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No retro Trinovids after all? (1 Viewer)

I'm not very qualified to speculate, but I somewhat doubt that Leica is now really working two more years on bringing back those old Trinovids. If it is so difficult, wouldn't the time and money be better invested in a 32 Noctivid? I rather guess they simply relegated this retro-project to later, because perhaps they have other urgent and more profitable business to do. Like building cameras...
 
I suspect that the problem is related to the costs and difficulties inherent in the production of uppendahl prisms rather than waterproofing issues.

I don't think that's the problem. Without any fanfare Leica has been using Uppendahl prisms in some of their Geovid models.
 

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I don't think that's the problem. Without any fanfare Leica has been using Uppendahl prisms in some of their Geovid models.

Henry:

Thanks for that cut away of the Leica's. It would be nice to also show
a typical Abbe Koenig and Schmidt Pechan prism type to add to the
current rangefinder models available.

Zeiss has now introduced a new rangefinder binocular based on the HT
that has the most advance electronics to communicate by bluetooth to a riflescope for data needed on the range.

This could be another whole topic, but in my short search, I did find that
Leica has described that the previous Geovid model shown has a "compact roof
prism" design. I suppose that means Uppendahl.

Leica is all about function and style, and I am wondering if the perger porro
has advantages over the Uppendahl.

Engineering the electronic components needed for the rangefinder requires
space and room for batteries.

Swarovski has the Schmidt Pechan prisms, and they use a lump for the
electronics on the back side. The others do not.

Jerry
 
I don't think that's the problem. Without any fanfare Leica has been using Uppendahl prisms in some of their Geovid models.

Hi Henry - are the Uppendahl prisms appreciably more difficult to manufacture than other types? Ken Rockwell has claimed so in his "review" of the Leitz 10x40 non-B, but I'd be grateful for some independent corroboration...

Thanks in advance,
patudo
 
Hi Henry - are the Uppendahl prisms appreciably more difficult to manufacture than other types? Ken Rockwell has claimed so in his "review" of the Leitz 10x40 non-B, but I'd be grateful for some independent corroboration...

Forget about Ken Rockwell. He doesn't appear to know all that much about cameras, and he certainly knows nothing about binoculars.

I think the problem isn't that Uppendahl prisms are "more difficult" to manufacture than Schmidt-Pechan prisms (or, for that matter, Abbe-König prisms) but rather than SP prisms are much more common than AK prisms and especially Uppendahl prisms. Every half-way decent optics manufacturer will nowadays be able to make any number of SP prisms at fairly low cost simply because there's so much demand for them. AK prisms are much rarer, and Uppendahl prisms are very, very rare indeed. So the manufacturers will basically lack the experience to make them reliably to very high standards.

BTW, given the price Leica originally asked for the retro Trinovids I think it's safe to assume that Leica planned to buy some components on the world market, for instance in Japan. Maybe the manufacturers they worked with didn't manage to turn out high-quality Uppendahl prisms in sufficient numbers. And making them in Germany or Portugal would have made the binoculars much more expensive, plus I'm not sure they even have the capacity to make them in larger numbers nowadays.

Hermann
 
Forget about Ken Rockwell. He doesn't appear to know all that much about cameras, and he certainly knows nothing about binoculars.

I think the problem isn't that Uppendahl prisms are "more difficult" to manufacture than Schmidt-Pechan prisms (or, for that matter, Abbe-König prisms) but rather than SP prisms are much more common than AK prisms and especially Uppendahl prisms. Every half-way decent optics manufacturer will nowadays be able to make any number of SP prisms at fairly low cost simply because there's so much demand for them. AK prisms are much rarer, and Uppendahl prisms are very, very rare indeed. So the manufacturers will basically lack the experience to make them reliably to very high standards.

BTW, given the price Leica originally asked for the retro Trinovids I think it's safe to assume that Leica planned to buy some components on the world market, for instance in Japan. Maybe the manufacturers they worked with didn't manage to turn out high-quality Uppendahl prisms in sufficient numbers. And making them in Germany or Portugal would have made the binoculars much more expensive, plus I'm not sure they even have the capacity to make them in larger numbers nowadays.

Hermann

I doubt labor is cheaper in Japan, compared to Germany. I do know Japan is capable of mass production. Something Germany/Portugal is not.
But the rumor that Far East components were delayed together with a wide sample variation could be (partly) true.

Jan
 
Jan:

Astroshop probably is the largest optics retailer in Europe and they say they'll be able to ship next week---just poorly informed?

Peter
https://www.astroshop.eu/leica-trinovid-7x35-binoculars-black-chromed/p,55330

Hi Pete,

I know, called them the minute after they advertized (months ago) they could deliver, while Leica told me they couldn't, and ordered some:king:
It seems German weeks has more days than worldwide weeksB :)
Or just an example of Fake News;)

Have been banging on Leica's door when the F.... they could deliver and got finally last week the official statement they won't.

Jan
 
I haven’t read this entire thread, but today I enquired with Leica Australia about the delayed release of the retro trinovids. For what it’s worth, their current estimate is 2019.
 
I haven’t read this entire thread, but today I enquired with Leica Australia about the delayed release of the retro trinovids. For what it’s worth, their current estimate is 2019.

The term "current estimate" is correct. It is not planned in the budgetyear of March 2018 - March 2019.

Will it be after that? Time will tell.

Jan
 
Hi Jan:

I have emailed to the manager of Astroshop and they have removed any info about the retro Trinovids from their website (I'd guess, after talking to Leica).

Peter
 
There have been quite a few folks, including in this forum, who have expressed that they would gladly buy a classic Trinovid updated with the latest anti-reflection and phase coatings; let's hope these outnumber those who are carping about waterproofing (of which how many ever get their binoculars wet enough that their full waterproofing - ie. ability to withstand immersion - is tested?). Leica does seem to trade on its past to some extent, and I do think a retro Trinovid (light, compact, beautifully built - let's hope the new ones will indeed have that kind of build quality, and that the difficulty/cost of building them as well as the old ones were isn't the reason for the delay/cancellation) would fit in well with their marketing strategy, and have its own appeal. Even the Uppendahl prism, although not having the 100% transmission of the Abbe-Konig, is probably a plus point amongst birders technically minded enough to know about such things.

I'm one of those guys, splash proof is plenty good for me in the dry western climate I live in. If it looks like rain, I'll "sacrifice" and bring my Ultravids instead. I can't wait for the new (retro) Trinovids.
 
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