Leica (mini) triovids (1 Viewer)

About two years ago I was wandering through Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, looking to kill time, and saw that they were having a sale of optical equipment. With no intent to buy I got out a range of "super-light" binoculars.

The Leicas stood out a mile. They were nearly the lightest and so much better optically than the competition I was surprised. I fell in love with the 8x20's and bought them, at the silly price of 150 euros. I make a lot of business trips and I tend to travel light and get in and out quickly. E.g. in summer I day-tripped both Chicago and Singapore in the same week. These Leicas fit into the cable bag for my computer. They weigh so little that I have forgotten I was wearing them and got into the shower. For the half hour here, ten minutes there that I can break out of meetings they are wonderful. They slip into a pocket so its easy to go out and birdwatch unobtrusively. I've even apologised to a meeting I was hosting, snatched them out of my computer case and checked out an Arctic Warbler that was just outside the hotel window in Singapore!

Back home I tend to use them if I am out on my bike. I find I get neck-ache cycling with my "proper" binoculars. Obviously they are not quite as good in terms of light gathering and depth of field as my big leicas.... but they do focus closer so I often use them in the garden for dragonflies too. Oh and in an emergency they fit nicely over the lens of my Nikon Coolpix.

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I have a pair of these, also 8x20, that I use more frequently than my other binoculars. I carry them when I walk/hike and birding is not my principal purpose (almost daily). I carry them in my car and briefcase, and carry them in a little belt pouch as backups when birding with my bigger binoculars.

Leica's compacts are stellar performers, though they have shortcomings. I swear they are as sharp as the Nikon SE, which I own. I have recommended to several people that they buy the Leica compact as their first serious birding binocular, because once they move up to something larger, they will still use the compact regularly.

Having tried these bins out I'd have to agree that they are fantastic. I am after a pair of compacts so that I always have bins with me. I've held out on buying any until I can afford a pair of Leica's - that said if I saw them for 150 Euros I'd snap them up too.

If I'd had my wits about me I'd have bought up all their stock and started an import business!

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I fully agree with your "advertisement". See my December 9th post on the Leica Ultravid thread.

How is the eye relief for those who wear glasses?

Bill