When a new Leica binocular? (1 Viewer)

pimpelmees · Feb 27, 2016

james holdsworth said:
How so? The UV HD is a classic design, with pincushion distortion, just like the SLC and the HT. All are super sharp, have great contrast and brightness with gradual edge softness. The SLC has the wider sweet-spot, the Zeiss is brighter, the UV may have more saturated colours.

Someone looking for such a design would not look at an SV or and SF. Conversely, someone looking for a flat and wide field would not look at an UV.

Some people like to push the notion that both the SLC and the HT are optically lesser than their kin, when many of us - especially those that don't want a flat-field - find them superior in many ways.

The hd plus has the same price as the sv and sf binoculairs so i t will be of a higher quality than the slc and ht reckon and i believe it also

Gijs van Ginkel · Feb 27, 2016

Pimpelmees, post21,
In my price lists the 8x42 HD-plus costs 2090 euro, the Zeiss SF 8x42 costs 2425 euro and the Swar 8,5x42 SV costs 2450 euro, the Zeiss HT 8x42 costs 2080 euro (so the same as the HD-plus) only the SLC 8x42 is cheaper with 1640 euro. Close focus of the SLC and the HD-plus is slightly better for the SLC and the SLC has a higher light transmission over te whole spectrum. The SLC is only 30 grams heavier than the HD-plus.
It will not surprise you that I do not share your arguments with regard to the HD-plus. Nonetheless I like the HD-plus for its compactness and user comfort which it has to share with the SLC.
Gijs van Ginkel

james holdsworth · Feb 27, 2016

pimpelmees said:
The hd plus has the same price as the sv and sf binoculairs so i t will be of a higher quality than the slc and ht reckon and i believe it also

Can't agree with any of this.

AlbertoJ · Feb 28, 2016

Gilmore Girl said:
It's just too well done and
classic to replace it with something like a new open bridge model. Leica did the right thing
IMO by staying true and not copying the others.

Here's what I don't want to see Leica do going forward:
Produce an open bridge copy to compete with SV and SF.

Leica has already copied an open bridge binocular.

https://us.leica-camera.com/Sport-Optics/Leica-Hunting/Rangefinders/Leica-Geovid/Geovid-Details

And that doen't mean they didn't the right thing, because they innovated other things in that binocular like pergen prisms and SD card inside.

Besides, as I said, I don't speak about replace Ultravid but add another binocular and keep both, like Zeiss and Swarovski do.

Troubador · Feb 28, 2016

elkcub said:
Contrary to urban legend I have no difficulty using an SLC with one hand. The problem is holding the sandwich together, particularly when I'm standing.

Ed :eat:

This is so true Ed, and its so embarrassing, well, that and the dribbling......

Lee

ticl2184 · Feb 28, 2016

I doubt Leica has the incentive to develop a serious contender to the Swarovski SV or Zeiss SF.

I used to buy only Leica but in my opinion, they just can't compete with Swarovski for build quality and Optical performance.

Cheers Tim

Vespobuteo · Feb 28, 2016

ticl2184 said:
I doubt Leica has the incentive to develop a serious contender to the Swarovski SV or Zeiss SF.

I used to buy only Leica but in my opinion, they just can't compete with Swarovski for build quality and Optical performance.

Cheers Tim

good enough for breaking a world record in birding..

https://www.audubon.org/features/birding-without-borders

:t:

Torview · Feb 28, 2016

So Leica can`t compete on build quality or optical performance with Swarovski or Zeiss, utter ?@+*.

The SLC and HT are lesser optics than the SV and SF, also utter ?@+*.

Thankfully the shops are full of open hinged, flat field Alpha`s for anyone looking for a flat field open hinged Alpha.

Personally I`d like to praise Leica for offering an Alpha 7x42 with the latest HT glass and coatings, long may they continue to do things their own way.

ceasar · Feb 28, 2016

Vespobuteo said:
good enough for breaking a world record in birding..

https://www.audubon.org/features/birding-without-borders

:t:

If you can afford to take off a year to do this you can afford any binocular you fancy.

dwever · Feb 28, 2016

ceasar said:
If you can afford to take off a year to do this you can afford any binocular you fancy.

Well said.

CloseFocus · Feb 28, 2016

ticl2184 said:
I doubt Leica has the incentive to develop a serious contender to the Swarovski SV or Zeiss SF.

I used to buy only Leica but in my opinion, they just can't compete with Swarovski for build quality and Optical performance.

Cheers Tim

Someone posted a story about how a dog chewed the rubber armor off of a Swarovski binocular. If that binocular had been a Leica, I think the story would have been about that dog breaking some teeth.

Vespobuteo · Feb 28, 2016

ceasar said:
If you can afford to take off a year to do this you can afford any binocular you fancy.

not sure what you are getting at with that comment,
but this birding-project is/was his job:

"I’m certainly not wealthy; like other full-scale expeditions, this one is financed by advances and sponsorships."

