Silverline 10x42: Worth getting, or waste of money? (1 Viewer)

[norway]

A near-mint pair of Ultravid Silverline binoculars in 10x42 came up for sale locally at what seems to be a reasonable price. I don't know the manufacturing date, but the receipt shows an original purchase date of 2016, and they're made in Portugal.

I have a 2013-produced pair of the regular made-in-Germany Ultravid HD in 8x42, which I absolutely love, and the idea of adding a lighter and more-compact pair with the 10X's wider apparent FoV is appealing. The silver version is somewhat less appealing compared to the Blackline... but maybe it looks better in person?

I have zero experience with any of the leather-armoured versions of the UV, and was hoping to get some more-experienced opinions on them. Are they worth getting instead of holding out for the black-leather ones? Were they ever switched from the BR to the HD optical elements and focus mechanism? Any known issues to look out for; e.g. focuser? Is there even any point to getting them when I have Swaro ELs in 10x32 already? 🤔

 

[MiddleRiver]

@chill6x6 maybe will see this and comment on silverline...
I had the BL and UVHD+ together for a bit. Possible I could see some diff, but honestly I miss/love the BL's. IIRC the one downside is they were cold in really frigid temps (below freezing). But a little lighter, more svelte, great ergos!

 

[norway]

Thanks for the reply!

Ha, I'm half-hoping someone will talk me out of these things, but I do really like the idea of a pair of high-quality 42s that are even smaller than the regular UVs. I have other options for really cold conditions, so the finger-freezing effect isn't a big deal.

 

[chill6x6]

I really like the Silverline series. I bought the 8X42 because it was a good deal and really wasn't that crazy about it aesthetically, until I actually got it. I really like it. You can tell the pride of workmanship that went into this binocular. Similar to the "Retrovid" and Swarovski Habicht pro. Eye-cups are push-pull design. The Silverline has a slimmer overall profile than the UV and is a little lighter. 25 ounces vs 27.1.

I know of no issue concerning this binocular. I've had my 8X42(and now 8X20) several years with no issues whatsoever. Optically I can't tell a difference between it and my UVHD+.

Picture below isn't a quality photo but it will at least give you a look at the Silverline and UVHD+ 8X42s side by side.

Any other questions I'll be happy to answer.

 

[norway]

Great info, thanks! Exactly the position I’m currently in; tempted by pricing but not completely sold on the silver look.

It’s very encouraging to hear that yours have been issue-free. I’m hoping they used the later focus mechanism from the HD and HD Plus models, but it’s very difficult to find information on these. I really appreciate feedback from an actual owner.

Sounds excellent so far. Anything you don’t like about them? 🙂

 

[norway]

Decision made: incoming!

The advice from @MiddleRiver and @chill6x6 was very helpful; thanks again. Leica's Ultravid series is my favourite among all binoculars. I just love the quality, the feel, the colours, the contrast, and the natural panning more than any other — plus their industrial design has never been bettered in my opinion. This Silverline version really does seem like something special.

Very much looking forward to these:

 

[Trinovid]

Decision made: incoming!

This really is the best looking picture I've ever seen of the Silverline series, and like you, I always preferred the look of the Blackline. They really look great here and that strap gives a really nice offset in the appearance. I know that Chill has said he thought they actually looked much better in person and I'm hoping they're a good match for you once they arrive!

 

[norway]

@Trinovid
Thanks; I hope so, too! I've always preferred the classic metal-bodied look over plastic and rubber for my camera gear, and I have no doubt that it'll be the same with these. That said, I think the regular Ultravids are beautiful, and that their vanilla-scented rubber is incredibly high-quality.

I'm planning to actually use these, so one benefit to the silver finish is that it seems to be more practical, as wear should be much less visible than on the Blackline model:



I suppose it would be pretty easy to neatly put some black hockey tape around the barrels for a less-flashy look and some scuff protection, too. 🤔

Regardless, they're already on their way and I can't wait to take some of my own photos of them to share.

 

[norway]

Ha, they showed up quicker than expected. You guys were completely right about these things; they’re awesome!







They’re just as nice-feeling as I’d hoped, and I can see what @chill6x6 meant about pride of workmanship. I do note that these have the same rotating adjustment on the eyecups as the rubber-armoured UV models instead of the push-pull type.

Anyway, I’m really happy with how the silver-and-black finish looks in real life, and they’re an absolute pleasure to use. It’s a totally-relaxing, glassless feeling with those rich colours and subtle beautiful dreamy quality that I love about Leica optics. Having a set of 42s this light and compact is going to be sweet!

 

[Elpha8888]

Upon receiving these if you decide that silver is not your cup of tea then just put a bit of gorilla tape round the barrels, you'll have the BL version then and no one will ever know.

 

[chill6x6]

Ha, they showed up quicker than expected. You guys were completely right about these things; they’re awesome!

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They’re just as nice-feeling as I’d hoped, and I can see what @chill6x6 meant about pride of workmanship. I do note that these have the same rotating adjustment on the eyecups as the rubber-armoured UV models instead of the push-pull type.

Anyway, I’m really happy with how the silver-and-black finish looks in real life, and they’re an absolute pleasure to use. It’s a totally-relaxing, glassless feeling with those rich colours and subtle beautiful dreamy quality that I love about Leica optics. Having a set of 42s this light and compact is going to be sweet!

They look just great! That's a nice set of binoculars!

It's kind of funny about the eyecups. I guess they do them differently from time to time.

 

[norway]

Upon receiving these if you decide that silver is not your cup of tea then just put a bit of gorilla tape round the barrels, you'll have the BL version then and no one will ever know.

Ha — I did think about that but I kinda love the silver look in real life.

Though one thing I'll probably try out at some point is slipping some neatly-cut sections of bicycle inner tube over the exposed metal areas for a stealthier look plus scuff protection and extra grip. Could be handy for steep rocky hikes and such, and would be easily removable without leaving any goo on the metal. I've done it on other camera/outdoor gear and it tends to work great.