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Leica HD focus/diopter issue (1 Viewer)

CliveP

Well-known member
I have been using my 10x32 HD some more and its becoming aparent that there is what seems to me quite a difference between the diopter setting for close viewing and that for distant viewing. I think its about 1.5 of the gradations between the two.

Basically at the zero seting everything is fine for close focus say 2 to 20 meters. Then doing the diopter set up for infinity results in me needing to adjust the diopter to between 1 and 2 of the little indicated gradations on the + side.

I just wanted to ask informally here. I can live with it but I can't say I like it very much.

Any thoughts?

I bought these off ebay new preowned so maybe Leica won't want to know? Maybe its just within spec?

I always wondered from I got them why I could not seem to get a one setting does all but thought that I was just not used to them. Now I'm thinking I have a somewhat poor set perhaps.

I imagine its down to the tolerances with all of the focusing mechanics i.e the screw movement parts or what ever they are called so I don't think it would be possible to get them adjusted. It would need the offending part or parts replaced I imagine.

Otherwise I'm getting happier with the rest of them. I have noticed this on other binoculars so I imagine its quite common. I have tried setting the diopter between the 2 but then I'm not really happy with either near or far focusing. Currently I keep it zero'd and at least I have great near focus and fiddle a bit for far focus. If I am mainly doing distant viewing then I could reset the diopter I suppose but its not a nice solution.
 
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I bought these off ebay new preowned so maybe Leica won't want to know? Maybe its just within spec?

CliveP;

The first thing I would do is check the hardware, taking your vision out of the equation. The general purpose specs are for the diopter scale to be ±1d when the bino is focused at infinity. The spec also calls for the tubes to be within 1 diopter of each other when focused with the center focusing mechanism (see attached specs).

First, use a stable mount, such as a tripod or table surface, and focus at some far object, close to infinity, using the left tube and a booster (3x to 8x, the higher the power, the sharper the focus will be). Without touching the focus wheel use the diopter to bring the right tube to a sharp focus using the booster. Go back and forth to verify setting and note the diopter scale, it should be centered or within 1d either side.

Next repeat the process at about 5 or 10 meters. Check the position of the diopter scale; it should be within 1d of the reference position of the infinity setting.

This will tell you if the hardware is within specification. Using one eye for both tubes eliminates difference of the eyes and using magnification effectively removes accommodation resulting in a very sharp focus point for setting the diopter scale.

Make note of the results, this makes it a lot easier to get them covered for repair if you can describe the exact problem.
 

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Thanks Surveyor.

I see what you are saying and I think that would indeed work to decide if they are correctly in spec or not.

Pity I don't have 3 or 8 x booster or any booster for that matter so I guess I am stuck.

It might be worth trying the rest just without the booster. It might give me a little better idea.

I think I pretty much know that its more than +1. If it wasn't then I don't think I would really be feeling a bit off about it. +1 or less would not be very noticable I think. Unfortunately it looks like I won't be able to absolutely prove it.


Still thank you for explaining how it can be checked properly.
 
I have seen this complaint before, related to the eyesight, not a binocular flaw. The "near response triad" couples convergence, accommodation, and pupil dilation, so that with the extra convergence of a close view, the pupils contract. This could bring out a different left/right eye difference than with wider pupils, if the two eyes are distorted differently. Just a random thought, maybe Looksharp will chime in.

If it turns out to be your eyesight, you at least have the ideal binocular for it. Uncouple the two halves of the focus knob, put the index finger of each hand on a section, and use the binocular in "individual focus mode". Ha, you probably think I am just being a smart alec, but I actually like individual focus binoculars myself. You never have to worry about the "diopter" setting, that's for sure.
Ron
 
Hi Ron

No, I think you are correct. It is the only binocular that I have come accross where you can focus individual eyepieces as you mention. Could be something I might actual take up.

Could also be my eyesight. Could be just comming from using an 8x32 to this 10x is just odd for me at the moment.

I wondered about using my other binocular (the EL 8x32) but... ahem.... I have a confession to make. I may have to return my no prize award as I actually sold my el. Ahhhhh. I know I can't believe it either.

Sold (at a smallish loss especially due to ebay paypal fee's) in the same listing day to a member of this forum. They are packed for dispatch and I don't want to unpack them or look through them again as I have now to let them go. Have I done a Dennis (sorry Dennis)?

There was some alchohol involved in the decision but the logic part was that I wanted to move to 10x magnification and I like this 10x32 format. The Leica rich colour started to get to me, sometimes it seems to me that foilage of the wet autum kind has a little sprinkling of gold dust on it. Thats the only way I can describe it and I find it infectious.

Then I thought the EL were to good to put in storage and should be out there being used plus I could do with the money and finally I found it harder to use the Leica when switching back and forward between the 2.

Back to the subject. I have had a little look through the Leica again this morning and I have reset the diopter to +1. It seems to give me good distance focusing from both directions. The near viewing seems to have suffered a bit but by less than the far did so I guess this is maybe the best compromise. With this setting it doesn't appear that the binocualrs are very much out. This was about were I originally had them set when I first got them and foolishly stated that I was very confident in the diopter setting which I was at that time. I think its just that I want to know how best these work with my eyes so that then I can just get on and use them.

It probably is my eyes. I just don't know. I will probably go to the lake later and try the test from the bird hide window ledge as I think these tests work best in a real situation and there are plenty of sailing markers out in the lake.

