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Ultravid HD+'s made in Wetzlar (1 Viewer)

B

b-lilja

Well-known member
I am always curious about fabrication locations - like knowing where my gear comes from. This from Mark Brady at Leica:
"Thanks for expressing an interest in the Leica Ultravid HD+ binoculars. In answer to your question, they are indeed manufactured at the Wetzlar factory location."

Now I just want to do a factory visit and eat lunch at that cool cafe they show online!
 
b-lilja, post 1,
It is a beautiful place to visit, you can see (windows) the production process, there is a special shop and a place to eat. Moreover Wetzlar is worth a visit.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
From some quick Googling . . .

For an overview of the Leitz-Park complex at Wetzlar, see: https://en.leica-camera.com/Leitz-Park/Leitz-Park

As Gijs indicated, the production facilities include vantage points from which to view lens production, lens assembly and camera assembly

Other facilities include:
- a museum and associated shop
- exhibition areas
- a Leica Store
- a photo studio
- a cafe, restaurant and hotel

There are various exhibits about Leica cameras, and also:
- family trees that show all the sports optics products, including binoculars, that were put into serial production, and
- a permanent exhibit of 17 binoculars covering 100 years Leitz/ Leica development


There’s 57 images at Trip Advisor, including a couple showing the factory floor at: https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attr...8002643-Reviews-Leitz_Park-Wetzlar_Hesse.html


John
 

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Hey, they have "Made in Germany" written on them. They HAVE to be made in Germany! B :)

Guess I'll have to make a trip to Portugal instead. Do they have a port bar or anything?
 
jan van daalen said:
AFAIK there is no production in Wetzlar, only in Portugal.

Jan
Click to expand...

Jan‘s statement is in line with what I was told when I needed service on my UVHD last year.

The local service center told me that they could not repair my 7x42 themselves but had to send the bino to „the factory“, and when I asked whether I should send it myself directly to Wetzlar, I was advised that there is neither production nor large-scale service in Germany, only in Portugal.

Canip
 
Canip said:
Jan‘s statement is in line with what I was told when I needed service on my UVHD last year.

The local service center told me that they could not repair my 7x42 themselves but had to send the bino to „the factory“, and when I asked whether I should send it myself directly to Wetzlar, I was advised that there is neither production nor large-scale service in Germany, only in Portugal.

Canip
Click to expand...

Leica seem to be deliberately misleading customers into believing they are purchasing a German product when they are not.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Portuguese manufacturing so why don't Leica put Made in Portugal on their optics?

I have a Leica scope (an apo-televid 60) that states quite categorically 'Made in Germany' on the objective. I know this model was made by Meopta in the Czech Republic (but possibly 'assembled' in Germany whatever that means). Again nothing at all wrong with Czech manufacturing so why not say so on the product?.

I presume this type of labelling is technically legal but not very ethical in my view.
 
PennineBirder said:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Portuguese manufacturing so why don't Leica put Made in Portugal on their optics?
Click to expand...
Because some people buy Leica only for the brand and those people may have a less favorable opinion of Portuguese manufacturing. This is stupid but this is also the way it is.

Leica is known for "milking" such customers, for instance by selling them "special editions" cameras.
 
Gijs van Ginkel said:
b-lilja, post 1,
It is a beautiful place to visit, you can see (windows) the production process, there is a special shop and a place to eat. Moreover Wetzlar is worth a visit.
Gijs van Ginkel
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, Gijs.

Not the original poster but I've always intended to pay a visit to Wetzlar as both a camera and binoculars owner. My local lens and glass stockist also tells me that a visit to the Swarovski factory is a must.

All the best,

Tom
 
PennineBirder said:
Leica seem to be deliberately misleading customers into believing they are purchasing a German product when they are not.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Portuguese manufacturing so why don't Leica put Made in Portugal on their optics?

I have a Leica scope (an apo-televid 60) that states quite categorically 'Made in Germany' on the objective. I know this model was made by Meopta in the Czech Republic (but possibly 'assembled' in Germany whatever that means). Again nothing at all wrong with Czech manufacturing so why not say so on the product?.

I presume this type of labelling is technically legal but not very ethical in my view.
Click to expand...
FYI, they clearly used to mark their Midland, Ontario-manufactured lenses and camera bodies as Made in Canada; and there is no difference in quality whatsoever, so it's interesting how times have changed. (In fact I have gone for the Canadian ones in preference as it is a bit of history now and their chief optical designer was based there for years.)
 
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