BN 8x32's back (1 Viewer)

[Trinovid]

…one would expect UV to be clearly superior to BA/BN, as some say it is, though seldom specifically how…brightness difference seems minimal…and the contrast a bit lighter (which I actually like), while otherwise the overall character is very similar. If you like one you'd like the other…

Last year I decided the difference was so minimal that I was planning on selling the Ultravid, seeing little benefit to keeping it.
Then one day as I was looking at some cherry trees the difference gradually became apparent.
Like you, I found the brightness boost to be minimal, but detectable. Where the biggest difference lay was in the additional contrast and richer color saturation.
Oddly enough I too prefer lower contrast at times, but mostly in photography and the high contrast and color saturation are both big pluses for those who like those traits.
The legendary BN feels so perfectly designed for holding comfort and I’m keeping it, forever, but the equally excellent handling traits of the Ultravid, combined with its visual properties makes it an undeniably superior viewing tool for those of us it was designed for.

 

[tenex]

additional contrast and richer color saturation

I recall UV somehow being more subtle than BN in these respects, but sadly no longer have it to compare.

 

[Trinovid]

I recall UV somehow being more subtle than BN in these respects, but sadly no longer have it to compare.

I’ve still got both the BN and Ultravid HD+, and the blacks in the shade, reds of the cherries and greens of the leaves were really quite vivid! Very, very nice!

 

[Rg548]

I recall UV somehow being more subtle than BN in these respects, but sadly no longer have it to compare.

This is where I don't dwell on the technicalities.
I look through them, for quite some time, it's not a rush thing, and decide if I enjoy the view.
The new Trinovids left me thinking they were ok but nothing special...
The BN's and Ultras were just much nicer, and I would be happy with either.
For me the optical gap between the BN's and Ultras is just not enough to justify the huge price difference, and I prefer holding the BN's... that's just me.
I just like BN's.... everything about them, and I am amazed at what Leica could do 20 years ago.

When I was really into Hi-Fi some years back... I was very analytical about it.... and one day realised I was listening to the Hi-Fi and NOT the music... almost listening for problems.... or wondering 'IF' i could hear the latest upgrade. I'm out of that game now, and just enjoy music on a 'decent' set up now.

It's the same with optics..... quality glass is quality glass.... and always will be, and can be enjoyed without dissection.
And when you do change, because of X,Y or Z... and then find a different problem, ie... glare, weight, black outs, blue rings etc... it can just get tedious.

I can guarantee I'm not actually missing anything when I look through my BN's over something like Zeiss SF's or Swaro Pures.... It'll just be a bit different.

 

[tenex]

This is where I don't dwell on the technicalities.

I don't mean to be obsessing over them; I just keep trying to get Trinovid to draw a clear comparison between the two (which I found an interesting challenge myself) to help understand why opinions differ on whether UV is a significant upgrade at all.

I can guarantee I'm not actually missing anything when I look through my BN's over something like Zeiss SF's or Swaro Pures....

Well, we literally are in FOV, but when I'm using E II (with similar field width to SF/NL) I don't find myself detecting critters at the field edge that I'd miss in more typical bins, at least not in circumstances usual for me.

 

[brocknroller]

Yes, when I bought my first BN's I lined them up against the new Trinovid and the Ultravid.
The BN's are much better than the new Trinovid, and optically really close to the Ultravids. Surprisingly close.
I actually prefer the ergonomics of the BN's over the Ultras, and I also happen to love the look of them, a real classic in my eyes.
I was in the fortunate position to have had any of the three, and I walked out with the BN's.... no regrets!

I've read comments by other BN owners who say the same thing, that the BNs are close to the UVs optically, which suggests that Leica retained its characteristic warm color spectrum (bump in the red) from the BA/BN to the UV while increasing the overall transmission (see chart).

I think this photo shows why you like the BN's chunkier ergonomics. The UV is a handful (but only one hand).

Brock

 

[Trinovid]

I just keep trying to get Trinovid to draw a clear comparison between the two (which I found an interesting challenge myself) to help understand why opinions differ on whether UV is a significant upgrade at all.