Will report any findings. I guess I just wished that the distance focus was as nice as the near focusing is with the diopter at zero. That would have been great. My el were very good in this regard but there still was a very slight seeming difference. I am thinking it could also be something to do with perhaps light leaking in around behind the eyeups and maybe affecting things somehow in different situations.

I never thought this was quite so complicated. Maybe I'm just being to fussy in the end and should just forget about it. I do like these Leica, the el also were excellent but I always wanted them to have a little more colour saturation and I suppose this along with the magnification is what has convinced me to move to the Leica. I'm even getting used to the CA and not seeming to notice it as much as before which is good. I think this is something to do with no longer using the el as comparison and also getting used to better eye positioning with the Leica. Maybe my eyes are changing their interpretation or something? I actually watched a TV program about this recently and the upshot seemed to be that no two people actually see the same colour view?

I have actually noticed that I seemed to see light more like the view through my EL before I got the Leica even when I was not using the binoculars if this makes any sense?

As I said. Complicated.
 
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Everything is INCREDIBLY complicated, okay? There is also a huge psychosomatic component, maybe Elkcub will chime in!

Yeah, one alpha 8x32 around your neck is enough. People would think you were just showin' off at some point. But now, how can you know it's good, without anything to compare to? Have faith, I guess...
Ron
 
Test Result

Ok I am happy now, thanks to RonE. I am really glad I asked about this.

I went to the lake in the rain on my motorbike, yuk, and I did the test from the bird hide.

I will just mention first that I did the test several times using at first only my left eye and then repeating the test with only my right just to see if that made any difference. I had no magnifier but I don't think I really needed it. I used some kind of boating post about a mile away and then a tree bud on the shore about 4 meters away.

So the result. +1 pretty much always no matter which eye I used and thats +1 for far and for the approx 4m results which would seem to suggest that the binocular is perfectly good and that my original setting was indeed correct.

At least this is the result my eyes produced today and I hope they stay that way but I do somehow feel very reassured after doing that test. I think its a great idea, much better than the usual close one eye etc which didn't seem to give consistent results and this seemed to be creating the doubt I had.

I will definitely use that test for every binocular I ever get from now on but I hope I will be using these Leica for a long time. I officially declare them to be excellent and appologies to Leica for having doubted this.

Another thing I noticed again today with them is how well they work in wooded areas. They really seem to come alive. Today was overcast and raining so I used the wood paths to get shelter from rain by the tree cover and I was very happy how these Leica work in the lowish light in this situation. The wide field of view seems to help a lot and the contrast and colour was really good.

I think then that I can close this case. Seems I just needed a more consistant accurate test to be reassured. Not nice to use an expensive binocular that you have possible doubts about but great to have those doubts cleared up.

Thanks guys.
 
Everything is INCREDIBLY complicated, okay? There is also a huge psychosomatic component, maybe Elkcub will chime in!

Yeah, one alpha 8x32 around your neck is enough. People would think you were just showin' off at some point. But now, how can you know it's good, without anything to compare to? Have faith, I guess...
Ron

Ok. wow.
Whats going on. You got ants in your pants?

I got another great bin. They are both great in my opinion. If I could use both at once then I would certainly be happy with both of them.

Chill.
 
I do act like it, just being silly, no offense. Glad you like the new Leica. Thanks for the reports.
Ron
 
No problem Ronh.

I do agree that there does seem to be some mind interpretation involved.

Sometimes they (the bins) can drive you crazy. I think that test really helped me to switch off whatever part of mine was bothering me about the binocular settings and I feel really a lot more settled with them now.

Exploring nature and with my binoculars is one of the greatest pleasures to me and so I value a good tool very highly and I just wanted to make sure that my new one was in order and set properly so that I could get the most out of it.

I will miss the EL for sure but it was a case that I felt I was going to get more benefit from the Leica with its higher magnification and I also like the colour produced, not that one was better or worse than the other. Ideally I would like all of the good points from both rolled into one. I'm sure future models will progress towards some kind of perfection.

Anyhow, I hope I have made the right decision in going with the Leica but I suppose only more time will tell and I will certainly be doing my best to look after them, which I normally do anyway, as I don't now have a backup.

I even think I have lost the bin comparing affliction.
 
Could somebody please tell me if my Ultravid 8x32 HD focus/diopter is faulty.
If I pull the diopter ring upwards to show the red ring between the two I can adjust the diopter as usual but I got into a situation where the main focus ring seemed to have come loose and was just spinning. I can make it happen again by: pushing the two rings together into the usual locked position I then hold the main focus ring in position and turn just the diopter ring anticlockwise. This loosens up both focus rings and the two just spin. If I hold the main ring alone then just turn the diopter ring clockwise it tightens up again but the focusing is then stiff. Is this normal behaviour? (not me, the focussing!)
 
I've now got things back to normal and I think I was just being a bit heavy handed, trying to force the diopter ring to turn when the two are in the closed position.
I've spent a bit of time this evening comparing the Ultravids to my trusty Minox HG 8x33 (MIG) and its very close but the Leica image is just that little bit sharper and easier on the eye. I do like the feel of the Minox in the hand though, they are a very well engineered pair of bins. If I hadn't have had the money burning a hole in my pocket I would have quite happily stuck with them. I will take the Leica out tomorrow to get better aquainted. At the moment I still think I've been a bit crazy splashing out on the Ultravids, but hopefully this time tomorrow I'll have changed my mind. The Leicas just feel so dainty in the hand and I've got small hands!
 
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