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New Generation Tract Toric 10X42 Schott HT (1 Viewer)

BruceH

Avatar: Harris Hawk
Tract Optics has announced the new 2nd generation of the Tract Toric 10X42. The name of this model is Toric 10X42 Schott HT.

Changes are:

- Schott HT glass for improved image quality and superior light transmission values, especially in the blue and violet spectrum.

- Flat Multicoating which enhances overall light transmission over a wider spectrum of light (from 400-700nm), especially in the green color range.

- Locking Diopter to eliminate inadvertent movement in the field.

https://www.tractoptics.com/products/binoculars/toric-10x42

Price is $694 and is available now. This compares to $664 for the 1st generation. The first generation is now on closeout for $564.

https://www.tractoptics.com/products/binoculars/toric-uhd-10x42-gen-1

The FOV, weight, and eye relief specs are unchanged. The body also appears the same.

No mention has been made of these changes coming to the Toric 8X42 model but I would not be surprised if that will happen eventually.

Sounds nice! CJ should approve of the Schott HT glass. Hopefully someone will be able to compare the two versions and report.
 
Thanks Bruce. I wasn't expecting that particular twist. Look forward to hearing what you make of it.

David
 
Yes, interesting that the specs are identical, except for the Shott HT glass, coatings and locking diopter. I guess those things didn't weigh much, but it does sound interesting. With outstanding color brilliance, no less!

Maybe I'll get to see them next Fall at the Sportsman show near me where Tract will be. Thank you Bruce for that info too! I'll have to bring mine and see the difference. Wish it wasn't so far off!

PS I'm glad they didn't change the body-it's great just as it is!
 
Tract Optics has announced the new 2nd generation of the Tract Toric 10X42. The name of this model is Toric 10X42 Schott HT.

Changes are:
- Schott HT glass for improved image quality and superior light transmission values, especially in the blue and violet spectrum.
- Flat Multicoating which enhances overall light transmission over a wider spectrum of light (from 400-700nm), especially in the green color range.
- Locking Diopter to eliminate inadvertent movement in the field.
https://www.tractoptics.com/products/binoculars/toric-10x42
Price is $694 and is available now. This compares to $664 for the 1st generation.....

Sounds nice! CJ should approve of the Schott HT glass. Hopefully someone will be able to compare the two versions and report
Cool ! :t: :cool:

That didn't take long, or cost much. Good on them for having a go.
Get those things over to Allbino's, and Gijs, for testing Stat!

If Nikon with their MHG, and especially Zeiss with the x32 FL, and SF aren't having a very long hard look at themselves then there is something wrong. Cancel plans for tonight, tomorrow, and the weekend - you're working overtime guys ........ we expect the Ultra FL and HT glass upgrades, and retuned brighter coatings on the market first thing Monday morning! o:)



Chosun :gh:
 
Yes, interesting that the specs are identical, except for the Shott HT glass, coatings and locking diopter. I guess those things didn't weigh much, but it does sound interesting. With outstanding color brilliance, no less!

Maybe I'll get to see them next Fall at the Sportsman show near me where Tract will be. Thank you Bruce for that info too! I'll have to bring mine and see the difference. Wish it wasn't so far off!

PS I'm glad they didn't change the body-it's great just as it is!

Picture appears to be of the the old UHD model as well as the reviews. I wonder if other parts of the web page have not yet caught up to the change???

CG
 
If Nikon with their MHG, and especially Zeiss with the x32 FL, and SF aren't having a very long hard look at themselves then there is something wrong. Cancel plans for tonight, tomorrow, and the weekend - you're working overtime guys ........ we expect the Ultra FL and HT glass upgrades, and retuned brighter coatings on the market first thing Monday morning! o:)

Chosun :gh:

While we all know that it's the end result that matters more than the ingredients, and we all know that the MHG, x32 FL, and SF are among the most lauded/loved bins at the moment, do we know for sure what glass each of them uses? Do we know for sure the SF or FL would be better with different glass? Do we have any clue what the MHG really uses? As well I presume that we don't know how many elements in the new Tract are HT glass.

I would be surprised if the Toric's are truly competitive with the EL or SF, and that's not their realistic objective. It will be quite interesting to see how they really compare to the Conquest HD and Monarch HG, however. I have no complaints with the Conquest, and I prefer the FOV and weight on the Monarch but dislike the diopter and don't love the general feel of them.
 
