The wait is over (or should I say weight)
lol, sorry folks, I was originally going to provide you with my comparison of the two scopes last night, but as I started typing, one of the kids woke up and knowing I probably would not get a chance later……. well it seemed funny at the time.
Anyway for what its worth.
The contenders:
Leica 62APO as new (waiting for cash before despatching)
Nikon 60mm Fieldscope II (bit tatty looking but lenses perfect (surprisingly so))
Both with Zoom eyepieces (Nikon - 15/45, Leica – TBA (at work will update when I get home)
Both on tripods, angled so they are inches apart.
Caveats
Firstly, this is only my opinion, based on a non scientific test, but throughout, I have tried not to let my natural optimistic philosophy get the better of me. Remember I am replacing my beautiful Leica with a rough looking Nikon, so it would be all too easy to convince myself of reasons why the Nikon was better, as that is what I am going to be using from now on. Don’t know whether that makes sense, but I know what I mean.
In short I will not go into the law of diminishing returns, or the looks, or the build quality, all I will focus on is the actual operation and optical performance.
To The test then:
Conditions – Cloudless sunny day through to very cloudy (occasional rain) but all day time (no dusk test)
Location - In my back garden (80ft long), scopes one end viewing items other end
Observing –News paper with varying print sizes with most colours (plus surrounding greenery and flowers) (BTW - the paper was in shade the whole time!)
The Results
Ok as I said nothing scientific, but I did have an assistant, my eldest boy (6). Anyway before you all get bored:
In the bright light at about midday, I can honestly say that I could not tell the difference in quality of image. The sharpness, the brightness, the colours, fringing etc were identical on all zoom settings. I was able to read all the print on both scopes equally.
As the day progressed, so did the cloud cover! until it became quiet overcast (which was not surprising as we were going to have a bbq).
Under these conditions, I could discern a difference between the performance of the scopes, particularly at max zoom, with the Leica image being brighter and having superior colour definition, BUT not that much. I mean it was noticeable, but only just. This is very difficult to describe the difference, but if you were not looking at them right next to each other, I am sure that one would struggle to notice the difference even more. Another way perhaps to describe the optical performance is that if I kept both scopes, and used the Nikon as backup and was forced to use it for a day, I don’t think that I would miss the improved performance much ….if at all.
As for use of the equipment and so on, I find the wheel on the Nikon quite nice when not in the Skua case (which only allows access from underneath) I love the weight of the scope (being a walker before a birder), but of course this reflects build quality…..or does it?!?!
As for the Leica, well it really is a marvellous piece of engineering and looks absolutely wonderful, but when it’s in the stay on case, you don’t see it anyway. Also, I have never found the dual focus operation comfortable, but maybe that’s just me.
Where the Leica is superior is the larger lens piece and greater FOV, which I will miss.