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Extender for angled Leicas (1 Viewer)

Congratulations Leica - that is a very good idea! Now if Kowa would only do the same thing (at about 1.5x) for the 883 (or even better, a 100mm 993) I think my search for a birding scope would be over.
 
DRodrigues said:
Hopefully it will work also for the straight versions. The official site http://en.leica-camera.com/sport_optics/apo-televid%20spotting%20scopes_new/accessories/10385.html also only mentions the angled versions...
Click to expand...

Orniwelt stresses that the converter can *only* be used with the angled versions:

"Beachten Sie bitte, dass eine Verwendung des Extenders 1.8x an den Geradmodellen ist nicht möglich. Der Extender 1.8x kann dort mechanisch nicht angeriegelt werden."

Sorry about that.

Hermann
 
Henry,

How do you think this 25-50x Wide/extender combo would work with astro-scopes? The zoom itself has been quite popular with premium refractor owners, from what I've been able to tell.

I agree that the idea is good and even overdue. Even the price is reasonable for a Leica product.

May this prompt Swaro to make a similar extender to go between the objective and the prism/zoom module of the ATX/STX.

Kimmo
 
kabsetz said:
Henry,

How do you think this 25-50x Wide/extender combo would work with astro-scopes?

Kimmo
Click to expand...

Kimmo,

I don't see why there should be any problem. I'm sure astro users already combine the Leica zoom with similar Barlows for higher magnification.

For spotting scopes I'd really prefer to see something like the Questar Barlow built into the prism housing where it could be quickly flipped in and out of the light path without removing the eyepiece.

Henry
 
henry link said:
Congratulations Leica - that is a very good idea! Now if Kowa would only do the same thing (at about 1.5x) for the 883 (or even better, a 100mm 993) I think my search for a birding scope would be over.
Click to expand...

I had a chance to speak to a rep. from Kowa at one of my local reserves on Wednesday and was able to make the point that Kowa was falling behind in the high power magnification stakes.

Initially she was sceptical of the need to go beyond 60x but I did explain that other manufacturers were now doing it and that the scope was capable of taking higher powers and that it would be useful in some situations.

I suggested a 1.5x entender would be a good idea and by the end of the conversation she said she would ask the Kowa engineers about the possibility.

I like to think that as Kowa starts to market itself a bit more aggressively in the UK at least that they might start to respond to trends. We shall see.
 
It doesn't currently work with the straight models because the first internal lens in the straight scope is a hair too close to the mount for the adapter to fully seat and lock. It's close (a little too close!). I've been using a prototype over the last week and it performs exceptionally well both for viewing and digiscoping. Drew Weber of Nemesisbird.com posted a preview recently which you can find on their site, complete with some digi-video.

Cheers

David
Product Specialist - Leica Sport Optics
 
David,
I guess isn't just the distance to the lens in the straight version - it would be easily solved doing the extender a few mm longer...
In any case it's a shame that Leica didn't found a universal solution - I was a potential user of this if it worked in the straight version...:-C
 
Last edited:
Don't want to rain on anybody's parade but Leica had one of those to demo at the Optics expo in Columbus in April. I wasn't real impressed with it above about 60X. Granted it was a gray very overcast day but there was a noticeable loss of detail at higher mags. It wasn't real bright and kind of like the Zeiss 20X75 above 55X or so. I didn't have a chance to compare on a bright ,sunny day but with the conditions we had with Kowa, Swaro,Zeiss Leica and Vortex (Nikon wasn't there officially but one dealer had samples so I discount them a little because of no factory prepped samples) all lined up to compare, The Kowa and the new Swaro were brighter and sharper at 60X and bumping the Zeiss and Leica didn't help them. Could I see a difference between the Kowa and the Swaro? no and I definitely couldn't see two thousand bucks difference. Just what I saw and I was a buyer that day.
Steve
 
No matter how good an idea this sounds, it will still be subject to the laws of physics! Surely the fixed scope aperture, transmission losses and internal reflections at an increased number of air/glass surfaces will still render the view mediocre at best above a certain magnification? Will the cost be justified by an effective and useful increase in power?
 
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