The current, (now previous?) Toric's already competed well with the Conquest HD, and anything else $1500 and less IME.

I've not had the chance to look through any Tract bins at any point yet but will be keen to when the chance presents itself. I don't need/want any more 42mm bins and am not usually prone to buying things just to try them.

I am well willing to believe they may have been near or equal to the Conquest before the upgrade, though most other bins I've heard lauded as such have not quite panned out in my experience. I still am pretty impressed with the Conquests at the price.
 
Does the Maven B.1 8x42/ 10x42 series use use Schott HT glass which sells for $900.00? That is going to make the Tract's even look better at their $200.00 lower price point than the Maven's. What is Flat Multicoating? Does it have anything to do with a flat field?
 
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Does the Maven B.1 8x42/ 10x42 series use use Schott HT glass which sells for $900.00? That is going to make the Tract's even look better at their $200.00 lower price point than the Maven's. What is Flat Multicoating? Does it have anything to do with a flat field?

Good question, and one I asked Jon at Tract. He said there are no field flattening lenses/engineering involved. The flat mult-icoating thing, I took, as a name for the latest, greatest lens coatings.
 
I appreciate a progressive company that is always looking for ways to improve their product, regardless of whether it really needs it. Tract seems to be that kind of company.

Tract may not have been garnering quite the market share it anticipated/hoped for and they are using a premium glass name to attract more eyes to their product. Not bad marketing by any means, but I'll be interested to hear if the new Schott versions give a perceptible better optic view, and if so, to what degree. It seems the first versions were quite impressive as-is.

I feel as a company, Tract need to do a bit more as far as advertising goes to really get their product out there in the public. Folks want to buy a brand name that is recognizable if nothing than for potential resale alone.

Sadly, it may be human nature to feel that a less than $700 set of optics isn't worthy of consideration based on the price alone. I'm sure some folks won't consider them a premium grade contender unless they have a price point closer to Alpha level. Pretty silly statement, but we humans can be pretty silly.
 
Does the Maven B.1 8x42/ 10x42 series use use Schott HT glass which sells for $900.00? That is going to make the Tract's even look better at their $200.00 lower price point than the Maven's. What is Flat Multicoating? Does it have anything to do with a flat field?

Well according to Maven's website, Mavens are 'made from components from Japan assembled in the US'.

Zeiss owns Schott, and obviously they use Schott glass in their Victory line, but no mention of Schott glass in their Conquest line, which is obviously not produced in Germany.

So by that token, it seems hard to believe that a small company like Tract can transport glass from Germany to Japan and only charge $50 more per unit than those using Japanese glass.

It also begs the question, is all Schott glass still produced in Germany, or do they now have plants or outsourced subcontractors in China or Japan like so many other companies and can still simply call it Schott Glass?

Perhaps I'm way off base with this thought, and if so someone please correct me.
 
While we all know that it's the end result that matters more than the ingredients, and we all know that the MHG, x32 FL, and SF are among the most lauded/loved bins at the moment, do we know for sure what glass each of them uses? Do we know for sure the SF or FL would be better with different glass? Do we have any clue what the MHG really uses? As well I presume that we don't know how many elements in the new Tract are HT glass.

I would be surprised if the Toric's are truly competitive with the EL or SF, and that's not their realistic objective. It will be quite interesting to see how they really compare to the Conquest HD and Monarch HG, however. I have no complaints with the Conquest, and I prefer the FOV and weight on the Monarch but dislike the diopter and don't love the general feel of them.

Nor do we know which grade of Schott HT glass they are using. Last time I looked there was more than a dozen, then again Zeiss doesn't say which grade they use in their HT model. Nor does Tract quote any transmission figures.

Lee
 
Well according to Maven's website, Mavens are 'made from components from Japan assembled in the US'.

Zeiss owns Schott, and obviously they use Schott glass in their Victory line, but no mention of Schott glass in their Conquest line, which is obviously not produced in Germany.

So by that token, it seems hard to believe that a small company like Tract can transport glass from Germany to Japan and only charge $50 more per unit than those using Japanese glass.

It also begs the question, is all Schott glass still produced in Germany, or do they now have plants or outsourced subcontractors in China or Japan like so many other companies and can still simply call it Schott Glass?

Perhaps I'm way off base with this thought, and if so someone please correct me.

