Ultravid/Uvplus 10x32 (1 Viewer)

Could you tell me how you feel about yours please?

Regards Andy

Andy,

I do love mine. The UVHD+ is the smallest, but not lightest, of the 4 alpha 10x32s. Also without double checking I think it has the smallest FOV but not by much (347' vs 360' for the SW and Zeiss) and not really noticeable in actual use. Classic beautiful Leica UV view. The one downside is ER. When occasionally used with close fitting sunglasses, it loses @ 25% of the FOV so probably not suitable for one who normally uses bins with glasses. Glad to provide further input if you are interested.

Mike

Thank you. You're the second person who has written "beautiful Leica view". And I don't wear glasses (yet).

The HD+ 10x32 is my everyday bino, small, lightweight, and really lovely if its eye ergonomics work for you. FOV is 352' (117m), nearly as good as the previous Trinovid BN (360/120) which we still have. In comparison, the HD+ brings out subtle details better; for some reason I've noticed this more in viewing striations of rock faces than in birds which exhibit more contrast and color anyway.

Thanks, very reassuring comments.
I made an impulse online purchase and have been a little concerned buying them sight-unseen, despite loving the UV+7x42 & having looked through other 10x30/32.
Now particularly looking forward to mine arriving tomorrow.

(edited to say they are shop-new HD+, so I shouldn't be feeling angsty)

Ah, then let us make assurance doubly sure. Based on the fact you love your UV+ 7s and have at least looked through some 10x30/32's you will probably love your newest Leica glass as well. This forum and a friend of mine finally got me to invest in some 7s including the UV+. The 10x32 is my favorite overall format but the 7x42 is closing fast. And, again based on postings here, I agree that if people like a 10x32, then a 7x42 is in many ways a better compliment to the 10 than an 8 based on the greater difference in magnification and the increased DOF of the 7 over the 8. Please let us know what you think of your 10x32 once you have a chance to evaluate.

Mike

That Leica view |=)| , enough to say immediately that they're keepers.
Not sure if my sister will be able to use them however (I got two pair) as she wears glasses. I was slightly concerned about holding light 10x bins but with good technique they're fine.
And now, pleasure in fitting the strap.

Hello,
I really like mine , but as with all things in this world , they are not absolutely perfect in every way.
My example has a too easily moved diopter adjustment wheel , it works well with no backlash , but feels very loose to me , otherwise the binocular is just about perfect in every way.
Cheers.

Hello and welcome 42za,

My diopter knob also moves very easily or lightly, once unlocked; it has no click stops like Swarovski. But it works of course, and the lock is firm and allows no play. I think it's meant to work like that, and isn't a problem. Enjoy yours.

I agree, tenex, the focussing wheels move easily and are fine though feel lighter than the 7x42 UV+; but maybe that is partly due to the lesser mass being moved?
Also as expected, I find the 10x requires more exact focussing than 7x.

tenex said:

Hello and welcome 42za,

My diopter knob also moves very easily or lightly, once unlocked; it has no click stops like Swarovski. But it works of course, and the lock is firm and allows no play. I think it's meant to work like that, and isn't a problem. Enjoy yours.

Click to expand...

Hello Tenex , thanks for the reply.
Yes the easily moved diopter adjustment wheel does not affect the performance in any way , but I unfortunately expect better engineering from Leica when you take their price into account.
The binocular however IS a superior product , no arguments from me about this.
Cheers.

42za said:

Hello Tenex , thanks for the reply.
Yes the easily moved diopter adjustment wheel does not affect the performance in any way , but I unfortunately expect better engineering from Leica when you take their price into account.
The binocular however IS a superior product , no arguments from me about this.
Cheers.

Click to expand...

Isn't the diopter adjustment wheel integrated with the focus wheel in the 32mm Ultravids.

Pull it out to set it and push it back in to lock it.

I wasn't aware that there were any problems with it.

Now, if it were on the right eye piece like on their lower cost Trinovids I could see something like that happening.

Bob

ceasar said:

Isn't the diopter adjustment wheel integrated with the focus wheel in the 32mm Ultravids.

Pull it out to set it and push it back in to lock it.

I wasn't aware that there were any problems with it.

Now, if it were on the right eye piece like on their lower cost Trinovids I could see something like that happening.

Bob

Click to expand...

No there are no problems as such , and yes the diopter adjustment wheel is integrated with the focus wheel.
BUT the diopter adjustment wheel feels sloppy and cheap on my example.
I think that Leica has cut corners on the engineering of the diopter adjustment wheel , it does just not feel well engineered and with the premium price that Leica charge for their binocular it detracts mightily from their product and is not acceptable to me , seeing the price that they sell these for.

Sorry for the negative comments , but this is how it is for me , otherwise the Leica binocular is a stellar product.

I mean if 30 and 40 year old Japanese binoculars could get this right Leica should be able to follow suite not so.

Cheers.

42za said:

I mean if 30 and 40 year old Japanese binoculars could get this right Leica should be able to follow suite not so.

Click to expand...

This argument is absurd. 30-40 year old Japanese binoculars didn't even have internal focusing, much less integrated diopter knobs. There is no problem here.

