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TrinoVid 10x42 HD.......Are the Considered ALPHA?? How Do They Compare to Others? (1 Viewer)

MUHerd

Well-known member
Hey all,

Something is puzzling me. I didn't know that LEICA made binos that were thought of as "less than ALPHA Class," if you get what I mean.

I have never owned a set of Leica and I don't think I've ever even handled a set. I have been looking thru binos for the last 10-12 days in the hopes that I can get back into observing wildlife and the desire to find a local group of birders to try and learn from. I don't have a good set of binos right now though.

When looking or reading about binos, I usually don't read or even check into the products from LEICA, Swaro, Zeiss and the other binos that are widely regarded as being the best of the best, I can't afford them. I might be able to at some point in the future, but not now.

A couple days ago I just decided to look at the LEICA bino offerings and saw that they have a model that is less than $1,000, the TrinoVid 10x42 HD. I was pretty surprised at seeing that.

Is Leica simply trying to broaden their customer base by making available a set of binos that more people can afford?
Are these TrinoVid NOT considered ALPHA Binos? How do they stack up against their binos that ARE at the TOP of the heap?

I'm just curious.

I'm assuming that you would still get a fabulous bino if one were to buy a set of these...right?
Are these made in the same facilities that their other offerings that are very highly regarded are or are they made in China to reduce labor costs and such?

I'm just curious as to how these Leica Binos rate. I have read many postings about how the "low cost" Zeiss binos do not match up well to their premium optics and whether this is the case with these Leicas.

Thank you for your time and help. May you all have a blessed Christmas and New Years.

Larry
 
Larry
I think some folks are critical of lower priced Leicas and Zeisses as some see this as a watering down of the superiority of the brands. Of course these less expensive models don't perform quite as well as top priced models, this is only common sense and to be expected. I have top priced Zeiss SFs but also love their mid priced Conquest HD 8x32 for its speed of focus which makes it ideal IMHO for combining watching dragonflies and butterflies with birding when you need to change focus quickly and SF is a bit too slow for this. Optically Conquests perform in line with their price which is to say plenty good enough.

My wife is a Leica girl and had a 1970s Trinovid for years then upgraded to an Ultravid HD 8x32 top line Leica and loves it to bits. As a back up I bought her a Trinovid HD 8x32 and she likes it so much for its extra-close focus that she has used it more than the Ultravid this year.

In other words Trinovid and Conquest are close enough to 'alpha' performance that the presence of another capability has meant for some purposes we prefer them to the top priced models.

Lee
 
Hey all,

Something is puzzling me. I didn't know that LEICA made binos that were thought of as "less than ALPHA Class," if you get what I mean.

I have never owned a set of Leica and I don't think I've ever even handled a set. I have been looking thru binos for the last 10-12 days in the hopes that I can get back into observing wildlife and the desire to find a local group of birders to try and learn from. I don't have a good set of binos right now though.

When looking or reading about binos, I usually don't read or even check into the products from LEICA, Swaro, Zeiss and the other binos that are widely regarded as being the best of the best, I can't afford them. I might be able to at some point in the future, but not now.

A couple days ago I just decided to look at the LEICA bino offerings and saw that they have a model that is less than $1,000, the TrinoVid 10x42 HD. I was pretty surprised at seeing that.

Is Leica simply trying to broaden their customer base by making available a set of binos that more people can afford?
Are these TrinoVid NOT considered ALPHA Binos? How do they stack up against their binos that ARE at the TOP of the heap?

I'm just curious.

I'm assuming that you would still get a fabulous bino if one were to buy a set of these...right?
Are these made in the same facilities that their other offerings that are very highly regarded are or are they made in China to reduce labor costs and such?

I'm just curious as to how these Leica Binos rate. I have read many postings about how the "low cost" Zeiss binos do not match up well to their premium optics and whether this is the case with these Leicas.


Thank you for your time and help. May you all have a blessed Christmas and New Years.

Larry

My impression is that the Trinovids are mostly made in Asia, but the final assembly and QC are done Portugal. But the problem is not where they are made, it's the final result and sorry to say, I'm no big fan of the Trinovid HD:s. Personally I'd rather get some used Ultravid HD:s.

If they are good enough for your needs, only you can decide.
 
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Larry, I've only looked through some Trinovid HD's briefly but I thought they were perfectly OK, although I wasn't able to compare them with alpha Leica's of the same format (8x32). However, many here have done direct comparisons (Lee, for one) and the consensus seems to be that they work very well and represent excellent value for money. Yes, there are small subtle differences which you may (or may not) be able to see by direct comparison to an alpha, but for most people those differences would be small and quite possibly insignificant. However, you are the only person who can make that judgement. It comes down to whether your acuity is good enough to see the differences, and, if you can, whether it matters to you.

I believe the HD's are manufactured in the far east and assembled in Portugal. All other Leica's are manufactured and assembled in Portugal/Germany.

All the best!
 
Hi Larry,

Compare their specifications to find out where they differ. Things like the Field of View will often be smaller. Their close focusing will be longer. There are different ways of setting their diopters; a diopter on the eyepiece is less expensive than one integrated with the focus wheel. Eye relief is often shorter. Exterior coverings and cases are more "economical."

Those are the places where the money is saved. You are still getting quality glass, maybe without the most recent coatings but still high quality.

(Leica still sells 1st line Ultravids like their 8 and 10x42 Ultravid "Blackline" binoculars which still have the original Ultravid coatings on their glass. I have an 8x42 "Blackline" and I can tell you that I could not see the difference between it and a new Ultravid HD+.)

http://us.leica-camera.com/Sport-Op...e-Leisure/Binoculars/Leica-Ultravid-Blackline

(You can often pick one up at "Demo" prices at Camera Land, NY.)

The important thing is that they fit you and you like using them.

Bob
 
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Trinovid HD...
I don't have the 10X42 but I DO have the 8X42 and have used it a good bit...I like it a lot. It's lightweight and compact for a 42mm binocular. It's main area that it gives way to the "alphas" is FOV. It's a nice binocular!
 

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Hey all.

Thanks for the info and clarification.

I have absolutely no doubts that anything bearing the LEICA badge is going to be a wonderful set of binoculars for anyone, even those that have been in the Leica family for decades. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to own a set of binos in the “ALPHA” class. I’m not even sure I’d be able to tell the difference in these and the Pentax DCF HRII 10x42 that I have now.

I was just curious about these because I didn’t know Leica made a lower cost set of binos.

Thank you all again for your help and information. Maybe one day I can join you guys and gals at the BIG BOY TABLE with my very own Leica binos.

Larry
 
Hey all.

Thanks for the info and clarification.

I have absolutely no doubts that anything bearing the LEICA badge is going to be a wonderful set of binoculars for anyone, even those that have been in the Leica family for decades. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to own a set of binos in the “ALPHA” class. I’m not even sure I’d be able to tell the difference in these and the Pentax DCF HRII 10x42 that I have now.

I was just curious about these because I didn’t know Leica made a lower cost set of binos.

Thank you all again for your help and information. Maybe one day I can join you guys and gals at the BIG BOY TABLE with my very own Leica binos.

Larry

You get what you pay for. If you want more bang for the buck, buy a used pair of some "alphas", prices on some older leicas can be pretty reasonable. And I'm pretty sure you could tell the difference, but question seems to be if you really want.
 
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