Schott has several glass plants all around the world including the USA and Malaysia. I don't know if they all make optical glasses though. But in any case I have never heard of them sub-contracting and they way they have expanded their own manufacturing facilities would suggest they want to produce in-house. So whoever makes the binos for Tract will have a Schott plant not so far away, certainly not on the other side of the globe. Why not visit the various Schott websites and have a look around to satisfy your curiosity.

Zeiss uses Schott glasses but not exclusively (boxes from glass-maker O'Hara were spied in a video a couple of years back) and the Terra binos that are made in Japan use Schott ED glass.

Lee
 
Well according to Maven's website, Mavens are 'made from components from Japan assembled in the US'.

Zeiss owns Schott, and obviously they use Schott glass in their Victory line, but no mention of Schott glass in their Conquest line, which is obviously not produced in Germany.

So by that token, it seems hard to believe that a small company like Tract can transport glass from Germany to Japan and only charge $50 more per unit than those using Japanese glass.

It also begs the question, is all Schott glass still produced in Germany, or do they now have plants or outsourced subcontractors in China or Japan like so many other companies and can still simply call it Schott Glass?

Perhaps I'm way off base with this thought, and if so someone please correct me.

It sounds very reasonable to me, that you are just using common sense in your calculations. If it's true that there are many Schott plants and types, then sure, you don't have to specify, nor would it mean much to any of us, but rather it does lend its name to the advertising, and ultimately, to the quality of the glass used. But how would you ever compare Schott's many offerings to the others? Splitting hairs here-the proof is in your eyes, or the tests after someone runs them! We probably can't see the difference in many, though it probably all adds up in specs-good glass, good coatings, good design, and then you have a winner, if you back it all up with warranty and service that lasts. It sounds pretty simple, but it's really not.

There will always be newcomers offering tasty bits, but not all deliver down the road. I do hope Tract will be different, and I think their first version was pretty nice as is, to my eyes. That's a debate right there, but that is what it is! Buy and try-the only way to know for sure.
 
Sometimes optics is not a common problem with mid-range glass, but consistent build quality, this goes for the premium glass companies who also build mid range glass.

A.W.
 
While we all know that it's the end result that matters more than the ingredients, and we all know that the MHG, x32 FL, and SF are among the most lauded/loved bins at the moment, do we know for sure what glass each of them uses? Do we know for sure the SF or FL would be better with different glass? Do we have any clue what the MHG really uses? As well I presume that we don't know how many elements in the new Tract are HT glass.

I would be surprised if the Toric's are truly competitive with the EL or SF, and that's not their realistic objective. It will be quite interesting to see how they really compare to the Conquest HD and Monarch HG, however. I have no complaints with the Conquest, and I prefer the FOV and weight on the Monarch but dislike the diopter and don't love the general feel of them.
We can be certain that the Zeiss FL, and SF are not using 'HT' glass from their published information ('ahem' marketing), tested transmission curves, using the Mark I eyeball, and a bit of engineering analysis. We also know for certain that 'HT' glass would be an improvement in those bins by looking at the physics, and physiology of brightness and colour sensitivity and balance, and the published data in the Schott catalogue, and with reference to Zeiss's own HT model. We are talking small gains, yet gains nonetheless. I agree that a binocular is more than the sum of its parts, and if you delve into the HT thread you will find Lee waxing lyrical over how the HT offers many optical benefits to colour rendition in sum in comparison to the FL, beyond the minor parts changes.

The MHG'S would be making a song and dance if they used 'HT' or 'Ultra FL' spec glass too - and the results would be visible in the view. Bear in mind that some Japanese glass (or indeed others) can have individual products that are the equal (or more) of Schott glass depending on their design parameters. Again, the view would be improved with HT glass and attendant coatings changes, and of course less CA is always welcome. I love the 'feel' of the MHG's - best small bin ergonomics this side of a Zen ED3 ! Nikon are to be commended for bringing 660g x42's with wide Fov's to market .... again, other makers should be taking that good long hard look in the mirror ...... imagine what will be possible with a bit of CFRP ....... :cat:

Tract are to be commended for this move. Clever engineering, clever marketing. :t:

An $80 Bushnell Legend M compares well to the Zeiss Conquest HD ! I think the Tract has its sights set a little higher ..... well done :t:



Chosun :gh:
 
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