True, there is no problem...and I have two pairs to test. They require a lighter touch only.
My 10x44 Steiner Discovery focussing gives the most resistence, then Inpro 9x63, then 40year old Nikon 9x30 then ultravid 7x42 and lightest the 10x32.
None are a problem, it's a personal preference.

Sister also finds the focus fine, never even commented which means it was taken for granted. Unfortunately she wears glasses dawn to dusk.

Leica has had the diopter integrated with the focus wheel on their binoculars since 1993 when they introduced the Trinovid BA series.

https://www.allbinos.com/1677-Leica_Trinovid_10x32_BA-binoculars_specifications.html

Bob

Checked out the dioptre adjuster on Troubadoris's Ultravid HD 8x32. It pulls up nicely, there is about 1mm free play of rotation before any adjustment begins. This would drive me nuts if it was the focus wheel but on a dioptre adjuster it doesn't concern me. The adjuster rotates correctly in that its own axis is the same as its drive shaft: it is not bent over to one side, it doesn't wobble, it locks securely and doesn't pop up accidentally.

In short I can't see any lack of engineering integrity in this unit.

Lee

I know this is an old thread, but appears most relevant to my question...

When focusing on a fairly distant target, say a building 2 miles away, how far past the point of focus does your focus wheel turn? And does the focus wheel turn considerably further in 8x32 format than 10x32? I find that I'm hitting the focus end stop frequently when trying to focus quickly from a relatively close target to a distant one, and that if I continue to rotate the focus wheel towards infinity after achieving sharp focus on a distant target the focus wheel hits it's end stop before the target is fully defocused. It turns just a fraction beyond the point of focus. I suspect this is normal in this particular binocular, but it feels a little alien to me in operation, and feel I need a little reassurance that this is indeed normal. The binocular is mechanically perfect in operation, but being so close to hitting the end of the wheel's rotation makes me nervous that my copy may have an issue...?

Thanks in advance,
James

Edit: the diopter appears to be perfect.

Bentley03 said:

I know this is an old thread, but appears most relevant to my question...

When focusing on a fairly distant target, say a building 2 miles away, how far past the point of focus does your focus wheel turn? And does the focus wheel turn considerably further in 8x32 format than 10x32? I find that I'm hitting the focus end stop frequently when trying to focus quickly from a relatively close target to a distant one, and that if I continue to rotate the focus wheel towards infinity after achieving sharp focus on a distant target the focus wheel hits it's end stop before the target is fully defocused. It turns just a fraction beyond the point of focus. I suspect this is normal in this particular binocular, but it feels a little alien to me in operation, and feel I need a little reassurance that this is indeed normal. The binocular is mechanically perfect in operation, but being so close to hitting the end of the wheel's rotation makes me nervous that my copy may have an issue...?

Thanks in advance,
James

Edit: the diopter appears to be perfect.

Click to expand...

Mine were the same. Excess focus travel beyond infinity was about 20 or 25 degrees. I only noticed that after my set had been serviced by Leica. Among other things it was the focuser that was serviced and came back in perfect order. So, no need to worry. Enjoy your UV.

jafritten said:

Mine were the same. Excess focus travel beyond infinity was about 20 or 25 degrees. I only noticed that after my set had been serviced by Leica. Among other things it was the focuser that was serviced and came back in perfect order. So, no need to worry. Enjoy your UV.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your reassurance! 🍻

In my head I was thinking it was even less than 20-25 degrees, maybe just 10-15 degrees, but my brain is probably exaggerating in reaction to my doubts about whether or not the tiny fraction of a turn to the focus end stop from mid distance focus is normal. I suspect it will always bother me a little, but not enough to detract from the stunning view they offer. I think the fact that my 8x32 rotates 'normally' to the end stop and fully defocuses middle distance targets exacerbates the feeling that the equivalent characteristic in the 10x32 must be wrong in my copy.

As a glasses wearer, these tiny binoculars have always felt like 'forbidden fruit', so when I discovered recently that the 8x32's were in fact a perfect fit with my thinner framed glasses, they became an impulse buy, and I found myself enjoying them so much that my other binoculars were being left on the shelf to gather dust.

The only thing I was sometimes missing was that little extra reach that a 10x gives so, given the very similar eye relief to the 8x32, I purchased a 10x32 without testing first. A fraction less comfort than the 8x32, but superior comfort (for me) than my 10x32 NL's and even my 10x42 SF's. An unexpected bonus is that I can hold them even steadier than either the NL's or SF's.

The other surprise is how much I'm enjoying the focus movement. I've become very used to the feel of the NL/SF focus wheels, which take things to a different level, but the focus feel in these little Ultravids is just terrific, if less refined, and in a way I can't immediately describe, suits their character perfectly. Maybe the focus mechanism is simply more satisfying/engaging in use, like the interactive difference between driving a manual rather than an automatic car.

There was much discussion on this old thread about the character of the diopter adjustment on this instrument. I perceive no vagueness, slack or slip in either of my copies (or my 7x42's), and whilst clearly not as refined as some, in operation it feels right and suits the character of the instrument, in my opinion.

They are not the very brightest at dawn or dusk, but apart from that, the view is pure Leica, just wow after wow after wow!