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/january-february-2015/welcome-birding-without-borders

Troubador · Feb 28, 2016

Gilmore Girl said:
When the new Plus version of the UVid was announced I was excited and
relieved they didn't discontinue the UV line. i prefer the design,
build and mechanics of the Ultravid over all of the others. It's just too well done and
classic to replace it with something like a new open bridge model. Leica did the right thing
IMO by staying true and not copying the others. For me, Leica has elevated their reputation by
sticking with their top quality flagship binocular and only updating the optics. I think they did right by their loyal customers.

Here's what I don't want to see Leica do going forward:

Produce an open bridge copy to compete with SV and SF. These are two good ones right there to choose from.
I'd prefer Leica to stay unique personally.

GiGi

Your Leicaness is only surpassed by that of Troubadoris, but when I wear my business hat I am acutely aware that the market has changed and that for many people the open bridge is the traditional format.
I want Leica to still be here when I am not and I am mindful that Leica has already looked over the financial brink and had to be rescued.
So I would like to see Leica continue with their classic designs but also step up with a open bridge or something better. Many of us hoped a Perger Porro nature observation glass might be on its way to set the cat amongst the pigeons but that hope seems to have been dashed amid vague rumours of the Perger being too heavy for the nature market.

Lee

Torview · Feb 28, 2016

Lee,

the 42mm pergers are only 980g, surely without the battery and other bits needed for the rangefinder duties they could get them under 900g, which would be reasonable.

pimpelmees · Feb 28, 2016

ceasar said:
If you can afford to take off a year to do this you can afford any binocular you fancy.

i reckon he was sponsored and received everthing for free

Troubador · Feb 28, 2016

Torview said:
Lee,

the 42mm pergers are only 980g, surely without the battery and other bits needed for the rangefinder duties they could get them under 900g, which would be reasonable.

Hya

For one thing I don't know if the rumours are true. But in any case getting them under 900g might be reasonable but would it be competitive? More to the point would Leica feel that it is competitive? The SF and EL SV straddle 800g between them so if the Leica came in at 880g it would look a bit portly in today's market. Whatever the reason we haven't seen nature observaton Pergers yet and there seems no sign of any. Perhaps Leica feels the world of nature observation isn't ready for 'bent banana bins' yet.

Lee

dwever · Feb 28, 2016

Troubador said:
But in any case getting them under 900g might be reasonable but would it be competitive? More to the point would Leica feel that it is competitive? The SF and EL SV straddle 800g between them so if the Leica came in at 880g it would look a bit portly in today's market.
Lee

I know I am alone on my feelings re weight, but way way WAY too much made about 100 to 200g. If the image can stand alone in it's quality even at 1000g, it doesn't make a big difference in practical use. I'm happy to have an extra 220 grams on my 10x50 UVHD+ over the 10x42 for the ease of use and image. If Leica gave us a 1000g set of bananas that was clearly a superior image in the market, I'm in line.

A2GG · Feb 28, 2016

Troubador said:
GiGi

Your Leicaness is only surpassed by that of Troubadoris, but when I wear my business hat I am acutely aware that the market has changed and that for many people the open bridge is the traditional format.

Lee

Where does this idea come from that the open bridge is now the traditional format? Is it because Swaro sells a lot of them?
Nikon EDG 1 was open bridge and that was replaced by 'traditional' single hinge EDG II. Vortex has no open bridge bin and doesn't seem to be suffering...at least not over here in NA...Vortex is a big name here. An alternative to open bridge is a thin single hinge which seems to be popular as well in the last several years.

You're right that open bridge is popular, but this does not mean that a company will go under if they don't follow with their own open bridge design.

Leica has their own niche (compact and light) and probably will never outsell the others, but this consumer likes that they are staying with their traditional design and staying in their niche and long may they run. I guess if they get in bad shape again they may need to revamp their line. I'm not wearing a business hat , but wearing my consumer hat and Leica made at least one of their customers very happy by sticking with the current UVid design.

Edit: vortex does have one open bridge that I know of which is their Talon, but it's not their best seller I'm sure.

james holdsworth · Feb 28, 2016

dwever said:
I know I am alone on my feelings re weight, but way way WAY too much made about 100 to 200g. If the image can stand alone in it's quality even at 1000g, it doesn't make a big difference in practical use. I'm happy to have an extra 220 grams on my 10x50 UVHD+ over the 10x42 for the ease of use and image. If Leica gave us a 1000g set of bananas that was clearly a superior image in the market, I'm in line. Many people made the same decision with 1400g+ Zeiss in the nineties.

The Design Selection series were way too heavy, sold poorly and were discontinued after just a few years - less than 5 years I believe.

Weight may not matter to the purists, but to joe-6 pack it matters a lot.

Vespobuteo · Feb 28, 2016

Troubador said:
Hya

For one thing I don't know if the rumours are true. But in any case getting them under 900g might be reasonable but would it be competitive? More to the point would Leica feel that it is competitive? The SF and EL SV straddle 800g between them so if the Leica came in at 880g it would look a bit portly in today's market. Whatever the reason we haven't seen nature observaton Pergers yet and there seems no sign of any. Perhaps Leica feels the world of nature observation isn't ready for 'bent banana bins' yet.

Lee

the Leica 8x56 HD-B is 1205 grams, pretty good for 56mm,
so I don't think the weight is the problem with Pergers
probably more the "banana" shape,
but I hope there will be a model without the ballistic stuff,

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