New Leica HD Ultravid PLUS (1 Viewer)

binomania · Sep 16, 2014

More info here:
http://www.binomania.it/comunicato-stampa-leica-sport-optics-nuovi-leica-ultravid-42-hd-plus/

I hope to have a specimen of these binoculars, for a test, as soon as possible.
Piergiovanni

cnick6 · Sep 16, 2014

Wow, very cool! I was expecting something on Wednesday at Photokina...

7x, 8x, 10x by 42mm models available in November 2014.

Official Leica release here:

http://us.leica-camera.com/World-of...-binoculars-with-improved-optical-performance

dalat · Sep 16, 2014

Hmm... A bit more of transmission and perhaps a bit more neutral colors, the rest remaining unchanged? That is not exactly the move needed to catch up with Swaro and Zeiss. I hope that's not all Leica has in mind, but rather some intermediary product update to buy some time before they come with something really interesting and new.

The most interesting bit in this "news" is that Leica intends to keep the 7x in their line-up.

binomania · Sep 16, 2014

Hi Florian, you are right, i hope that Leica will present some "very interesting news" during the next months. By the way i am curious to verify the difference respect the old model

Kind Regards from Italy.
Piergiovanni

ceasar · Sep 16, 2014

binomania said:
Hi Florian, you are right, i hope that Leica will present some "very interesting news" during the next months. By the way i am curious to verify the difference respect the old model
Kind Regards from Italy.
Piergiovanni

Compare the one you will test to an Allbinos report. They have tested the 8x32 HD, 8x42 HD and 10x42 HD.

Bob

Troubador · Sep 16, 2014

dalat said:
Hmm... A bit more of transmission and perhaps a bit more neutral colors, the rest remaining unchanged? That is not exactly the move needed to catch up with Swaro and Zeiss. I hope that's not all Leica has in mind, but rather some intermediary product update to buy some time before they come with something really interesting and new.

The most interesting bit in this "news" is that Leica intends to keep the 7x in their line-up.

Florian

This is disappointing from Leica although Ultravids are very nice instruments and with these enhancements they should be a little better.

Like you I hope they have something else in the pipeline, maybe next year.

Lee

Gijs van Ginkel · Sep 16, 2014

Dear all,
According to the Leica people today at the Photokina there is only an increase in light transmission for the new Ultravids, but since these binoculars are very nice from the point of view of design as well as their mechanical and optical construction, the new customers may be very happy with it.
Gijs

Omid · Sep 16, 2014

Well, gentlemen, this is it. We have been here for almost a decade now.

A few (may be 2 or 3) percent light transmission is all that this is about. Human eye percieves image brightness on a logarithmic scale not a linear sclae. Furthermore, image brightness is affected by so many other factors (e.g., contrast, color, etc.) that this would hardly be perciptible.

Sad, but its true. We are at the apex of optical performance for binoculars.

james holdsworth · Sep 17, 2014

They are now using HT glass, I see.

Chosun Juan · Sep 17, 2014

Thanks Pier, guys,

James, looks like you are a bit of a market leader with your HT's ! :t:

It seems that using HT glass does indeed provide tangible benefits, no matter how slight. It should be really good for balancing out the colour rendition and getting transmission above 90% throughout nearly the whole visible spectrum. Enough for Leica anyway to designate these as a new model.

I recall that I was roundly poo-pooed, tut-tutted, and tsk-tsked for suggesting that Zeiss put some HT glass in the 8x32 FL's stat ! to create the 8x32HT's. I ain't gonna say it folks, b-u-t _ ____ ___ __ !! :smoke:

Chosun :gh:

ceasar · Sep 17, 2014

Omid said:
Well, gentlemen, this is it. We have been here for almost a decade now.

A few (may be 2 or 3) percent light transmission is all that this is about. Human eye percieves image brightness on a logarithmic scale not a linear sclae. Furthermore, image brightness is affected by so many other factors (e.g., contrast, color, etc.) that this would hardly be perciptible.

Sad, but its true. We are at the apex of optical performance for binoculars.

Some will think that this is a good thing!:t:

There will be more "fine haired" arguments to get involved in.

Bob

elkcub · Sep 17, 2014

Omid said:
Well, gentlemen, this is it. We have been here for almost a decade now.

A few (may be 2 or 3) percent light transmission is all that this is about. Human eye percieves image brightness on a logarithmic scale not a linear sclae. Furthermore, image brightness is affected by so many other factors (e.g., contrast, color, etc.) that this would hardly be perciptible.

Sad, but its true. We are at the apex of optical performance for binoculars.

That's true, but my thinking is that brightness, per se, is not the real issue. Rather, higher transmission is associated with a cleaner retinal image ... and that is the goal! Would be that we could quantify such an image improvement objectively.

So far Leica hasn't improved eye-relief, which for me is a deal breaker. :gn:

Ed

Troubador · Sep 17, 2014

Chosun Juan said:
I recall that I was roundly poo-pooed, tut-tutted, and tsk-tsked for suggesting that Zeiss put some HT glass in the 8x32 FL's stat ! to create the 8x32HT's. I ain't gonna say it folks, b-u-t _ ____ ___ __ !! :smoke:

Chosun :gh:

Chosun

Zeiss always said they would not do an HT32 and one or two folks pointed out this was almost certainly because the Schott HT glasses with the required characteristics for use in SP prisms gave too little transmission improvement to be useful.

