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Do you ignore Leica ? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Torview
- Start date
I lost interest in Leica, primarily due to their hit and miss customer service here in the USA, and due to the fact they command a premium price accompanied by a pathetic warranty which is good only for the original owner. No other premium optic manufacturer does that. Apparently the vast majority of the 140 or so big game hunters I've had in hunting camp since 2003 agree with me, as I seldom, if ever have anyone show up with a Leica binocular. Maybe 4 or 5 hunters have showed up with them, and most of those the bino/rangefinder combo units.
Leica has got it's azzz handed to them by primarily Swarovski (and everyone else for that mater). Leica Sport Optics....high quality products backed by a sorry company.
Leica has got it's azzz handed to them by primarily Swarovski (and everyone else for that mater). Leica Sport Optics....high quality products backed by a sorry company.
Gijs I agree with you regarding Leica bins, but companies have to survive in markets that are commanded by the desires and behaviour of their potential customers.
It would be a terribly sad event if we were to lose Leica and I hope this never happens.
Lee
Dear Manya
I am sure that somewhere on the internet there is a website called Pony Forum. There you will find kindred souls who love and cherish all things horsey.:gh:
When you log-in there you will not have to worry about boys, bins or strangely bearded men masqerading as women. :-O
Lee
Torview
Well-known member
A bit unfair HN, and I`v not read of an UVHD breaking with a minor drop !
If I look at a neighbours roof about 100m away with my EII (wider than an SF), I can see the whole ridge with a bit either side, with my substandard UV I still see the WHOLE ridge and a smidge at the sides.
The EII is my favourite bin and has a walk in feel, but the difference is more feel than actual area.
jan van daalen
Well-known member
Down here the best sold Leica is the Trinovid 42 series because of the 200,00 euro cashback. After that comes the Ultravid HD 42 and 50 series because of the huge discount (minus 25+%). The only other regular sold model is the Geovid (about 1 Geovid to 5 Trinovids).
Jan
HighNorth
Well-known member
Yeah, I'll admit so much: the conventional layout of the UVHD might make for a sturdier bin than the open bridge design of the SF. :smoke:
I've never heard of a UVHD breaking either but then again I've never heard of a metre drop onto a stone floor being called a minor drop either :-O
Lee
Pinewood
New York correspondent
Hello,
I must write that I have been ignoring my Leica binoculars, of late: 3 BA's, a BN and an 8x20. On paper, and in practice, FL glass and dielectic coatings and the size of my Zeiss FL 8x32 are well ahead of those old binoculars. I have not had an opportunity to use my 12x50 BA for astronomy, for quite a while.
I have several Leitz Binoculars, including an 8x30 Binuxit, which I keep. It does not work well with spectacles, it is dim by today's standards, it does focus too closely, unless I remove my specs, but it provides a rather pleasant view.
I would like to see Leica jump ahead of the competition. Perhaps, they have something in the development pipeline.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:
I must write that I have been ignoring my Leica binoculars, of late: 3 BA's, a BN and an 8x20. On paper, and in practice, FL glass and dielectic coatings and the size of my Zeiss FL 8x32 are well ahead of those old binoculars. I have not had an opportunity to use my 12x50 BA for astronomy, for quite a while.
I have several Leitz Binoculars, including an 8x30 Binuxit, which I keep. It does not work well with spectacles, it is dim by today's standards, it does focus too closely, unless I remove my specs, but it provides a rather pleasant view.
I would like to see Leica jump ahead of the competition. Perhaps, they have something in the development pipeline.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:
HighNorth
Well-known member
Gijs, your motto should be: "the customer is NEVER right!" :-O
Gijs van Ginkel
Well-known member
High North,
post 50,
You are absolutely right.
Gijs
post 50,
You are absolutely right.
Gijs
Yes, Lee, I'd agree with that. My only point was that close to the differences are comparatively small.
I'm a keen raptor watcher, and am lucky enough to include a lot of viewing at distance over water (lakes and coastal), and fixed wing viewing in my week. For these my current preference is a 10x42 of one sort or another, here the width of the field is of secondary importance to sharpness for me.
Best wishes,
You can try that "new stuff" model 12 x 50 for only $2749.00 at Eagle Optics.
I think I will pass on the 'new stuff" 7x42 at $2399.00. That is about $1600.00 more than I paid for my new (discontinued) 7x42 Trinovid BN which was on sale at Cabelas at the time I purchased it 8 or 9 years ago.
Bob
Yes, I have heard that few months ago from an excellent provider of the three alpha binoculars, specifically for birders. The exception to his argument was the Ultravid 7x42 HD as the other two alphas do not offer comparable models--thus, he keeps it in stock. His objections were related to: a) the minimum focusing distance for Leica is inferior to the other two alphas, and b) light transmission for Leica is not at the same level as in Swarovski and top tier Zeiss.
This seller could be right, but my experience is that Leica Trinovid 8x32 BN, Ultravid 8x20, and Ultravid HD 8x42 provide an excellent "package" that Zeiss FL series (albeit they come close) do not match. By package, I mean the optic characteristics, handling, perceived durability, and service. I am not a user of post FL Zeiss models, or Swarovski, hence, do not have a comment. It is noteworthy that I am in the market for a newer 8x32, and in all likelihood, I will go for Ultravid HD rather to a Swarovski (mainly for compactness). Enjoy in good health.
PS. I will still keep the Trinovid 8x32 BN.
Comparatively small perhaps but for example the FOV difference between an SF and a Uvid at 20m would be a bit more than 40cm, enough for say 10 Willow Warblers side-by-side, more than enough for a Golden Oriole sideways-on, and, considered as a 20cm annulus around the edge of a FOV would give more than enough area to be useful to give extra help to catch a warbler or dragonfly in sight.
If it comes down to choosing between sharpness and FOV then I would choose the same as you but there are plenty of bins with excellent sharpness so choosing one with a really wide FOV need not entail a sacrifice in perceived detail.
Lee
Torview
Well-known member
On fov, I`v been looking at my feeders, 15m away with my EII and UV strapped to my tripod one above the other, the difference is tiny, personally it seems more about how we perceive the fov than how wide it usefully is.
This is not to say the EII is`nt my all time favourite view, it is, and nothing yet has dissuaded me from that, but in reality for me the Leica is a devastatingly efficient Birding optic whatever the top trumps spec sheets suggest.
This is not to say the EII is`nt my all time favourite view, it is, and nothing yet has dissuaded me from that, but in reality for me the Leica is a devastatingly efficient Birding optic whatever the top trumps spec sheets suggest.
This has nothing to do with the models of bins I chose, just the discussion about fields of view.
Lets just call them a 148m at 1km versus a 130m at 1km bin.
And no I don't own an SF
Lee
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Totally agree, when my wife compared our new Trinny to the 32SV, at first glance she thought the Trinny had the bigger FOV of the 2.....
The Trinny has "only" 126m FOV (although I read a test which measured almost 128m actual FOV for the LT, compared to 123m actual for the Conquest HD, which is specified for 128m) but this is less dramatical as you think it would be.
My brother in law's Kowa SV8x42 at 110m on the other hand gives a bit of a restricted view to me.
Sort of a "tunnel view". So I dare to say, a 110m vs 125m FOV will appear more dramatic than 130m vs 145m FOV.
Since we also have the Trinovid in house, I catch myself picking the LT over the SV more and more..... Says enough i guess:eat:
I suppose THAT'S the "Leica view" what people are talking about. I like it a lot!
Kind regards,
Gijs
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