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Televid APO 62 vs. Televid APO 65 (2 Viewers)

W

wachipilotes

Well-known member
Hello,
Among the old Leica APO 62 and the new Leica APO 65, do you know if there is much difference in brightness, brightness in the image quality throughout the range of magnification zoom eyepiece ..? The price difference between the two would be justified?
greetings
 
Hello,
Years ago I bought a Leica APO 62mm scope with the fixed wide angle 26X eyepiece. It is absolutely superb. Everything I could ever want out of a small scope. I especially love the comfortable long eye relief and 150' field of view@ 1000 yards. When I made my purchase in 2005, there was a special offer for a free Manfrotto tripod with the scope, and I got the Lifetime Passport Protection Warranty, all for about WAY less than what the current APO 65 costs. I will never let go of my 62. I suppose the 65 could be better, but it's hard for me to imagine that.
--Dave
 
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Addendum: I looked up exactly what I paid for the APO 62 scope and fixed 26X eyepiece in 2005. It was $1513, which included a free Manfrotto tripod and head, plus the Lifetime Passport Protection (no longer offered from Leica). Looks like the current APO 65 scope plus eyepiece sells for roughly twice that amount. Prices sure have increased, and for only very slight incremental increases in quality, in my opinion.

The current APO 65 scope is described as having a "a six-percent increase in light yield" (compared to the previous APO 62 I presume). If brightness is that important to you, I'd consider larger scopes.
--Dave
 
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Opticoholic,

Your name does me assume that you have a slight passion for optics.

6 years later, with an price index of 5% a year; is 30% (at least) thus makes the price $1.966,00. The new model is made by Leica and not by Meopta and is technically better, sharper and with an stunning oculair. So it's not quite double in price and you do get a brighter scope in the same 60 serie.

Jan

PS
Wouldn't you consider the ATX65 as a nice choice? That's only 4 times your price.
 
Jan,
Yes, I'm trying to stay "in recovery" but sometimes it's one step forward and 2 back...

I forgot to consider normal inflation so your point is valid.

I'm not sure I can tell the difference in optics after you get to a certain level of quality. In any case I don't feel want nor need for more in a small scope than what I already have in my little "old" Leica.

--Dave
 
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I've had my Leica 62 for around 8 years now and I love it. I have the zoom eyepiece but find I use the 26x most of the time.
Recently I had a look at a used APO 65 which was on sale. I could see very little difference between the two in terms of brightness or image quality. The zoom on the 65 is certainly better than the 16-48 zoom at the long end but there is no fixed option on that scope and I prefer the 26x.
I was certainly not tempted to switch as it would have meant a £1000 trade which I didn't think was remotely justified.

Nick
 
Wach,

I have the newer 65. It is an excellent scope - beautiful too. I have not been afforded the chance to compare it to the 62. However I cannot image it is that much better based on the testimonials we see here. With either scope it seems the view is excellent.

The case for the 65 is outstanding. It really oozes quality and protects the scope. I enjoy that a lot.
 
I also have the APO65. Its a great scope but I currently only have a cheap lightweight travel tripod for it, which whilst great for travelling, dose not allow me to get the best out of it.

Can anyone recommend a tripod and head which is reasonably lightweight but also very stable. I'm willing to pay up to £400 for a good tripod/head combo.
 
Demon

demondog said:
I also have the APO65. Its a great scope but I currently only have a cheap lightweight travel tripod for it, which whilst great for travelling, dose not allow me to get the best out of it.

Can anyone recommend a tripod and head which is reasonably lightweight but also very stable. I'm willing to pay up to £400 for a good tripod/head combo.
Click to expand...

My setup is The Manfrotto 128 head with the carbon fiber 055 tripod. It is truly excellent for my needs. I am tall and have a straight scope so you may not need so much height, which cuts down some on the weight. I have hear Gitzo are the best, but have not owned one. Good luck.
 
demondog said:
I also have the APO65. Its a great scope but I currently only have a cheap lightweight travel tripod for it, which whilst great for travelling, dose not allow me to get the best out of it.

Can anyone recommend a tripod and head which is reasonably lightweight but also very stable. I'm willing to pay up to £400 for a good tripod/head combo.
Click to expand...

I have a Velbon carbon tripod with a Manfrotto 700 RC2 head. For me, this combo is the best regarding weight, stability and price. But others may prefer a different set. The 700 RC2 does not have fluid mechanics. So you might check the 701 HDV as well. It's a bit heavier. I remove the lever on my heads to get another 100 plus grams off. Velbon may be the only one that has a 4-section model. That was an important consideration for me. Go for the 600 series if you consider Velbon. I ordered mine via eBay directly from Asia. Later another one for my brother. Both arrived extremely well packed, fast, and shipping was cheap. At least worth checking into it. Though as Velbon has a distributor in your country, that might change things in your case. My brother has the GEO E-630, I have the GEO E-640. You might check the Velbon UK web-site, here for the 630 but with an overview of them all: http://www.velbon.co.uk/products/birdwatching/geo_E-630.html. But note that the collapsible length is wrong in that table. It should read 45 not 55 cm for the 640 model. Otherwise it would not have made sense for me to get the 640.
 
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