Maybe Schott has improved these HT grades although I note Leica only mention using it in the prisms and not the lenses.

As far as I have seen so far Leica are not putting any numbers on the transmission attained or the increase, but I am not sure how much we should read into this.

Lee

JabaliHunter · Sep 17, 2014

So if I read it correctly, it is using:
- new Schott HT prisms
- the same lenses as previously
- the same AquaDura lens coating but applied with a new 'ultra-high vacuum, high temperature plasma process'

I wonder what the price will be compared to the others?

Chosun Juan · Sep 17, 2014

Troubador said:
Chosun

Zeiss always said they would not do an HT32 and one or two folks pointed out this was almost certainly because the Schott HT glasses with the required characteristics for use in SP prisms gave too little transmission improvement to be useful.

Maybe Schott has improved these HT grades although I note Leica only mention using it in the prisms and not the lenses.

As far as I have seen so far Leica are not putting any numbers on the transmission attained or the increase, but I am not sure how much we should read into this.

Lee

Lee,

If the gain is too little to be of value, then tell that to Leica ! They obviously disagree ..... :smoke:

The reason that Zeiss hasn't upgraded the 8x32FL to an 8x32HT is that are dumkopfs ! It would be pretty easy to bung in some HT and Ultra FL glass, some carbon fibre into the polymer resin, and redo and lighten up the armour for a very nice little bin that would take it right to the Swaro 8x32 SV ...... so easy infact that the tea lady could probably do it in her spare time ...... :king:

Then again Zeiss has their hands full with x54mm HT problems and x42mm SF delays ...... :-C

Chosun :gh:

Troubador · Sep 17, 2014

Chosun Juan said:
Lee,

If the gain is too little to be of value, then tell that to Leica ! They obviously disagree ..... :smoke:

Then again Zeiss has their hands full with x54mm HT problems and x42mm SF delays ...... :-C

Chosun :gh:

CJ you are doing it again, putting words into mouths. I didn't say the gain is too little to be of value and even said Schott may have upgraded the glasses.

As for problems with HT54: what problems?

Lee

Gijs van Ginkel · Sep 17, 2014

Chosun,
Zeiss is not so stupid as you suggest, they also do market investigations and that has brought them to the conclusion that it may not be worthwile to do a lot of investments in the improvement of the 8x32 FL.
Problems with the 54 mm HT? Only very few people on this forum were able to see that, so the question is: how much value does zeiss give to these observations.
There are some improvements planned on the SF I understand after talking to Zeiss reperesentatives on Photokina, but the plan still is to have them on the market by the end of november, but then they will not be available to the general public immediately, since there are very many backorders, which will be delivered first (quote).
Gijs

Chosun Juan · Sep 17, 2014

Troubador said:
CJ you are doing it again, putting words into mouths. I didn't say the gain is too little to be of value and even said Schott may have upgraded the glasses.

As for problems with HT54: what problems?

Lee

Lee, where's the *hair splitting smilie* when you need one ! :eek!:

Saying someone else said doesn't count. Small gains they may be, but you yourself know and have said it many times of the undeniable and significant step in colour rendition of the HT over the FL .... :smoke:

Chosun :gh:

Chosun Juan · Sep 17, 2014

Gijs van Ginkel said:
Chosun,
Zeiss is not so stupid as you suggest, they also do market investigations and that has brought them to the conclusion that it may not be worthwile to do a lot of investments in the improvement of the 8x32 FL.
Problems with the 54 mm HT? Only very few people on this forum were able to see that, so the question is: how much value does zeiss give to these observations.
There are some improvements planned on the SF I understand after talking to Zeiss reperesentatives on Photokina, but the plan still is to have them on the market by the end of november, but then they will not be available to the general public immediately, since there are very many backorders, which will be delivered first (quote).
Gijs

Gijs,

Market investigations can often be like pulling fairy floss from hen's teeth! (o)< An 8x32HT with the other improvements as I suggested would not be a major development cost, and would extend the life of the model considerably, And, significantly improve the market competitiveness. Importantly it would also buy valuable time for the proper development of the x32 SF range. Makes strategic, economic, and common sense. The only possible drawback might be raising the bar too high for the x32 SF to hurdle, thus giving the engineers too many grey hairs and heart palpitations ! :-O

Chosun :gh:

dalat · Sep 17, 2014

Troubador said:
Zeiss always said they would not do an HT32 and one or two folks pointed out this was almost certainly because the Schott HT glasses with the required characteristics for use in SP prisms gave too little transmission improvement to be useful.

Yes, I think it was Holger Merlitz who said that the HT glass only really has advantages in AK prisms, he also commented in a German forum on the Leica plus in the sense that the transmission gains by HT glass alone in the Ultravid will not be very high.

As for Zeiss not intending to make a 32 HT, well, meanwhile we know that the 32 Victory FL successor will most likely be called SF

JabaliHunter said:
I wonder what the price will be compared to the others?

The German press release gave prices:

Das Ultravid 7x42 HD-Plus kostet 2000 Euro, das Ultravid 8x42 HD-Plus 2050 Euro und das Ultravid 10x42 HD-Plus ist für 2100 Euro verfügbar.

I think these are the same list prices as for the current Ultravid HD. In Germany these retail for about 200 € less, which currently places them slightly below the Swarovision and probably the Zeiss SF.

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