Bushnell Legend HD vs Elites? (1 Viewer)

I would like to thank everyone for their help with this! An update: I did return the Legends as I could not get the interpupillary distance set correctly...I was seeing black shapes no matter what I did! I guess (from what I've read) the eye cups did not twist far enough up? I was super impressed with the brightness and clarity though...and I convinced myself that the elites must be "better" or why would Bushnell charge more for them? Anyway I received the Elites today and unfortunately am underwhelmed. I don't know if I have just psyched myself out by overthinking this whole thing, but I certainly did not feel "wow" when I first put them up like I did with the Legends. I will say that I was able to get a single circle view with these. So, I really didn't have a choice in the end since, as good as the Legends were, they just weren't the right size (?) for me.

I still think Bushnell offered me the Legends as a replacement because they are better. But why they charge less for them? A mystery.

In the end I am just sad they couldn't repair my 1994 Elites. They said there were no parts available. I have read that so-called "Alpha" binox should last for life. And Elites certainly were the alphas of their day. I guess they just didn't last forever. I should just dollar cost average the amount of use I got out of them for so long and just call it a day. I will probably just try the Elites on my next trip (Belize! including Chanh Chich Lodge) and see how it goes. I just don't bird enough these days to justify the purchase of something major right now.

Again, thanks everyone for your help....do you think I will get used to these Elites?

I've not spent much time with the Ultra HD or the new Elite. just a couple of occasions at stores and birding fairs so I can't comment on the ownership problems that others have reported.

I fully understand the instant appeal of the Ultra HD though. At least the pairs I've tried were very sharp in the centre, the wide view, and the rich colour presentation. It's not without it's faults though. Certainly the build quality left something to be desired. For an ED glass there was a lot of CA (colour fringing) there was magnification distortion (though few notice it) and the edges weren't great. At US prices at least, I thought it was very good value overall, but then I didn't experience the dioptre problems.

I thought the Elite was a pretty classy glass, marred mostly by the narrow FOV. The pairs I tried I thought at least as sharp as the Ulta HD in the centre, but that degree of sharpness covered a wider area than the Ultra HD. The colours were more neutral and the CA was better controlled. The standard of construction appeared substantially better. I usually wear glasses and didn't check either for eye relief without them.

I do understand the irritation that many feel when the eye cups don't extend far enough for their facial features. I've got a couple like that. I've found on one that positioning one against my eyebrows (and sightly frowning) works, and the other placing my hand further back and using a finger as a spacer is fine. Neither may work for you.

If I were buying new I might look at alternatives to the Elite, but although I prefer lower powers in general, I suspect I might find the 10x apparent field of view more satisfactory on that model. The AFOV is about 60 degrees compared to 50 on the 8x. Not everyone can hold a 10x steady though. The eye relief is also shorter than the 8x which might be a better fit for you.

David

I seem to recall seeing advertising for the Legend Ultra HD's that said that the mirror coatings were silver based. However that has evaporated, and I can't put my finger on it right now, so in response to questions from AP on anothet thread I made some enquiries ..... ultimately no dice. Here's the story so far:

Chosun Juan said:

Alexis Powell said:

How do you know that the Bushnell is silver and not dielectric? .....

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Chosun Juan said:

..... As for the Bushie's silver coated prisms, that was from retailer advertising (which is not always reliable), though I checked the Bushnell website, and there's no specific mention of either. Stay tuned ..... more to follow shortly.

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Well, that's all she wrote folks! :scribe: Despite a coupla requests to Bushnell - they're remaining v-e-r-y |:x| __ |:x|
All they proferred was, ... :brains: "For further assistance with this please give us a call at 1-800-423-3537 Option 2. Thank you." :loveme:
I could buy a pair and have them shipped here and then sent to a lab for anaylsis for what it would cost me to ring that number from here on my mobile! |8.| |8.| Perhaps one of our local US peeps can call and find out ?? :h?:
Do be sure and post your findings ....... type of mirror coating, number of layers, etc. ..... Ta muchly :cat:

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None of our US peeps have yet picked up the 'dog n bone', and as the Legend Ultra HD's retail here for $499, and a phone call from here would cost considerably more - I can guarantee you I won't be doing it!!

Any chance one of you good curious folk can get on the blower at the above number and find out?


Chosun :gh:

Chosun Juan said:

I seem to recall seeing advertising for the Legend Ultra HD's that said that the mirror coatings were silver based. However that has evaporated, and I can't put my finger on it right now, so in response to questions from AP on anothet thread I made some enquiries ..... ultimately no dice. Here's the story so far:

None of our US peeps have yet picked up the 'dog n bone', and as the Legend Ultra HD's retail here for $499, and a phone call from here would cost considerably more - I can guarantee you I won't be doing it!!

Any chance one of you good curious folk can get on the blower at the above number and find out?


Chosun :gh:

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Chosun

Found this on http://www.opticsreviewer.com/bushnell-legend-ultra-hd.html#ixzz2ccqGwt4E



Hows that?

Lee

Troubador said:

Chosun

Found this on http://www.opticsreviewer.com/bushnell-legend-ultra-hd.html#ixzz2ccqGwt4E

The BaK-4 glass used in making the prisms is certainly a part of it, as well as the prism's reflective coating of silver alloy. (We wondered what kind of reflective prism coating was used and thought you might, too. Since the information wasn't published, we asked the company and learned it's a silver alloy reflective coating.)​

Hows that?

Lee

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Thanks Lee - well done :t:

I knew I was right (thought I was wrong once, but turns out I was mistaken! :-O )

Looks like you have your answer Alexis ..... Silver it is ...... :king:

Di + ED would be too radical of a market positioning paradigm shift @ circa ~$150 - well, at least for this year anyway ...... next year - ah, well, that's something else again ...... :eat:

The "alloy" part of the silver "alloy", is still a bit puzzling - but hey, you can't have everything! :cat:


Chosun :gh:

Chosun Juan said:

Thanks Lee - well done :t:

I knew I was right (thought I was wrong once, but turns out I was mistaken! :-O )

Looks like you have your answer Alexis ..... Silver it is ...... :king:

Di + ED would be too radical of a market positioning paradigm shift @ circa ~$150 - well, at least for this year anyway ...... next year - ah, well, that's something else again ...... :eat:

The "alloy" part of the silver "alloy", is still a bit puzzling - but hey, you can't have everything! :cat:


Chosun :gh:

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CJ

For some folks, saying 'alloy' is the same as saying 'metal'. Over here in the UK 'alloy' means any kind of aluminium to most people.

Lee

Troubador said:

CJ

For some folks, saying 'alloy' is the same as saying 'metal'. Over here in the UK 'alloy' means any kind of aluminium to most people.

Lee

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Thanks for the translation! :t:

Not the aloo-minuum as used in George Dubya's noo-klear industry then!! :-O



Chosun :gh:

Thanks for the follow-up on the Legend HD. Bushnell has often been the first to use new technologies at low price points, so I though this might be another case where they had done that. Guess not!

Chosun Juan said:

Thanks for the translation! :t:
Not the aloo-minuum as used in George Dubya's noo-klear industry then!! :-O
Chosun :gh:

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For the record, the name aluminum predates aluminium slightly, both have been in usage for a long time, and the history of dominant usage has been complex.

Also for the record, the preferred mispronunciation of nuclear is "new-cue-lar".

--AP

They probably don't use it intentionally, otherwise it would be almost the same as the more expensive elite.