years before he got to the West Indies but their visits did not result in permanent settlements.

Leica's credit comes from the fact that they were the first to combine those improvements and use them successfully. They stopped making their Leitz binoculars and made totally brand new binoculars. Their success with these changes resulted in new binocular standards for the industry which are still being used, almost universally, today.

Bob
 
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Rathaus said:
These appear to have longer rubber eye cups than the 150/1000 model I was mentioning.?
Click to expand...

As far as I know the 150/1000-version came with a few different eye cups over the years. Although the eye cups are different, as far as i know the optical design was the same. There has been at least two types of plastic/"non-floppy" eye cups (earlier), as ell as a softer rubber type (later). The latter were replaced with longer rubber versions after they revised the optical design to get the longer eye relief 130/1000-version.

I believe the first rubber eye cups are referred to as 10mm eyecups (that's what I have), and the later versions were 14mm. This is the total height, including the threads.

Anyhow, I have the 150/1000-version with the rubber eye cups.

-

Update: And now I also did a quick and dirty test, It's definitely a 150/1000 and not a misslabelled 130/1000-version.
 
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