It’s only a significant upgrade for those who appreciate the features I put in my two previous posts, and applies to all upper end products, not just binoculars; the most expensive products are typically only minutely better than the mid-priced ones.
If people don’t see a big enough difference between the two lines to buy the more expensive one then they’re in luck.
The fact that my postings leave you unconvinced has less to do with my ability as a salesman and more to do with the fact that you’ve already found a binocular that perfectly suits you.

 

[Kevin Conville]

Factory fresh 8x32 BNs! You're a lucky man. A contender for best ever birding bins IMO.
And kudos to Leica for their treating you properly!

8x32-2-jpg.653277 Here's mine

 

[casscade]

My take on this is overall I personally like the view of a good sample ba/bn over an Ultravid. They, the ba/bn’s, imo have a more natural, more pleasant view. When comparing back to back it’s almost like a I get a little relief going from an ULV back to a BN/BA.

Imo it’s simply a more natural comfortable view that’s closer to my natural eyesight. It’s like comparing the best hd 8k tv that’s enhanced in color, contrast, and has extreme resolution, to the view I get by simply looking out my window that’s unaltered and totally natural, it’s also more comfortable.

It’s that natural view that made Leica Leica for me, it’s also what separated them at the time from other makers. Again this is for me, others look for different qualities.

 

[jgraider]

Super nice glass there OP. I'm sure they perform as good as they look. Congrats sir.

 

[Rg548]

Super nice glass there OP. I'm sure they perform as good as they look. Congrats sir.

Thank you

 

[Paultricounty]

No, what I dislike is this readiness to take offense instead of focusing on the subject of discussion. Comparisons of UV to BN are entirely germane to this thread; I still can't tell why ours differ, because you're the derailer. Why would I want to PM you for more of this? It's up to you to drop it.

They’re not germane, I thought they’re were made in Portugal 😂🤪🙏.

 

[brocknroller]

Factory fresh 8x32 BNs! You're a lucky man. A contender for best ever birding bins IMO.
And kudos to Leica for their treating you properly!

8x32-2-jpg.653277 Here's mine

Kevin,

They look new. Do you use them regulary or keep them in your curio cabinet?

Btw, not only does MiracleGro kill birds, but look what it did to my tree!

 

[Mac308]

Congrat's on your BN's! They look great.

I owned the 8x32 BN from 2002 until 2007 when I sold them and bought the 8x32 BR (1st Gen Ultravid). I would have kept the BN's if they had objective covers and screw up eyepieces, as they are VERY close in image to the BR.

As an aside, when folks talk about comparing the 8x32 BN to the 8x32 Ultravid, it behooves us to specify which iteration of the Ultravid we're talking about; Gen 1 (BR), Gen 2 (HD), Gen 3 (HD+). The view changed with the introduction of different prisims in the HD+. The original BR was almost indistinguishable from the BN view wise. I just happened to like the size and accessories of the BR better. In 2014 I got the 8x32 HD as I wanted the hydrophobic coating that was introduced with the HD Ultravid lineup. I have no plan to get the HD+ as I actually prefer the slightly warmer view of the regular HD.

Back to your regularly scheduled programing...

 

[Kevin Conville]

Kevin,

They look new. Do you use them regulary or keep them in your curio cabinet?

Btw, not only does MiracleGro kill birds, but look what it did to my tree!

Yes Brock,
I keep them amongst my teaspoon collection along with my vintage doilies.

That's a side effect of MiracleGro I was unaware of. Though less disturbing than their killing birds for "research", it's disturbing nevertheless.

The 8x32s were my main stay bins for a decade and they still get used. These days, for several years now, Nikon 8x42 Monarch HGs have have become my go to bins. As to their condition, I take care of my stuff. A product, no doubt, of not having much growing up. Thanks for the painful memory 🥵

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

brockenroller, post 26,
We have measured the transmission spectra of the Leica Ultravid HD and HD plus as well as from the Leica 8x32 BN (you can find the data on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor)
Not one of these binoculars show an enhanced transmission in the red like the one you show in your post (I did not find your reference to this spectrum, did you measure it yourself?).
When observing through these binoculars ( we have them all in our laboratory: we observe good color reproduction and no enhanced (red) color shifts like the one you refer to in your post.
Transmission values we have measured:
Leica Ultravid HD-plus 8x32 (2016) :
500 nm= 86,8%
550 nm= 89,2%
Leica Trinovid 8x32BN (2001):
500nm= 75,2%
550nm= 77,4%

