Leica Trinovid 8x42 very Leica Ultravid HD Plus (1 Viewer)

Torview said:

The Trinovid plays at a very high level, and with current discounts is a great value.

I do find differences though, the fov is a little less, CA is more pronounced, in fact the HD+ is a noticeable improvement over the HD IMHO, the close focus is longer and although the centre is equally as sharp, IMO the fall of comes sooner and given the narrower fov overall the Ultravid is the better binocular.

I think this is a very balanced post. I agree with almost everything. There's not much in the close focus , despite the listed specs I can focus down to 2.5m on the Trinovid.

Of course only you can decide if the Ultravid + is worth the extra, but for me the Schott HT glass lifts it ahead of the Trinovid.

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I think this is a very balanced post. I agree with almost everything. There's not much in the close focus , despite the listed specs I can focus down to 2.5m on the Trinovid.

I think the image is a bit more strained on the Trinovid, perhaps the larger FOV and brighter image is the cause. I also enjoy handling the Ultravid HD Plus more.

However, I wish it had longer eye relief. The 15.5 is just about fine with my glasses but more would be better. I've not decided which one to go for, although I'm starting to wonder if the Ultravid HD Plus 7x42 with the 17 mm and 140m FOV might be even better than the 8.

Petrus82 said:

However, I wish it had longer eye relief. The 15.5 is just about fine with my glasses but more would be better. I've not decided which one to go for, although I'm starting to wonder if the Ultravid HD Plus 7x42 with the 17 mm and 140m FOV might be even better than the 8.

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I have both the 8x42 UV and 7x42UV HD Plus. I can wear my glasses with either one and see the full field of view, but the 7x42 would be my binocular of choice if I had to wear glasses all of the time. The Trinovid line seems to be more eyeglass friendly according to what I've read, but if you decide to go with a UV Plus instead, the 7x has a steadier image because of its lower power, a big exit pupil, and just enough extra eye relief to where you don't have to think too much about eye placement. The 7x HD Plus is a fantastic binocular, and excellent in those situations where a wide field makes a difference in seeing a fast moving bird in low light conditions. If that's the kind of birding you do, the extra cost of the 7x UV Plus might pay off in the long run.

The 7x42 HD+ is special, really special IMO. the 8 is very fine also, however I`m not sure I`d buy one over a SV or SF in an 8x42 format, but until Z & S offer a 7x42 to compare there`s no telling if they would have that magic I find in the UV+.

I`m not holding my breath on a forthcoming 7x anything from Z or S.

I'm interested in a 7x. What's the AFOV like on the 7x. I'm not interested in numbers just reality. I had the Opticron 7x42 with 122m and it was very tunnelled. I thought the Swarovski SLC 7x42 was a little tunnelled too.

Hi Jinty.

I've owned two pairs of Swaro SLC 7x42s and never found the view "tunnelled" - in fact the opposite.

I agree with those on this thread that the Leica Trinovids, with their current discounted price, make fantastic value for money. They aren't perfect, but they are extremely good.

Hi Jinty, I had the bga se 7x42 and agree it did feel tunnelled, I don`t find this at all with the UV, however it will never fell as expansive as an 8x with the same 8 deg fov.

I have posted this before but I think Leica are a bit conservative about the 140m on the 7x UV, I`v compared it to my EII 8x30, 153m fov and in terms of what more can be seen on the EII its precious little, if I was to guess I`d reckon the UV is more like 144m fov.

Hi Jinty,

I have the following 7x42s, and I can assure you that none of them suffer from "tunnel" vision. Starting with the Leitz they go back to the 1980s then into the the 1990s and up almost to 2010 and they use 3 different types of Prisms.

The Swarovski 7x42 SLC B has an actual or real FOV of 420'@1000 yards. The Zeiss Victory T*FL Lotutec has an actual or real FOV of 450'@1000 yards. The Leica Trinovid BN has a actual or real FOV of 420'@1000Yards. The Leitz 7x42 Trinovid BA has a actual or real FOV of 420'@1000 yards and included is an inexpensive but still very good Leupold 7x42 Cascade which has an actual or real FOV of 393'@1000yds.

You can only find these on the used market now. All of them have been discontinued.

I haven't tried the new Nikon 7x42 EDG or the Leica 7x42 Ultravid HD+ but I am quite certain they don't have "Tunnel" vision either.

Bob

I owned the previous Trinovid (2012-15 version) for about 9 months and was impressed with it especially in the beginning. It has typical Leica great build and design. Mine had a very nice and smooth focus. The barrels are a little slimmer than the UVid and it's a little heavier. I remember the optics were nice overall , but some bad CA at times out of dead center. CA was controlled well in the center though.

I find my 7x42 HD+ to feel more comfortable to hold and it's a little lighter. A big part of why I like it better than the old Trinovid is due to the benefits of the 7x42 format. It's my impression that the optics in the 7x42 Plus is a good step up. The image is cleaner and has a quality I struggle to describe; some have described it as "washed clean" and that sounds about right to me. There's much less CA as well and it's a bit brighter with great colors and excellent contrast.

That's a great price for the Trinovid ... you got a great deal on a very nice bin.