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Trinovid bn 8x32, are they still worthy? (1 Viewer)

Vortex, Leupold, Meopta, and others that offer the newer options to which I refer are all established companies with lifetime warranties and well-regarded customer service.

Again, this is not to put down the BN series which has a wonderful history, but is meant to highlight, particularly for people just getting into optics, that new options in the mid-range bracket are often superior to the alpha options from days gone by. And note that I have owned the 7x42 BNs and compared them to some of these newer options (sold them at below market pricing to a friend who has been pleased with them), so I'm not just talking theoretically on this point.

Vortex binoculars are all made in China now and Leupold does not make any
binoculars, these are just sellers.

Meopta does make fine optics including binoculars and so does Leica.

That is where any similarity differs.

Jerry
 
I'm not really sure what point you are trying to get across. Yes, all of that may be true (although the Made In China thing is a load of garbage in my mind, almost all products are assembled from components made in China, including things that could literally kill you if they failed such as your home HVAC system), but how does it relate to what I mentioned in regards to optical performance and warranty?

For example, my girlfriend's Vortex Vipers were completely mangled due to her negligence (don't tell her I said that...) and Vortex replaced them at no cost other than shipping. Optically, they are superior to the Leica BNs. Brighter, better control of CA, and more neutral color wise.

I'm not arguing that the BNs shouldn't be looked at in a prestigious way; in fact, if you read my previous posts I almost completely disagree with that statement. I'm stating that if you want the best optical performance for your dollar, while also having a lifetime warranty on workmanship (and occasionally user-inflicted damage), outdated alpha quality binoculars will most likely not provide that.
 
This thread just seems to confirm that we are all different and have different needs and likes.

Some people love bananas, I hate them after one was forced on me when I was four. It was the latest craze. Few people had seen a banana in Britain at that time.

I have never had the slightest desire to drive a Porsche and I have driven many cars.
I have also not the slightest desire to own a Ferrari.

I still don't know of any better binocular than my old Canon 18x50 IS. If there was one I would probably buy it.
For me, freedom from flare, ghosts and glare is essential for some observations, but not for others.
I don't know whether an Ultravid 8x32 or 8x42 has good baffles or not. I would have to test them to find out.
The same with Swarovski binoculars. I just don't know.

I bought the Conquest 10x42 HD because of good reviews and find it to be top notch.
Other binoculars with good reviews I have found to be very poor for my needs.

The only way to really know if any binocular is good for an individual is to test it, preferably long term.

Post 144.
The lions were probably thinking the same thing as they licked their lips.
 
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Vortex binoculars are all made in China now and Leupold does not make any
binoculars, these are just sellers.

Meopta does make fine optics including binoculars and so does Leica.

That is where any similarity differs.

Jerry

Most major European luxury brands in all sorts of industries source a big part of their components in China. Doesn't really matter with compturised machine tools.
 
Most major European luxury brands in all sorts of industries source a big part of their components in China. Doesn't really matter with compturised machine tools.

I was talking about binocular mfrs. not about where some parts are
made.

Some made in China things are good, and some are made "just good enough"
to get them out the door. There is a difference, and the point I was making
was about the differences.

Jerry
 
Hello Yuk,

I like the holster.


Thanks! The local Leica rep put out a North America wide search for the holster. After two weeks they found the last one in the deep recesses of a warehouse, somewhere in the U.S. It arrived at my dealer today, and they gave it to me for free.
I'm very happy!!!
 
Thanks! The local Leica rep put out a North America wide search for the holster. After two weeks they found the last one in the deep recesses of a warehouse, somewhere in the U.S. It arrived at my dealer today, and they gave it to me for free.
I'm very happy!!!

Hello Yuk,

Great! Use the binocular well!

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
I've had the Leica Trinovid 8x32 BNs for just over a year now, so I thought I'd give a quick update.

In short, I love them! My original assessments has proven to be completely correct. They are not optically perfect, but they are incredibly satisfying to use.

Last week I had the privilege of comparing my old design BNs to the new Leica Geovid 10 x 42 HD-B 3000 for three days. The Geovids were awesome, but I came away from the experience feeling even more in love with the BNs. Strikingly, I could never find a comfortable fit with the Geovids. When I'd get a good "picture", the oculars would pinch my nose and fatigue would set in quickly. I guess I have closely set eyes, something I've never been aware of before with any other bins. Optically the old Trinovids appear to be equal to the Geovids, except in regards to CAs and flair. Chromatic Aberrations are about 50% lower in the Geovids. When pointed towards the sun, the Trinovids lose more contrast, but flair is well controlled. The Geovids have more contrast with less "washing out" of the image, but the flair disks are more pronounced. One thing that really amazed me, is how equal the two were in terms of colour representation. Colour was absolutely identical between the two! In my mind, Leica really has no rival when it comes to how their products represent colour!

Cheers!
 
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When buying a BN today, should one worry about the longevity of silver mirror coatings? Although presumably those could be serviced if necessary.

(Arthur - I didn't know the red BNs were company loaners. I thought that was a special edition, like the hunter's green or mariner's blue. I'll bet collectors pay well for those. Would you really change it to black?)

Hello Tenex,

I have been informed that the silver mirrors are protected by some kind of coating. The silver interior and working layer is on the prism, which is then coated with something to prevent deterioration. As an OAP, I am not terribly concerned about longevity beyond two more decades.

It is hard to know what collectors would pay for the red BN. A few years back, someone put one for sale on that online auction site. If I recall, correctly, he had no buyers at US$1,600.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur
 

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Hi again Arthur, that was a long time ago (Apr 2018)...

Since then I happened to see a red BN 8x32 for sale on some French store website for around $700-800. I'd expect dealer loaners to have some wear, but it looked good as new.
 
Hi again Arthur, that was a long time ago (Apr 2018)...

Since then I happened to see a red BN 8x32 for sale on some French store website for around $700-800. I'd expect dealer loaners to have some wear, but it looked good as new.

Hello Tenex,

That would be more than I paid for mine, boxed with warranty.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
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