Thanks for sharing your insights, @
Tringa45! I am, indeed, curious to hear what "real" binocular users and birders think of the use of a monocular in the field, especially the Leica 8x20 Monovid that I chose for my applications!
On reflection I think the Monovid may have more deficiencies than originally supposed. With the close focus attachment Leica specify 25-30 cm and I suspect this might be the total range.
It may not seem much but is a natural difference of 0,67 dioptres or a focus travel for the Monovid of 43 dioptres (0,67x8^2).
The focus travel from 1,8 m (the normal close focus) to infinity is 36 dioptres and if one adds a few for focus overtravel beyond infinity both values are of similar magnitude.
This would suggest that for intermediate distances between 30 cm and 1,8 m the Monovid is unusable!
Perhaps an owner could confirm this?
John
You are correct about the limited close focus / magnifier capabilities using the threaded objective attachment lens. However, for my field application purposes, the Monovid, when looking through it "backwards" acts as a field "loupe" for examining soil particle grain size/composition and for viewing magnified views of small vascular plant structures (flower parts and other critical identification features). I do carry a vintage Carl Zeiss Jena loupe that I have had for many years (that I picked up for field geology use), but in a pinch the Leica Monovid works great as a magnifier loupe and that means there is one less thing I have to worry about carrying, accessing, loosing when conducting fieldwork. For me, that holds great value.
At the risk of upsetting a few owners, I think the Monovid is a totally irrational proposition.
Leaving the cost aside (almost 70% of an 8x20 Ultravid!) its construction is unnecessarily complex and this results in disadvantages for the user.
Apart from compactness a monocular has the potential to perform one function better than any binocular and that is the ability to provide magnified views of objects at distances under 1 m, insects for instance.
The Monovid has adopted the internal focussing lens of the Ultravid and has a close focus of 1,8 m, worse than many contemporary binoculars and with two superfluous air/glass surfaces. To achieve a close focus of 25-30 cm you have to screw on another two air/glass surfaces!
Most Porro binoculars and a few roof prism binoculars achieve close focus by extending the eyepieces and many with individual focus (by definition a monocular has IF) can be waterproofed.
This would be a rare requirement for a monocular anyway and could be ruled out with the large objective extension of my two Zeiss monoculars, the 3x12 and 6x18. They achieve continuous focus from infinity down to 19 cm and 25 cm respectively at which the magnification increases to about 4x and 9x. The Leica's magnification with internal focussing would remain virtually unchanged.
Roger Vine ruled out Nikon for some reason, but a 5x15 HG would not only ameliorate his problem with the shakes but would focus down to 60 cm, have a 157 m FoV and be brighter with a larger exit pupil, all in a lighter and less expensive package.
John
Of course, I can't argue that a monocular, ANY monocular, even one with superb optics as the Leica Monovid, likely cannot compete with even the most compact of binoculars given that humans just see much better using two eyes! That is how our eyes and brains work. But for me and my applications, I am perfectly comfortable using the "mono" view and the Leica sure does seem to perform well in my experience. I did try a few compact 8x20/25 binoculars, but the size, weight, ease of field use, and superb optics of the Leica works great for me and my field activities. Even for casual birding / nature observation when I am in the field, I have experienced no limitations with the Monovid where I said to myself, "Boy, I sure wish I had a pair of binoculars". Perhaps, I am just well-accustomed to "mono" viewing having been an amateur astronomer for 30+ years, so much so, that daytime mono viewing with the Monovid and/or my TeleVue Ranger are 2nd nature to me.
I know this is a birding community and I have not put the Monovid through the paces of attempting to target and follow a bird in active flight. I can't even say that I would be proficient at that activity with any pair of binos. Yet, thus far, target acquisition with the Monovid has presented no problems for me, even in wooded areas where shadows and overwhelming shades of green dominate the field. I have found that the Leica optics color rendition and super sharp / high contrast optics have enabled me to distinguish between similar plant species at a distance that I would have had to otherwise taken extra time to examine up close and personal.
Super optics, size, weight, ease of access and use, ruggedness, water/weather proof qualities of the Leica Monovid have made me a "Team Mono" member!