Gijs van Ginkel

 

[Paultricounty]

brockenroller, post 26,
We have measured the transmission spectra of the Leica Ultravid HD and HD plus as well as from the Leica 8x32 BN (you can find the data on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor)
Not one of these binoculars show an enhanced transmission in the red like the one you show in your post (I did not find your reference to this spectrum, did you measure it yourself?).
When observing through these binoculars ( we have them all in our laboratory: we observe good color reproduction and no enhanced (red) color shifts like the one you refer to in your post.
Transmission values we have measured:
Leica Ultravid HD-plus 8x32 (2016) :
500 nm= 86,8%
550 nm= 89,2%
Leica Trinovid 8x32BN (2001):
500nm= 75,2%
550nm= 77,4%

Gijs van Ginkel

Gijs,

It appears he is referring to Allbinos review page , and we all know how accurate that is. Case closed.

 

[brocknroller]

brockenroller, post 26,
We have measured the transmission spectra of the Leica Ultravid HD and HD plus as well as from the Leica 8x32 BN (you can find the data on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor)
Not one of these binoculars show an enhanced transmission in the red like the one you show in your post (I did not find your reference to this spectrum, did you measure it yourself?).
When observing through these binoculars ( we have them all in our laboratory: we observe good color reproduction and no enhanced (red) color shifts like the one you refer to in your post.
Transmission values we have measured:
Leica Ultravid HD-plus 8x32 (2016) :
500 nm= 86,8%
550 nm= 89,2%
Leica Trinovid 8x32BN (2001):
500nm= 75,2%
550nm= 77,4%

Gijs van Ginkel

Leica owners often talk about the view being "warm," such as Mac above, which usually refers to a peak in transmission in the red, as was the case in the Nikon SEs, Nikon E2s before 2017 E2, which now have flatter spectrums like the Nikon EDG.

The graph, which shows the 8x32 UV peaking in the red and slanting downward towards to blue, comes from Allbinos.

Leica Ultravid 8x32 HD - binoculars review - AllBinos.com

The best binocular tests on the net. The comprehensive database of binoculars with their parameters and users opinions. Interesting articles and comparisons.

www.allbinos.com

Brock

 

[brocknroller]

Yes Brock,
I keep them amongst my teaspoon collection along with my vintage doilies.

That's a side effect of MiracleGro I was unaware of. Though less disturbing than their killing birds for "research", it's disturbing nevertheless.

The 8x32s were my main stay bins for a decade and they still get used. These days, for several years now, Nikon 8x42 Monarch HGs have have become my go to bins. As to their condition, I take care of my stuff. A product, no doubt, of not having much growing up. Thanks for the painful memory 🥵

Glad you still use your BNs and keep them in excellent condition. I imagine your teaspoon and vintage dolls are also minty, you should take them on Antiques Roadshow to find out how much they are worth.

As to the BNs, you might get more than you paid for them:

Leica Trinovid 8x32 BN Binoculars | eBay

It looks like it was bought and put away and never used, other than when it went on display for sale. All papers included as shown. Serial # starts with 166.

www.ebay.com

I didn't have much growing up either. Even the robot I asked Santa for didn't work when I took it out of the box and put the batteries in. However, I do Marvel comics dating back to the 1960s (when they cost 12 cents), but generally the older they are, the worse condition. The newer ones ('80s, '90s) were kept in acid-free plastic envelopes. With collectibles, the price is proportional to the condition. I also have old records including Bob Dylan's self-titled first album and my parents' old 78s, most of which are in great shape. I'm trying to find out how much they are worth since someone is interested in buying my records.

If I had deep pockets I'd collect binoculars like others on here who own dozens (I had 20 at one point, most were inexpensive but excellent porros). But now semi-retired, if the binoculars don't get used, they get sold. Two well-preseved rarities are going up for sale on Amart and CN this weekend. They both have excellent optics, among the best I've owned, but they don't get used, so I took them out of the curio cabinet.

Brock

 

[Paultricounty]

Again and as usual people giving objective conclusions here from allbinos questionable transmission numbers.